The Silver Bullet

The Lone Ranger was one of those classic television programs that my brother and I loved to watch with our parents while they reminisced about their childhood. I loved the thought of being smart and strong enough to live alone on the range while making it safe for settlers.

We all have days where we feel like the Lone Ranger at work.  Colleagues aren't pulling their weight. Customers are complaining. The computer keeps crashing.  Its all on you to solve the issue of the day.  Yes, we've all been there.

You are riding high on your horse and can see the problem at hand. As you wind through the canyon, you reach for the "Silver Bullet" ....the one tool that has always worked.  It the the ultimate solution that always reaches its target.  You load your weapon. (Sorry I don't like guns either but it works here folks.) But the target has moved. The target will not stop moving. You only have that one silver bullet, that one opportunity to change the future...one chance to stop those bandits who are going to hop the train and rob it.   If only the Lone Ranger had other options than the Silver Bullet.  One bullet, one chance is not enough. Oh the drama of it all.

As I take a look at some marketing programs I realize that many companies that are still banking on that Silver Bullet to work. In the past they utilized one or two methods of communication to reach their audience.  They now realize that they've lost market share and turn to me to find out why and to regain their footing.

The simple answer is that they were too busy polishing their bullets to anticipate change.  While they were writing their newsletter and placing ads in trade publications, the competition was reaching customers in a more innovative and organic manner.  They are using social media, advertising, direct mail, media relations, face-to-face marketing, and much more.

Its understandable that you might not be convinced that tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook (and others) are the "Silver Bullet" for your marketing program. Folks, there is no silver bullet. Your customers are out there communicating in a variety of methods just like you.  If you want to reach them you must incorporate a variety of communication tools into your communications plan.

The Lone Ranger totally missed the train, the silver bullet didn't work, Silver the horse is going to be put out to pasture. Please don't be the Lone Ranger.  We'd like the train to reach its destination.

Are Your Marketing Messages Like Stale Bread?

Stale bread...it still looks great on the table but the minute you touch it you know you don't want to eat it. The same thing applies to stale messages.  They look good when leaving the C-Suite or marketing office but they lack the relevance to really grab attention. The messages are hard, tasteless, crumbly and make a huge mess.

Recently its been brought to my attention that over what I'm calling the "economic break" (like Spring Break but not as much fun) that many organizations had shifted into neutral and have suddenly found themselves with a boring or stale message.  Unfortunately they discover this after numerous failed communication attempts with low response from their target market.

I'm asking all of my clients, friends and even family to step back from their current marketing messaging and reevaluate what they are saying and how they are communicating with their customers. People, the game has changed, the world has changed...for the good I believe. Time for you to change with it.

Since I work primarily with entrepreneurs, they are eager to make the sale and don't want to spend a year revamping the entire marketing program.  Recently a few clients have listened to me and have taken steps to find out how the world has changed for their organization.

A few steps you might consider:

Customer Survey - Go ahead and ask your customers what they think, what they want, what has changed. They will appreciate you asking them. It will also remind them that you are around and ready to work with them.

I helped a client write the questions and she had her team administer the survey.  We've tweaked her messages (and product offerings) accordingly.

Purge - Cleaning the house is never fun but it is always rewarding in the long run.  Gather your team together including marketing, PR, sales, customer support, etc. and have them review your current message bank.  Openly discuss what your clients have been reacting to the past six months and what messages have been just dying and wasting everyone's time.  Get everyone on the same track communicating the same messages.

Recently a client did this and easily revamped their sales collateral to become more relevant for their customers. The phones started ringing again.

Review the Tool Box - The communication tool box has gained a few new tools over the past couple of years. You've received friend requests on Facebook, you're "Linked" to your associates and you might feel like saying "Well, Tweet This" to your communications team.

It goes back to the same sales theory as has always existed....get in front of your customer, pitch your wares and ask for the sale. Don't look at social media or direct email marketing as something that totally replaces your previous marketing tool box. Consider the addition of electronic communications to your marketing and sales mix where it makes sense.  Companies no longer can afford to pay a sales person to knock on every door but they need to communicate to their customers.  Tools like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are also a wonderful way to listen to your customers and gain intelligence on the competition.

A client recently wanted to test a new sales idea. I developed an email blast to their target audience which was well received.  Now the company is putting more energy behind sales to a new group of clients that they hadn't considered previously.

For another client I learned that a hot prospect would be at a fundraising event that we were attending.  The client was able to prepare to give a soft pitch at the event and further develop an important relationship.

Folks the time has come to go back into the kitchen, bake some fresh bread and maybe add some raisins to those scones.  (I prefer golden raisins.)