Many years ago, I experienced something that taught me a valuable lesson in spending a client’s budget.

I was on my way to a client meeting. I had with me an arsenal of information that was meant to address the meeting agenda of the day. The topics were to include everything from this month’s mass media strategy to next month’s proposed creative – and everything in-between. I had anything and everything. I was confident that I would be able to successfully guide him and his considerable budget through the treacherous waters we call the “retail marketing landscape”.

Approaching the dealership, I could see there was a small incline on the sidewalk that I would have to ascend to reach the front door. As I approached, my foot caught a crack in the concrete. I stumbled and quickly regained my balance.

I arose to my feet unharmed (but slightly embarrassed). I paused and proceeded to look at the path I was on. I began to notice cracks and uneven seams in the walkway. As I opened the door, a salesperson had seen what had happened and said that that they’ve been meaning to fix that.

I then looked around throughout the showroom and noticed some other items of interest. Two of the many bulbs in the ceiling were out. The brochure rack on the wall was sparse of any product materials and what was there was not very organized. Although there was not a drop of coffee in the pot, the coffee maker was still on in a waiting room full of customers. The large banner on the wall promoting December’s sales event was up… even thought it was now March.

I finally entered the owner’s office to begin the meeting. He began to ask a litany of questions about his marketing strategy and how we would be spending his money. I replied, “We won’t be spending a dime”.

This client who spent thousands and thousands of dollars promoting his store and brand each month looked confused. He said “excuse me?” I replied “we won’t be spending any money – we’re not ready to yet”. I asked him to come with me and he would understand. I certainly did not want to upset him, but then some things in life need to be heard.

We began a short 5 minute tour of the things I had seen. We took a look at the bulbs that were out … the signage that was out of date … the coffee-less pot … and the cracked and uneven concrete leading to the front door.

I asked him, “If we are not creating an environment that promotes a return experience or a potential customer referral to your store, how efficient really is your marketing budget?” He agreed.

We spent our remaining time discussing the importance of the customer experience and what I call “the little things”.

Let’s face the fact that in today’s fast paced world a business owner can become blind to these “little things”. It’s understandable. The phones don’t stop ringing, emails are relentlessly sent and the list of the day’s meetings never seems to end.

The problem is that when you don’t see these “little things”, a big thing can happen. You can be negatively affecting the customer’s propensity to do business with you again – no matter how much you spend in the market. The importance of ensuring a seamless customer experience in every way shape and form is critical – even the littlest of things.

Take some time and a step back. Make it simple. Ask non-employees what they see and what their experience is. Take pictures of the showroom and building. Review them, thus taking your eye out of your everyday reality. Assign internal maintenance schedules and watches. This is critical information to have. This will ultimately save you money and increase your advertising ROI.

Remember, before we spend money on the big things, let’s make sure we first look at the little things.