It was 10 years ago, although it seems like only yesterday. The Electrum partners were meeting with a potential client and things were going well. The discussion was passionate. Ideas were plentiful. Strategies were forming. We were witnessing the genesis of a long-term partnership right before our very eyes! Are those angels I hear singing?
Then, without warning, the prospect reached into his drawer and pulled out his “logo” much like an assassin would draw his revolver. Let me say that we could not have been more surprised if he had produced a firearm, for this “logo” was equally frightening. Hand-drawn by his wife, the logo for his home décor product was comprised of the business name using a font made entirely of paint brushes. Yes, paint brushes! How innovative! How unique! How the heck are we going to make this work?
In the end, it didn’t work. He was adamant that we use the logo as designed. We were adamant that logos should be legible.
We get it! Marketing can be a creative outlet to some people. A chance for accountants to stop crunching the numbers, for lawyers to put down their legal briefs and for salespeople to postpone those sales calls. And, especially for entrepreneurs, marketing their business idea can be very personal and extremely subjective – and there lies the problem.
They are too close to the product to view it objectively. They are too familiar with its benefits to communicate them clearly. They describe their product using industry jargon and specs rather than elaborating on the benefits it offers. They assume that everyone will feel as they do and want their product before they’ve addressed what need it meets.
Like many professionals, marketers earn their degrees by studying core courses related to their industry such as Principles of Marketing, Business to Business Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and Market Research. After years of real world experience, many will go on to become experts in a specific area such as research analyst, search engine optimization, media planning, or public relations.
However, unlike many professions such as a lawyer who keeps you out of jail or a pilot who delivers you safely to your destination, the result of compromising a well-executed marketing plan with personal opinions and preferences seems less risky and less obvious. But over time, lost sales, decreased brand loyalty and weakened brand image may add up.
Again, we get it. People like to participate in marketing and growing their business. And, we applaud that. Therefore, we’ve come up with three ways everyone can participate in marketing their business.
3 Marketing Actions Everyone Can Take
Be focused on the customer experienced (CX) at all times.
Be pleasant, knowledgeable, responsive, proactive and respectful of your customer’s time. Follow up accordingly. Be likeable. Make it impossible for them to want to do business with anyone else.
Be a brand ambassador.
Practice your 30 second commercial so you can easily communicate what your business does and how you do it better than the competition, preferably with an example of how you’ve helped someone in their line of business. If you’re not in sales, you can still generate leads for those who are.
Help spread the word.
Establish your business as an industry expert and trusted resource by liking, sharing and commenting on its social media content related to your industry. It takes only seconds per day but can increase your brand’s visibility exponentially. Have an idea for content? Share it with your marketing director or partner.
Are you ready to manage your marketing professional and not your marketing? Contact the branding experts at Electrum Branding today.