This article was written by Scott Zimmerman of The Cyrano Group.

When I watch well-meaning companies fail in marketing endeavors, I can’t help but think about “The Adams Family” television show. I picture Gomez Adams hunching over his toy train set with a maniacal grin plastered on his face. With his hands tightly gripping the T-bar of his detonator, Gomez anticipates the magic moment when two trains – on the same track and heading toward each other – simultaneously cross the bridge. Just before they collide, he hits the plunger and sets off the explosive charge. The bridge collapses, the trains wreck and his eyes dance with glee. I still chuckle at that mental image.

However, that’s television. In the real world, I take no delight when I witness the avoidable loss of easy sales, ignored customer relationships and missed opportunities caused by haphazard marketing. I invested the last ten years of my life trying to solve branding, positioning and communication problems for other businesses, and I have witnessed train after train derail … no matter how well intentioned or carefully constructed. As many of you know, I went to great lengths (inventing the Cyrano Marketing System and reading hundreds of books) to help solve a majority of issues for our clients. However, even with marketing automation and time-proven ideas, the carnage keeps piling up. I believe that there are four main reasons why so many internal marketing functions fail:

First, your organization may lack a real commitment to systematizing critical business growth activities. Whether it is formalizing a financial budget or setting aside enough human resources to execute marketing campaigns, you just never get around to committing to a long-term marketing process. Other issues always seem to take priority. Perhaps you enable someone in your organization to take on the marketing responsibility on a part-time basis; adding no accountability, feedback loops or measurement. Whatever the case, I’ve seen many companies fail by not taking corporate communications, client loyalty programs and/or lead conversion activities seriously.

Secondly, there is no strategy. I admit it, no one likes planning. However, I also agree with the old adage, “Fail to plan and you plan to fail.” If you have no map for short and long-term strategy, you’ll never be able to measure any progress. If I find a prospect interested in crossing the first bridge, I always start with mapping a strategy as the next step (after a detailed sales/marketing/communications assessment).

Another common challenge is getting the proper perspective about the way the marketplace sees your value. “Positioning” is the hardest thing to do for your own company’s products and services (There’s a good reason why you don’t cut your own hair or give yourself back massages!). As an internal member of an organization, you cannot help but describe the trees you see around you. However, any outsider can easily describe the shape, size and scope of your forest as a whole. Additionally, you may be tempted to brag about features and benefits of your products and/or services in your collateral or on your web site. We help you understand that people don’t buy benefits or even solutions; they buy altered states of mind. People don’t look to buy shovels; they want holes. Marketing messages, no matter how cleverly written or designed, fail if they do not position you correctly, stick in someone’s mind and/or give them an emotional reaction to a problem or opportunity. Our positioning workshops may help you get a new perspective about the true value you provide to your marketplace.

Finally, you may not have a formalized push to finish your marketing projects … no execution . How many times have you thought about connecting with your customers via brochure, mailer, postcard or updating your web site … only to have the same thought creep in again months later because nothing moved forward? Worse still, how many times have you designed and printed a marketing piece, only to have a majority of them remain in your storage closets, or in the trunks of your salespeople’s cars?

You may consider a marketing project a success when:

1. A message is crafted to speak to the style and needs of your target market, and;
2. It is delivered to a qualified prospect (or existing client), and;
3. The message pushes an emotional button, and;
4. The reader takes action.

When all four are completed, you may enjoy a feeling of closure.

To find out more about the benefits of making us part of your team, please contact Scott Zimmerman or Alan Brunton by calling: 330-848-0444 or email: Scott@TheCyranoGroup.com or Alan@TheCyranoGroup.com

Ron Finklestein
The Small Business Success Expert
info@yourbusinesscoach.net
330-990-0788