The Power of Intentional Marketing

I recently attended a conference in Orlando where one of the keynote speakers was from the Disney Institute.   Part of his presentation was about the reasons why Disney was so successful and then he popped up the following slide.

In case you cannot read it, it says,

“Disney’s consistent business results are driven by overmanaging certain things that most companies undermanage or ignore – and that is a key source of what differentiates us.  We have learned to be intentional where others are unintentional.”

This slide has an important reminder for all business owners about the power of being intentional, specifically when it comes to your marketing and sales efforts (as a side note, I wrote about how to sell like Disney a few years ago – here).

What does it mean to be intentional as a marketer?

• You are purposeful in words and actions.
• You have given forethought to various aspects, details and outcomes of your business and marketing which other owners ignore.
• You consider the needs and wants of your leads.
• You consider the needs and wants of your prospects.
• You consider the needs and wants of your customers and fans.

Being intentional about the smallest of details and marketing efforts is what has made Disney so successful (so much so, several books have been written about their tools and systems – one I highly recommend is Inside the Magic Kingdom by Tom Connellan).

It’s my opinion that being too casual and lackadaisical in your business and in your marketing can kill your profit potential.

There’s a certain feeling held by many average business owners that “good is good enough.” I disagree. Your prospects and customers have plenty of opportunities to spend their money elsewhere. You cannot rely on being average.

Extraordinary entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump and Martha Stewart exemplify this trait and have built hugely successful businesses by paying attention to the details.

Your ability to pay attention to the smallest details, in your business and in your marketing, sets you apart from your competition and when done consistently and persistently, will add bottom line profits to your business balance sheet.

Consider…

• Your products: Do they look and feel like quality products?
• Your services: Are you creating an extraordinary experience for your customers?
• Your office/store/facility: Is it clean, inviting and welcoming to your target market?
• Your staff and employees: Are they friendly, polite and knowledgeable?

If you want to maximize profits and create an exceptional business people talk about, refer to and buy from over and over again, know good is not good enough!   Ensure all aspects of your business are tuned-up and running optimally. Take time and review everything from the cleanliness of your place of business, to how your employees interact with customers, to product and service details.

When it comes to being intentional, nothing is too small or inconsequential and your attention should indeed be to the details.

I will never forget walking into a high-end retail store a few years ago, whose owner hired me for a day of consulting, and the first thing I saw as I walked into the store was an ashtray outside the front door overflowing with discarded cigarette butts.

I am sure I am not the only person walking through their front door slightly put-off by the appearance of somebody else’s trash as the first thing I see walking in the front door of the business.

Disney and other intentional business owners would never allow something like this to happen, nor should you.