“80% of Success is Showing Up…”

…is a famous Woody Allen quote. You can apply it in several ways.

During a recent sales brainstorming session, two of these applications jumped out at me.

1. You need a presence. Like the lottery commercials say, if you don’t play, you can’t win.

2. You can’t just “phone it in.” You have to give it your best effort.

Staying in touch with prospects is hard, and requires a disciplined partnership between sales and marketing. Once the seller has identified the right person for the right product, MARKETING can provide the automated touches to maintain awareness and build credibility until the right time occurs and the prospect (hopefully) raises their hand. Meanwhile, through periodic face-to-face meetings, SALES refines the seller’s understanding of the prospect’s needs and wants, and closes the sale when the time is right.

Back to Woody’s quote, and the two applications identified above. You have to stay in touch with the prospect. You need an ongoing presence--mailings, calls, and occasional face-to-face meetings.

And your presence has to be meaningful. I’m talking about tailoring my communications to the prospect’s needs and stressing your product’s benefits at every opportunity. Sending someone a generic ‘newsletter’ once a quarter doesn’t cut it. Neither does a phone call or lunch to “see how things are going.”

We’re all pressed for time and we’re all being pushed for results. But developing a customer relationship is something you cannot rush. You have to “show up” regularly in a meaningful way. Remember, that’s 80% of success!

Start with the easiest or hardest problems first?

You’ve probably heard the saying: “When you’ve got a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

Each of us has developed a toolkit of tools and processes which have worked for us in the past. And those are what we use to solve new problems as we encounter them. In fact, we tend to prioritize problems based on how easily we think they can be solved using this toolkit. Problems that don’t “fit” our toolkit tend to get pushed to the bottom of the list. And why not? Subconsciously, we’re prioritizing from “most likely to solve” to “least likely to solve.”

I’d like to suggest that if you want to be successful--both personally and corporately--you need to reverse those priorities. Anyone can use common tools to solve common problems. What you want to specialize in is finding new tools to solve uncommon problems.

Apple faced the seemingly insoluble challenge of trying to survive as a very weak #2 in a PC world. Instead of going head-to-head using conventional tools, they began redefining computers by use--creating the I-POD, the I-PHONE, and the I-PAD. Wouldn’t you like those successes on your resume?

Dealing with the little, common problems can be very satisfying. We all like to ACCOMPLISH. But solving little problems isn’t going help you build a competitive advantage. And solving little problems isn’t going to give your career that quantum leap you dream about.

So when you’re prioritizing, move the “insoluble” problems up the list. You won’t solve all of them; but then, it only takes one to turn you into a hero. Warning: These problems probably won’t respond to a “hammer.” So you’ll need to discover or design new tools. But then you’ll have a bigger toolkit than the rest of the pack, and isn’t that a good thing?

Looking for some help with your “insoluble” problems? Give me a call. I may have something in my toolkit that can help. And if not, we’ll invent something!

Stop others from undermining your marketing

As marketers, we spend untold dollars and hours to carefully craft our advertising to make a great impression. And as often as not, that impression is then undermined or destroyed by subsequent interactions and communications from other departments in the company.

Examples:
● I work like crazy to attract applicants for a new credit card. They go online to apply, and are faced with an application form drafted by lawyers and bureaucrats that is confusing to complete and difficult to understand.
● I buy an insurance policy (and you know what a tough sell that is!) and in return for my premium get a 60 page contract couched in words I’ve never seen before.
● My favorite retailer wants me to sign up for their loyalty club, and gives me an application form asking for so much information that it makes me feel like I’m applying for a job with the CIA.

NOT MY FAULT
“That’s not my fault,” I hear marketers say. “That form/application/communication isn’t my responsibility. That’s another department.” And strictly speaking, they’re probably right. But as a marketer you are (or should be) responsible for your company’s relationship with the prospect/customer.

There is absolutely no reason, other than laziness, that your company’s communications cannot be understandable and (dare I say it?) fun to deal with. Everyone pays lip service to the idea that we should treat people the way that we would like to be treated (Golden Rule) or the way they want to be treated (Platinum Rule). Then we turn around and treat them the way that is most convenient for us, and to hell with what they want.

So the next time you’re trying to figure out how to improve your prospect conversion rate or your customer retention, try looking at the hoops that you make people jump through to do business with you. The bar is set so low that it takes almost no effort to look better than the competition. Just take the time to work with your lawyers and service departments to create easy to understand communications, preferably with a consistently fun tonality. Like this opening to a system alert from MailChimp: “First and foremost, we haven’t changed the fact that we never rent, sell, or give away your list to anybody. That would be evil…”

People like to understand what they’re reading. And they like to laugh and smile. So to increase how many people like your company, and how much they like it, take the lead in getting your company to create communications that are easy to understand and fun to read. And enjoy the goodwill it creates.

Be a Promise Keeper

Walmart, General Electric, and Duke Energy came up with a slam-bang promotion. They mailed a coupon, good for a package of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) to thousands of households. It could be redeemed at any WalMart store.

It was a tremendous opportunity for
● GE to generate sampling and build brand loyalty for their CFLs
● Duke Energy to build a “green,” consumer friendly reputation
● Walmart to attract consumers who would probably buy other stuff while they were in the store.

Only one problem--the offer was so good that the stores sold out overnight, and many people seeking to redeem their coupons were disappointed. I was one of those people. I don’t shop at Walmart often. But this offer was so good that I made a special effort to include Walmart on my next shopping trip. No bulbs.

I was persistent however. I kept the coupon in the car and when driving by a different Walmart a couple of weeks later I stopped and found--they were sold out too. End of effort. Now instead of the positive feelings (and sales) the promotion participants had hoped to create, they created a consumer with decidedly more negative feelings toward their companies and products.

Those negative feelings intensified when I received a follow-up post card recently apologizing for the “overwhelming response” and telling me the coupon expiration had been extended until July. The only problem is, I threw away the coupon months ago. Who saves a coupon that apparently can’t be cashed?

Wait, though. It says on the second postcard that I can visit a website for more information. Maybe I can download a new coupon there… Nope. There’s a number I can call in case I never got a coupon, but it’s too much trouble for a pack of light bulbs. I’ll just nurse my resentment, thank you very much.

This point was reinforced the other day when someone at an organization I belong to promised event participants that the person would post some recipes (for food served at the event) on the organization’s website. I’m the webmaster for the site, so I sent this person a message a couple days later asking for the recipes. The person replied that they were too busy to send them then, it would be a few days until they could get around to it.

I told them not to bother. By that time it was too late--the promise was broken. Just as I would not return to Walmart every week looking for lightbulbs, the members of this organization will not return to its website over and over looking for these recipes. My point is, fulfillment delayed is fulfillment denied. And fulfillment denied generates disappointment and negative feelings.
You go to a lot of trouble to make people like your organization and buy its products. Don’t disappoint them. It is easy to blow a lot of good will in a very short period of time. Be very careful to keep your promises, or don’t make them in the first place.

Does Anybody Care?

These lines are from the musical 1776, but they echo the concern of many advertisers. It doesn’t matter what vehicle you’re using. You want to know how many people see your message, and are they paying attention to it. Because until they do, they’re not going to take any action, like asking for more information or even (hopefully) spending some money with you.

The answer to the first question is, yes, your target market is there. And thanks to the vast array of advertising and social media vehicles available today, they’re easier than ever to reach. The tougher question is “Does anybody care?”

And the answer to that is, yes they do--but here’s the rub. They care about what they want to hear, not about what you want to say. So unless you provide content that’s relevant to their needs, they won’t care.

To be relevant, you need to listen to your target market. You have to understand what they need, and customize your products and services to meet that need better than the competition does. NOW they will listen. NOW they will care. NOW they will buy.

Basic? Yes. But you’d be amazed at how many companies take it for granted that it’s the vehicle that is broken, and not the product or messaging. Here’s the deal--all the communication vehicles work. Every one of them. Sure, some are more efficient than others. But they all work. If your advertising isn’t getting the results you want, it’s because you’re not saying what your prospects want to hear. Period.

It’s like the old computer rule: if your program doesn’t run, go back and check your input. If it still doesn’t run, go back and check your input. Repeat until it works.

Well if your advertising isn’t working, check your offering and messaging. If your advertising still isn’t working, recheck your offering and messaging. Repeat until it works.

Your CMO can help confirm the relevancy of your offering and messaging to achieve better results. Steve has developed and introduced 21 different products and product lines-- let him help you!

Great (and not so great) Expectations

Here is an excellent exercise for your sales and marketing team. Sit down together and list every positive and negative payoff you can imagine that might occur for someone purchasing your product or service.

For example: If someone buys your toaster, one positive is they might not burn their toast as often (because of the built-in heat sensor). Another is that people may admire how good it looks (because of its sleek European styling). A negative payoff might be that their spouse may yell at them (because of the high cost). Or that it might not fit on their counter (because of its bulky European styling) Get the idea?

This exercise is based on the EXPECTANCY THEORY of Victor Vroom (don’t you love that name?), which suggests that purchasing decisions are made based on the net of what we expect the positive and negative payoffs to be from purchasing that product or service. In other words, for each possible decision, we have an expectation of the pros and cons, which we then consciously and subconsciously weigh against each other in arriving at a decision.

At the end of your exercise, you’ll have a list of possible payoffs. Rank them by the likelihood that your target consumers will expect them to occur.

Then figure out how to minimize the likelihood and perception of the negative payoffs. For example if you have a high cost, you might want to stress how that cost is amortized over an extended period. This is a great way to identify and deal with problems you may not have been considering.

Finally, you’ll want to consistently include the top-ranked positive payoffs (which you’ve identified) in your advertising and collateral so that your prospects can visualize these outcomes. The idea is to allow viewers to “see” each outcome in a context that will ensure it is remembered at the appropriate moment in the purchasing process.

That’s why commercials often feature new car drivers being admired by beautiful women or handsome men, and why beer ads show people having a good time out with their friends instead of drinking alone in front of the television. It wouldn’t be surprising to find this exercise has identified a couple of payoffs that you’ve been slighting in your advertising or sales presentations.

Walking the advertising tightrope

How often should you update your advertising?

Advertising is expensive and time consuming to produce, and so there’s a natural reluctance to change it too often. But there is a risk to leaving the same creative out there for an extended period.

Our brains are hardwired to ignore the familiar. This allows us to pay more attention to the new and different, which in the early days of evolution might help you (“What if it’s something good to eat?”) or hurt you (“What if it’s something interested in eating me?”).

The old advertising model was “say it over and over again until it takes root in your audience’s minds.” But if your audience is ignoring the familiar, then every repetition is marginally less effective, and it won’t be long until you’re just wasting your money.

If you want to keep your audience’s attention, you need to constantly update your advertising. But watch out! Changing management and advertising creative teams tend to introduce variability. “Our advertising will be even better if we just [fill in the blank].” Every update runs the risk of straying from your brand’s core message (how many ways can you say the same thing?). And when consumers get two different messages about a brand, it creates cognitive dissonance that erodes the effectiveness of your advertising.

What’s the answer? You need to take a three-fold approach.

1) Come up with a rock-solid brand USP (see What's Your Unique Buying Proposition, September 2009 in this blog) and make sure all your advertising reflects it.

2) Changes in your advertising need to be evolutionary, not revolutionary. This is hard to enforce. Everyone wants to make their creative mark on the brand, for the sake of their personal portfolios. So they tend to develop creative that is as different as possible from “the old stuff.” The problem is, you have brand awareness equity bound up in “the old stuff.” There is real value in having your audience connect your old advertising with the new, so that you’re building on that equity and not starting a new “silo” of awareness.

3) Plan to change your advertising as frequently as your budget allows. Don’t sink every cent into advertising that you are then forced to run over and over because you cannot afford anything new. Make new creative an integral part of your schedule. New advertising can be inexpensive if you shoot or record additional material during the initial production session, and then edit and release new versions over time. This also helps you stay true to your USP.

Your CMO can show you how to keep your advertising focused and effective. Call me if you’d like to talk about helping your advertising “evolve.”