Atomic Penny

This Sunday marks the annual rite of watching new, unique, memorable and forgettable ads during the BIG GAME. Most of the hype that surrounds the game centers on the advertising, who did well, who needs to rethink the advertisement and who wasted $3M in stakeholder dollars.

With these ads, it is important to remember not all messages are processed the same way. One ad I have seen relates to a new car and how it is received by the car manufacturing world. I liked it, but some may be offended by potential stereotyping. At the same time, the message and brand identification message is strong and the delivery is spot on.

In a local and unconventional way, you can make a memorable impression by having a message that is remembered. Ask your customers what stands out about your product, service or message. Ask them how others can best remember you and your offerings. Ask them during a transaction, while you have their attention. Don’t beg, plead or prod to get an answer, just ask “By the way….”. If you beg plead or otherwise, you will embarrass yourself and your company. Customers, if they love you, will give you the information you need to know.  Don’t be annoying! Listen, ask, clarify and respond. Also listen to what the customers say can be improved. The people that interact with you are many times more important than all the surveys and studies you commission. Make the smart move, ask your customers and don’t be embarrassed to ask.

It will not cost you anything to ask, but it may cost you quite a bit if you don’t.

POWER ON–Mark

Luis, an older Hispanic gentleman approached me about a year ago while I was filling my car at the local gas station. He walked right up to me and stated, ” Those are nice shoes. When you need them shined give me a call”. He proceeded to give me his card and moved on to another person at the gas station.

When I look back on that incident, I really have to take my hat off to Luis. He knows his market, he knows his target audience and he knows where to find his audience when they have time to listen to him. His approach was more effective than newspaper, TV or a bill board.

What was even more astonishing was the fact that he had a great marketing plan and other than the cost of his business cards, he did not have a large marketing outlay. When I took my shoes in, he was very busy, but took the time to greet me, and he remembered my shoes. I was impressed!

The thing that Luis did not know was the day he approached me was the first day I had worn the shoes and I felt they were a little too shiny and new looking. Luis saw my shoes and did not see a new pair of shoes that didn’t need a shine. He saw a future customer.

As a friend of mine says, “It’s all about the shoes”. 

What a great use of unconventional marketing. Luis used traditional face-to-face marketing to meet his customers. He was unconventional in his approach. He complimented my shoes, not my car, not a big sales pitch. But a simple straightforward message that complimented his prospects, asked for business and did not interrupt anyone in the process. Sometimes it is about the shoes! Or the marketer wearing them.

From Marc B. in Denver  

“Be a person people want to talk to. People like working with other people they like. Be one of those people. Remember, nobody likes being sold to, nobody likes a hard sell, however everyone likes to buy. By consistently focusing on people on a personal level, it will make you stand out from your competitors. Be a good listener. Listening is free and it pays huge dividends”.

The above quote reinforces a basic adage of marketing. “You were given two ears and one mouth. Use them proportionally”.

Marketing requires us to listen; listen to the customer, the employee, the market and the stakeholders. You cannot, nor should you, go blindly into a new advertising program without listening to your target market. Listening (also knwn as research) is a key element to success. You can talk all you want once you listen, but listening will provide you with invaluable knowledge. 

In the unconventional sense, listening will not cost you anything. Listening can be done with your eyes and your experiences. Listening is more valuable than any market report or research data. Really hear what others need, see what works and what doesn’t. There is nothing wrong with listening to your competition! See what they are doing. See what the customers are doing, listen to what they are saying. 

For example, the auto industry listened to itself, bigger is better. They were deaf to the need for higher mileage cars until the industry was forced to change. What will happen to the next market shift? Will the automakers be ready?

Listen!

POWER ON–Mark

Did that get your attention?

What do you see in the photo? At the end of the post I will tell you what I saw and still see. 

This photo is quite a bit like your marketing. You can make a big production that everyone can see, with little understanding or comprehension. 

A customer sees what you tell them to see, or ignores what you tell them, for the sake of forming her own opinion. When you spend time, effort and resources on marketing or advertising, make sure the message is clear, concise and targeted at the demographic you want to entice. Otherwise, the customer sees nothing, or a message you did not want to present. 

Unconventional marketing consists of using new, old and unique methods to reach the customer. When is the last time you saw skywriting?  Now that would grab attention! The message will be distorted by the winds, but you will get attention! 

Make sure your message is clear, concise and unique. Simple to talk about, hard to conceive, but once conceived, fairly simple to implement. Your customers will see what you want them to see.

POWER ON–Mark

By the way, I saw a dragon crouching with wings spread, facing west. (Why should I explain? Because I saw it, but you as my customer may not have—Not good marketing, there should be no explanation)

Are you looking to grow in the less than ideal economic times? As I watch and read the news and have discussions I am struck by the opportunity you have as a small business owner. As the recession continues, the pundits claim unemployment will reach 8% or more. With this in mind, think of what you need to increase the knowledge base within your company. 

Many very smart, very motivated people have been laid off. This is a great opportunity for you to hire employees, consultants or advisor to move your company to the next level.

If you are unable to hire full-time, consider hiring one of these people as an advisor. I am sure they are willing to pick up some extra money while working on something they love or enjoy. Imagine finding the right marketer, accountant, HR or other professional for the right price.

When looking to add expertise to your business, realize that you should not be “cheap”, but pay a fair fee to an advisor. It may be the best investment you can make. And if it pans out, you may have found the next essential person for your organization.

Where do you find these people? Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, Craigslist.org, and even elance.com.

Remember, expert advice may cost a little more, but it can provide exponential returns! And in this economy, the price you pay for advice may be well worth the investment.

POWER ON–Mark

Have you noticed how there are so many components related to marketing. Advertising, customer relationships, surveys, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, employee motivation and on and on. Each of these components require attention, and attention will ebb and flow as different situations arise.

Think of this the next time you are driving down the highway. The road is the marketing plan that you began with. There can be weather conditions, construction, detours as well as other drivers. Each of these situations require you to alter your planned trip. As you alter your route, new obstacles and opportunities will arise.

You need to be aware of the destination, but at the same time be aware of obstacles and opporunities that will arise. Here are some suggestions:

• Know what your end goal for the marketing plan consists of and determine where initial efforts will be spent to begin the process. (Initial Route)
• Be aware of what your employees and suppliers are saying and doing to support your efforts. (Construction)
• Be aware of what your competition is doing to provide better products, services and motivation. (Alternate Routes)
• Be very cognizant of opportunities that arise as your plan progresses. Be ready to change direction if sales stagnate or if alternative uses are found for your product or service. (Detours and Express Lanes)
• Ask you customers and employees their thoughts and suggestions, make them a part of the company success. You alone cannot drive the company and the marketing efforts. (Update GPS)

Do you have marketing programs that all refer prospects to the same phone number? How do you know if your program is effective? Many times advertisers, such as yellow page providers, will tracking for you for free if you ask. If you want to track your own, buy a no-contract mobile phone ($15-$50), buy some minutes, and run advertising with that specific number. You can then set up an automatic forward to your main phone. Cost effective, simple and a small investment in your overall marketing program. You may save much more if you find your marketing isn’t working.

POWER ON! — Mark

Think for a minute – if you had spent all of your marketing budget with the exception of Ten Dollars what would you spend it on to attract customers?
I recently asked this question and came up with a few interesting answers:

• Go buy a bunch of pens/pencils with your name on them and give them to a restaurant.  As customers take pens after signing the check, you name goes with them;
• Buy a magnetic sign for your car;
• Buy more business cards to hand out;

And the winner:
Tie a string to a ten dollar bill, put it outside your office and wait for someone to try and pick it up. Have them “chase” the bill into your store or office, and invite them to get to know your business.
Unconventional? You bet, and so simple.

POWER ON!–Mark