Over the past three-plus decades our marketing agency in Phoenix has had numerous opportunities to work with firms, usually younger companies or startups,  that have not previously worked with a marketing agency, advertising agency or public relations agency in Phoenix or anywhere else.

 

Sometimes their approach to our initial meetings takes on the tone, “be gentle, it’s our first time,” or at least it feels a little like that.

 

Certainly, a cautious approach makes sense at the outset of any kind of new relationship, business or otherwise, and the fact that there are lots of stories of some rather aggressive marketing, advertising and public relations firms out there makes such 

a wary attitude somewhat understandable.

 

That said, though there have been abuses, even cases of runaway budgeting, some even without taking the client’s circumstances or comprehension into account, a client/agency relationship has the best chance for success if it is built upon trust, openness from both sides and mutual respect. And, if the client has done their homework properly and thoroughly when going through the agency selection process, a feeling of comfort, satisfaction, even with a generous dash of optimistic anticipation would be more appropriate than anything even remotely approaching trepidation.

 

Frankly, sometimes this overly cautious attitude has been borne out of a unwillingness on the part of the new client to have sought the kind of professional marketing help it needed until the step was finally taken more out of desperation than anything else. But, fortunately, such cases are not the norm.

 

Here, then, are some guideposts for such relationships that we hope will be helpful in fostering healthy relationships between clients and their marketing agencies. Let’s call them .  .  .

 

A dozen tips for working with a marketing firm:

 

 

1.     Treat them as insiders; share pertinent information liberally.

 

2.     Always keep them “in the loop” on seemingly trivial as well as important decisions that may have an effect on sales and your marketing success.

 

3.     Acquaint them with your corporate culture and key management staff.

 

4.     When practical, introduce them to other key outsource vendors, such as their HR or CFO counterparts.

 

5.     Have your staff members and other outsource vendors submit to them for review all internal and external communications that could have a possible impact on your corporate image and sales.

 

6.     Meet or communicate with them regularly, not merely in last minute or emergency situations.

 

7.     Neither discard, nor accept their advice, suggestions, copy-writing points or strategic advice without first understanding the rationale involved.

 

8.     Respect their marketing expertise and heed the advice that results from it when doing so seems inherently warranted.

 

9.     Read every communication they create carefully before approving it.

 

10. Never approve suggestions with which you are not comfortable.

 

11. Maintain what amounts to a “partner relationship” conducive to the development of mutual trust, constructive dialog, creative and strategic two-way input, and a level of synergy that promotes effectiveness. 

 

12. Have an overall strategic plan, and amend it as may be required.

 

Anybody with an inbox knows there’s way too much data out there to absorb. The same holds true for the media messages with which we are constantly bombarded.  All consumers can do is to skim the surface for ideas or propositions that may catch their eye. If you’ve got something interesting or important to say to your prospects or associates, you had better say it: 1) Succinctly 2) Memorably 3) With a benefits orientation and eye-catching heading.

But – by all means – DO say it! 

 Don’t just sit there quietly, waiting to be discovered. If you pride yourself on being low key, make no mistake, sooner or later, your pride will kill you.

 

 

Let me live it with .  .  .

 

• flair
• originality
• relevance
• honesty
• consistency
• insight
• sensitivity
• integrity

 

Let me be ever mindful that the ultimate effectiveness of my advertising will be in direct proportion to the accuracy of its message.

 

May I remember that I am not speaking to myself, or other marketers, or competitors, or new-business prospects, or editors, or judges, of competitions, or anyone besides those who could benefit from – or at least enjoy – what it is that my words are extolling or describing.

 

Induce me to focus my thoughts, energy, time and whatever talents I may have promoting only those ideas, services, products or causes that are worthy of my precious and limited resources.

 

If ever I am able to determine that money, pride, self-aggrandizement or misrepresentation is among the overriding motivations for delivering a selling message, may I be stopped in my tracks, not by rules, regulations, regulators, critics, judges or the intended audience, but myself. 

 

It is for me to seek the higher road to my personal and professional goals, not because I can afford to do so, not because of financial independence, but because of ethical dependence and a set of time honored virtues with which I may have been gifted, and to which only the most worthy of practitioners of the communication trades aspires. 

 

I am thankful for perception, my seasoned skills and the ability to influence others, but more than these for a deep seeded sense of purpose and adherence to the ideals that are the bedrock on which the value and power of marketing communication has and always will rest.

 

Place your most important words at the very beginning of your subject line, as inboxes can show only a limited number of characters in the subject-line window. This kind of message truncation could totally change the nature of your message by showing (for instance) only the first 27 characters, as is the case with Yahoo. This limitation could cause you to miss your targeted recipient.

Let me live it with .  .  .

• flair
• originality
• relevance
• honesty
• consistency
• insight
• sensitivity
• integrity

Let me be ever mindful that the ultimate effectiveness of my advertising will be in direct proportion to the accuracy of its message.

May I remember that I am neither speaking to myself, nor to other marketers, nor to competitors, nor to new-business prospects, nor editors, nor awards judges, nor anyone who is as important as those who could benefit from – or at least enjoy – what it is that my words are extolling or describing.

Induce me to focus my thoughts, energy, time and whatever talents I may have on promoting only those ideas, services, products or causes that are worthy of my precious and limited resources.

If ever I am able to determine that money, pride, self-aggrandizement or misrepresentation is among the overriding motivations for delivering a selling message, may I be stopped in my tracks, not by rules, regulations, regulators, critics, judges or the intended audience, but myself.

It is for me to seek the higher road to my personal and professional goals, not because I can afford to do so, not because of financial independence, but because of ethical dependence and a set of time honored virtues with which I may have been gifted, and to which only the most worthy of practitioners of the communication trades aspires.

I am thankful for perception, my seasoned skills and the ability to influence others, but more than these, I value a deep-seeded sense of purpose and adherence to the ideals that are the bedrock on which the value and power of marketing communication has and always will rest.

As seen in Entrepreneur

 

Do you have what it takes to make it as a small business owner? This has always been a nervous-making question. But now, a recent study has boiled down the key attributes of successful business owners. Take a look, and see if this sounds like you.

The study, from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, is The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to America’s Small Business Owners. The survey of more than 1,000 entrepreneurs with between two and 99 workers first identified 60 critical factors for business success. These were then boiled down to six important skills that were common to successful business owners. These owners are:

• Collaborative. Delegating effectively and building good relationships with employees, vendors, and other partners is key. The study found successful owners had a win-win attitude and were dedicated to “creating opportunities for others.”
• Self-fulfilled. Great entrepreneurs love being in control of their destiny, deciding how hard to work and when, and deriving personal fulfillment and gratification from operating their businesses.
• Future-focused. Good business owners aren’t just slogging through the day, focused on keeping the doors open another 24 hours. They’re the woman or man with a plan.
• Curious. Constant learning is a hallmark of winning business leaders. They’re always looking for opportunities to improve how they manage their business.
• Tech-savvy. The study found winners “intensively value their company’s Web site and are significantly more likely to rely a great deal on technology to help make our business more effective and more efficient.”
• Action oriented. Successful entrepreneurs are taking proactive steps to build their businesses. They indicated high levels of agreement with phrases such as “commitment to taking the business to the next level,” “differentiating ourselves from competitors,” and “having something to sell when I’m ready to retire.” These glass-half-full types saw hard times as “a kick in the rear to help move you forward.”

People don’t buy products or services, they buy results. Therefore, results are what advertisers and marketers ought to be communicating. For instance,  instead of selling a coffee maker with “an easy-to-use automatic timer,” sell the idea of “waking in the morning to fresh cup of coffee.” Which has more appeal – a set of new tires, or “a safer drive to work or the lake with one less unexpected problem?” It’s precisely the reason we tend to talk to prospects in terms of “taking their business to the next level,” rather than a “marketing plan.”

I get several e-mails each week from retailers offering the same golf balls clubs and accessories at the same price. Each of them also has a “loyalty club,” again offering very similar benefits.

How about your offerings? Do they bear a strong resemblance to those of your competitors? If so, you must rework them. In fact, the best advertising is built upon selling propositions that others simply can’t, won’t – or don’t – offer. 

Think it over, and come up with things that truly set you apart from the rest. You have but one advertising life to live. Don’t waste it on metooism!

Some energetic research should be conducted in order to determine whether or not there is a viable market for your product, let alone one large enough to attract investment capital (if that is a goal). Never assume you can create demand where it hasn’t already been expressed. It goes without saying that running board laquer wouldn’t be such a hot item, but some things are not that clear. Conclusion: Do your homework.

You must be able to explain in three or four short sentences why your customers/clients need your product and/or services. If you can’t, you better start over with a business model you can manage and market effectively.