Marketing…Narcissism

The Oldies but Goodies

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Perhaps the revenue and growth side of your business needs some energizing.  But maybe the problem is that you are so desperate for ‘new’ things that you fail to recognize the wisdom of the ‘old’.  Because, it may be that the ‘old’ stuff is what you need to return to.  Some thoughts…

As privately held company business owners, it’s just part of your psyche to ‘go it alone’.  But here’s the thing about pioneers…they take the bullets and the arrows.

And for the small business owner, too often, taking those metaphorical bullets can prove fatal to the eventual success of your venture.

We’re all too easily sold on the notion of being brand new with our businesses, and especially with our marketing and sales strategies.  Advertising agencies and reps spend a great deal of their time coming up with the ‘newest idea’ for a snazzy marketing campaign, just like entrepreneurs are driven by the concept of coming up with the newest widget to ensure that they make their millions.

But small business millionaires are made by doing the ‘old’ things well.

And, by ‘old’, perhaps it’s better if you think ‘proven’ or ‘well-tested’, instead of dusty and out-of-date.  There are timeless marketing and sales principles which got that way because they work…again, and again, and again.

Now, of course you want your company to stand out from the crowd.  Of course you need a unique selling proposition (USP); I’ve even created a product teaching that very thing; The 5 P’s of Marketing available at 5 P’s of Marketing.

You don’t have to discover on your own how to run a business.  In other words, don’t reinvent the wheel.  Just find what others have done (and succeeded at) and then implement it in your own business.

The great thing about being a business owner today is – the sales and marketing gurus have already tried most everything, and they’ve revealed all their secrets to you and me!

To help you along, here is my suggested reading list for improving your business, sales, and marketing.  (I know you don’t have a lot of time, so I will keep the list short and powerful)

  • The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
  • Magnetic Marketing by Dan Kennedy
  • Outrageous Advertising by Bill Glazer

This is great reading that will help you improve and manage your business, or, excuse the blatant plug, you should call me.

Marketing Narcissism

This is a common problem made by small businesses owners: Self-Absorption in Marketing

Does this seem too obvious?  Look through the ads in a business magazine you have on hand.  Pick it up right now and glance through them.

Answer this question: are most of the ads telling you what benefits you get if you become a customer?  Or, are the ads telling you about their business, i.e. where they are, how wonderful they are, what they do, how great their quality is, how great their service is… all about them?

95% of the ads are totally focused on the business and not on what the business can do for you, the customer / prospect!

Pay attention to advertisements in the newspapers, on television, and on the radio.  You’ll find the same thing happening in those places, consistently, every day.  This type of selfish advertising falls into the terribly wasteful category of ‘institutional’ type promotion.

Institutional advertising produces, at best deferred results.  At worst, institutional advertising is ineffective, unproductive, and a wasteful expense that accomplishes no profitable purpose whatsoever.

You know it is institutional advertising when it tells you how great your company is, or how old and stable you are, or some other frilly, fancy, cutesy and non-compelling foolishness.

From brochures to flyers, sales letters to advertisements, your marketing message should let your prospects know that you are concerned only with what they want!

Anything about you should always come last. Your clients, customers, patrons, patients… whatever you choose to call them, their wants / needs and desires, should always come first.

All your marketing materials you create should focus on what your customers / prospects want and need.  Every sentence should show that you understand their wants and needs.

Until your marketing efforts focus on your customers / prospects first, your marketing is handicapped.  Sorry, not politically correct…your marketing plan…is message challenged.

And so will be your bottom line.

To get more information and receive other no-cost special audio downloads, reports, articles, blog posts, and more, visit Ron Hequet where I cover valuable topics that every person wanting to grow their business needs to know.  And, if you’re ready to take your business to the next level, get a free assessment from me personally at Free Business Assessment .