Gay Landeta
Sometimes you are all pumped and ready to rumble with the marketing Gods… other times it may just seem too much.
The big problem many people find with getting their work out there is that there are so many ways to do it.
- What works?
- What doesn’t?
Do you know what results you are getting from each strategy you are doing, or even more importantly, why you are undertaking that particular strategy?
- Yes, I know—to get more clients, but how will it get you more clients; what role does that actual strategy play in your big picture?
- And are you sure you are gaining every bit of effectiveness out of that strategy?
- And how much fun do you have while doing it? Is it just another job on the to-do list?
Robert Middleton, my marketing mentor and coaching trainer, talks of the similarity between playing baseball and marketing.
Hmmm, you might say, but think about it. A game of baseball consists of a bunch of people on a playing field throwing a ball, hitting that ball, catching that ball and running around. Now if you try to take all those people and get them to do that without understanding the game or knowing the rules, mayhem will result.
But if you tell them what the rules are and train them, you can develop a winning team. The game starts in the dugout where the players get ready to play. The field itself is shaped like a diamond (for those of you who don’t play baseball) that consists of four points called plates—home, first, second and third bases. The way to play is to step up to home plate with a bat and hit the ball. Once you do that you can run around the diamond until you get back to the home plate. You must be careful to touch each base or else you lose. A homerun (getting around all bases at one time) is unusual. Mostly you just move around one base at a time.
Robert reckons that you can play the marketing game by following very similar rules. He sees marketing as a game that you can play to win if you understand and master each step. And he reckons it should be fun!
So, let’s play some marketing ball…. start in the dugout and create your marketing message. Once you have a good one (and there is a technique to it – more on that in another blog) you are ready to begin to play.
Your potential client approaches the home plate. You are strangers at this point. What most of us start to do now is to bombard them with our marketing message hoping to get a home run. But what usually happens is we make the client strike out (which, in our version of marketing ball, is not what we want!). That is because we haven’t taken the time to take this potential client around all the bases, which are all the steps a new contact needs to pass through to become a buyer.
So how do we take those steps? To get to first base a potential client has to move from being a stranger to gaining a connection and becoming aware of you. You must have his or her attention before proceeding. That is first base. Don’t try for a home run at this point. Play it safe and move him or her to second.
The way to get this person to second base is to become familiar, to build that relationship and give more information about what you do before he or she is ready for an experience of you. Think about any client you have, or indeed, your own process in purchasing any service. You waited until you knew enough and were comfortable with the service before you did anything. Sometimes that is a relatively quick process but more often it takes time, like any relationship-building process. And it requires a plan to make it happen. A brochure or a website is helpful here but generally not enough.
Once your potential client has enough familiarity and information about your service, he or she moves to second base and is ready to think about buying. You will still need to be able to meet this person’s needs and overcome any challenges to purchasing your service (third base) before finally bringing him or her to home plate. However, if you have done a good job this potential client will be a qualified candidate who is ready to buy.
One great strategy used in baseball to win is to load the bases. That means to have someone waiting on each base ready to move on to the next one as soon as the ball is hit. That is your funnel of potential clients. You need to have prospective clients positioned on each base, and you must have effective strategies in place to move them around the bases to win at marketing ball.
Spend some time planning your strategies and your funnel will stay full. This blog was taken from my ebook available for FREE at my website www.gaylandeta.com.au while there check out my services. I have often helped people streamline their messaging, giving them the cutting edge in their marketing strategy.
Also, check out some of my earlier blogs. I have had a few themed around business development and improvement. You may find more useful information in those words as well. I hope this blog finds you well, in abundance and Creating the Life You Want to Live…
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