I am building up a portfolio of corporate myopia stories. The standard story goes as follows:Robert Craven (RC): “Why do people buy your product?”
Corporate Client (CC): “Because we are the best.”
RC: “Really?”
CC: “Well, we are better than the competition.”
RC: “Really?”
CC: “Um and we are the only people to offer XYZ features”
RC: “And is that why people buy your product?”
CC: “Well we are competitive on price.”
RC: “And is that why people buy from you?”
CC: “Um, it could be our brilliant marketing campaign…?
RC: “Really?”
CC: “OK, why do they buy our product?”
What I find so scary is how fragile the arguments seem to be. And how can you create a marketing campaign or a sales activity or design a better service/product if you aren’t clear on what it is that the customer wants, needs and deserves to get.
So, my friend,
“Why do people buy your product?”
Your answer here: “___________________________________”
“Why do people buy your product?”
Your answer here: “___________________________________”
“Really?”
PS I ran a brief session for a roomful of marketers last night. Lovely people. Brilliant at their jobs (doing marketing) they struggled to tell each other (succinctly and in a compelling manner) what they actually did for their clients.
19 comments:
Great session last night in Bristol. Yes, you are right we did struggle. The shoes of cobblers' children etc.
We all need to be able to communicate what we do in a way that is SIMPLE and SUCCINCT and UNDERSTANDABLE.
Nick
My takeaway from last night: tell people what you can do for them in terms of sorting out their problems. It is not about me it is about them and their problems.
Thanks
Sue
"Brilliant at their jobs (doing marketing) they struggled to tell each other (succinctly and in a compelling manner) what they actually did for their clients."
Brilliant? Really?
A room full of 'marketers' who charge their clients for something that they are unable to describe in terms of value?
Brilliant? Really?
A room full of 'marketers' who are unable to communicate in a way that is "SIMPLE and SUCCINCT and UNDERSTANDABLE," and further, unable to tell prospective clients what they are there to do?
Brilliant? Really?
Marcus Tullius
Marcus Tullius (Cicero? - I did latin...)
The point is that it was a room of people good at their jobs on the behalf of their clients. But one sometimes stuggles to do it for oneself. The challenge was to say what makes you different and why people should buy from you, all in 30 seconds. No mean task, especially without warning or preparation.
Maybe your comments are slightly out of context.
Nick
Nick,
Having re-read the posting, I'm not sure I took anything much out of the context it was presented in.
Presumably the 'professionals' concerned had to pitch their business in order to obtain their current and past clients - so what did they say to land the contract?
That is, unless the question ought to be more about who they slept with. Or perhaps it is a clear case of the blind leading the blind? The client not knowing who they are or what they do, and asking someone who knows little more to charge them for 'marketing' information gleaned from David Brent.
Neither side knows how to calibrate a professional approach; both sides ultimately lose.
In any case, I would hardly say it is fair or appropriate to use the label "brilliant" to describe anyone in a room full of people who charge for such information, yet who have not put an ounce of thought into their own brand.
I suppose this is symptomatic of the 'consultancy' factor: those who steal your watch and then charge you when you wish to know the time.
It is also probably indicative of the unearned 'equality' that elements of this society, particularly that part with no vessel or sails, indulges itself in.
The reason I signed as Marcus Tullius (Cicero - of course,) was to end with a clear example of someone who was a brilliant marketer, who knew what he was doing, because he studied and practiced his craft relentlessly in order to excel.
To say that the attendees in the room were 'brilliant' denigrates the efforts of those who have taken the time to learn and hone their craft, whilst elevating those who few skills past knowing where to print some business cards printed.
Brilliant? Really?
Sounds very much like theatre to me, and not good theatre.
Perhaps those attendees in question ought to reevaluate their sales ability, if they wish to continue selling snake oil!
SW
So many marketers live at the wrong end of the telescope or, as it was once put to me brilliantly by Drayton Bird, "Faces to the Chairman, arses to the Customers".
You can't remind people often enough to keep it simple.
A great session Robert, thanks for your input to the Bath & Bristol Marketing Network.
SW/Cicero etc
I have read your comments. they seem a little harsh.
The orginal point was that some of the attendees found the exercise challenging; they had forgotten the basics of the trade. I do not mean to be digging myself a hole here but I think that Robert's PS was more of an observation rather than a swipe at the entire marketing industry. Maybe not?
The theme of the conversation after the presentation was very much along the lines of 'get back to basics', 'keep it simple'. For some this was a big wake-up call.
Your point is valid. There is no excuse for marketers finding thier own marketing difficult to do. The same applies to many professions but this does not justify anything.
In which case the 'snake oil' comment is, in certain or even in most instances, a valid comment.
Nick
PS Thanks to Martin and Robert for the other night. And thanks to SW for generating some debate
Robert's opening point is about corporates not knowing why people buy from them.
His PS goes on to to suggest that marekters also struggle with the same question.
It is criminal that such simple questions ("why should people bother to buy from you?" or "what do you do for your clients?") cause so many problems.
Bankers, corporates, small business people can never explain to me what they do in a way that I can understand. It seems to be a miracle that anyone ever buys from them!
In all my corporate life I was never really told how to do the networking and introducing thing apart from once. 'Corprorate arrogance' is that the phrase?
Jeremy
Dare I say it Mr Tullius (!), that one of the reasons for purchase that many people overlook is that intellectual capacity aside, people buy from people. A very clear position helps enormously especially in a non-verbal pitch context. However, in the marketing sphere, customers are buying a service. And that service is delivered by a person or several. No one likes a 'know it all', very few buy 'arrogance'. They buy from people who understand their pains, meet them on a level, and offer the skills, services and know-how to fix those pains. There is many a brilliant scholar who becomes a doctor or even a consultant but without the bedside manner to match, they struggle to win favour. Fortunately doctors don't have to pitch for their business...
Furthermore, there is many a marketeer who wraps himself up in so much over intellectualisation and theatre, that he/she is danger of disappearing up a certain area. These are the type that like to introduce the meeting bingo buzz words that give us marketeers a bad name... you know the types... synergy, matrix etc etc at the expense of identifying the real commercial arguments behind any chosen marketing strategy.
Interesting positioning strategies clearly!
Lucinda
You have totally lost me.
What is your point?
Nick
Lucinda, you are right, people do indeed buy marketing services from other people. Although, I'm not so convinced about the "Social Services' approach that you seem to advocate. Or your argument of 'touchy-feely beats intellect'.
The reason for marketing one's product, is to achieve greater market share, is it not? One wants to be certain of the marketer possessing the capabilities to be able to achieve this. Thus, one has to be able to calibrate that said marketer can do what she/he says. After all, it's all very well someone "feeling my pain" but it will not, in all probability, achieve a greater market share for me.
A more interesting proposition in order to solve the particular problem of market share, is to be able to see some evidence that the marketer knows what they speak of.
Often, this is best gauged by measuring how much effort they have put into their own craft and over how long? How successful they are at landing work for themselves? Is the work landed on merit, or low-priced desperation? How do they present themselves? Why do they do what they do? How much do they know about my specific market when they come to see me? etc etc.
Of course, the aforementioned can only be achieved by those with at least a modicum of intellect. Yes, intelligence, emotional intelligence etc, will get them only so far.
It takes a fastidious dedication, often born out of pure passion, and a great many hours of learning and applying, to be able to sustain such a professional approach. This is why the best charge what they do, and get the results that they do. This is also why the best can safely tell me what it is that they do for their clients, how and why.
We could all simply print some business cards, throw up a website and call ourselves marketers. We could also show up at events to try to learn that which we have neglected to. We might even be called 'brilliant' afterward. This does not make us a marketer in the real World, nor does it equip us with the skills to be ale to assist others.
The fact that small business is employing such people, seems criminal when we consider that the small business person needs effective advice otherwise they put themselves and their suppliers out of work. I think such 'marketers' are not, therefore, 'brilliant' but criminals by any other name.
As you correctly state, it takes an expert to identify the real commercial arguments behind a chosen marketing strategy.
Although, I'm not sure about your scowling of the use of certain words like 'matrix.' After all, apparently you also use these in your own presentations, do you not?
SW
Lucinda
I click on your link/name and it sends me to a cute landing page which sends me to an ad for an event you are running in July!
Hmmmm
Nick
Lots of comments from what was a throwaway line.
The line that got the ball rolling was
"Lovely people. Brilliant at their jobs (doing marketing) they struggled to tell each other what they actually did for their clients."
I was reporting what came across to me - how it seemed. All these comments were based on my limited perception skills!
However, some facinating debate. Thanks
Lucinda, what were you trying to say?
Patrick
Lucinda, what were you trying to say?
Patrick
Lucinda, you are right, people do indeed buy marketing services from other people. Although, I'm not so convinced about the "Social Services' approach that you seem to advocate. Or your argument of 'touchy-feely beats intellect'.
The reason for marketing one's product, is to achieve greater market share, is it not? One wants to be certain of the marketer possessing the capabilities to be able to achieve this. Thus, one has to be able to calibrate that said marketer can do what she/he says. After all, it's all very well someone "feeling my pain" but it will not, in all probability, achieve a greater market share for me.
A more interesting proposition in order to solve the particular problem of market share, is to be able to see some evidence that the marketer knows what they speak of.
Often, this is best gauged by measuring how much effort they have put into their own craft and over how long? How successful they are at landing work for themselves? Is the work landed on merit, or low-priced desperation? How do they present themselves? Why do they do what they do? How much do they know about my specific market when they come to see me? etc etc.
Of course, the aforementioned can only be achieved by those with at least a modicum of intellect. Yes, intelligence, emotional intelligence etc, will get them only so far.
It takes a fastidious dedication, often born out of pure passion, and a great many hours of learning and applying, to be able to sustain such a professional approach. This is why the best charge what they do, and get the results that they do. This is also why the best can safely tell me what it is that they do for their clients, how and why.
We could all simply print some business cards, throw up a website and call ourselves marketers. We could also show up at events to try to learn that which we have neglected to. We might even be called 'brilliant' afterward. This does not make us a marketer in the real World, nor does it equip us with the skills to be ale to assist others.
The fact that small business is employing such people, seems criminal when we consider that the small business person needs effective advice otherwise they put themselves and their suppliers out of work. I think such 'marketers' are not, therefore, 'brilliant' but criminals by any other name.
As you correctly state, it takes an expert to identify the real commercial arguments behind a chosen marketing strategy.
Although, I'm not sure about your scowling of the use of certain words like 'matrix.' After all, apparently you also use these in your own presentations, do you not?
SW
Lucinda
I click on your link/name and it sends me to a cute landing page which sends me to an ad for an event you are running in July!
Hmmmm
Nick
Nick,
Having re-read the posting, I'm not sure I took anything much out of the context it was presented in.
Presumably the 'professionals' concerned had to pitch their business in order to obtain their current and past clients - so what did they say to land the contract?
That is, unless the question ought to be more about who they slept with. Or perhaps it is a clear case of the blind leading the blind? The client not knowing who they are or what they do, and asking someone who knows little more to charge them for 'marketing' information gleaned from David Brent.
Neither side knows how to calibrate a professional approach; both sides ultimately lose.
In any case, I would hardly say it is fair or appropriate to use the label "brilliant" to describe anyone in a room full of people who charge for such information, yet who have not put an ounce of thought into their own brand.
I suppose this is symptomatic of the 'consultancy' factor: those who steal your watch and then charge you when you wish to know the time.
It is also probably indicative of the unearned 'equality' that elements of this society, particularly that part with no vessel or sails, indulges itself in.
The reason I signed as Marcus Tullius (Cicero - of course,) was to end with a clear example of someone who was a brilliant marketer, who knew what he was doing, because he studied and practiced his craft relentlessly in order to excel.
To say that the attendees in the room were 'brilliant' denigrates the efforts of those who have taken the time to learn and hone their craft, whilst elevating those who few skills past knowing where to print some business cards printed.
Brilliant? Really?
Sounds very much like theatre to me, and not good theatre.
Perhaps those attendees in question ought to reevaluate their sales ability, if they wish to continue selling snake oil!
SW
So many marketers live at the wrong end of the telescope or, as it was once put to me brilliantly by Drayton Bird, "Faces to the Chairman, arses to the Customers".
You can't remind people often enough to keep it simple.
A great session Robert, thanks for your input to the Bath & Bristol Marketing Network.
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