A Marketing Moron
A Marketing Moron
I recently received a brochure in the mail from a landscaper. It must be something to do with spring! The cover of the black and white brochure, had a picture of a park like garden and the words: "Welcome to my world!"
No wonder so many of these people are finding it difficult.
So why do I think he is deserving of my Marketing Moron Award? Here's why!
What do I care about his world? What does anyone, but he and his immediate family care abut his world. What does anyone looking at his brochure care about? Street-Smart Marketers know that the only thing anyone cares about is "What's in it for me?" or "What can he do for me?"
Although it was not an expensive brochure, it cost money to produce, and money to get into my hands. I suspect it was money our landscaper could ill afford. Yet the only thing likely to happen to this brochure is that it will find its way into the garbage. There is nothing to grab my attention, there is nothing to interest me in reading further, there is nothing to entice me to open it. The headline doesn't do it. The picture doesn't do it.
The inside copy was all about him, his equipment and his qualifications, it had nothing about what his prospects would be interested in. It had no special offer, no call to action.
Furthermore it was produced on good quality paper which is expensive, but the image was poor and does not fit what the average Toronto home owner wants for a garden or can even afford for a garden. In short it was likely a wasted effort. I suspect that he would have got virtually zero response from this mailing.
If anyone asks him in future about his marketing, he is likely to respond; "I tried direct mail, it doesn't work in my business!" The truth is that direct mail does work in his business, he just didn't know how to execute. Many of us make similar mistakes with whatever marketing strategies we implement. When we do, do we blame our lack of skills or the strategy for being ineffective?
What would have happened if he had included a very friendly cover letter, introducing himself and outlining an attractive offer? What if the brochure had included a powerful headline that stimulated interest and encouraged interested prospects to read the brochure?
I have been using marketing mistakes as a valuable teaching tool in some of my seminars. I now want to use these kinds of silly mistakes to help you learn simple but powerful lessons from other peoples mistakes. Lessons that will save you money and make your marketing more effective.
I would like to receive examples from you and I would like to hear your opinions. So please send me anything you think might qualify.
Furthermore it was produced on good quality paper which is expensive, but the image was poor and does not fit what the average Toronto home owner wants for a garden or can even afford for a garden. In short it was likely a wasted effort. I suspect that he would have got virtually zero response from this mailing.
If anyone asks him in future about his marketing, he is likely to respond; "I tried direct mail, it doesn't work in my business!" The truth is that direct mail does work in his business, he just didn't know how to execute. Many of us make similar mistakes with whatever marketing strategies we implement. When we do, do we blame our lack of skills or the strategy for being ineffective?
What would have happened if he had included a very friendly cover letter, introducing himself and outlining an attractive offer? What if the brochure had included a powerful headline that stimulated interest and encouraged interested prospects to read the brochure?
I have been using marketing mistakes as a valuable teaching tool in some of my seminars. I now want to use these kinds of silly mistakes to help you learn simple but powerful lessons from other peoples mistakes. Lessons that will save you money and make your marketing more effective.
I would like to receive examples from you and I would like to hear your opinions. So please send me anything you think might qualify.
A Marketing Moron - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Hepworth's Website.
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Do you know any marketing morons?
I recently received a brochure in the mail from a landscaper. It must be something to do with spring! The cover of the black and white brochure, had a picture of a park like garden and the words: "Welcome to my world!"
No wonder so many of these people are finding it difficult.
So why do I think he is deserving of my Marketing Moron Award? Here's why!
What do I care about his world? What does anyone, but he and his immediate family care abut his world. What does anyone looking at his brochure care about? Street-Smart Marketers know that the only thing anyone cares about is "What's in it for me?" or "What can he do for me?"
Although it was not an expensive brochure, it cost money to produce, and money to get into my hands. I suspect it was money our landscaper could ill afford. Yet the only thing likely to happen to this brochure is that it will find its way into the garbage. There is nothing to grab my attention, there is nothing to interest me in reading further, there is nothing to entice me to open it. The headline doesn't do it. The picture doesn't do it.
The inside copy was all about him, his equipment and his qualifications, it had nothing about what his prospects would be interested in. It had no special offer, no call to action.
Furthermore it was produced on good quality paper which is expensive, but the image was poor and does not fit what the average Toronto home owner wants for a garden or can even afford for a garden. In short it was likely a wasted effort. I suspect that he would have got virtually zero response from this mailing.
If anyone asks him in future about his marketing, he is likely to respond; "I tried direct mail, it doesn't work in my business!" The truth is that direct mail does work in his business, he just didn't know how to execute. Many of us make similar mistakes with whatever marketing strategies we implement. When we do, do we blame our lack of skills or the strategy for being ineffective?
What would have happened if he had included a very friendly cover letter, introducing himself and outlining an attractive offer? What if the brochure had included a powerful headline that stimulated interest and encouraged interested prospects to read the brochure?
I have been using marketing mistakes as a valuable teaching tool in some of my seminars. I now want to use these kinds of silly mistakes to help you learn simple but powerful lessons from other peoples mistakes. Lessons that will save you money and make your marketing more effective.
I would like to receive examples from you and I would like to hear your opinions. So please send me anything you think might qualify.
Furthermore it was produced on good quality paper which is expensive, but the image was poor and does not fit what the average Toronto home owner wants for a garden or can even afford for a garden. In short it was likely a wasted effort. I suspect that he would have got virtually zero response from this mailing.
If anyone asks him in future about his marketing, he is likely to respond; "I tried direct mail, it doesn't work in my business!" The truth is that direct mail does work in his business, he just didn't know how to execute. Many of us make similar mistakes with whatever marketing strategies we implement. When we do, do we blame our lack of skills or the strategy for being ineffective?
What would have happened if he had included a very friendly cover letter, introducing himself and outlining an attractive offer? What if the brochure had included a powerful headline that stimulated interest and encouraged interested prospects to read the brochure?
I have been using marketing mistakes as a valuable teaching tool in some of my seminars. I now want to use these kinds of silly mistakes to help you learn simple but powerful lessons from other peoples mistakes. Lessons that will save you money and make your marketing more effective.
I would like to receive examples from you and I would like to hear your opinions. So please send me anything you think might qualify.
A Marketing Moron - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Hepworth's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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