Marketing is a struggle
Our clients are struggling with marketing. It has become incredibly complex. The marketing mix, the communication mix, the channels available, measurement, the pressure on budgets, proofing the ROI, understanding social media and understanding technology are all hot topics.
Marketing gets bad press
And marketing sometimes gets a bad press. Not accountable, manipulative (read “Brandwashed”), not understanding social media, old rules don’t apply, marketing is dead and what’s the point of marketing.
Context and contrast
We have used lots of books with our clients to create the contrast and context and help make sense of some of the issues that they are facing. A lot of them are fluffy and a lot are a repetition of the same theme, mostly to do with social media.
Do it! Marketing
Do it! Marketing is refreshing in that context. Blood on the wall, “Fierce competitor” type no-nonsense marketing tips. All applicable. All 77 of them. All practical. Including a workbook at the end to help you go and do it. It restored some of my faith in marketing.
The structure
Who are your clients and why. Only focus on the “what” after you answered those two question. What do you want to be known for, speak the language of your clients, position properly, brand properly and sell. Some of the highlight:
- Stop blah, blah, blah marketing. Your clients are not interested in your business. Apply the “so what test” and the “prove it” test. Your brochures, website and other collateral all likely all about you and it is boring. Could you say what has been written out loud to someone in a conversation? Without them having a laugh?
- Use authentic client language from your conversations with your clients.
- Stop selling sugar. Sugar is a commodity. What do customers love about you? Hate about you?
- Visibility + credibility = buyability. Are you visible and annoying, visible and insignificant or visible, credible and consistent? Are you buyable? Are you obviously buyable? Is it a mistake not to buy you?
- The only 3 problems you can solve. Process, people and profit. Which one is it? Ask the right questions and develop the right sales conversation.
- Control is priceless. Position your offering in more control and less chaos.
- Buyers will only remember one thing about you after one week. Clarity is key
- Speak, write and use social media. It is called expertizing. However, competency will not win you clients. That is a given. Be unique.
- 52-72% of B2B professional service buyers are willing to switch
- Do not revert to self-promotion, self-solicitation, pathetic begging or self-commoditization (buy my crap).
- Give to give, engage, earn their attention first.
- Always include a call to action
- Establish a referral circle of trusted contacts
- Sell like a girl (it is relational, not transactional)
- All leads are 911 one calls. You have 15 minutes
- Stop wasting time following up. You have the wrong prospect, the wrong decision maker, you are dealing with goldfish, you weren’t memorable and sheepdog bark, alpha dogs buy.
- Branding is BS. A brand is a promise of an experience. What promises can you make?
- Planning trumps passion every time. Think through, ahead and beyond failure
Be serious
The “Be serious” is one of my favourites:
- Your e-mail is a Gmail or Hotmail account
- You don’t have a website
- Your business cards look shocking
- Your latest blog is from 2011
- Your latest tweet is four months ago
- You have two likes on Facebook
- Your LinkedIn page looks barren, with only 20 connections
- You are still referring to press releases and articles from 2005
- You are self-promoting all the time
- You are an ass online
The review on Newstalk radio
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