Jay Conrad Levinson made it famous, but (especially in today’s economy) you should be thinking about guerilla marketing constantly. Marketing is about multiplication and not about addition. Let me give you some examples. Some are humorous, but they make the point. Read the rest of this entry »
As a young man in the early 1980’s, I was working for a commercial building firm in Indianapolis. When President Reagan convinced the Federal Reserve to slam the brakes on the money supply, the economy went in reverse… with interest rates in the teens, and unemployment at 10+% it was rough. Our current economic situation is not an example of wise economic intervention to right the ship, but a stupid response to a self-inflicted disaster. Still, there are some parallels to the 1980s. One is that the economy is now at a standstill. Many people are out of work, and real estate and construction have tanked.
One important key is to be ready before the recession actually arrives. I know, I’m a little late for this one but here are some ideas of what could have been done earlier:
See if this list helps JOG YOUR BRAIN! Millagisms.
- Bureaucracy destroys—It will suck the life out of you, so flatten it.
- Nothing happens unless we sell something—forget about all your problems for now except innovation and marketing.
- Your $8 an hour employees may be killing you–how are they managing the phones and what are they saying to your customers?
- Are your $100 an hour people doing $8 an hour work? Self-explanatory.
- Recessions either make us go inward or outward: you will need both AND FAST.
- Working harder at what doesn’t work, doesn’t work.
- Strengths are wonderful, especially if they are relevant. SWOT analysis is overrated. Start with a true market.
- Get your best people on board so they don’t jump overboard.
- Marketing is all about multiplication not addition. Don’t think about 3 + 4, think about 3 x 4.
- I’ve made money and lost money and my experience has been that it is more fun making money.
- Opportunity encourages everyone—opportunity creates a healthy career path for everyone. Every healthy organization understands this. We all want to work for companies like this.
- Harness the leaders or plan for their farewell parties. They will want a severance check too. Oh yeah, some more bad news…they will become your future competitors.
- Strategic success depends on track record of successful implementers—you can’t build a company on the backs of “order takers”… you need leaders.
- What does your corporate culture give birth to? Small iterations and followership? Or big ideas and leadership?
- Constipated thinking – you need fiber boy! Fiber = new pictures and new paradigms.
- Apple never seems to flat-line. They understand what Peter Drucker meant when he said, all you need is Innovation and Marketing … everything else can be outsourced.
- Tom Peters was right: Business is fashion, so lose the leisure suits boys, and position yourself for the future.
- The web provides the accountability Adam Smith envisioned in his seminal Wealth of Nations. Smith envisioned the accountability provided by the small town where local opinions about you mattered. Now everyone evaluates you on the web = true democracy. Either you are the best, or your days are numbered.
- Backwards marketing—means you are going in reverse. Backwards marketing is working to please the boss instead of working to please the customer. This is a sure sign of a company whose days are numbered.
- Matthew 5:41 people—celebrate those second mile people who always go above and beyond the call of duty…they are the future of your enterprise.
- Dull, concrete sequential types or gooey dreamers—just remember to get them in right order i.e., gooey dreamers first. We desperately need both types.
“Is everything excellent?” The “Leaving the money on the table” syndrome
I try to get waiters and waitresses to ask me, “if everything is excellent” rather than the typical “is everything good?” Surely they want my meal to be more than good. I won’t come back for “good” when I can have “excellent” somewhere else. So let’s play with this idea a little:
Great customers are very much like good friends. Get to know them, give them what they want, care deeply about their needs, stay focused on them, and they will love you. They will be loyal to you, and they will reward you.
“New internet tools”
Question: What will great tech tools do for you if your business model stinks? Answer: Multiply the negative impact of your lousy business model. It is important to realize that a great company or product coupled with a great story becomes even greater when the product/service is empowered by technology. So don’t fight technology and help from consulting. Midwest companies understand that only about 20% of customers are Twitter or Facebook users, but this percentage is growing fast. Facebook was never developed to be a marketing tool (Myspace was), so it will be awhile before it is completely decoded by marketers. Right now, most of what I see, at least with social marketing’s advertising efforts, appears to be a blunt tool (exceptions in high tech products). I have yet to find a person who has purchased anything because of on an ad on Facebook.
The two greatest things about people are also the two worst things about people: they are creatures of habit. We all like our little comfort zones. We like to drive the same way to work, park in the same old trusty spot. But habitual behavior will make you predictable in business and the competition will be able to predict your next move. We constantly work against this condition when doing consulting. Midwest companies must learn how to keep their competition guessing, i.e., keep changing it up. We try to inspire change through consulting. Midwest companies have learned that their survival depends on new ideas and new approaches.
What about your corporate story? What is your product or service story? Answers to these questions are examples of what we try to help generate with consulting. Midwest companies that tell their “story,” well … will see some very positive results. We help them build their stories. Stories provide access to the emotional side of the customer’s brain, and thus they enhance both the customer’s interest and memory. Each product or service marketed by your company should be accompanied by a compelling story.
Stupid is and stupid does, sir. Forest Gump…
Lack of adequate customer feedback loop is a death sentence. Feedback should allow you to hold your employees accountable and should provide you with the content needed to effectively build the training programs that are needed to train your employees. I see this “feedback” mistake being made over and over again. It can cost you your company.
Looking for a professional speaker this summer? Phil Millage is qualified and has time slots still open. (June - August)
