Why a Marketing Advisor Can’t Help You: Reason #4

,

As I allowed in my earlier posts: “Reason #1-3”, despite the potential benefits that working with a marketing advisor offers you, you might not benefit from working with one for several reasons. Here’s Reason #4 . . .

Reason #4:  You Don’t Have a Business Worthy of Marketing
No kidding.  Sometimes we find a business that, quite honestly, isn’t being operated very effectively.  In short, the customers, clients or patients aren’t having a truly ‘positive’ experience with the business or practice.

This is not to say that people don’t need or want what you offer. They probably do. It’s just that they feel ‘less than ideal’ when they seek to get it from your firm.

In this case, any promotional activity will only put you on the ‘Superhighway of Marketing Hell’.  The negative ‘word-of-mouth’ that a ‘negative’ experience with your business can cause will never be as compelling as any kind of marketing promotion you might run.

You Need Solid Management MORE Than You Need Good Marketing
The real foundation of any successful business is not marketing.  It’s good management.  Management that understands what attracts — and keeps — someone coming back to your firm for more of what they came for in the first place.  So sometimes, an advisor needs to help you assess and tighten up the operation before they ever help you promote awareness of your business to prospective clients.

KEY POINT:
No marketing can overcome poor management!

by

Why a Marketing Advisor Can’t Help You: Reason #3

,

As I allowed in my earlier posts: “Reason #1-2”, despite the potential benefits that working with a marketing advisor offers you, you might not benefit from working with one for several reasons. Here’s Reason #3 . . .

Reason #3:  You Don’t Understand What a Marketing Advisor Does
This is problematic for two reasons.  First, if you don’t know what an advisor is supposed to do, how can you judge if you’re getting what you should be?  Second, if you believe you know what a marketing advisor is supposed to do, you’ll probably tell him (or, her) what you expect them to do. Sadly, that’s like using a gun butt for a hammer.  Technically you can do it but it’s not the best way to use the weapon.

A Marketing Advisor . . . ADVISES!
An advisor helps you formulate a marketing strategy and identifies factors that may limit your ability to generate interest in what you do and put revenues in your bank if you don’t.  An advisor is not going to design / update your website, copywrite your direct mail letters, manage your email autoresponders, print your tri-fold brochures, build a tradeshow booth, etc..  An advisor will, however, make darned sure you know which, why (and, how!) any of these actions is going to increase your revenues — or waste your money.

Think of it this way.  A Marketing Advisor helps you know WHAT you must do, WHY, HOW and may even arrange WHO and WHERE you can go to get these things done.  But an advisor will not do these things for you.

KEY POINT:
Understand what a marketing advisor really does . . . and choose yours accordingly! 

by

Why a Marketing Advisor Can’t Help You: Reason #1

,

I’m not being negative.  I’m being real.  With you.  Unfortunately, despite the potential benefit that working with a marketing advisor like SellMore Marketing — a certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant since 2005 — offers you, you might not benefit from working with us.

Reason #1:  You’re Not Ready, Willing or Able To Change
If you’re thinking about your marketing and/or hiring someone to help you do it better, you’re not happy with your marketing results. That’s a given.

Unfortunately, if you’re UN-willing to change the way you’ve been doing your marketing, you aren’t going to get any better results.

This a case where what you SAY you want and what you DO to get it . . . need to be aligned –– or you’ll continue to get what you’ve been getting . . . and I bet ‘Frustrated’ is at the top of your list.  Am I right?

Find Your Big, Compelling Reason to Change
If you want to change anything – your weight, your business, your relationship, etc. –  you need a compelling reason to do so.  Years ago, I said to a cigarette smoking friend, “You have no will power”.  He immediately taught me a great lesson when he said, “My will power is strong.  The problem is my will to smoke is stronger than my will to stop”.

So it’s a dynamic balance.  You want to change your marketing to enjoy better revenues and more profits.  But you also want to avoid making changes in your attitude and behavior.  One of your desires is going to win.  Which one actually does reflects what’s more important to you . . . status quo or real change . . . and only one can win . . . in any given moment.

Change Your Attitude . . . To Change Your Behavior
Marketing success reflects effective marketing behavior.  If your current behavior isn’t working as you want, you must make changes.  But changing behavior isn’t easy . . . until you find a more compelling reason to change than you have now that argues you should not.

KEY POINT:
Change your ATTITUDE . . . your RISK / REWARD ratio . . . or no advisor will make a difference in your marketing

by

What’s Your Magic Number?

, , ,

I just read a great post by a Marcus Sheriden.  Marcus is in the pool & spa business serving the VA and MD area. He’s been through some rough times in the last few years.  He was embezzled out of over $200K in 2005, the economy tanked in ’08 and (oh, yes!) the IRS  actually put a lien on his home to help ‘get his attention’.

Inbound Marketing . . . to the rescue
In 2009, Marcus started using Hubspot to attract interested people to his website.  And his business is doing very well — even though many others in his industry have closed their doors.  He owes it all to learning how to be a business that attracts prospects to him — AKA ‘Inbound Marketing’ and using the Hubspot platform to do that easily and effectively.

The Magic Number: “30 Page Views”
Marcus discovered something very interesting using Hubspot’s built-in website analytics.  Specifically, he’s seen a positive correlation between:

•  the number of website pages someone visits, and
•  their propensity to buy a pool from him

Marcus learned that if a prospective client has at least 30 unique ‘page views’ they present his company with an 80% or better chance of buying a pool.  And with over 600 pools sold and installed by his company, Marcus’ insight is worth noting!

KEY POINT:
The more familiar prospects are with your business, the more likely they are to buy 

by

Stage Your Prospects

, , ,

Make sure your marketing recognizes all prospects are not at the same point in their buying process. Yes, there IS a PROCESS your client must go through to become your client:

Stage 1: “Happy Campers”
Think back to a time before you bought a car, a home, a cell phone. You were probably happy with the car, home or phone you had BEFORE you ever starting thinking about getting a new one. Prospects in this stage are equally ‘happy’ with their status quo.  They tend to ‘stay put’ until there’s a good reason to change.  That’s why your marketing messages need to help these people become aware of their frustrations . . . and develop a desire for ‘something better’.

Stage 2: “Lookers and Cookers”
These prospects are increasingly aware of their frustrations and are very receptive to information on how to best address them.  They are also diligently doing their homework on why your firm may be a ‘better’ option to get a solution from than any others.

Stage 3: “Try’ers and buyers”
These prospects are ready to do something (like buy!) to feel better.  They know why and learned what they want as well as who has the best solution for the problems they’re suffering with or the opportunities they’re missing out on.  These people need your help to ‘take action’ . . . like buying the solution you’re offering.

KEY POINT:
Tailoring marketing messages to be ‘stage specific’ makes you more effective!

by

Promises, Promises . . .

, , , , , , ,

“Let’s Shake On It, Then!”
Businesspeople make promises to their clients.  It’s what we do.  Unfortunately, the expectation of many (most?) clients is that a promise is likely to be broken.

You Need a SYSTEM
If your reputation for ‘keeping your word’ . . . or, promises . . . is so important but it seems to be the exception (not the rule) that businesspeople will break more than they make . . . you have to ask, “Why?”.  The answer is not that they meant to break their promise, but that they don’t have a system in place to make sure they keep them!

Make a Promise . . . “Write a Check”
If you’re in a service business . . . where the client’s buying your ability to ‘come through’ as you promise (and, your client expects) then you need a deliberate way to ensure that happens . . . consistently.  My suggestion?  “Write a check”.  Literally.  Not on your bank.  On your time!  Think of a ‘check’ as a written evidence of your commitment to your client’s happiness . . . with you.

When you make a promise . . . WRITE A CHECK to demonstrate your commitment to ‘cash it’ with your customer or client.  Here’s an example:

Is this SCARY?  You bet it is!  Especially if you’re not committed to deliver.  This is a huge ACCOUNTABILITY tool.  But, if you’re as good as you say you are, it’s a NO BRAINER, isn’t it? Actually, it’s going to help you to DIFFERENTIATE yourself and your practice!

NOTE:  If you’d like my Special Report on how to set up a ‘Promise Checkbook System’ . . . shoot me an email and I’ll send it right back!

KEY POINT:
You make promises every day . . . give people evidence of your commitment and watch your competition shake in their boots! 

by

Is Your Elevator Pitch . . . Still Working?

, ,

Like fashion, an ‘elevator’ pitch — the reply to answer, “What do you do?” — has come full circle.  For a long time, it reflected a creative focus on the BENEFIT you provide (e.g. “I help people smile more”) rather than WHAT you do to make that happen (e.g. “I’m a dentist”).

Don’t Play Games . . . Be Straight About What You Do
Playing, “What’s My Line?” doesn’t make sense in these time-starved days we live in.  It may even irritate a qualified prospect who really wants to know, “What DO you do?”.  Unless you really have to spell it out, just say what you do.  More often than not, being ‘blunt’ will differentiate you from your competition . . . in a very positive way.

Add Your Benefit/s . . . Afterwards
Once you state WHAT you do, then you can add WHO you help and WHAT they get.

Kyle Hunt, Founder of Remodel Your Marketing answers the question this way:  “I solve marketing and sales problems for remodelers” adding, “Contractors who hire me tell me things like, “I stink at following-up with prospects”, “I chase way too many bids”, “I’m not getting enough referrals”, “My website is terrible”, etc.”.

Basically, Kyle’s saying, “Look, I’m THE marketing guy . . . for contractors.  I fix marketing problems the way you fix construction problems.  Would you like to talk about that?”   Refreshing, isn’t it?

KEY POINT:
Tell people what you do . . . simply, concisely and effectively

by

Novelty . . . is No Funny Business!

,

A recent study provides evidence that marketing communications — especially advertisements — are less likely to affect prospects if the advertiser is relying on using FREQUENCY and REPETITION (some call it ‘saturation bombing’!) in their advertising.

A more potent factor has been identified that suggests a better way to ensure your marketing communications will reach and affect . . . your prospective clients, customers, patients, etc.

An article in MediaDailyNews reveals that frequent and repeated exposure to an ad may be an attention turn-OFF! The study also suggests that novelty may be a turn-ON — at least enough to get a reader, viewer, or listener willing to experience the message again.

Implication? The notion of ‘frequency’ and ‘repetition’ being the keys to earning the attention of your audience may not be as legitimate as it once was. But there is good news. Appealing to the inherently human desire for things that are novel — not funny, but unique and different — may be the best way to gain the ear, eye and Mind of those you would seek to sell.

KEY POINT:
Novelty in marketing communications . . . it GOOD for business — YOURS 

by

Amazon’s Kindle Fire is a Smart Move

, , , ,

Amazon’s new Kindle ‘Fire’ — is a brilliant marketing decision
Sure, the pricing is absurd.  Absurdly good.  For consumers.  Some believe Amazon’s losing money on every tablet they sell.  So the brilliance isn’t because of the extremely good price.

Kindle is playing on its strengths, not competing on its weaknesses
The tablet computer market is crowded.  Over-crowded.  So another tablet is not a smart idea.  Neither is creating an alternative to Apple’s iPad.  Kindle Fire makes neither mistake.

Kindle Fire is both unique AND beneficial
Kindle’s Fire is different and better than Android tablets that are both supported — and limited by — Google.  Amazon’s Kindle Fire is supported by Amazon’s version of Android and its own content — a far more extensive resource.  Also, Kindle is not seeking to woo a wide market like Apple is doing with the iPad.  Instead, Amazon is targeting its significant base of loyal Amazon customers who are seeking a convenient way to access Amazon’s content.

The Kindle Fire is also not as elegant as an iPad.  It doesn’t have to be.  it just has to provide access to Amazon’s extensive content.  Just as when Coca-Cola gave it’s vending machines away for free — because Coke™ made its money by refilling their machines. Brilliant!

KEY POINT:
“Never bring a knife to a gunfight” — Amazon is defining it’s own ‘Fire’ power and will likely be a winner because of it. 

by

Mission, Mission . . . On The Wall

, , , , , ,


I’ve recently found a very cool site — fab.com. Fab is the brainchild of Jason Goldberg. I posted about him earlier in the week.

 

Clarity of Vision = Focus = Power
In marketing, it’s important to know what you stand for . . . as it helps you to stand out by standing up for something specific. Jason, as CEO and Founder of FAB.com has done this beautifully, IMHO.

FAB’s Focus . . . Design and Customer Experience
As you read the ‘Mission Statement’, it’s pretty clear that two terms come clearly to mind . . . DESIGN and CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.  This tight focus makes it easy for FAB’s management to make decisions — decisions that align with the audience of people who are FAB’s target market — people who appreciate both outstanding design as well as a good bargain.

KEY POINT:
Mission . . . drives how you operate and how you’re perceived by your target market

by