Tony Rubleski—out to capture your mind

“I could live 150 lifetimes and I wouldn’t hit 1 percent of the people on this planet who need help with marketing,” said Tony Rubleski, of Mind Capture Group in Spring Lake. “My goal is to help a million people with their marketing in the next seven years. If I get there sooner, so much the better.”

Like many new MRA members, Mind Capture Group is a small business but not a retailer. Rubleski works with retailers, entrepreneurs and small business owners daily, however, to provide them with marketing ideas.

Rubleski, who has done speaking engagements all over Michigan and the Midwest, recently gave a high-energy, information-packed seminar at MRA’s Retail Education Conference that received strong reviews.

He freely admits that marketing “isn’t rocket science; it’s often just common sense,” but he believes too many businesses don’t pay it enough attention or don’t understand its importance.

“Retailers know they need to market, but they are often so busy dealing with other issues—employee problems, inventory management, taxes, store policies—that they put off marketing.” That’s a big mistake in Rubleski’s view.

“Your number one goal is getting business,” he explained. “If you’re so busy putting out fires that you do little or no marketing, it will catch up with you. You’ve got to make marketing a daily priority.”

Rubleski recognizes that many small retailers cannot afford marketing services like his, but he insists there are many low-cost ways of marketing and learning new marketing ideas. He encourages retailers to sign up for his free e-letter at his website (www.mindcapturegroup.com).

His philosophy is summed up in the idea of “mind capture”—the basis of his firm’s name and his first book, Mind Capture: How To Generate New & Repeat Business In The Age of Advertising Overload.

“Mind capture is simply the ability to stand out, get attention and win new business in a world with too many choices and demands on people’s time,” said Rubleski. The emphasis is on overcoming “information overload” not necessarily by spending lots of money but by guerilla tactics—unusual moves that achieve results.

A simple example is the sci-fi image on his book cover: two eerie green hands cradling a brain. It’s weird, maybe even creepy, but it might catch a reader’s eye among more traditional business book covers.

Rubleski also insists that every business needs evidence—proof that it’s worth a customer’s business and repeat business. This is tricky in retail, but he has specific tips for using evidence-based marketing in retail.

“Do you have testimonials about your products or your customer service? What does your store guarantee say about your faith in your products and services? Do you make the most of every positive feedback?”

Evidence might consist of a favorable letter or e-mail from a satisfied customer or a thank-you note from a non-profit you contributed to—it shows you’re a good business. He suggests you share this evidence with customers by posting it in your store near your customer service desk or including it in a store newsletter or e-newsletter.

“A restaurant in Grand Haven, Butch’s Beach Burritos, does fantastic business for five months a year,” said Rubleski. “While you wait in their long line, along a wall you see pictures from around the world of people wearing their Butch’s t-shirts.

“It’s beautiful—a perfect example of mind capture marketing. Testimonials don’t need to be written—pictures work at least as well.”

After you have people’s valuable attention and then their business, you have to work to keep them. With today’s fierce competition, Rubleski believes you’ve got to guard your customer base.

“Defend your customers like a shepherd or cowboy defends his herd from wolves and poachers—because that’s what your competitors are.”

A simple way is to offer a continuity program, such as a loyalty card that allows repeat customers to earn a deal after so many visits. Buy nine cups of coffee and the 10th is free, or spend $10 or more on each of 10 visits and get 50 percent off your next purchase.

“Call it ‘wallet capture’—every time they flip through the cards in their wallet, there’s your card reminding them to return,” he explained. “And since people love getting deals, they do return.”

Another customer retention tool is follow-up—a low-cost marketing technique that too many retailers overlook. A hand-written thank-you card or a note or phone call to check on satisfaction a week after a problem is solved is an inexpensive way to build a relationship with a VIP customer.

“And in today’s high-tech world, high touch is very powerful,” he said.

“Marketing ideas are all around us, but we have to learn to look for them,” says Rubleski. “My Grandma Henry taught me the importance of follow-up. Thank-you notes, birthday cards, anniversary cards—she was a master of follow-up.”

Along with speaking engagements, Rubleski has found success writing about marketing. When an updated edition of Mind Capture is released this May by New York publisher Morgan James, Rubleski promises to mark the release date with a “wacky” promotional event, which is under wraps for now but involves breaking some kind of record.

Last year Rubleski was invited by Linda Forsythe, founder of Mentors International, to contribute a chapter to a book on entrepreneurship published by Mentors Magazine, titled Walking With the Wise Entrepreneur. His fellow contributors include Donald Trump, Dan Kennedy, Suze Orman, Brian Tracy and others.

Rubleski realizes that it’s a tough market out there for retailers, but he urges optimism. It’s difficult but critical, he says, to combat the sense in Michigan that everyone is struggling and customers can’t afford to spend more.

“Regardless of what you’re reading and hearing, you have to project an air of abundance and optimism,” he says. “And you’ve got to defend your psyche against the bombardment of bad economic news.

“Become a merchant of opportunity and hope—make it a part of what you’re selling,” he insists. “I don’t mean pie-in-the-sky ignorance of the truth—I mean a belief that you are providing real value, and you’ll thrive because the market will support you.”

This article was written by Amy Buttery, Michigan Retailer staff writer.