- Bob Martel
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- Bob Martel |
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Direct Marketing | Database Marketing | Copywriting | ||
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Issue #6 In this issue: At 500 Ft below the waves, there are 1,136 lbs of sea pressure per square inch on the hull of a submarine. (100 lbs per 44 ft) The hull will shrink slightly so that a string tied tautly across the torpedo room at the surface will bow on a deep dive. Tight it tightly at 500 ft and it will snap at the surface. I've seen it. How does this relate to your business at all? Easy. Think about the pressure that your customers are under - and how that pressure impacts their daily operations, their ability to deal with their business problems and, indeed, their personal lives. And, think about how you can relieve that pressure with the products and services you offer. You don't want your customers to snap like a string, do you? So, here's how you apply this power marketing tip to your business: Drop your customer in 500 feet of water... and see if they can handle the pressure... oops, forget that.... You need to "get beneath the waves" and explore what lies underneath the surface. What are the true goals and objectives? What is your product or service needed? What is the true benefit of solving their situation/dilemma/challenge? Try this questioning technique - and use it in your approach to delivering your products and services (improvise for your needs):
You get the idea. Focus on how and why they buy what you offer, and identify what they "get" as a result of hiring you/buying your product. Take your probing questions to the depths of your customers' inner-most reasons, to uncover what is really motivating them to act. Discover the urgency, the impact, and the affect of not taking action. Communicate, so you can understand the human factors that make your customer twitch. Relieve the pressure... then deliver. There's a great book that will give you insights to pressure beneath the waves. The Terrible Hours, by Peter Maas, about the May, 1939 Squalis and the submarine rescue mission off Portsmouth, NH. Good summer reading. II. What business are you really in? I recently presented a marketing seminar to the downtown merchants in the City of Portsmouth, NH. As one attendee put it, marketing is a lot like being in a dark room and someone turning on a light switch so you can better see what’s in the room. Andrew Carnegie realized he was in the transportation business, not merely the railroad business. It open up a whole new world for him. The Disney Company realized they were in the people-moving business, among other things. A computer repair depot realized they were in the business of keeping their clients 'up and running' - which opened new doors for them. What about you? What are you selling? What are your customers really buying? What problems are you really solving with your products and services? What emotional satisfaction are you providing? What contribution are you making to the quality of the lives of the people you serve? Why is it important to your clients that you solve their most pressing problems? Why? Go deep. Every once in a while it’s good to take your head out of the sand and see what’s happening in the world outside of your door. “Ostrich marketing” will only take you so far. Agree? Go to a tradeshow with the wide-eyed curiosity of a child. It’s also a good idea to examine what’s going on in your own head. Your own self-talk has a profound impact on what you “believe is true”. Negative, or limited self-talk can be destructive to your future. On the other hand, positive self-talk can help you see your business in an entirely new light and open opportunities that you hadn’t seen before. Marketing is, as I mentioned, a lot like shining a light on new things. Things like new opportunities, new problems to solve for your customers, new profit centers, new marketing messages. And, new business models, too. The old ways may not work any longer. Just because your company has always done things one way does not mean it is the best way, as you move forward with new goals, right? Take off the blinders and shine a light on some "new thinking". And, next time you are in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, visit the USS Albacore and tour a submarine... or (better) make the trek to the submarine museum in Groton, CT and tour the Nautilus. Enjoy your summer - and buckle up. Remember - hang up and drive! Bob |
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JMB Marketing Group |
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