A “Failure to Commit” To Business Strategies

Posted by John Park on Dec 13th, 2009
2009
Dec 13

 
 
After working with both large corporations and small businesses, there are a number of distinct differences I have noted when it comes to executing marketing strategies.
 
One glaring example is what I call the “Failure to Commit.”  Smaller companies have a very difficult time coming up with a marketing plan and sticking to it.  And as a result, each plan which sounded brilliant in the conference room when conceived, never gets an opportunity to come to fruition.  When a plan doesn’t deliver almost immediate sales results, it is put to death and a new plan is put in place at the next marketing meeting.  It’s the ultimate in stopping short of the goal in a business environment.
 
Why does this happen in small business?
 
It’s the owner.  Because finances at a smaller company are tied closely to the owner’s personal finances, it makes him or her react emotionally rather than logically.  To put it simply, when they see money going out the door and they don’t see short term sales returns, they get scared.  And when they are scared, they start questioning themselves as well as everything or everyone around them.  When this perfect storm occurs, they also place very little value on mid-to-long term goals and the step-by-step building which is required for marketing value is brought to a screeching halt.
 
Over time, marketing strategies tend to look like a zigzag of failed attempts instead of any tangible or measurable business trends.  The irony in all of this is that small businesses will probably spend more money over time because every new attempt requires an infusion of cash.
 
In a corporate environment, this emotional factor is absent because the decision makers in marketing are focusing on the plan only and have no personal finances attached to their decisions.  And as a result, they are able to objectively see a strategy through and commit to the value it has promised to deliver.  This of course doesn’t mean that each plan is wildly successful.  It just means that they stick to it long enough to get an answer–one way or the other.
 
As you plan your marketing strategies and budgets for 2010, think about your level of commitment.  Do you have a problem with commitment?  You might have a “Failure to Commit” issue.
 
I hear often “I’ve built this company over 20 years and we’re successful as a small business.  We just need your help getting to the “Next Level.”
 
Commitment to your plans and avoiding the zigzag is at the CORE of getting to that NEXT LEVEL.



Until Next Time…



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Choose Your Customers, Choose Your Future

Posted by John Park on Nov 12th, 2009
2009
Nov 12

This is a great post by Seth Godin.  His advice may be one of the hardest approaches to actually act upon but he is right.  After you read his post, you’ll agree.  The problem is… can we ALL do this in this economy?

Marketers rarely think about choosing customers… like a sailor on shore leave, we’re not so picky. Huge mistake.

Your customers define what you make, how you make it, where you sell it, what you charge, who you hire and even how you fund your business. If your customer base changes over time but you fail to make changes in the rest of your organization, stress and failure will follow.

Sell to angry cheapskates and your business will reflect that. On the other hand, when you find great customers, they will eagerly co-create with you. They will engage and invent and spread the word.

It takes vision and guts to turn someone down and focus on a different segment, on people who might be more difficult to sell at first, but will lead you where you want to go over time.


Until Next Time…



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Why Evil Corporate Deeds Will Not Go Unpunished

Posted by John Park on Oct 19th, 2009
2009
Oct 19

 
IT NEVER FAILS.
 
Bad economic conditions always lead to poor customer service.
 
Don’t ask me why this happens but it always does.  Whenever companies (mostly large ones) are faced with tighter budgets, the group that inevitably pays the price are their customers.  It can be an onerous return policy, a hike in fees or maybe headcount sacrifices in customer service departments.  Instead of a phone tree, you are faced with a “phone forest”.
 
 
CAUTION:
 
This… I’ll screw them over now and deal with it later approach is not what it used to be.  It’s true that in the past consumers did forget eventually once the economy got humming again but it might be harder in this technological age to rely on this business practice.
 
Due to the prevalence of social media interaction on the web, it will be much harder for corporations to erase their evil deeds during this recession.  Blog posts, facebook groups, peer online reviews, tweets and archived online news articles are in essence… FOREVER.
 
The bottom line is that it always costs more to acquire new customers when compared to keeping and growing the customers you already have.  The next time you find yourself in a conference room discussing budget cuts and going through the line items, don’t reduce your customer service and don’t look to your existing customers for more fees.  After all, we are still living in a free economy where Capitalism prevails.  Your customers always have the option to leave you in an “Internet Minute”.


Until Next Time…



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Obama Goes Toe-To-Toe With Stephanopoulos On “Tax Increases”

Posted by John Park on Sep 20th, 2009
2009
Sep 20


Is this a TAX Increase or not???


If the Government forces me to purchase something via a MANDATE, how is this not a tax increase?  How will this effect small businesses everywhere?


Chime In. Let me know what you think.




Until Next Time…



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A Marketing Lesson From The Vegas Water Guy

Posted by John Park on Sep 18th, 2009
2009
Sep 18

waterguy

 
I see dead people… I mean marketing opportunities everywhere and what I noticed on a Vegas walkway in the middle of August was no exception.
 
It was an “Africa Hot” day and making money from everyone’s discomfort were entrepreneurially minded individuals selling chilled bottled waters to passersby tourists.  They were poorly dressed, disheveled looking and not exactly professional in their approach or presentation.  Nevertheless, they were selling these waters just by waving them around standing in front of their coolers, which were filled with all generic brands.
 
During the 3 minutes it took for us to walk completely by, I observed two guys—one at each corner.
 
The guy on the left was just standing there holding a bottled water in each hand.  He had a handwritten cardboard sign propped up against his cooler with a “$1″ written on it.  He looked bitter and he clearly didn’t want to be there.
 
The guy on the right had the same setup except he was engaged in the “selling.”  Every few seconds, he would yell out “cold water here, $1″.  He would just repeat that statement over and over again.  Not surprisingly, I witnessed him sell about 3 times more water than the guy on the left.


Don’t worry.  I didn’t stop to give the guy on the left marketing advice (I was with the family).

 
However, I did start thinking about how we could probably all define our level of business success by how ENGAGED we are in the selling of our products and services.
 
So, which guy or gal are you?


Are you the guy on the left waiting for the business to miraculously come to you, otherwise known as playing the numbers game or are you the guy on the right dictating your own outcome by being engaged in the success of your business?


In this economy, you know which guy you have to be.  Dictate your own outcome or success.  Don’t be a recession victim.  If the water guy has it figured out, it should be easy for you. (no offense to water guys everywhere)
 
 
Until Next Time…
 
 



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