Customer Loyalty, Human Beings and ROI

Of course, it might make sense to consider whether your businesses should have more of a human element associated with it. Retailers know who their best sales associates are, and some even pay commissions that enable great sales associates to earn six-figure salaries. Catalog marketers know that outstanding sales associates do a great job of cross-selling customers and easing customer concerns. They also know that average order values are generally larger over the phone than online.

So, the next time you're looking for tactics that'll increase sales today, consider the role that actual, live human beings might play in increasing brand loyalty within your business model.

Kevin Hillstrom is president of MineThatData, a database marketing consultancy. He can be reached at kevinh@minethatdata.com.