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When People Talk, People Listen, Marketing Gets Better

Guest post by: Andy Marken

Article Overview: We'd like to but we can't blame everything on the up-and-coming kids. We can't blame all of the changes on computers, connectivity and social media. Marketing, communications are different today than they were in the 70s, 80s, 90s. It will be different in 2020. But then it never was the same. It has always been in a constant state of change, flux. It really is business as usual because the usual, the norm, is change. Every day it just seems to change a little faster. People now learn about brands, products from multiple sources and they're able to make a better buying decision. Meet all of the consumers wants, needs and expectations they commit to your brands, products. They encourage others to join up. Fail to meet your commitments to quality, value, service, support...you'll hear about it fast!

When People Talk, People Listen, Marketing Gets Better

“I'm a very understanding person, Albert. I understand that you are going through a selfish phase. And, I'm sure that you will understand that I am going through a destructive phase." - Mollie, Look Who's Talking (1989), TriStar

Companies and their marketing efforts go through phases just like parents and kids. It used to be the companies talked at you, like your parents.

Now, all of a sudden, a few of them are talking to you as a person instead of a target.

You know, honest, friendly, reasonable, helpful two-way communications.

O.K., not all of them; but some like Best Buy, Sears, Samsung, Ford, Dell and hundreds more are struggling to evolve their marketing activities and build relationships with partners/customers.

Occasionally, they muck it up; but you have to give those who are trying to be conversational a little slack.

It's untested territory!

Remember, parents didn't come with user manuals so you tolerated their "mistakes."

Now it's your turn and you hear Mikey's words, "Hey, man, you're on your own."

Manufacturers, channel partners and customers have the same challenge today.

Fire Hose Approach

In the Mad Men days, there was a team of folks composed of marketing, sales, service, design, advertising, PR and support people. They'd put their stuff together, spray it out, go to lunch and pray it didn't cause too much of a mess.

Hey, some of it even stuck.

Tagging - Marketing used to be refined, coordinated with each department/individual having his/her own task. Strategies were refined, tactics were developed (often with little/no coordination) and people gave it their best shot. If it worked, it was called creative art. If it didn't, it was graffiti.

The plan - in a neat 3-ring binder - was followed with little or no concern about how you reacted.

They'd do a new plan later.

As a customer, if you had a problem or issue with the marketing activity Albert -- the knowledgeable marketing expert -- said, "Here go play some video games" or "I admit the timing is bad."

Sure, some companies and retailers still work that way but...

Now, folks understand there are different influence touch points.

Weighted Influence - When people consider a purchase, make a decision to buy, there are influences that help with the final decision. At each phase, the weighted value varies. Today, it's more difficult for a firm's marketing department to control/manage the influences. Source - McKinsey

Marketers sorta', kinda' knew it before; but now it matters.

Whether you liked or didn't like the product/service determined how you influenced your small circle of friends and family.

Voiced Influence - In every group, there are individuals who have explored the technical subject in greater depth than normal people and they freely discuss the product, service, idea. In many instances, they will influence the average user's opinion or decision. With all of the new social media, they have more outlets for their influence. Source - ICOM

Some companies still operate that way.

But when the Web came along with new technologies and new channels including social media, mobile and avatars, more things changed.

Happy and irritated people suddenly had global platforms.

New Channels - The depth and breadth of social media resources and outlets have given people new opportunities to express their opinions regarding a company/product both positively, negatively. Social media makes it virtually impossible for a marketing team to "manage" results. Source - Nielsen

Depending upon how far along everyone is -- company, channel partner, customer -- in the relationship engagement cycle, it is a major catalyst/opportunity or an inhibitor/stumbling block.

The new conversational activity can be frustrating, especially when people trip over their own words/activities and are trying so hard.

If you're on the company side, you're certain that the customer is thinking exactly what Mollie said, "If we ever got back together I'm afraid I would have to torture you for the rest of your life."

Customers wonder why it's so difficult to have a conversation, which is why Mollie said, "No, he's thinking real hard!"

Evolutionary Approach

Conversational marketing is evolutionary, not revolutionary.

Business marketing technology is being refined on-the- fly.

It's too easy to hang them out to dry with your social media "power" when they stumble; but remember, some don't have a clue, aren't even trying

There are still marketing folks who find direct interaction with customers to be an unnecessary disruption to their work.

Company/channel marketing has gone through a number of changes in recent years.

Mad Men may be a helluva' TV show, but it really was the "good old days."

You have to wonder how consumers tolerated the abuse.

Since then, business/retail has gone from the single-channel approach to the multichannel approach and later integrated cross-channel marketing.

Conversational marketing means everyone has to not only talk to customers - and each other -, step outside their career silo and work across all business channels, work for common goals.

Interrelated Activities - Marketing departments are working diligently to determine how, when, where they participate in the new conversational relationship; and exactly who in the organization is not just involved, but is monitoring/measuring the activity. They often find that the one-way pitch doesn't fit in the new environment. Source - FedEx

That's not easy!

A few organizations, like those mentioned earlier, understand that they need to have unified inbound/outbound communications strategies.

Of course, you realize that "might" mean someone in sales, advertising, marcom, design, publicity, service, support, ops may lose part of their status.

Sure, it may be based on the customer; but some see what's going on and agree with Mikey, "I don't get it. I just don't get it. And, I don't like it."

More Volume

Social media "experts" like to point out that:

- There are more than 750 million people on Facebook

- There are more than 300 million tweets a day

- They have 10,000 people who "Like" them, 5,000 Twitter followers

That's you ... not the consumer.

Conversational marketing means interacting with people in the cloud, through social media, on mobile devices, on social networking sites.

It's connecting in an interactive, personalized manner that enriches both parties.

New Benefits - Social media and conversational marketing can yield a totally new and mutually beneficial relationship between everyone in the product/service chain - manufacturer, channel partner, consumer. Refining the marketing department's role is still a work in progress. Source - MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group)

Companies no longer hold sway over today's customer.

The sexy ads, merchandising endcaps, shelf hangers, deep discounts, publicity noise just don't seem to work like they used to.

Suddenly, consumers make their decisions after doing online research, studying reviews, analyzing ratings, weighing online experiences/discussions with others, including folks from your organization.

The people who do it right earn a greater share of the customer's mind, wallet.

Folks who don't provide a seamless experience between the business/consumer probably can't even figure out why people are simply clicking away.

They see what's going on and agree with Rona, "That's all I need. A baby telling me what an IDIOT I am."

The businesses mentioned at the outset are challenging and testing every "proven" and new conversational marketing idea.

They want the new customer to stick around for years...maybe his/her total life.

Circle of Life - The goal of an organization's conversational marketing effort is to work with, assist, share information/ideas with consumers so the company can more effectively meet their wants/needs. In a broader view the goal is to keep that customer for life. Source - McKinsey

They know the outbound channels - direct mail, email, messaging, ads, publicity, reactive service/support - are only a sliver of the communications effort.

Meaningful Relationship

Today's consumer expects; no, demands, a deeper level of personalization and service from his/her channel/supplier partner.

Mastering lifetime conversations is tough - almost as tough as raising parents.

Marketing has to tune the right message/offer to the right tool/channel to the customer at just the right time.

The more they know, the more refined they get, the more precise the information they have the better and mutually rewarding the one-to-one personalized dialogue.

Just remember, in any conversational relationship there are going to be times when - no matter which side of the discussion you're on - you will agree with Mikey, "Put me back in! Put me back in!"

But if both sides work at it who knows, it could be a beautiful relationship.

It worked with your folks/kids.

O.K., bad example.

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  Listening between the lines.

Article Tags: best buy, channel partners, creative art, design advertising, destructive phase, fire hose, graffiti, mad men, marketing efforts, marketing sales, mikey, mollie, muck, ring binder, sears, target, task strategies, tristar, two way communications, user manuals



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Motivational Books for Entrepreneurs - Searched but did not find a comprehensive list of books for us entrepreneurs: Here are some of my favorites: Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich The greatest secret in the world- Earl Nightingale...listen to it, then listen to it again. Jeffrey Gitomers books- Red book of selling, sales bible, Green book of getting your way. Your Erroneous Zones - Wayne Dyer Thinkertoys - Michael Michalko How To Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie The Magic of Believing - Claude M. Bristol How to Talk to Anyone - Leil Lowndes Get Smarter- Seymour Schulich What are yours?
Different Hats - CEO Sales & Marketing & Leadership Development Company Strategic Vision 10 Alliances & Growth Strategies 10 Hiring & Managing People 8 Mentoring 8-9 Strategic Planning for Clients 10 Execution of Marketing Campaigns 9-10 (i have great people who do the nitty gritty) Financial Management 9 Bookkeeping 3 (outsourced as I really hate the fine details like GST0 Administrative Follow Up 6-7 (again have great staff) Writing & Publishing 9 (getting better all the time!) Speaking 10 (so I have been told) Self Promotion 9-10 Web development & Promotion 6-7 (learning more and have brought on players who are 10+) Babysitting Employees (1 - wont do it, that's why I work so hard to hire and motivate the people I have) Great topic Kevin!! Jude
Re: My 3 best business books - 1. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey 3. Permission Marketing - Seth Godin Think and Grow Rich seems more powerful each time I read it or dip into it. The 7 Habits not only offers some very effective ways to organize your life (which I have yet to master!), but also some great quotations and thought provoking statements including this by Nazi concentration camp survivor, Viktor Frankl: [i:2naxzsom]Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose.[/i:2naxzsom] Seth Godin's Permission Marketing is a good read for anybody seeking to understand how to approach doing business on the Internet in the right way with regard to winning people's trust.
Re: Kevin's Case Study #3 - Promoting something you can't try - I agree with ltrahan. People generally have to see it to believe it these days. I know I would want to.
Re: What inspires you? - Inspiration is nothing it is what you called to do? Some work for money, some work for satisfaction, some work because they have priorities in life. It is the passion to do something for achievement or to show that you can do it by using one's talent. I know there are people who are doing great things with their limited skill sets. So, my view point about inspiration is to Dream Big and try to achieve it. I would rather add "Listen to your self". Listen to Inner guide and follow it. You will reach great heights. Robert


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