Ron Lippold
RIP
1# not doing what you know you should. Just look in the mirror and if the person looking back at you is not smiling you have problems and you are looking at the answer. Just do it.
Scooter, Steve T, Big Billy, Wayne Miller
- Thread starter Ron Lippold
- Start date
Fon Johnson
Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2006
- Messages
- 1,066
I'm not one of them, or a guru, but I would say these are mistakes:
Not marketing at all, not working referrals, not developing a brand, following everyone else, not having a grasp on CPM and effectiveness. One of the biggies is price point marketing, too, IMHO. Too many guys try to rely on being cheap when they need to have an attractive, effective ad that gets people to CALL. At that point you have to quickly separate the pure price point people from the others. With those weeded out you can set yourself apart from the herd, assess their needs, and sell them yourself (or your company, if you will.)
Not marketing at all, not working referrals, not developing a brand, following everyone else, not having a grasp on CPM and effectiveness. One of the biggies is price point marketing, too, IMHO. Too many guys try to rely on being cheap when they need to have an attractive, effective ad that gets people to CALL. At that point you have to quickly separate the pure price point people from the others. With those weeded out you can set yourself apart from the herd, assess their needs, and sell them yourself (or your company, if you will.)
That Fon is a very smart guy! Don't let his mild-mannered appearance and laid back demeaner fool you; he's an extremely savvy businessman who I'm proud to call a friend. Ron also nailed a big one - not doing what you're supposed to - i.e. wasting time. Ron's another very smart businessman who has done great things with his company and brand. We all get the same hours in a day and what separates the men from the boys are those who use their time efficiently.
Here's my list of top 5 marketing mistakes:
1) Not knowing your costs
By doing a break even analysis you will have a crystal clear view of what you need to charge to make a profit. By using a budget you will have a crystal clear view of what you need to spend on marketing to grow.
2) Playing Monkey See, Monkey Do (following everyone else, as Fon said)
Confusing the customer by blending in is a big problem in our industry. Too many "Most Thorough Cleaning Ever...." companies out there, which is good for us but bad for them.
3) Not standing for something that's of utmost importance to your prospects/customers (also as Fon said, not developing a brand)
If our company doesn't stand for something of importance, it will stand for nothing. Again we risk blending in and creating customer confusion. Consumers have a lot of choices and we have to set ourselves apart in ways that are important to the customer.
4) Doing the same thing but expecting different results
You've sent out the same postcard 10 times and still haven't broken even. Hitting your head against the wall is less painful than continuing to waste money on marketing that just doesn't work. Ties in nicely with #5
5) Not testing
The only way you're going to figure out #4 is by testing religiously. It's a big eye-opener once you do. Everything in business can and should be measured - from marketing to efficiencies to performance. Since we're talking about marketing here testing every marketing campaign, advertisement, and sales routine should be considered as important as the actual work itself; for without successful marketing there is no work.
Bonus: Not being consistent
This is as important as any of the above because if you're not consistent with your marketing you'll remain the best kept secret around. Build a marketing plan, implement it, test it, tweak it, and stick with it. If you do so you'll be far and away ahead of the pack.
Here's my list of top 5 marketing mistakes:
1) Not knowing your costs
By doing a break even analysis you will have a crystal clear view of what you need to charge to make a profit. By using a budget you will have a crystal clear view of what you need to spend on marketing to grow.
2) Playing Monkey See, Monkey Do (following everyone else, as Fon said)
Confusing the customer by blending in is a big problem in our industry. Too many "Most Thorough Cleaning Ever...." companies out there, which is good for us but bad for them.
3) Not standing for something that's of utmost importance to your prospects/customers (also as Fon said, not developing a brand)
If our company doesn't stand for something of importance, it will stand for nothing. Again we risk blending in and creating customer confusion. Consumers have a lot of choices and we have to set ourselves apart in ways that are important to the customer.
4) Doing the same thing but expecting different results
You've sent out the same postcard 10 times and still haven't broken even. Hitting your head against the wall is less painful than continuing to waste money on marketing that just doesn't work. Ties in nicely with #5
5) Not testing
The only way you're going to figure out #4 is by testing religiously. It's a big eye-opener once you do. Everything in business can and should be measured - from marketing to efficiencies to performance. Since we're talking about marketing here testing every marketing campaign, advertisement, and sales routine should be considered as important as the actual work itself; for without successful marketing there is no work.
Bonus: Not being consistent
This is as important as any of the above because if you're not consistent with your marketing you'll remain the best kept secret around. Build a marketing plan, implement it, test it, tweak it, and stick with it. If you do so you'll be far and away ahead of the pack.
billyeadon
Supportive Member
I will try not to repeat any of the previous points but I am old and may have already forgotten what they said.
1. To me this is the worst sin. Not mailing out on a regular basis to previous customers.
2. Thinking that this is about trucks. Understanding what your customer really wants.
3. Not understanding that 90% of all decisions come from the subconscious mind. It is all emotional. This ties into #2. (sorry Lisa)
4. You are wasting all of your marketing dollars if you do not havie a knowledgeable person answering the phone for you.
5. Not having a professionally designed web site.
6. Not being able to answer the big question from your customer - Why should I use you?
#6 was in place of a ps in case Island Boy doesn't show up.
1. To me this is the worst sin. Not mailing out on a regular basis to previous customers.
2. Thinking that this is about trucks. Understanding what your customer really wants.
3. Not understanding that 90% of all decisions come from the subconscious mind. It is all emotional. This ties into #2. (sorry Lisa)
4. You are wasting all of your marketing dollars if you do not havie a knowledgeable person answering the phone for you.
5. Not having a professionally designed web site.
6. Not being able to answer the big question from your customer - Why should I use you?
#6 was in place of a ps in case Island Boy doesn't show up.
Bill Soukoreff
Member
1. Over marketing.
2. Hype Marketing.
3. Power Marketing.
4. Even soft marketing if too frequent.
5. Not understanding the concept of viral marketing.
Really. Just look at the all the owner operators who can't even keep one truck busy and how much they spend on marketing to their customers. These are guys who have been in the business for many years. What's wrong?
Maybe the reach into your customers pocket, tell them what they need, leave no money on the table, up-selling, flooding them with every service under the sun is back firing?
How about, respect the customer, save them money, don't up-sell and specialize? Treat them as you would want to treated when you take your car into the mechanic. That's what I do and I spent less than $300 on marketing last year. My first year. This opposite approach is creating some amazing viral marketing for my business. The mechanic I go to never advertises. It is all viral. Why? Because he has a reputation for doing great work and been honest. He is not the cheapest.
The same guys who are NOT busy will come on here and call me crazy. But Starbucks built themselves on viral marketing.
Specialize, specialize, specialize.
2. Hype Marketing.
3. Power Marketing.
4. Even soft marketing if too frequent.
5. Not understanding the concept of viral marketing.
Really. Just look at the all the owner operators who can't even keep one truck busy and how much they spend on marketing to their customers. These are guys who have been in the business for many years. What's wrong?
Maybe the reach into your customers pocket, tell them what they need, leave no money on the table, up-selling, flooding them with every service under the sun is back firing?
How about, respect the customer, save them money, don't up-sell and specialize? Treat them as you would want to treated when you take your car into the mechanic. That's what I do and I spent less than $300 on marketing last year. My first year. This opposite approach is creating some amazing viral marketing for my business. The mechanic I go to never advertises. It is all viral. Why? Because he has a reputation for doing great work and been honest. He is not the cheapest.
The same guys who are NOT busy will come on here and call me crazy. But Starbucks built themselves on viral marketing.
Specialize, specialize, specialize.
Rob Lyon
Member
Well Said all!!
Wayne Miller
Member
Can't add much to those great insights.
The two biggies I see most often?
Doing nothing because you either don't trust yourself or you're overly concerned the money might be "wasted." It's an investment. Hopefully, you'll at least break even. Even if you don't, you're still investing in your business. People have to know you're there. The more they see of you the more likely they are to call. If you try and fail you can tweak and learn. Do something, you can only get better when you try.
My personal pet peeve is not understanding your audience. The majority of our customers are women. They're more concerned about finding an honest, professional, trust-worthy individual they can welcome into their home than they are about getting the biggest, baddest truck mount and highest-tech cleaning of all times.
You'll make far more headway talking about your wife and kids than you will explaining why your method is the "best," like she's never heard that before. Many companies, and it's true in any industry, create advertising that appeals to the personal interests of the carpet cleaner, not the average wife and mother. We're in a people business. We make people feel good. That good feeling should start with your marketing. It's not about equipment and chems. It's about personal relationships and trust. When Mrs. Piffleton calls to schedule an appointment and bends your ear for ten minutes talking about things like how your Christmas was and that she didn't let Mark, Jr. drive to school today because the weather reports sounded ugly you'll have to work really hard to screw things up.
The two biggies I see most often?
Doing nothing because you either don't trust yourself or you're overly concerned the money might be "wasted." It's an investment. Hopefully, you'll at least break even. Even if you don't, you're still investing in your business. People have to know you're there. The more they see of you the more likely they are to call. If you try and fail you can tweak and learn. Do something, you can only get better when you try.
My personal pet peeve is not understanding your audience. The majority of our customers are women. They're more concerned about finding an honest, professional, trust-worthy individual they can welcome into their home than they are about getting the biggest, baddest truck mount and highest-tech cleaning of all times.
You'll make far more headway talking about your wife and kids than you will explaining why your method is the "best," like she's never heard that before. Many companies, and it's true in any industry, create advertising that appeals to the personal interests of the carpet cleaner, not the average wife and mother. We're in a people business. We make people feel good. That good feeling should start with your marketing. It's not about equipment and chems. It's about personal relationships and trust. When Mrs. Piffleton calls to schedule an appointment and bends your ear for ten minutes talking about things like how your Christmas was and that she didn't let Mark, Jr. drive to school today because the weather reports sounded ugly you'll have to work really hard to screw things up.
Steve Toburen
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 1,912
- Name
- Steve Toburen
I hate getting in after all the smart guys above. All good points. (Yeadon even halfway into senility is smarter than most marketing gurus out there in any industry.) I can't compete with any of these folks on "big-stage" concepts.
BUT let's focus a little deeper on what Bill S. refers to as "viral marketing". (With all due respect, Bill, I personally have never cared for the term "viral" just due to the disease connotation. But the concept has transformed many companies.) You see, too many people are looking for the marketing Magic Bullet. A one-size-fits-all-markets quick and easy solution that can be quickly implemented and then the work just rolls in. Guess what ...
They are out there! But due to the very public nature of marketing (can't keep it a secret, can you?) once you start a new ad campaign or whatever all your low-life scum competition will copy it and once again you will have lost differentiation. (As Scott and Fon state you must "set yourself apart, not blend in".) You need a) "stealth marketing" that works under the radar of your envious imitators and b) even if they do discover it will be too difficult for them to imitate.
This stealth marketing method does exist. It isn't fast, it isn't cheap, it isn't easy and it isn't sexy. But it works simply because it is so rare. That's right, (drum roll please) building a close professional RELATIONSHIP with each and every customer, month after month, year after year, again and again and again. Kind of a no-brainer ... for an owner-operator! In fact, if an owner does not do this relationship building instinctively and simply out of sheer fear he or she should go to work for someone else and hopefully not in a service industry. But what separates the men from the boys in this game of 'viral marketing" is doing it by "cloning yourself" into your employees.
Maybe we could do a separate thread some time on how to achieve this "cloning" ...
Island Boy
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com
PS Admittedly, this Cheerleader stuff, while effective and unique (few people ever get the vision and even less are willing to invest the time and emotions to do it) doesn't make your phone ring the first time. In fact, one of the reasons we brought Billy into the Jon-Don SFS fold is because a very agitated SFS attendee blurted out in class one day, "Steve, this Cheerleader stuff is great. But HOW do you get the customer the first time?" That is when we started looking for the best industry minds in marketing out there. We worked our way down the list and eventually came to Big Billy ...
No wait, that isn't true. Big Billy absolutely has got the woman's perspective nailed. (Except if your name is Lisa.) That is why we wanted him. The man eats, sleeps, and breathes marketing. Listen to what he says.
On edit after reading Wayne's post: Absolutely. One of the videos we used to show in SFS said that customer's only will pay for two things: 1) Solutions to their perceived problem and 2) good feelings. Consistetnly give them both PLUS make it easy to do business with you and ta-da "Viral Marketing". (Thanks, Bill S. Now you have me saying it.)
BUT let's focus a little deeper on what Bill S. refers to as "viral marketing". (With all due respect, Bill, I personally have never cared for the term "viral" just due to the disease connotation. But the concept has transformed many companies.) You see, too many people are looking for the marketing Magic Bullet. A one-size-fits-all-markets quick and easy solution that can be quickly implemented and then the work just rolls in. Guess what ...
They are out there! But due to the very public nature of marketing (can't keep it a secret, can you?) once you start a new ad campaign or whatever all your low-life scum competition will copy it and once again you will have lost differentiation. (As Scott and Fon state you must "set yourself apart, not blend in".) You need a) "stealth marketing" that works under the radar of your envious imitators and b) even if they do discover it will be too difficult for them to imitate.
This stealth marketing method does exist. It isn't fast, it isn't cheap, it isn't easy and it isn't sexy. But it works simply because it is so rare. That's right, (drum roll please) building a close professional RELATIONSHIP with each and every customer, month after month, year after year, again and again and again. Kind of a no-brainer ... for an owner-operator! In fact, if an owner does not do this relationship building instinctively and simply out of sheer fear he or she should go to work for someone else and hopefully not in a service industry. But what separates the men from the boys in this game of 'viral marketing" is doing it by "cloning yourself" into your employees.
Maybe we could do a separate thread some time on how to achieve this "cloning" ...
Island Boy
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com
PS Admittedly, this Cheerleader stuff, while effective and unique (few people ever get the vision and even less are willing to invest the time and emotions to do it) doesn't make your phone ring the first time. In fact, one of the reasons we brought Billy into the Jon-Don SFS fold is because a very agitated SFS attendee blurted out in class one day, "Steve, this Cheerleader stuff is great. But HOW do you get the customer the first time?" That is when we started looking for the best industry minds in marketing out there. We worked our way down the list and eventually came to Big Billy ...
No wait, that isn't true. Big Billy absolutely has got the woman's perspective nailed. (Except if your name is Lisa.) That is why we wanted him. The man eats, sleeps, and breathes marketing. Listen to what he says.
On edit after reading Wayne's post: Absolutely. One of the videos we used to show in SFS said that customer's only will pay for two things: 1) Solutions to their perceived problem and 2) good feelings. Consistetnly give them both PLUS make it easy to do business with you and ta-da "Viral Marketing". (Thanks, Bill S. Now you have me saying it.)
Ken Snow
RIP
My suggestion- Copy and paste into a document:
Ron Lippold's response
Fon's first sentence in his main paragraph
Scott's whole post
Big Billy Yeadon's whole post (I especially love #6)
Wayne Miller's- whose support and compliment Big Billy's
With this list you will have a fairly comprehensive list of mistakes that can be avoided in any business.
Doing the opposite of those and adding Steve T's concepts will take you along way towards building a successful sustainable and possibly most importantly, saleable business!
Ken
Ron Lippold's response
Fon's first sentence in his main paragraph
Scott's whole post
Big Billy Yeadon's whole post (I especially love #6)
Wayne Miller's- whose support and compliment Big Billy's
With this list you will have a fairly comprehensive list of mistakes that can be avoided in any business.
Doing the opposite of those and adding Steve T's concepts will take you along way towards building a successful sustainable and possibly most importantly, saleable business!
Ken
Bill Soukoreff
Member
Good stuff, Steve. I agree about the term "viral"!
I think another basic problem is that carpet cleaner's don't know what they really want for themselves. Whether they want to be a true owner operator or grow larger.
Most of the marketing guru stuff on the market now is targeting the desire to build your business up to a multi-truck company, which in the hands of a undecided owner owner operator will kill his chances of success in either form.
They hear something discussed on the boards and apply it to their business. But it may not be good for their business. That is why I like the concept of Strategies for Success, because it addresses these issues and is not just a cookie cutter approach.
I think that when a owner operator finally understands and pin points what his perfect customer is (marketing nirvana), I mean really get it honed down to a very narrow demographic, your problem will be having too many customers. Nice problem to have, but also needs to be addressed.
Michael Port's Booking Yourself Solid really helped me to do this.
As for larger business, I have no idea.
I think another basic problem is that carpet cleaner's don't know what they really want for themselves. Whether they want to be a true owner operator or grow larger.
Most of the marketing guru stuff on the market now is targeting the desire to build your business up to a multi-truck company, which in the hands of a undecided owner owner operator will kill his chances of success in either form.
They hear something discussed on the boards and apply it to their business. But it may not be good for their business. That is why I like the concept of Strategies for Success, because it addresses these issues and is not just a cookie cutter approach.
I think that when a owner operator finally understands and pin points what his perfect customer is (marketing nirvana), I mean really get it honed down to a very narrow demographic, your problem will be having too many customers. Nice problem to have, but also needs to be addressed.
Michael Port's Booking Yourself Solid really helped me to do this.
As for larger business, I have no idea.
Royal Man
Member
Many good points.
An other marketing mistake is choosing a marketing method just because every one else is doing it. There are much better ways to market now days than using traditional marketing. Traditional marketing is so overused that clients become blind to it. I don't know why anyone would choose advertise along with their competition.
When Steve said "This stealth marketing method does exist. It isn't fast, it isn't cheap, it isn't easy and it isn't sexy. "
I agree that stealth marketing is not fast (It has to build) or sexy. But it sure is easy and cheep. I get several jobs a week from stealth marketing that doesn't cost me a dime or any time once I got it started.
The trouble is that even though the ROI is incredible (free marketing). Most businesses don't know how to do it. That is why they end up in the Yellow Pages or Valpak beating their heads against each other.
An other marketing mistake is choosing a marketing method just because every one else is doing it. There are much better ways to market now days than using traditional marketing. Traditional marketing is so overused that clients become blind to it. I don't know why anyone would choose advertise along with their competition.
When Steve said "This stealth marketing method does exist. It isn't fast, it isn't cheap, it isn't easy and it isn't sexy. "
I agree that stealth marketing is not fast (It has to build) or sexy. But it sure is easy and cheep. I get several jobs a week from stealth marketing that doesn't cost me a dime or any time once I got it started.
The trouble is that even though the ROI is incredible (free marketing). Most businesses don't know how to do it. That is why they end up in the Yellow Pages or Valpak beating their heads against each other.
