In business, there are a lot of bad habits that can stunt your growth. You do not have to look for a pitfall, because they are looking for you. There are many distractions to get in the way of doing the marketing you should be doing, and doing better. So, what is holding you back? Is fear and insecurity holding your marketing back? Are bad habits holding your marketing back? Are you missing profit by putting off better marketing until tomorrow? Are you guilty of knowing that something is bad for you, or just not good for you, but you keep doing it anyway? If you look carefully, you may just find that you are not so different from everybody else. Most people find it hard to push the marketing go button, but I found some other obstacles you may not have considered.
I recently visited with a treasured friend, Mike Burgess of Spinnaker Web Design, and we discussed people, their habits, their psychology, and how most of them are not well-suited for business. They may be good at what they do, but business decisions, and particularly marketing decisions, are not most peoples’ strong point.
Mike has been my close friend for a long time. We have great conversations, because we each provide our unique view of industry issues. In addition to being a web developer, Mike is also a Kansas State Legislator. The people who do that job on a state level work hard and are not in it for the money. They have to put up with a lot of rhetoric from constituents. This makes Mike a good balance for me as a friend. I take no crap at all, and he takes crap and turns it into a breakfast omelet. I will share a couple of things we discovered.
It is Bad for You, But You Keep Doing It
I told Mike that I was confused about people. I told him that although I am seeking one new marketing client, that I am getting all kinds of crazy callers wanting to grow huge profit for their business, but they have it all wrong. They think they can achieve massive success without any sacrifice. It is as if they hope for the equivalent of buying a McDonald’s restaurant for a single month’s worth of McDonald’s restaurant revenues. I mean, if you want to generate a million dollars of revenue, you don’t do it with a few thousand dollars. Bill Gates, John Davidson Rockefeller, and Warren Buffet cannot do it, so why do other people think they can? I remind them that there is no pink pony ride to success, and that there are certain laws of Internet marketing that can never be broken.
Mike had some interesting observations.
People Do What is Comfortable
Mike pointed out that most people will do what is comfortable, even when they know better. They understand that the extra cheeseburger and fries is not good for their diet, but they keep doing it. He pointed out that although I have heard about the risks of smoking, I still smoke. He pointed out that people have done business the same way for a long time, and breaking those old habits is really hard for them. They cannot see or touch the idea of doing more business online. It is intangible to them, just like lung cancer to a smoker or a cheeseburger is to an obese person with heart disease. They know that what they are doing is bad for them, but they keep doing it because it is comfortable, and because change is not comfortable.
Go and visit a grade school lunchroom sometime and see how many kids are eating their vegetables. I have three kids and I love the school lunchroom. I call it my favorite restaurant. People learn things young. Being around kids reminds me of this, and how important it is to break bad habits as quickly as possible. If you are doing the equivalent of “smoking cigarettes” and “eating cheeseburgers”, it is time to ask yourself why you continue to do what you know is unhealthy for your business. I will tell you the way Bob Newhart said in his popular comedy skit, “stop it!“ Just Stop It!
People Do Not Pay Attention
As I talked with Mike, we reminisced about stupid things we have witnessed on the Internet over the years. I was reminded of a particular sample of my company’s website design and search engine optimization services. The sample website was so appealing that we started having a flood of calls for the product. It was a designer bedding site, and people were calling to purchase designer bedding. We are an Internet services company … we don’t sell designer bedding! The number they were calling was only displayed at the very top of each page, or when a user would try to place an order. It was placed conspicuously in a notice stating clearly that the site was only a sample of our website design, search engine optimization, and ecommerce services, and that we do not sell bedding. It was in bright red and bold letters. We could not have made it any more clear, but people kept calling about that bedding for many years to come.
The point in this is that while marketing a product or service, you have to do the thinking for them. It is funny, but we also get a whole lot of similar calls for Ethicon surgical sutures and car dealerships.
Most People Don’t Know Their Shortcomings
Knowing your shortcomings is a good start to being more productive in business, but it is only a start. I know mine, and I am doing something about it. I will share it with you, but I want you to consider yours at the same time.
I stink at sales. Actually, I take that back. I am amazing at giving factual data of how I will increase a company’s profits, and I am even good at expressing the emotional benefits of what I do. I am so good at it that I should never, ever, in my lifetime, be allowed into a boardroom. I am that guy who will give it to them straight and without any apology. I say it how it is. I do not hold back. If I see incompetence, I am not shy to express it. People do not always like the truth. They like a soft-handed salesy approach that pats them on the bum and makes them feel all cozy and warm, like a baby in mother’s arms. That is not a service I provide. As I have often said, “I am not your mother!” When people don’t “get it” I am not a guy who will keep working on a sale. It is because I am pretty (ok, obsessively) selective about the clients I will work with. I mean, they are getting the big dollars out of the deal, so when they don’t “get it” I know that we are not a good match. OK, I said I am not a salesman … so get off my back about it! It is my shortcoming, and so I always seek sales reps who can explain what I do without wanting to choke somebody. There is not enough Valium to prevent a choking when somebody has a glazed over look after I give a presentation. I am making them money. They just have to pay me for it first, because it is far too easy for them to try and steal from me (like the story about Suture Express).
If you find that your shortcoming is in your marketing and you understand that exposure to thousands more targeted visitors to your website and better marketing talent will help, then ring me up. If you are looking for a pink pony ride to success or some fine designer bedding, then you were not paying attention. In that case, Call Mike!
