Marketing for the New Millennium

“If it worked yesterday it should work tomorrow, right?”

If there is one thing that we do know, it’s that just because it worked yesterday doesn’t mean it will work tomorrow.  So with so many mediums to choose from; Internet, Direct Mail, TV, Radio, Reputational, Phone, Text….well the list goes on and on, how do you choose? 

The choice sometimes boils down to simple basics, the area demographics, but most often it is not that simple.  To help you in your choice of marketing we sometimes suggest to our clients that they ask their customers what they look for when they get mail, watch TV, are on-line and such.  What gets their attention?  Remember, you are NOT your customer, so writing or designing something that you would look at may or may not be something that would or could get the attention of your actual customers!  Then write or design your marketing program for the masses which means maybe asking a large segment of your clients these questions.

“What is the most effective form of marketing?”  There is no one answer to that question because again, demographics sometimes dictate what works better and since everyone’s demographics defer greatly anyone claiming to have that answer is probably simply telling you what you want to hear to sell you their specific product.  The best idea we have is to “try” different forms of marketing until you hit on one that works and then stick with it UNTIL it stops.  And by “try” we mean put the effort AND time into what is required to see results.  All too often we see our clients give up before they have really given that specific type enough time to work.  There are some older statistics out there that still seem to be thought of as working today, the best of which is that it takes 9 forms of contact to get a potential customer to notice you.  The bad news, they only actually see 1 of every 3 that is sent.  So, rough numbers, that is 27 forms of contact before you are noticed sufficiently that they would consider using you the next time they need you.  And for our industry as is with most, the last 5 words in the last sentence are key elements in this battle we call marketing.  Not everyone who finally notices you may need you today and this is why we say you have to give each form a fair chance to work because it could be 90-120 days before they even need their next oil change!  Pulling an ad early may simply mean that when they do need you, you’ve already moved on to the next program which may NOT be the reason they came in.  Marketing requires 90—120 days to see if it is going to work!!

Looking into all the forms of marketing that are out there could become a lifelong adventure if you don’t narrow them down to a handful to try and then move on if those aren’t effective.  The current groups of marketing programs that we are currently seeing working are; Internet, but that must be tied into a good website, reputational, and direct mail.  Although some are older forms that you may have used in the past that stopped working (direct mail), currently this medium has become one of the strongest again when done properly.  You also MUST have a great website to drive your potential and current customers too, something that showcases who you are and how you do business.  Then you must have good SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) tied into your website for it to be truly effective.  One little thing about websites before we leave this, It is NOT all about how your site looks as much as how it works.  We see far too many clients working on making their sites look great and from what we’ve seen and learned over the last 3 years (really working extensively with website experts), looks are a very small part of actual function.  So chose a good site builder based on how the sites work, not look!  And finally, having a strong Internet presence through reputational marketing as well as the ability to market to your customers through the Internet are a few of the remaining key elements to a successful marketing program. 

A couple of final thoughts regarding pulling your marketing together and attracting more of the business you want.  First of all, we can’t underscore the importance of doing your homework enough BEFORE spending money on marketing!  By this we mean, look at the demographics of the customers you should be trying to attract as NOT everyone is your customer.  There is a large segment of people in every city or every State that are simply looking for “a deal” or “for free” and typically those aren’t who you want as a customer.  So look into a company that can do the demographics of the area that will allow you to pinpoint your customer zip codes and market there.  Next and equally important, remember that when you get that great website, EVERY form of marketing you use from that point forward should include a statement or link that says, see our website for our latest Promotions, Coupons or Incentives.  Drive every customer to what should be your business showcase. This will do a of couple things; show the customer who we are and what we look like.  But equally importantly, the more times a customer visits our site the more hits Google, Yahoo, Bing and others see that your site has been viewed.  and that helps move your rankings with them up when it comes to their maps and organic positioning.

Our suggestion for locating the right companies to align yourself with regarding the above mentioned ideas; seek other industry professionals and ask them about their experiences with the companies they use.  Look for statements like, “they are always receptive to my needs” and “they seem to take whatever time is needed to help me with any questions”.  Be very diligent in asking about the help after the final initial payment was made, how they are with support now that you’re just on their monthly maintenance fees, and did you see any difference in business after you started working with the company.  Many companies offer specific phone numbers that roll into your normal numbers but allow you to actually track their marketing performance throughout the time you are working together which is great way to monitor actual results.  But make sure that you scrutinize these types of reports though as they may also include the calls that are either existing customers or telemarketers calling on any new phone numbers out there.

If you would like more information regarding marketing in the new millennium, contact ESi about our Mega Marketing Symposium coming in June.  We’ll be joined for a full weekend of educational information by some of the country’s best marketing companies.  All have different products and marketing directions so you won’t be seeing the same thing from each which should lead to one of the best education experiences of your professional lives.

What makes one owner successful, while another struggles?

WOW…….we just returned from a month of trade shows all over the country. And after having spoken to hundreds of shop owners in the last 30 days and heard a variety of concerns and opinions about their business. Trying to evaluate all the information, we started looking at what makes one owner successful, while another struggles. Taking that thought process a step further we looked at establishing a categorization process for Shop Owners. The following is a summarization as to the five categories we isolated “today’s” shop owners into;

 Inspired: I’m not satisfied These owners are motivated and looking to the future as evident by their questions and comments throughout the show. They understand their business and keep a close watch on the numbers, and as soon as a number or trend changes they isolate why and are making adjustments immediately. These owners understand what the history of the business means and use it to influence the future and as a net result we see them working on the business, not in the business more frequently. They constantly look for new trends, make adjustments to the business, and then watch for effectiveness. These business owners are involved in the community, have a large presence on social media sites and use networking to its fullest potential. We also found that they have a staff that they trust to provide great customer service, make the business grow and of course make a profit. By and large they are not micro managers, but instead are leaders, accomplishing the business goals through others. These owners dream big, think big and make things happen! They are not just working on today, but have ideas and plans for next month, next quarter, next year and far into the future. These owners understand the value of not trying to do everything themselves, and as such hire professionals to help them take the business to the next level. These owners are always seeking knowledge. In other words they (the Inspired Owners) are engaged and present, mentally & physically. The inspired owners do the hard stuff.  

Complacent: Things are OK These owners are in the Status quo mindset. They may not be satisfied with where they or their business is at, but can’t seem to make the changes needed to change. A success to this owner is the business that does not go backwards. No change in any direction is good, because they have achieved a level of comfort. They’re paying the bills and not much more. Any problems, a bad month, equipment failure, or an increase in any expense creates a huge cash flow issue. They have a tendency to be very proactive in staying up on the technical side of the business, but not the management / ownership side of the business. Even if they attend business training they may not take anything from the training or they may feel they don’t need to change. The problem with the complacent owner is the world is changing quickly and they are not able to change with it. In many cases they go to training just to look progressive while not really wanting to change anything. They are not motivated to make changes and will generally only do the easy things.  

Oblivious: What? The world has passed this owner by! They are so busy fixing cars that they have forgotten or are in denial about the changing world. The idea that’s someone can help them, both with internal and external help, is very foreign to them. They are the ultimate doers; “if they don’t do it then it doesn’t get done.” This owner may attend classes and read the trade magazines, but cannot conceive that the class or magazine is about them, and that they should try new ideas, process or procedures. These owners and managers are the ones that say “that won’t work for me in this area, or with my customers, or in my state.” The oblivious business owner is focused on themselves, sometimes running around in circles and complaining about all they have to do and how there’s no time, almost always with no tangible results. Because they don’t realize how deep the rut is they’re in, they think “I’m OK.” Until, the rut becomes a grave, and only then, do they stop being an oblivious owner and become a Stuck or Desperate owner.  

Stuck: No way out! These owners have been on the business merry- go- round for so long, they no longer get dizzy. They want to change, but never do, even when knowing there is better and different ways to do things, change simply scares them. They don’t see any benefit in spending money to improve the business. They spend a lot of time worrying about how change will affect their life, both personal and professional and may even know that if they don’t change, they may not have a business in the future. Because he/she won’t change, they are always fighting cash flow issues. These owners have employees they should fire, but they justify keeping them by making excuses like “they are OK and I might get someone worse,” “he has some good qualities,” “he’s my friend, or I just can’t fire him.” The business looks like it did 20 years ago because they are still doing business the same way. 

  Desperate: Survival This owner is robbing Peter to pay Paul. Thinking only about today or in some cases tomorrow. They hope nothing happens, breaks or a problem arises, because that will be the straw to breaks their back. They rush each customers check to the bank, so the check they wrote this morning for the parts won’t bounce and their employees are rushing to the bank to get their check cashed first. They may realize that they need help, but because they’ve waiting so long cannot afford even the most basic training. We generally see that not only is their business in trouble, but in many cases they are behind in all of their personal finances as well. They are so concerned with making money that customer service has all but disappeared. Money is the only thing they focus on and their customers see that. Once this happens, the shops reputation drops fast, they lose customer base, and can no longer afford any new marketing, repeating the cycle again! Where are you, and did you see yourself in any of these scenarios or categories? Remember that you must first identify where you are before you can start working to make a difference in your life and business. Start by addressing any of your personal issues as this will almost always help with business issues. Then work on specific business issues and focus your efforts on moving up the list to becoming an Inspired Owner. It will require refocused effort, energy and a willingness to do the hard stuff. Remember the definition of insanity is: Doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results. Time to get off the treadmill and hit the open road. Make the needed changes and grow yourself and your business. 

ESi is training and coaching / consulting company that can help you rise to the top. Through personal attention and service, recorded training session and a track record of improving business all over the Untied States, please call if you would like to discuss your situation. www.esiseminars.com, maylan@esiseminars.com 866-526-3039