Marketing Musing: Be Authentic

In Week 15 I referenced Naomi Klein and her belief that marketing is not about spin; the heart of every good marketing campaign is a positive and valuable product or service. A new book called Authenticity really digs into this subject and is essential reading. Consumers are more informed that ever; don’t try to pull the wool over their eyes.

Take a brief look back at Week 12 where I talked about creating unexpected experiences in your business. Often times many of the little perceived extras you provide are considered part of the service – you need to look beyond these and wow your customers. Previously I would have said create “amazing experiences” for your customers. Really I should be saying create “authentic, amazing experiences”.

Many PR companies are great – they know a whole bunch of influential folks that you don’t, they know when and how best to reach them and that is hugely valuable in itself. However, never lose sight of your core business offering and that by focusing on making it great the PR will begin to take care of itself.

There is so much noise and clutter in today’s environment. We are told we have to “spin to be heard” which in fact might be true if your product sucks. The authors of Authenticity also wrote “The Experience Economy” in which they talk up the benefits of the service economy. Ironically it is the service economy itself that’s almost self devouring. Every day another “serviced based business” pops up to fight for recognition on behalf of their client’s product. The noise is more deafening than ever. Be authentic.

Random Quotes - Inaction Breeds Fear

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

Dale Carnegie

Week 51 - Choices - What a Feeling!

Above all, one time actions equal one time results. You MUST keep repeating the actions that we have highlighted over the past 12 months. Keep reading, keep networking, and keep learning about new industries and where yours is going. Stay positive and choose your friends on that basis. If necessary, make the decision to change businesses.

If you can stick to the plan, you will be faced with the most liberating of all words…. CHOICE. In this case, the choice to sell your business, to franchise your system or to simply work in your business less while it provides you with the income you need. There is no way we can put a timeline against this. Every business is different and whilst many are facing the same challenges, most are doing so from a different starting point. So don’t get discouraged if things don’t happen as quickly as you would like.

Try to enjoy the process - you will know you are on your way when your weekly sales start to increase, your bills get paid more quickly and you start to generate more and more referrals. Along the way you will have the choice between watching TV and reading a business magazine, or the choice between a game of golf or attending a tradeshow. Just remember the longer term effects these choices can have and the question “do you want to continue to exist, or do you want to do something really special with your business?”

As I have said repeatedly, we are all different and are running different types of businesses so no two situations are the same. Having said that, how you view your business, how you market your business and create new income streams and how you tie it all together with systems are factors that can lead to success in any business. Further you need to use all of the tools. Use some of the tools and you will only get mixed results. This is because all the systems tie together so tightly. You cannot do any consistent marketing without knowing exactly who you are and what you stand for. You can’t be consistent without knowing what systems deliver you the best results. You cannot ask people to make referrals unless your systems are delivering an awesome experience for your customers. The list goes on obviously. Use all of the tools in a systematic way and the world will open up for you

Occasionally some of the people you work and share life with hope to forestall change and hang on to the old system - even though it may be broken. Why do people behave this way? It could be because they fear they will not be able to “grow” into a new thing, create new skills that will be valued. Change makes people worry about being left behind. If you have not already read it, get a copy of Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson. This will help you to understand feelings that surround change. You may also be able to recommend to those who just cannot let go of the past.

Random Quote: Choose Your Friends Carefully

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe you too can become great.”

~

Mark Twain