I recently had the opportunity to present a program for members the Executives’ Association of Greater Phoenix (EAGP). For the benefit of Marketing Monthly’s 700-plus out-of-state subscribers, let me explain that EAGP, founded in 1956, has a select and very diverse membership   comprised of entrepreneurs and senior management people representing almost any SIC code you could imagine..

Because this speaking appearance represented a fine opportunity for yours truly to speak his marketing mind, it was my purpose to relate within the 30-minute time frame I was given some of those things I consider to be the most important. I will use this month’s newsletter to relate a few of those points to you.

Owing to the fact that the format of this missive is also finite, I will, in this space, deal with a couple of the more salient points, but only in brief. Perhaps there are some of you who will have other ideas of the relative importance of these (there are more than four hundred of our subscribers who are marketing firm principals and corporate marketing managers), and I would love to hear from you.

Seven essential marketing ingredients  

To be really effective, marketing communication should include these seven elements:

         . Truth

If what you have to say – and sell – needs to be “doctored up” even a bit in communicating it to your prospects, you are on the wrong track coming right out of the box. An immediate and critical reappraisal of your products and services is called for.

• Relevance

Your target audience has neither the time nor inclination to wade through a lot of poppycock. Tell them only those things they need to know. They will probably have you repeat these if you are fortunate to have a follow-up call, so why water them down with confusing irrelevancies and meaningless fluff.

• Clarity

Have you noticed those marketing communications that make you wonder if you and the “perpetrator” are even speaking the same language, let alone leave you to wonder if you are on the same page? Chances are this does not trigger your buying impulse. More likely, you will move along to the next competitor on the list. It should come as no surprise, then, that your prospects will react similarly.

• Brevity

I believe I may have quoted this Shakespearian line before, but here goes: Brevity is the soul of with. David Belasco, the famed theatrical producer of another era, hit the nail on the head when he uttered the following: ”If what you have to tell me can’t be written on the back of your business card, you don’t have a clear idea.” Or, as a young lady I fancied in my youth once exhorted me, “Are you trying to say you want to sleep make love to me? .  .  . Why not just spit it out?

• Timeliness

Having the right selling proposition at the wrong time amounts to little more than an exercise in futility. Getting caught in a torrential rainstorm, as I did last summer in Aspen, CO, made me easy pickings for the umbrella salesperson. Had she been pushing sunscreen, her task would have been more difficult by a several magnitudes. Though an oversimplification, the point in nonetheless valid – timing matters (have you noticed?).

• Persuasiveness

People like me are hired by people who know more than we know, because, perhaps among other things, we can say it better than they can. Things that are written better tend to stick to our mind – at least long enough for us to remember long enough to place an order.

• Uniqueness

The cardinal rule of marketing communication is this: Build it upon and around things your competitors can’t say (enough said?).

Don’t overload your salespeople

Too many companies send their sales force out into the field without providing them with the kind of marketing support that is required to help them gain appointments and, in affect, “grease the skids” for making sales. It is important to remember that developing prospects is not the exclusive province of sales staff. As a matter of fact, it is more effective to let one-way communication – through the use of marketing materials – do the heavy lifting.

Use your salespeople, not to open the sale, but, rather, to close it. It is a far easier sale if the prospect is already “leaning in your company’s direction” BEFORE that first sales call is made. And, remember, it takes an average of six calls by a salesperson to get an appointment, making it a very expensive appointment, indeed.

One more point

Make sure your communication effectively reflects the tenents listed above. After all, the radio or TV station, billboard advertising company, printer or other media vendors won’t grant you a discount for poorly conceived advertisements or marketing communication that fill their time or space, or that go on the printing press. You will pay precisely the same amount as if it were an effective example of marketing communication.

 I recall having lunch with California-based marketing authority Adam Urbanski and about 50 of his closest friends at the monthly meeting of the Phoenix chapter of Shared vision Network. True to his mission and that of this stellar organization, the brilliant Polish immigrant who arrived in this country a few years ago unable to speak the language, captivated the group with his hour-long presentation, “Attraction Marketing Secrets Revealed — Getting Clients to Come to You!”

The speaker’s 7-Step Attraction Marketing System not only laid out a road map for attracting clients, he literally took his fascinated listeners by the hand in outlining just how to accomplish the purpose stated in the program’s title. As his audience munched quietly on their tasty food fare, the clever and articulate Mr. U served up a delicious blend of marketing advice and examples, though only in  appetizer-sized portions (more later on how to get larger portions).

In the process of delivering a series of marketing truths to which I enthusiastically subscribe, the former restaurant owner made some statements that are so refreshing, I thought I must share just a few with the subscribers to this newsletter. Without further hesitation, here (paraphrased) they are:

• 99% of success or failure comes directly from your  ability to market yourself and the ability to attract and keep customers.

.  You are in two businesses: your core business and marketing/selling.

• You are in business for one reason: to solve other people’s problems profitably.
• There are three ways to spend time: 1) Waste it

2) Trade it for dollars

3)  Invest it

Urbanski said we in the audience were manifesting an example of   number three simply by attending educational sessions such as his.

• You (particularly in a service business) are selling      a “mystery bag,” in that people don’t know exactly what they are going to      get when they come to you (you have to build their understanding of just      what it is you offer, and build their confidence).
• People don’t buy your services because they  necessarily understand what you do, but, rather, because you make them feel understood.
• People buy two things: Good feelings and solutions to  problems.

How to get in touch

While time limitations dictated that Adam could merely scratch the surface, his talk – and some delicious salmon followed by chocolate cake — made the lunch break a tasty and stimulating affair, indeed. For more information oh his products and workshops, visit www.themarketingmentors.com.

Are you in focus?

I was invited to participate in an interesting focus group the other day. It was presented by Sharon Williams, founder/CEO of HR Choice, with the help of her “chief assistant” and husband, Dennis. The subject was a new product offering being introduced by the well-established and successful human resources firm.

The two-hour session was very well prepared and effectively formatted. It was so well, executed, in fact, that I’m quite certain the company will benefit greatly from the ideas generated by the 10 invited participants.

It reminded us of just how effective the focus group method can be in gleaning reactions and ideas from a diverse audience, in minimal time and for minimal dollars. Perhaps you should consider adding this time honored technique (used, after all, by all the corporate giants) to your marketing arsenal.

Want some technique tips? Contact us.

We were touring a potato chip factory the other day. Or, as ex-Veep Dan Quayle would say, a potatoe chip factory. And there, alongside the bubbling kettles and spud-laden conveyor belts, inauspiciously positioned on the floor next to the wall, was a tiny little (redundancy intended) tunnel with a sign above it that read, Rodent Station.

After being assured by our congenial guide, in response to my query, that management didn’t really expect the rats to read the sign and then obediently report to the station, I wondered aloud why the poison-containing station was positioned as it was, against the wall. The answer came back as plain as the writing on the wall. “Because,” said our host, ”It is well known that rats, for purposes of their perceived security (I paraphrase), tend to travel along the walls rather than simply darting, in the open, across the room.”

Upon regaining my composure at having been exposed to my peers as an idiot for not knowing such a well known fact, I overcame what I recognized as an impending and potentially dangerous flirtation with a permanent, mouse-like lack of self-confidence. I put this frightening thought out of my mind, regaining my poise long enough to consider the consequences of this newly gleaned knowledge. Could there be a marketing application for this revelation?

THE ANSWER CAME TO ME IN A FLASH

.  .  . and it was comforting to contemplate, soothing as it did my discomfort of the previous moment at having been revealed to be one so very rodent-knowledge challenged. But, of course there was an application! Even better, it was a sparkling little gem that could be shared with you, faithful reader. Behold, it follows.

Here it is: When our mouse-like instinct for self-preservation beckons us to contentedly follow the others in the marketing rat race safely along the wall, rather than seeking our own path of independent thought and creativity, chances are we’re going to get zapped anyway. We will probably fall victim to failure, or, even worse, mediocrity, without even taking a grab for the brass ring (I think I may have just broken the state record for metaphors in one sentence).

The point remains, and it is this: The path of least resistance is often the path of least achievement. When our natural instincts to go with a heard mentality in the name of safety gets the upper hand, all it usually nets us is a ringside seat from which to watch the real innovators run the race – and reap the rewards. It’s like that beautiful gal (or guy) we were afraid to ask for a dance, thus only guaranteeing us the chance to dance alone.

A NATION OF SHEEP

Here’s how it usually works: Company A comes up with a great idea and puts it into action. After watching it apparently succeed just long enough to get the drift through one or another indicator, Company B begins thinking to itself, ”Rats, those guys seem to be on to something good — how quickly do you suppose we can superimpose our brand over something just like it?”

I’m sure if you were to give this concept a few moments’ thought, you would be able to come up with as many examples of the aforementioned phenomenon as I. Unfortunately, it has become a prevalent distortion of the long-revered American Way. It’s become as common as the ubiquitous kids’ plea to a parent: “Mom, please let me go. Everyone’s doing it!”

Since results of a recent consumer survey have shown that fully 36% of the American populace are risk-adverse followers, who live a life of fear, we shouldn’t be surprised, should we, to learn that the theme of William Lederer’s 1961 bestseller A Nation of Sheep is alive and well? And it has spread like wildfire through the ranks of so-called marketing planners and entrepreneurs.

QUICK, GET THE POISON!

Is there an antidote for this disease? Perhaps not, but there is, nonetheless, a potential remedy. It is the one I offer to so many of my clients who live in fear of the robbery of their great idea.  This fear manifests itself in many ways, including being afraid to tell their prospects about their idea in an effective way, lest it be snatched away by a known or unknown competitor. (How’s that for a parallel to being afraid to ask that beautiful person to dance?)

Here’s my advice: If it truly is a good idea, yes, it will eventually be copied. (Shucks, people even steal BAD ideas on a daily basis!) But a copy is never as good as the original, particularly if the original never rests on its laurels (like, unfortunately, so many tend to do). It is simply a matter of building up that precious lead-time and a not-so-simple matter of continually reinventing the original before a carbon copy can claim its benefits.

Lastly, and most importantly, Don’t hide the light of your great idea under a bushel basket (are you old enough to remember that bromide?) out of a fear of imitators. To do so is to simply forfeit your opportunity to succeed. The secret is to out-design, out-develop and out-market the imitators. All things being equal, being first to market with great ideas gives one a certifiable 30% better chance of succeeding than the first mimic

We’ve seen three generations of websites, and now have entered a fourth. Come with me now as we revisit the progression of this phenomenon: 

First Generation – Just get a website up, and you are among the elite marketers. Content was immaterial, just having one legitimized your business and told others you definitely were “with it.” The early examples were little more tan flash pages containing basic, bare bones information, but they were “great cred.” How long has it been since you were asked, ”Do you have a website?”

Second Generation – These were more comprehensive, and actually ushered in the requirement for some navigation acumen on the part of the webmaster team. Little more than electronic brochures, they, nonetheless were characterized by a certain degree of sophistication, particularly in how the material was organized and presented.

Third Generation – Websites come of age with flash, blog windows, videos, sound, e-commerce capabilities and no small amount of dazzle. Unfortunately, in the craze to be state-of-the-art it also signaled the birth of the website on steroids, particularly in the area of a feverish urge for information overload and – to a regrettable degree – unintended irrelevance.

Fourth Generation – This, to my mind, is a stunning example of Back to the Future simplicity – a new age of directness and meaningful content. It is a refreshing backlash against the monstrosities that arose in the previous generation of website excess. Our web clients are now demanding clarity of message, clean layouts and, especially, calls to action.

Shakespeare said, “Brevity is the soul of wit,” and marketers have finally come to realize that their online visitors don’t want to devote much time to getting the drift of what is offered in terms of their own best interests.

The  cornerstone of marketing appears on a “one-way street.” Thus, here’s the case for one-way communication:

Here is the fundamental premise on which all marketing is based:

If the consumer isn’t aware that you exist, you can’t sell your product.

When encountering a prospect on the showroom floor or at a trade show, in every case, he or she was “delivered” to that critical pointby an awareness of you; whether through an advertisement, a referral or, in the trade show circumstance, merely because you were there.

What takes place at that point is two-way communication (you standing face to face with the prospect, closing the sale). Though your degree of success will be determined by your persuasiveness, product, knowledge, price, etc., something that happened before that gave you the opportunity: a prospect had to be delivered.

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, real success is largely a numbers game. To survive, let alone be a leader in your category, you have to close many sales. In order to do so, you have to have ample numbers of prospects with which to work.

Here’s the key point: developing adequate numbers of prospects cannot be accomplished through two-way communication, either face to face, by phone, the mail or, even, the Internet. Neither you nor your sales staff has anywhere near the time necessary for this crucial function. Prominent publisher McGraw Hill & Co. has estimated that the average sales call requires approximately 45 minutes, and that an average of three calls is required to close a sale. Surely, it’s no way to prospect.

Prospecting is what marketing ¾ the one-way communication element of sales ¾ is ideally suited for. Expensive, time-consuming two-way communication simply isn’t efficient, nor is it effective in developing prospects in the numbers sufficient for business success. Marketing communication, in one form or another, is the answer.

Most anti-marketing hard-liners got that way because they, at some point, were turned off by poor marketing efforts that failed to produce results. This is understandable, because much marketing is misguided or misplaced ¾ but it is not justifiable, and more than likely will be hazardous to bottom-line business health.

Is marketing foolproof? Will it always produce infallible, guaranteed results? No it won’t, nor is it fair to expect it to (after all, what does?). But it is more science than art, and, as such, has something very important on its side: LOGIC.  Marketing is measurable, quite often yielding predictable results, and as practiced by good professionals, should – and most often does – more than pay for itself.

It will come back to you.

The other day, someone in our office said, “Why are we always doing things to assist other people? They rarely seem to be doing the same for us.”

This person was referring to how we had just set one of our associates up with a crucial contact that was obviously beneficial to them, though not necessarily to us. In other words, the inference I took was, we might be chumps – or suckers – to be doing such things (apparently so often) without any apparent return.

My response to this comment came to me so fast, even I was a little shocked. I mumbled (mostly to myself),”Cast thy bread upon the waters.” Wow, I thought to myself, that’s pretty profound, and a perfect fit for the philosophy I had wanted to express at the time.

The Good Book

I wondered at the origin of this phrase. Of course, the style of the language pretty much gave me the clue it was a biblical reference, but which one, I wondered. Just then, Dr. Google appeared at my desk. “Why, that’s from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament,” he said. “It’s eccl.11:1,” he added with a knowing wink. Then, just for good measure, he added, “for thou shalt find it after many days. …”

Doc Google’s meaning was pretty clear: Show some benevolence, and you’re apt to have it returned somewhere down the line. Not only was this a comforting thought, but one which, upon reflection, has proven true on many occasions in my experience.

Wile E. Coyote

On the other hand, like Wile E. Coyote of Roadrunner cartoon fame has proven on many occasions, if we are always looking to gain an edge for ourselves, it is more than likely, the person we will outsmart will be ourselves. (The time I had brought some poker chips on a weekend trip with my buddies in order to lure them into a little card game came to mind. You guessed it, I lost my butt!)

A wise man once told me, “Do a good job, and pay no mind to who is going to get credit for it.” This carries over nicely to all of our business relationships. It seems, the harder we try to boost others, the more we are apt to become the one who gets a boost.

The application to marketing that is found in this phenomenon of boosting others is so apparent as to be able to speak for itself. Keep up the good deeds, and you likely will get more than some soggy bread for your troubles.

.  .  . and start  all over again! Those words aren’t my advice for this month, but, rather they are the words to an old Jerome Kern song (if that name doesn’t ring a bell, a trip to Google will introduce you to one of America’s most prolific song writers for Broadway productions (1885-1945). The musicals, Oklahoma and Showboat come to mind.

While the word dust hasn’t been utilized in many song titles, it is a rather important ingredient in one of my favorite business platitudes, “You (your business) will either make dust or eat dust!” As painful as it may be for us to contemplate this choice, it is one with which we are confronted — like it or not.

That’s because mediocrity is not a destination, it’s a ditch that’s very easy to fall into along the road to hoped-for success. Like the term, “average,” when you are mediocre, you are just as close to the bottom as you are to the top. The problem is, after a time, it becomes a fairly comfortable state, much like the sleep that they say precedes a death by freezing.

The point of this is that if you are not shooting for the top of the mountain, you are quite likely to get mired in the mud of the foothills. This is why, when crafting a marketing plan it is wise to set goals that would make those less ambitious souls around you blush. That’s because a funny thing can happen if you are focused on the pinnacle — you just might make it up there. And, if you fall a bit short, you are still in a place far above the crowd.

So, set those lofty goals and, then, develop the kind of strategies specifically designed to help you reach them. To do less is to tacitly adopt a self-fulfilling prophecy for failure. Support the strategies with tactics and prioritize the tactics, because even the ambitious can’t do everything at once. With the assistance of timelines for the achievement of tactics, all things being equal, you will be among the chosen few to reach the summit.

And, while you are there, don’t forget to enjoy the view.

In an Entrepreneur.com article entitled Developing a Marketing Calendar, Al Lautenslager gives us some good pointers. The co-author of Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days, says there are two best times to develop a marketing plan — right now and whenever your business started.

Al and I agree that marketing is complicated, and to make effective use of its many strategies and components, you have to first plan them out then stay organized and consistent in implementing your plan. His thought is that a marketing calendar is the best way to organize your marketing activity. The calendar also serves as a working document you can revise and update throughout the plan year, he adds.

A marketing calendar doesn’t have to be fancy. He recommends a simple spreadsheet. Across the top are column headings representing the months of the year. In the left-hand column are listed each marketing initiative, event or activity anticipated during the plan year.

How your calendar will look

For instance, if you’re going to do a press release every other month starting in February, you would put an X in the February, April, June, August, October and December columns. If I were going to issue a print newsletter once a month, each monthly column would have an X in it for that item.

To determine which activities to include in your calendar, brainstorm all the marketing ideas that make sense for your plan year. Balance your marketing workload with the other things you need to do for your business. Plan for what you can do completely, not halfway. Also plan what you feel comfortable with, emotionally and financially. Prioritize accordingly; then place your ideas on your matrix.

I always advise writing your plan “in pencil,” a figure of speech I use to emphasize that a marketing calendar – or plan, for that matter – is a living document subject to change, e.g. deletions and additions. I make this point because some people hesitate to make a plan because they seem to think that changing it would be a form of cheating. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Four things a marketing calendar allows you to do  

It organizes, categorizes and      prioritizes your      marketing initiatives and activities.

1. It allows you to spot      “bunches” in your marketing activity. Too many X’s close together might      indicate the need to spread out your activity. It’s generally accepted,      though, that there are natural bunches that occur as a result of      seasonality in your business and your customers’ buying habits.
2. It offers a way for you to spot gaps in      your marketing activity.      Too much time in between the X’s in your activities leaves customers and      prospects untouched. Your goal with marketing is to achieve top-of-mind      awareness. Consistency is key here, as is repetition.
3. It allows you to more easily evaluate      your marketing. At the      end of the year, the quarter or any other period of time you specify,      grade the individual activity and initiative items. You can use a 1 to 10      scale, with 10 being spectacular, or you can use a simple A, B or C grading      system. If your particular initiative worked, grade it high. If it was      moderately successful, give it a midlevel grade, and if it didn’t work,      give it a low rating.

Where the value is

Now here’s the real value of this activity: When you plan the next period’s marketing, repeat what worked or what you graded highly. Fix, modify or tweak the marketing that kind of worked or that was graded at a midlevel, and eliminate the marketing that didn’t work at all.

That’s all there is to tracking your marketing plans on your marketing calendar. Do what works for your business. Plan it quarterly if that’s easier for you than doing it monthly. Once you establish your marketing plan, keep it moving on a regular basis. One warning, however: Be sure not to abandon initiatives without first giving them a chance to work.

In addition to tracking and analysis, a major value of using a calendar lies in its properties as a constant reminder that consistent marketing wins out. Planned, consistent marketing with effective implementation wins out even more.

One of our clients called me recently with a quandary. He was in search of the answer to what, seemingly, is a simple question. After he had given a business card to a prospective client, the prospect put him right on the spot, asking, “Why should we give you our business?”

“What should I say?” he asked of me. My first instinct was to say to my client, “You want ME to tell you?” Because, the fact is, I would have trouble coming up with a brief answer to that one, too. The operative word, here, is brief.

What was called for here was an iteration of what often is called an “elevator speech.” It is a genre that, by definition, should be short enough that the person hasn’t turned on their heels and exited the scene before you have had a chance to finish reciting it. Therefore, by their very nature, such statements are a frustratingly incomplete, yet necessary, evil.

Except, in this case, the questioner, having listened to his elevator pitch, had turned the tables and challenged this pitchman right then and there. Sure, these short pitches tend to require some kind of follow-up and elaboration, but, in the meantime, they have offered a somewhat unique frame of reference with which, hopefully, the prospect can associate you.

But, what are you to do, in an instant, by way of coming up with a persuasive and effective answer when such a direct and legitimate question is shot back at you? Think about your own approach to such a critical “post-elevator-speech” response. I’ll follow on this very subject next time.

Let’s see .  .  . we’re cooking our marketing stew with a thick base of the conventional advertising media, e.g. electronic, print, outdoor and direct mail, that are pumping-out ads at a record pace.

Then we toss in bottomless residue from the boundless gristmill of public relations mechanisms that are generating an endless stream of press releases and invitations to grand openings and new product releases .  .  . then we add a pinch (can you say torrent?) of those ubiquitous e-mail promotions, and bring to a boil.

Now, we fold-in a social media tsunami of blended Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Plaxo, etc. and – voila! – our recipe is ready to (burp!) serve.

Footnote: It’s a recipe for sensory overload, the likes of which, not only have we never seen, we have never even imagined. There are so many message transmissions out there that only the most expertly crafted, appropriately delivered will find their mark.

What does this mean for marketers?

It means a whole series of things, but topping the list is the seemingly incompatible duo of opportunity and obstacle.

Basketball fans have long remembered and revered the “Big O,” Oscar Robinson. And marketing aficionados understand and, yes, revere the big O of opportunity, but where, exactly, does obstacle fit into this scene? It fits where you would expect – right in your path to communication of your marketing message.

Let’s talk opportunity

This all presents an opportunity to craft the expert’s staple – sharply focused marketing messages that go beyond the innocuous stuff that dominates the lion’s share of communications to which we are subjected (with which we are assaulted). This is easier said than done, but a pursuit, not only worth tackling, but absolutely imperative if we want anyone to follow our lead.

A good, though oversimplified, rule of thumb would be to look at what’s out there, and head in the absolutely opposite direction. Clue: meaningful content is the best vehicle for the drive.

Let’s talk obstacles

These are powerful and plentiful, and will never, ever go away. They are characterized by the multifarious “marketing” messages which are hardly worthy of that term, and that inundate the media, the flames of which are now fanned by social media.

Antidote: Write it clear. Write it true. Write it on the “right walls.”