Atlanta's Marketing Center

Numbers Game

As a marketing advocate, we're consistently offering advice on better ways of reaching prospects and customers.  Fortunately, there are a plethora of options...from email marketing to television ads.  There is a marketing mix out there for your business that is ideal.

However, that said, any marketing tactic is predicated on the idea that just a (small) portion will be interested and buy.  A marketing tactic that yields a 5% response is, frankly, incredible.  That means that generally speaking, 95% of the time you won't be successful in closing business.  The truth of the matter is that even with even the fanciest, most effective marketing tactics in the world, business development is still a numbers game.  And that never changes.

I have yet to find a business where prospects just naturally approach them in droves (save a monopoly).  Nearly all businesses have to take on a proactive approach and persist through lots of prospects saying 'no thanks'.  So the bottom line is that in order to be successful, give yourself a break and realize that successful marketing and sales means weeding through all the 'no's' to get to the 'yesses'. 

Remember that Babe Ruth only hit safely (base hit) 1/3rd of his career...which means he was making outs a lot of the time.  You'll experience the same kind of dynamic when prospecting.  Realizing it's going to happen generally takes the sting out.  Get out there and swing...a lot.

All about Buying Strategies

You may not have realized it yet, but you have a strategy for everything you do.  You have a strategy for how you read a book, travel and perform your job... and you have a buying strategy.  Everyone has a buying strategy and they are not the same.

Think about when you bought an expensive item, say an automobile (your buying strategy is similar across the board).  How did you go about looking for it?  Did you get on the internet and do research on a number of cars?  Or did you ask your friends or base your decision on what they had?  Or perhaps you just went to the dealership to look at different options.  Maybe it was a combination of a couple of these or others.

Did the decision on what you wanted have to do with what you wanted (American made, blue, SUV) or perhaps what you didn't want (ie. Japanese made, green, convertible)...or again a combination? 

Did the auto you settle on have more to do with how it looked, how the sales rep presented it, or the feeling you got when you were test-driving it... or again a combination of one of these?  If you look back over a few different car buys over you're life, you'll find that the buying strategy was very similar.

The bottom line is that people have different buying strategies.  In order to effectively appeal to your target market, your marketing material needs to appeal to a number of different buying strategies.  This means your copywriting needs to be directed toward those who make decisions on the own as well as those who need external sources (testimonials); folks who base their decisions on visual, kinesthetic, and audio leads; those who like options and those who prefer procedures as well as other criteria.

A good resource for compelling advertising for the different buying strategies that make up your target market is Shelle Rose Charvet's book Words that Change Minds.  I encourage you to pick up a copy.

Marketing Like Building a House

One thing that occured to me early in my career (I handled the direct mail operation for an ad agency out of college) was that the marketing activities seemed to be 'cumulative', that is that they built upon themselves. As an example, each time someone was sent information, they experienced another 'touchpoint' from us. Each touchpoint reinforced their need for our services at least to some small degree. In addition, if they didn't buy that particular time, it allowed us the opportunity to test new graphics and copy.  So, in effect, no matter where the prospect was along the sales cycle, we learned to improve the mailer for the next time.  In a way, this allowed us to get closer and closer to the sale for every prospect.

This 'cumulative' effect has never been more true since we entered the online age. Central to this are websites that allow you to display your services 24 by 7. Just a minor improvement here and there can improve the site into being a more informative and compelling 'digital billboard'. You can attach a blog, add pages, improve the copy, add forms and interactivity, attach articles and news releases and link videos and audiocasts.  When managed correctly, this all translates into a better and better experience for the prospect. It's the cumulative effect that leads me back to the metaphor that marketing is a lot like building a house.  The good news is that you can build and fine tune it as much as you want and it will only improve your visibility.

And the messages used in traditional advertising tactics you might be using should be consistent and cohesive with the central online presence.  All of the information gathered through these activities can help you to learn and try new messages and promotions.  It's when you're consistently improving and reshaping your 'house' that you'll know you're on the right path to success.  So put some work into that web presence. And be grateful that you won't have to worry about this kind of real estate market tanking.  :)

Remember Always the Ten Marketing Commandments

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I. Marketing is defined as getting someone who has a need to know, like and trust you…in that order.  You can’t circumvent the process.

II. There is no "mystery" in marketing.  The more people you communicate with in an appealing way, the more business you’ll generate.

III. Unless you operate a monopoly, it generally takes 6 to 9 contacts with a prospect before they’re ready to buy.

IV. Marketing never "ends" until you sell or close the business.  effective marketing is like continuously building a house.  Planning is the foundation and marketing activities are the bricks. Marketing contacts are never wasted…they’re small investments in a foundation that will eventually lead to business.

V. The most important aspect of effective marketing by far is follow-through.  If you’re doing something, then half of the battle is won.

VI. You should be investing at least 5% of your ongoing revenues back into the business through marketing.  It takes money to make money.

VII. If the business you’re generating is only as good as your last advertising dollar, then you’re not branding (differentiating) yourself.  Effective branding is essential to taking your business to the next level.

VIII. Marketing today is an integral part of a small business. If you’re not devoting time and/or resources to it continually, then you’re at the mercy of the cycles and pitfalls of the marketplace.

IX. Due to its creative and reflective nature, marketing can and should be fun.

X. Marketing is not sales. Sales can have more immediate results. Marketing generally has a longer return on investment but because you’re communicating with the masses, has a much broader impact.

Marketing Posture

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To market effectively, you need to adjust your mindset on the topic. We still live in an instant gratification world. This certainly spills over into marketing as shown by most business owner's efforts into the "marketing idea of the week" where they attempt to get a couple of good leads.

Effective marketing requires a different mindset.  A more patient one, a more giving one.  But the marketing approach over the sales mindset will reap exponential rewards.  In order to effectively promote your service, you need to get into the habit of providing information, providing samples, providing services at no initial charge.

And you need to be consistent with this approach from now on. The bottom line is that people don't want to be sold to.. but they do like to buy.  I'm sure you've probably heard this but it may need repeating. There must be a way or a process for prospects to get to know, like and trust you. And this is the way to do that. By offering them information, advice, or perhaps your service, you are instilling trust.

We seem to be a nation of got-to-have-it now. Unfortunately, that's not how the buying process works.  Are you guilty of the sales-at-all-cost mentality?

Adopt an Abundance Mentality

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With the continued downturn, it's frankly easy to stay in a  defensive mode when it comes to promotion.  And it's in these moments when lines are typically drawn on the direction of the company.

This is why I encourage you to take on a mentality that best serves you and the organization.  I'm referring to an "abundance mentality".  You've probably heard of the term before, but I think it's important to review here again as it relates to your business once the necessary defensive measures have been put in place.  And it's one that should be taken on throughout the organization.

An "abundance mentality" looks at how things can be done rather than why they can't be done.  The mentality assumes that things will be done and goals achieved through the single-minded mantra of "where there's a will, there's a way".  Once in this mindset, possibilities and opportunities come into focus and obstacles and problems take a back seat.

The truth of the matter is that when things get really tight, you and the organization frankly don't have the luxury of doubt anymore.  Action in the right areas must be taken and the mentality within the organization must remain positive and goal oriented.  Here are some helpful concepts that make up the abundance mentality-

• "The more we sell, the more there is to sell."
• "If we need to make XX in revenue, then we'll meet it."
• "If we need others' help, then we'll ask for it and get it."
• "If we need money, we'll find the money."
• "If we need people, we'll find the people."
• "If we need ideas, the ideas will come."

The abundance mentality is one we need to get into and stay in through the highs and lows of the business cycle.  What are your thoughts?

Marketing's "One Thing"

I can't stop thinking of a line from a movie as I help my clients build business in a way that is manageable for them.  The line comes from the movie ”City Slickers”. If you remember, Billy Crystal’s character goes on a cattle drive looking for direction at mid-life. On the cattle drive, Curly (Jack Palance) turns to Billy’s character in the saddle and delivers the best answer…holding up his index finger, Curly declares, “one thing”...find that one thing you’re good at and want to do and just do it.

I can’t help but think that that answer, perhaps a “set of things” for you is the best answer for your business.  The fact of the matter is that there are virtually unlimited ways to market your business.  The successful common denominators are consistency and sustainability.  No matter what your business is, if you were to run a billboard campaign for years, you'd bring business in.  Granted, there might very well be better ways, but the element of the prospect getting to know, like and trust you through a billboard ad would take place.

My recommendation is to find a set of things (marketing mix) that reach your prospects in different, impactful ways and that fit your company's time, strengths and interest. Otherwise, you'll start and stop over time and never gain marketing traction.

Are you spreading the company too thin in terms of your marketing efforts?  How effective has it been?

Working the New Marketing Model

As I wrote in an earlier post, a new marketing model has emerged. The good news is that it empowers small businesses to compete with the big guys and it provides national and even international exposure as opposed to just local reach. But the biggest advantage I think is that because everything feeds into a central area (website/blog), your marketing can build on itself over time. That is, information like product/service updates, branding elements, blog posts about new promotions, frequently asked questions, etc can just be added to the website or blog and be stored for viewing indefinitely, 24 hours a day! These things are all picked up by the search engines and add visibility points that send potential customers back to the site. In the old model, other than a phone number, there was no central information area. So if someone saw a flyer and didn't want to buy the product/service at that time, then the chance of a sale now or later greatly diminished without a way to communicate in the future. That's a great change.

So what's the drawback to the new model? By far it's the time and attention you'll have to spend on it. It means a lot of writing...copy for the website and landing pages, for emails/enewsletters, blog posts, articles, press releases, tweets, facebook posts, creation of profiles for social media sites, ads, and so on. And it means content creation like for videos, podcasts and audiocasts...all in addition to the traditional marketing activities you're already doing.

Itl requires focus and discipline to stay on track as your competitors will be doing the same. You won't have to do everything perfectly (it's tough to do all these things plus manage the business), but ask yourself this question- if you're about to buy something, who are you going to buy from...a company that has a shoddy website (or no site at all) or a company that has a robust, friendly website/blog where buying is easy? The ones that win now and in the future will build a marketing machine that's informative and compelling. If you're not a writer/content creator, then use the resources already in house (marketing person, assistant, etc) to produce the content for you. Or hire someone to manage and produce for you. And start having fun with this new model...sheesh!

Marketing like Exercise

I've tried and tried.  My attempts at the best metaphor in explaining effective marketing always seem to lead me back to one thing...exercise.  There are so many similarities that I believe it really helps to get a business owner into the right mindset through association.

The truth is that marketing the business is a discipline, much like exercise.  Do you really have to market?  Probably not to survive...but in order to grow and flourish...yes, you do.  The same goes for working out.  You don't have to work out...you'll probably live another day.  But in order to thrive and feel good on a daily basis, yes...you need to work out.

And like exercise, it needs to be done on a routine basis.  It takes some time for the muscles to build and tone.  Similarly, it takes some time for your prospects to know, like and trust you.  They need to be contacted a few different ways and over time to understand and be attracted to your offer.

Do you have a problem with exercise and working out?  Hey, no one says it's easy.  My suggestion is to hire a coach or find a workout partner who can hold you accountable until it becomes a habit.  The same goes for business.  If you're not at the level yet where a full-time marketing person is affordable, then find someone who can do it part-time for you OR hire a marketing coach.  Whatever you do, make sure those things get done...marketing and exercise...and you'll run the kind of business (and life) that you want!

Are Testimonials Worth It?

I've been asked many times whether testimonials are even worth the hassle.  The answer to that depends upon your prospect but the truth of the matter is that our general population is made up of about 40% who make internal-only decisions, 40% who make decisions based on what others have done, and about 20% who make decisions based on a combination of the two.  (As a general rule, the younger we are the more importance we place on others' experiences.. and the older we get the less importance we place on the experiences of others).

So since about 60% of the general population base their decisions in some part based on what others do or have done, I think it's wise to use testimonials...on your website, on your collateral, print ads, etc.  According to Dan Kennedy, the direct mail guru, adding a testimonial(s) to your copy increases response.

"Social proof" is the term used for the tool that influences those who use external sources to make decisions.  Social proof comes in the form of testimonials, case studies, a mention in the newspaper or a printed article, etc.  The bottom line is that a large percentage of your target market is externally influenced so I believe that testimonials are definitely worth it.  What do you think?