Are You Doing Enough Marketing?
It was one of those āhead-slapperā emails, where after shaking my head, I made a mental note to āfile it for later use to use as a marketing lesson.āĀ Iām not picking on the sender (who will remain anonymous), but his email (and frank honesty) is a timely reminder and quite possibly a good kick in the butt for all of us.
Hereās the email he sent me after we confirmed he cancelled his SMART Ideas subscription.
In case you cannot read the screenshot, his message to me was:
| Mike, Excellent product, you āover-deliverā but I donāt do enough marketing to need it now, perhaps in the future.Ā Thank you. |
Now itās only normal to feel a twinge of emotion when any customer decides to quit your product or service and Iām no different.Ā But I did not file this email away because I couldnāt believe he quit a $29 a month print newsletter; I filed it way because he expressed an attitude I know many business owners have from time to time and it’s as unhealthy as eating a Wendyās BaconatorĀ® for lunch every day.
Unless heās got more clients that he can handle (or is either about to sell his business or retire), the last thing he should do is not enough marketing.Ā Especially since I know he runs a bricks and mortar business in a highly competitive field.
Here in the U.S., weāre coming off a lazy summer.Ā The kids are back in school and the weather will be changing soon.Ā Two-thirds of 2012 is behind us and if youāve read this far, I would like to challenge you to use this article as a line in the sand.Ā If your marketing initiatives have slipped or slowed down, take some time right now to make a promise to yourself and your business to kick it in hard for this last four months of 2012.
Fitness expert, Dan Johns is credited with sayingā¦
I would suggest (and you already know) marketing is very important for the health of your business and you should try to figure small, incremental marketing efforts you can make every day.
Believe me I know itās not always easy, but itās critical.Ā And if you can make some small step every day for the rest of the year, I know you will be much better off than if you donāt ādo enough marketing.ā
To help kick-start a few ideas for you, download my Marketing Media checklist here and use it to generate ideas for your business.Ā And if you have not checked out my SMART Ideas newsletter (which gives ideas, marketing templates and more each month), visit http://smartideas.mikecapuzzi.com.
Marketing is the life-blood that inevitably get to the heart of selling!! Thx Mike!
New SMART Ideas course suggestion: Marketing Butt-Kicking 101! Sounds like a course we could all be wise to invest in.
I totally agree with you, Mike. Not doing enough marketing was what drove this company to its knees before I bought it 9 years ago. Now because of EFFECTIVE marketing, we are a solid, healthy business. Next on my list: convince other women business owners that they need to EFFECTIVELY market as well. And yes, you DO over deliver. Keep it up!
Hey Alan, thanks. Believe me there are times I need to attend that course too! Why do you think I wrote this article? š
Amen Beverly!
Got to keep on keepin on if you want to stay in business.
Mike, I work with many businesses in our practice and I ask how business is going? (of course I see their financials that our job) and some say not so good. I ask them what they are doing to market and promote their business…most of the time it’s hope and pray that someone calls. I sometimes suggest some things to do for marketing and they either groan at the complexity or say “I can’t do that” and all the time they don’t understand this is what was bringing them back through our doors year after year. Still a marketing student and “always” will be. Thanks for your great service…John
Thanks for the comment John. It can be scary when you talk to business owners who have that mentality. Keep up the fight!
Mike, Great post. I’d like to say a few quick things. First, sometimes in order to reach your dreams or even just keep them alive, many sacrifices have to be made. Some may not even make sense in the moment but in the long run, if done correctly, everything works out fine (at least you hope so). Second, a few months ago I was considering unsubscribing from the first ever newsletter I subscribed to and get every month. When it comes to value, it’s pretty much the most expensive one that offers the least and yet it’s a really good investment. It was then that I was reading a point in the GKIC Newsletter from none other than Dan Kennedy. He wrote that he goes through the same process as well. But then there is always something in a news letter or magazine that wakes something up in him, gives him a new idea or simply reminds him of a task that needs completions. Now here is some one that basically could retire right now and not have to work if he wanted to yet he keeps his mind open. I think Oscar Wilde said it best when he said: “People know the price of everything and the value of nothing”. I added that quote in a new section we created in my August newsletter to my current customers. It was a subtle hint that what they have in their hands has A LOT of value. Much more than what they are paying for. So Mike, press on, because I can easily say that your newsletter is BY FAR the most over delivered product yet!