My Son, helping me come up with Original blog pictures!
Marketing – contrary to what most “gurus” want you to believe – is NOT mysterious. It can be over-simplified and over-complicated, but more often than not, it’s over-complicated… by people who want you to buy some A-Z system from them. Masterful marketing, truthfully, is something that can be taught and learned. By you.
Make no mistake, though. Regardless of what you sell, who you serve, or what your degree or certification says, YOU – yes, you – are in the MARKETING business. Think of it this way: You can be the absolute undeniably BEST of your industry… but it won’t matter unless you can effectively market and sell whatever it is you’re the best at.
So, let’s uncover 3 Marketing Mistakes to AVOID – like the plague:
1.) Being timid. As Zig says, “Timid sales people have skinny kids”. In a world of so many promises, endless chatter and unfathomable “noise”, you have to be bold to make it in business. BOLDLY proclaim what you can do for your clients. BOLDLY say the words, “I can help you.” What is the BOLDEST thing you can authentically (honestly) claim about your product or service? Write it down. List no less than five examples that prove your case. Work this new-found boldness into your marketing, your conversations, your proposals and your online presence. I promise. Your bank balance will thank you for it – as will your new clients.
2.) Being part of the noise. There’s enough noise in the world already. If you want your market’s attention (And you do…that’s the POINT of marketing!) you can’t afford to be perceived as part of the noise. So, if most of your competitors use email to reach potential clients, use the phone… or snail mail or some other option readily available to you. If most of the noise targeting your perspective clients is via long sales letter, consider sending a printed invitation instead. Whatever the current NOISE, avoid being part of it and you’ll be far ahead of the game.
Years ago, I started hosting Women Who WOW “gatherings”… essentially as an alternative to the same -old, same-old networking meeting. You know the agenda: Pay money. Attend Meeting. Hear speaker. Exchange biz cards. Smile a lot. Leave – hoping something comes of the time you just invested. Not at Women Who WOW. My events were always super-well attended – often turning people away or at least, being at full capacity. When we started, we had no website and no way to charge people for attending prior to them walking in the door (i.e. no prior commitment), so people asked, “how do you do it?”
My secret weapon was two fold. FIRST: I did things DIFFERENTLY and planned events that MOCKED the traditional, networking-as-usual agenda and SECOND: My events were invitation only (secret within a secret: exclusivity) and people were mailed a printed invitation rather than the traditional email invite. In other words, I marketed against the noise. You can and should do the same.
**If you want to be on the invite list, email me at michelle@womenwhowow.com and get on the “small list”. =)**
3.) Having competing or poorly defined motives. Masterful marketing is about a couple of things. Most importantly, it’s about grabbing your market’s attention and convincing them to take a very specific action that you prescribe. Call for this report. Call for a complimentary consultation. Bring this in to the store. Whatever. But marketing can be really mucked up by trying to do too much at one time, or not being clear about what you’re doing or what you expect.
The biggest mistake here is having no call to action. This marketing is usually ego based. (“I’m just trying to get my name out there.” Hint: BIG WASTE) Other marketing misses the mark because it’s too confusing. The business is trying to do too much: build rapport, please existing clients, not piss off their colleagues, appear intelligent or fit in. Masterful marketing is SIMPLE. You identify a need. You say you can fix it. You make an offer. You give a clear call to action. S-I-M-P-L-E.
Feel free to ask specific marketing questions below… or to share your own Masterful Marketing strategy! I LOVE to hear from you!
Great article. I think it’s so important to realize that people WANT a call to action, or else they don’t know what to do. You’ve got to tell them so no one is confused.
Loved this blog post! I would love to visit with you sometime next week on what we might do to create some kind of event for Kangen distributors to come to. Women only. Would you have time to chat next week?
I agree, the best way to stand out is to be different and do the opposite of what competitors are doing. It’s not always easy and it’s certainly not for the timid, but a good thing to keep in mind!
Agree with going against the noise. What I do involves recruiting business partners who want to work from home. Many have had success with buying leads which saves on gas and paying lunch for the person to say I’m not interested. How do you market to leads an Different way from the usual? Is it worth the almost $4 per person that might say yes or no thank you?
I’ve been tinkering with a new screen action video type approach..just starting it and really think it’s different. Now waiting for the response..thanks Michelle for a great post!