Tuesday 31 March 2015

Marketing is Killing Your Business - here's how...

I receive lots of Emails, LinkedIn messages and Telephone calls to my business with offers of Marketing, Lead Generation and Client Attraction services...
Every day I have the opportunity to learn "cutting edge" (whatever that means..) techniques to transform my business and have prospects fighting to get at me, my team and the services we offer...

So today I thought I'd share an idea; an idea that is so contrary to contemporary thinking that it will shake the Marketing Guru's to their core...

Stop Marketing...!

It is expensive, it rarely works and the only people who make any money are those selling Marketing services...
There - said it - I feel much better now..
Imagine of you couldn't advertise on Social Media, send Emails, Direct Mail, Lumpy Mail or In Mail.
If you couldn't do any Networking, Advertising or have a Web Page; in fact you couldn't even have a sign above your door, or a business card to your name...

What would you do...?

Most people would run, get a job or simply panic - new prospects are the lifeblood of a business, how can you build a business if you can't do any marketing...?
It's impossible, you can't do it everyone says so - there are lots of books that say...
Actually not...
There is simple Marketing Strategy that is the most powerful one known to humanity, it is not the easiest nor is it the quickest, but it is FREE and it works for ever, like a perpetual motion machine...

What is it...?

It's called...

Being Amazing...

If you had to be so good at what you do, so unique and special that no one else could replicate it; and the service and value you deliver was of the highest order...
You would become a "scarce resource" in your sector...
Being truly scarce has a number of benefits...
  1. The value of scarce resources goes up - people want what they can't have and therefore demand outstrips supply and your prices and margins increase accordingly.
  2. Zero Marketing - people will hunt you down and seek you out. You will be so amazing that you'll have to ration what you do rather than sell it.
  3. Reputation - will spread. Others will do the marketing for you, word of moth, referrals and introductions will flow toward you.
  4. Focus - your focus can be 100% service, value and quality; the more you do and the better you get, the mores scarce you'll become and the more interest you'll generate.
Being good at Marketing covers over the cracks of a=n average product or service; if you get plenty of leads, you don't need to be World Class because if the client leaves, you'll get another one to arrive soon anyway...

Marketing makes people lazy and complacent; it doesn't encourage excellence, it encourages Gloss and Spin, it encourages transient customers and relationships and like any drug; once you get hooked it's tough to stop..

But there is a way...

First, if you are marketing right now don't stop...
Second - define how great your product or service would have to be so that you would be forced to ration it because it was in demand..
Think of Morgan Cars, Lancome's Dream Tone Serum and In-n-Out Burger...
The Ivy Restaurant in London famously has a waiting list of up to 6 months; unless your Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie of course...
Make your service so amazing that people will write to thank you, they will bring their first sons to work with you and line up outside in the hope they may be fortunate enough to buy from you...
Be so amazing that messages about you go viral, you are spoken about in hushed voices in coffee shops and restaurants; be so attractive that even without any marketing, people will spend time doing research to track you down...
Be the company that everyone has heard of, but only a few have experienced...
This is how your Marketing is Killing your business - it's making you and your team complacent; you know that being mediocre is OK because you can always find another sucker to come and buy from you...
But what if you couldn't - then you'd have no choice but to be truly amazing...
Now- it is somewhat paradoxical that I am writing a Blog on a social media page about not writing content on social media pages; the irony is not lost on me...

However, by way of making up...

You cannot speak with me until September, I don't have the space for any extra clients now...

There are no contact details at the base of this post, if you want to get in touch or come to one of our events, you'll have to track me down..
You probably can't afford it and wouldn't qualify anyway...
If you insist on speaking with me - you'll have to make a £250.00 donation to a charity of my choice, meet me at a location of my choosing, and your buying the drinks...

And - no I don't give any Guarantees either...

7 Reasons NOT to be a Business Owner..

Being your own boss looks really attractive from the outside...

To people working in jobs and not having a great time, the prospect of resigning and walking away to start a new life is really tempting; but beware, the truth of business ownership may not be what you think...

Lets look at reality...

  1. Work the hours you choose - it means you can take days off and holidays when you want and you don't need permission either. You can take a Friday off if you want and not pick up messages until Tuesday.
  2. Pay Yourself - you can reward yourself with a wage, a dividend and an expense account. If you need a new car, just make some more money and buy one; want a fancy holiday - fly business class to get there
  3. Have more Family time - you can arrange your work so you can take the children to school, attend family events and even take your husband / wife out for a surprise dinner to that little place close to Monaco that you found.
  4. Contribute to Causes - if you have a favourite charity, cause or group that you'd like to support, now you can with regular contributions of cash and time so that you can make a real difference..
  5. Get better Looking - successful people look better; they just do. For a start they are less worried and stressed, plus they can look after themselves and buy clothes that fit them rather than a budget...
  6. Get Respect - you will be invited to attend dinners and tell your story, you'll be in magazines on the TV and Radio; you'll be equally loved and respected by all those that engage with you; you'll probably even get a bit taller...
  7. Have lots of Fun - business is the best fun in the world, every day is new and exciting and sometimes you won't sleep because tomorrow looks so awesome you can't wait for it to arrive..

Or at least that's how it should be...

If you are in business and this is not your experience - email the Emergency Help Desk NOW and we'll send you a Business Coaching Session* completely FREE OF CHARGE with one of the Top Coaches in the World - and if he can't make it, or is fully booked - you'll get ME...

davidholland@resultsrulesok.com

It takes around 1 hour, you don't have to buy anything, give me your credit card details or dance around with feathers in your hair chanting ancient incantations.

Unless of course you want to...

* the small print - right now we can only handle 5 Free Coaching Sessions so they will be allocated on a strictly "genuine nice person" basis...

Delusion, Denial and Ego - there's a name for that..

...and it's called the Dunning Kruger effect...

In 1999, David Dunning and Justin Kruger of Cornell University published their findings regarding people's awareness of their own abilities...
Apparently, the study was inspired by the case of a Bank Robber who had smeared his face with lemon juice in the mistaken hope that, as lemon was used as invisible ink, his face would be invisible to the security cameras - unsurprisingly, he was caught...

The condition suggests that there is a cognitive bias causing unskilled individuals to suffer from illusory superiority; in other words, although they are no good at something, they truly believe they are...
Conversely, individuals with a high level of skill were found to underestimate their relative competence and assumed that tasks they find "easy" are also easy for others...
As they concluded..
The miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from errors about others...

How does the condition show up...?

In a social setting the condition is relatively harmless, check out this VIDEO of auditions on the X Factor to see some great examples of illusory superiority...
Up the scale a little and the more dangerous aspects can be experienced, driving for example; the condition is made considerably worse when alcohol is consumed...
We can call it denial, delusion and ego; but where the very best examples of the Kruger Dunning effect shows up is in the workplace...
In essence it's having the ability to Talk the Talk but also Walk the Walk - in fact those with real skills and talent don't Talk the Talk because they really don't think that they are special at all...

Picture Credit - www.eternol.com
Those with real talent tend to underestimate their abilities, whilst those without, tend to overestimate them; paradoxically, people at the top of their game are more open to feedback, continued learning and development than those at the bottom...
As observed by Bertrand Russell..
One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision...
And even William Shakespeare in "As You Like It..."
The Foole doth thinke he is wise, but the wiseman knowes himselfe to be a Foole...
So the attitudes and behaviours of those suffering from the Dunning Kruger effect will include...
  • Misplaced confidence in their abilities - delusional...

  • Inability to take feedback - they are always right...

  • Focus on them rather than results -

  • High self esteem - but low performance standards...

  • Avoiding responsibility for results - blaming others...

  • Short term career moves - until they get found out...

They could of course simply get promoted to the Board Room where they can do less damage...
So, watch out for the symptoms of the Denning Kruger effect - there may be more of it around than your realise...

About David Holland

I work with Business Owners, Executives and their Teams to:
✔ Make more Money in their Business...
✔ Build Effective and Productive Teams...
✔ Work Less Hours and enjoy the Journey...
✔ Grow Sales, Profit and Cash...
✔ Achieve more than they think is possible...
To find out more about how I can help you, send me a connection request on LinkedIn, or send me a message if we are already connected
To find out about our Events and Workshops in Luxembourg and the UK, click on the LINK..

The Ultimate Sales Question...

Once upon a time in a land far far away there lived a young salesman...

He had a shiny new Montego GTI with a Motorola Car 'phone bolted to the centre console, a Filofax and a "proven sales system"...

Interesting Fact - there are only TWO Montego GTI's left on the road in the UK at time of writing this Blog...
Of the three - the "proven sales system" was the one that didn't work - surprisingly the Montego was excellent..
This Sales System involved questionnaires, scripts, closing techniques and even a dress code - Navy Blue suit, white shirt, red or gold tie, black shoes with a nice watch worn on the left wrist...

It got results - problem was the results included a conversion rate of approximately ZERO %...

I was supposed to be selling Industrial Packaging - now as exciting as that sounds, it really wasn't - I was selling boxes made of wood and cardboard with bits of foam inside and a few plastic bags; or at least I was supposed to be...
One May morning I had an appointment with the Head Buyer at a large manufacturing company in Bristol - I think his name was Herman Goering or something like that; he had a reputation in the industry as a tyrant anyway...
So I pulled up in my shiny Montego GTI, walked into reception and asked to see Herr Oberleutnant Goering...

Keeping me waiting until 15 minutes past the agreed time was a tactic of his, and as I'm sat there in my M&S Navy Blue suit - I start getting angry...

He ambles into reception and we go to his office...

Now, at this point according to my "proven sales system" I am supposed to build rapport and look around the office for photos of his family, sports trophies or magazines that he is interested in - so I can strike up a conversation and find some common ground..
That morning I wasn't interested in common ground - I was interested in making a sale. It was an enquiry for 50 specialist containers worth around £5,000 each for a Military Contract - total value £250,000...
He gave me a "buyers coffee" - too hot to drink and tastes like white spirit when you can...
So I looked at him and asked him the question that would transform my Sales Career for ever...

"So, Herr Oberleutnant, why am I here...?"

He was taken aback - no one had ever asked him that. I was supposed to go through a painful ritual of rapport building, grovelling and talking through brochures and reinforcing our "Value Proposition.."
He looked around the room for an exit - he was cornered, and I stayed silent...

Then he looked at me and said...

"We need 50 Containers according to the specification and drawings.."

Then I asked him another question..

"When do you need them to be delivered..."

He paused again - I had not asked about his weekend, how his crown green bowling league was doing, or how grateful I was for his time..

"5 per month commencing in June..."

I replied...

"We can do that; would you like me to get the paperwork underway or do we need to get an order number first..?"

He coughed and spluttered into life...

"I haven't agreed your prices yet, and I have others to see...."

Nice try Herr Oberleutnant..

"The price is in our quotation, if the price wasn't right, I wouldn't be here. 
Now, if I don't order the metalwork and fittings today, there is no way we are going to get 5 containers to you next month.
Do you want to risk your client invoking the penalty clause for late delivery or do you want me to get started today, so you can sleep easy tonight...?"

Herr Oberleutnant looked very uneasy, I remained silent, then he telephoned someone in his team and asked them to come to his office...
A young woman walked in with a ledger book - and she issued me with an order number that would be confirmed by Fax (remember those...) later in the day...

I stood up, said thank you, shook his hand and left with an order for £250k...

Epilogue...
"Why am I here...?" is the Ultimate Sales Question - there are plenty of others that are similar but for me it has mean that over the years my average conversion rate in Sales runs at around 87.24%...

In my career I have sold Logistics, Recruitment, Aviation Services, Wiring Harnesses, Packaging, Ballroom Dancing Dresses as well as Coaching and Training - and it doesn't matter whether the excuse from the sales team is "we have to closed bids..." or "it's different in the food industry..." or even "people are special in Coalville..." - the approach works...
So now you can scrap your Brochures, forget your NLP and the Benjamin Franklin or Puppy Dog closing techniques - and get more sales...
PS - before I met with Herr Oberleutnent, I had done my research - I knew the lead times and the manufacturing times; I also knew that his contract had specific deadlines in it with a strict penalty clause if he missed his deadline. 

To be that confident - remember to do your homework, you need to know your clients challenges, opportunities and deadlines better than they do; that way you know what problem to solve and of course "why you are there.." in the first place..

Like to buy my Book - Your Business Rules OK - the 8 Rules to building your remarkable business...

Of course you would...

Simply Click HERE..

About David Holland

I work with Business Owners, Executives and their Teams to:
✔ Make more Money in their Business...
✔ Build Effective and Productive Teams...
✔ Work Less Hours and enjoy the Journey...
✔ Grow Sales, Profit and Cash...
✔ Achieve more than they think is possible...
To find out more about how I can help you, send me a connection request on LinkedIn, or send me a message if we are already connected
To find out about our Events and Workshops in Luxembourg and the UK, click on the LINK..

Real Men don't Eat Quiche...

At least that got your attention...

For those interested, and in fact for those who aren't, this is the title of a book published in 1982 - you can even buy your own copy HERE...

And that is the trick with Marketing - Headlines...

The first job of Marketing is to simply get your attention - once the brand or logo has been registered in the mind, purchasing decisions will be influenced on a subconscious level.
So when you are designing your marketing message - the headline is probably one of the most important aspects...
Whether it's a brochure, blog or advert - make the headline strong and attractive and your audience will grow...
Here are a few samples of headlines to get you started from News Papers, but all had the desired effect...
  • World War 2 Bomber found on Moon - Sunday Sport

  • Horsemeat in Tesco's Burgers - Daily Mail

  • Freddie Starr ate my Hamster - The Sun

  • VE Day - It's all over - Daily Mail

If you want to get attention, apart from sensationalism, go for intrigue and people can't resist looking at them..
  • How I made £375,000 in 120 days - and you can too...

  • 7 Reasons your Wife thinks you don't care...

  • 5 Mistakes to avoid when Selling Property...

  • What the Rabbit did next make me cringe, and then smile...

Polarisation works too - although, you may bet some negative attention in the process...
  • 7 Reasons the English are the best at Everything, including cricket and cooking...

  • Why Organic food is killing the Planet; and the Penguins are the first to go...

  • Your MLM Business was just made obsolete - here's why...

  • Who is more intelligent - Men or Women..? - the results will surprise you...

Long headlines can work - providing you keep their interest, maybe not so good on mobile devices as they can lose interest...
  • How I made $98,574 a month from LinkedIn advertising, it was so easy that anyone can do it...

  • Why I NEVER use these Three words in a Sales Call, and what happened to my conversion rate as a consequence..

  • What Top CEO's do every morning that others don't; and why you probably won't want to do it either...

  • The simple trick of Facebook advertising that made me rich; you won't believe how easy it really is...

Short ones work too - be more "definite" with these, you only have around half a second to get attention here..
  • Fat is the new Thin...

  • FREE Money from Banks..

  • Man eats Car...

  • Women; be Grateful...

  • Dogs Banned in USA...

Of course, to be successful you will need a good product and service to back up any statements you make; and be sure to comply with regulations and advertising standards..
But it is a sad fact that many good products and services don't get the success they deserve simply because they aren't getting "discovered" by customers...

Do you have any great Headlines to add to the list..?

...leave a comment in the box...

If you'd like to buy my Book - Your Business Rules OK - the 8Rules to building your remarkable business...

Simply Click HERE..

About David Holland

I work with Business Owners, Executives and their Teams to:
✔ Make more Money in their Business...
✔ Build Effective and Productive Teams...
✔ Work Less Hours and enjoy the Journey...
✔ Grow Sales, Profit and Cash...
✔ Achieve more than they think is possible...
To find out more about how I can help you, send me a connection request on LinkedIn, or send me a message if we are already connected
To find out about our Events and Workshops in Luxembourg and the UK, click on the LINK...