I just got back from a three-day Digital Marketing conference where I learned about the latest and greatest tools in e-technology, what AI is going to do to e-commerce, and why email is STILL the best form of marketing on the planet.

Oh, and if only I had a dollar every time someone said that Amazon was the devil, I’d never have to raise money for a show ever again. (Ironically, that devil has a lot of worshippers, since everyone at the conference shopped on Amazon, and half of the attendees sold something on Amazon . . . including me!)

In one of the many conversations we had about Amazon, we got around to how they owned Whole Foods.  It was odd . . . here was a big digital company, that owned a big Brick and Mortar.  Why?

Because they are more similar than you think.

They both are in the middle of the customer and the creator.

The #1 frustration that Sellers who distribute their products to Whole Foods or Amazon have was that they couldn’t communicate with their customer.  Since their customers mostly purchased through WF, or through Amazon directly, the Sellers never had access to their address, email address, buying habits, etc.

Sound familiar?

Broadway sells tickets through third parties as well (although none of them are as good as Amazon or Whole Foods in servicing the needs of the customers – and that isn’t a knock on our ticketing companies, by the way – it’s just that Amazon and Whole Foods are that good).

So what do we do?

Well, it’s a problem.  And a big one.

Because ironically, as everyone talked about Amazon taking over the world at this conference, the theme of the conference was also . . . BE CUSTOMER-CENTRIC.

How can we be customer-centric if we can’t talk to them?

I Instagrammed last week a favorite quote from Jimmy Nederlander who said . . .

If they don’t let you in the front door, go down the chimney.

And this is what you’re going to have to do to survive in any industry going forward, but especially if you sell tickets, board games, or jalapeno milkshakes through a third party seller like Amazon, Whole Foods or Ticketmaster.

Here are three questions to ask yourself to help you down your customer’s chimney:

1. What are you doing to capture your customer’s information on your website?
2. What are you doing to capture your customer’s information at your venue?
3. What are you doing to capture your customer’s information on your social channels?

The key to efficient marketing is not having to pay to message your most qualified leads.  Third parties make it hard.

But not impossible.

Consider yourself challenged.

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Want more marketing tips from three of my favorite marketing gurus?  Join us at our conference and hear from Broadway and Off Broadway Marketing Directors Sara Fitzpatrick, Amanda Pekoe and Amanda Bohan, and many more.  Click here and sign up now!