Issue #2

Power Marketing Tip!

Never Give In -- Never!

A friend of mine in the U.K., once a fellow world traveler in a previous corporate life, always shares his favorite pieces of British history with me. Of course, we always had a different perspective on the Fourth of July but we agreed on one very influential man in British history: The Last Lion, Winston Churchill.

Who ever would imagine that Churchill had any profound words of wisdom for your business? Well, he spoke volumes about your business - as did many other historians and mathematicians.

Churchill's "Never Give In" speech was made 29 October 1941 to the boys at Churchill's old school, Harrow--not Oxford or Cambridge: "Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.''

The actual quote has been motivational to many, including yours truly. Rather than a cold stubbornness, Churchill is actually talking about persistence, courage, and determination to follow through and finish the good fight.

What does all of this have to do with your marketing strategy?

Well, it's this: I've seen too many clients start down the path of implementing their marketing plan only to abandon a good idea before it's had time to prove itself. Or, worse yet, they have talked about launching campaigns for years - knowing that they must - but they quit before they begin. They quit too early- just before success jumped out at them.

The end result for the early quitters is a business that is crashing on the rocks because the marketing strategy isn't working, or is non-existent.

I decided to ask my clients and prospects WHY they give up so quickly. Take a lesson from what they shared with me:

1. Fear of success, and fear of failure.

2. False conclusions drawn from the results of a poorly executed program or marketing method. "I tried direct marketing once, it doesn't work in our industry" is a famous phrase I hear all too often.

3. Priorities changed after the program was launched. Also called the "creative avoidance syndrome".

4. No time to follow-up.

5. Organizational paralysis and fear of committing to a strategy. (I suppose non-commitment means you can keep your options open???)

The solution is painfully obvious. Decide a strategy, commit to it, measure it, and make adjustments - then evaluate and continue. Sounds simple. It is - the marketing concepts are universal - in any language, in any country - for any product or service. Period.

You still have to build perceived value in the minds of your prospects - then lead them to take the action you desire. Then convince them to open their wallet. Agree?

Here are a few tips you can apply immediately:

1. A mailing list that is worth mailing to once is worth mailing to 2-5 more times, perhaps more. Test a follow-up letter or postcard, or opt-in email to a list you have previously tested. (This assumes you are mailing something that is of value, not simply J*U*N*K mail.)

2. Look at your lead generation system (You do have one, right? Call me at 508 481-8383 if not - I'll get you started.)

3. Track your letter/call/letter sequences to your prospects. Plan and follow through on your "stay in touch" system. Consider a handwritten note to nudge your prospect along and/or share an article of interest.

4. Keep in mind that you simply do not know when your prospect needs what you are selling. Focus on helping them buy what they need, and help them get what they want.

Dust off your "marketing folder" and STUDY what has worked best/least over the past few years. Update and relaunch successful campaigns.

Make sure you are marketing on a scale that you require in order to achieve the results you need. Too many businesses launch campaigns that are simply too small in scope to achieve any measurable result.

Never quit. Persist. Advance. Remember, marketing is psychological warfare.

Until next week,

Bob

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