Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

They still teach the hoary ol’ “4 Ps” (Product, Pricing, Placement & Promotion)in marketing classes…(it really should be more like 7 or 8, and “promotion” is a lot more than advertising out in the real world.)

TV Week Headline: Bad TV News: GM Owes Ad Firms $167.4 Mil

Wired Headline: Unknown Automaker Could Build The First Electric Sedan

Wonder what could have been done in product development for $167.4 Mil (then add in the millions and millions they spent on lobbying to keep gas guzzlers, fight airbags, etc…and the ginormous bonuses to “talent” to do the same old thing.) Hmmm…

Read More: No Reason GM Can’t Make The Cadillac of Comebacks(Of course, they’d have to commit to building great cars.)

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, product development, General Motors, advertising

Marketing has changed (and continues to change) so dramatically that as a fellow marketer said, “What works today probably won’t work next month.”

That may be overstating the case a bit, but not by much.

Example: I’ve been out on the Web for a while - things keep changing (as do I and my clients) - so I no longer obsess care about:

Technorati rankings. They’re totally whacked. They list one content skimmer link multiple times and then don’t list legitimate ones. And, what’s with listing my own posts repeatedly - when I’ve not even done any cross-linking? Like I said, totally whacked.

Plus, I’m getting an increasing amount of linking (and readership) via Facebook. (However, FB in and of itself is NOT a “social media strategy.”)

The number of comments on my blog. Okay, I cared when I first started - but that was four years ago. Now, I’m happy with the people who subscribe - and who I know read it, even if they don’t always comment. Plus, my site traffic remains healthy, thanks to the blog content, which brings me to…

My Google ranking. I don’t have to care. I’ve got enough content (and add enough frequently enough) that I’ve been at the top of search results for “Mary Schmidt” and “Marketing Troubleshooter” for a long time. And, I get my biz from people who have met me live and in person…know me…have worked with me, so I’m not all that excited about cold web site traffic (For the kind of things I do, it’s quality not quantity.)

This does not mean, however, you should never care about (or look at) your site traffic. Analytics give you valuable data on what needs to be improved, changed or deleted. (Especially - duh - if you’ve got an e-commerce site - you need conversions.)

My brochure. I don’t even have one. In today’s virtual world - it’s not needed. And, when I do need on occasion need hard copy for a client proposal, I can do a custom piece and use my great pro-quality color printer.

“Getting PR” By this I mean the old-style “send out a press release to everyone” PR and hopin’ for the headlines. These days it’s all about PERSONAL relations not PUBLIC relations. Sure, it’s nice to be “in the paper” and whenever I’m in it, I usually get some business. (I’ve been on the front page of NM Biz Weekly more than once…had some great biz profiles/interviews published…and I’m still working for a living…;-)

If you’ve got high visibility on the Web, it’ll translate into media exposure. I can get more exposure (and potential biz) with just one link via FB…so I don’t obsess about PR.

This doesn’t mean, of course, you should ignore PR…but it’s changed and continues to change. The line between offline and online marketing tactics have become very blurred - so you need an integrated plan now more than ever.

P.S. What works for me and my “sole proprietor, ‘brain for hire’ ‘I care more about quality of life than quantity of money’ marketing almost assuredly won’t fit your biz model. One size doesn’t fit all, regardless of what some marketing flim-flammers pitch.

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, emarketing, PR, entrepreneur sanity check, Google rankings, Technorati, Facebook”

As my friend and attorney, Jill, said with a wry grin. And, it is funny. But, here’s the thing - all too often that’s exactly what we do, when faced with a problem…we do nothing. (Maybe, if we ignore it, it’ll go away.)

By now - unless you’ve been living in a cave in Tibet - you know that we will never get “back to normal.” And, yet, many seem committed to sitting there, waiting for normal to somehow magically happen again.

So, DO SOMETHING. It doesn’t have to be big, but it should be different.

From Seth Godin - 45 change ideas. #45? Do The Work. (I also like #28 - Have all meetings in a room with no chairs, and everyone wears a bathrobe over their clothes. Great way to get people to stop pontificating and out of their comfort zone.)

Personally, my new mantra is “Don’t go there.” (negative, sad, scared, defensive.) Doesn’t mean I’m hugging everyone I see, leading group sings of Kumbaya or putting daisies in gun barrels (that’s likely to get your head blown off…;-) But, if you can’t affect anything else - you can control your own ‘tude. And, that’s where any change truly begins.

Tags: perspective, marketing troubleshooting, survival, entrepreneur sanity check

…and you’re thinking, Whoa! there, Mary. Isn’t the whole point of a web site to get more business?

Well, yes and no.

Yes, the site gives you info about my background, my services and the obligatory client list.

No, in that I also use the site as a client self-qualifier. I’m basically a brain for hire and if you don’t like how that brain works, you shouldn’t call me. As you read through the pages and especially my blog, you’ll get a good idea how I grok, rock and roll. So, if you don’t like any of that, then neither of us have done the “what can you do for me and how much?” dance. (I also try in some small way to make a difference - in life and biz - with my blog posts.)

If you’re looking for magic, I’m not the marketer for you. It’s your business. You have to implement. You have to live with whatever we come up with. (Yes, “we”) Certainly, I can give you ideas, recommendations and fresh perspective, but ultimately it’s ALL hard work. No five-step plans to instant success.

If you want to be “liked by everyone” - I’m not the marketer for you. People need to be passionate about you. If everyone “likes” you (oh-hum) - you’re doing something wrong in your presentation, pitch or operations.

If you want to play it safe, I’m not the marketer for you. There are about a billion “innovative solutions” and “premier providers” already out there. You’ll just get lost in the crowd.

If you think marketing is advertising, I’m not the marketer for you. Yes, I’m on that soapbox again…but I’ve seen way too many people blow their budget on an ad campaign…with little to nothing left for things like customer service, product development and systems.

If you think this is “unprofessional” - I’m most definitely not the marketer for you. Life is both too short and too important not to have some fun.

Now, if you’ve read this far - I’m not saying you have to be out here on the Web ledge/edge with me, opening the kimono way wide…and, I don’t necessarily advocate that you wander off the biz path on your blog (as I do, especially on Fridays)…but, you do need to be real and take the good with the bad (and ugly). Whatever you put out there, stays out there…and comes back around.

Read More: Why Are You (And I) In Business? In which I talk about my web site renovation (last year; time to do another one) and why I do/did what I do. (I also need to start sending out the monthly eletter again to my subscribers…soon, I promise.)

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, emarketing, entrepreneur sanity check

Yesterday, I visited a friend’s home in Santa Fe that she has been renovating for what seems like forever. It should have been done long before now…but it’s been the all-too-typical tale of contractors not showing up; cost overruns; and incomplete work that stays that way for months. She sighed, “But I guess I’ve got to keep the guy until I finish.” Maybe not.

In today’s NYT there’s a big article about the dropping contractor rates for home renovations. Seems bids that were - say - $250,000 a year ago are now coming in at half that…and the actual projects are ahead of schedule and under budget.

“…Before, they would take a month to get back to you and would have turned down small jobs. Now, they’ll take anything and start right away.”

Hmmm…too bad that the contractors weren’t this reasonable and responsive back in boom times. They might not be facing such tough times now.

Methinks the contractors need to do a long overdue and permanent renovation of their own customer service policies…along with many other troubled companies out there - from credit cards to computers. (All together now, “Well, DUH!, Mary!”)

P.S. My favorite home renovation movies: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House; The Money Pit; and Under The Tuscan Sun (I couldn’t care less about the manufactured happy “she found a man!” ending for Diane Lane in Sun; it’s watching the gorgeous old villa being renovated that makes me happy…that and the cooking scenes.) Hey, I think I just decided what movies I’ll be watching this weekend….right after I finish hauling rocks around the garden…too bad my landscaper hasn’t been in touch lately; now, just where did I put that bid???

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, customer service

A 5×7 postcard would be great. I could quickly do “the flip” to read. I’d get info and the people/firms would once again be top of mind (I keep meaning to call them, but…)

From “my” financial planner:

Three Small Biz Deductions You May Not Know About.

Three Tips On Filing Taxes Electronically. (I know there are some new things out there, but haven’t had time to find the details.)

New! - Higher Interest Investments (With the basic details on one or two.)

From “my” landscaper (it’s that time of year):

Three Plants That Never Need Water (We’re in the desert, the vacant lots are full of native plants. What are they?)

Irrigation System Maintenance - Three Tips

Three Easy-Care Always Blooming Annuals

Three Plants Butterflies & Hummers LOVE!

(With a note such as, “we can dig the holes for you. Your garden will bloom in an afternoon!)

But, nada. Nothing. Nope.

Instead I’m getting the not-so-thrilling straight to recycling bin stuff like:

Yet another postcard promoting a seminar. So why should I come? What will I get out of it? Give me some info I can use ON the invitation and I might sign up.

Yet another glossy promo piece about a company’s great customer service and products! (Particularly vexing when - if they checked their customer records - they’d know I was a very unhappy customer. So, they’re popping back up to “top of mind’ in a bad way.)

Yet another “For Mary Schmidt Only!” letter from a car dealer. I may have already won! (If I open the letter and trek 20 miles so they can scrap the goop off and tell me…uh-huh.)

We’re all so slammed with email and eletters these days - snail mail could be more effective. But, the rules haven’t changed, regardless of delivery: 1. Your own customer base is the best place to market; 2. You should deliver/show value not just talk about it.

A clean-looking, nicely printed black & white card - that I get on a regular basis - would be fine. Such things can be - if you’re willing to learn a bit about software - very cost-effective DIY.

P.S. Humans can only remember - at most - 4 things at a time. So, if you send out something with 3 tips, that leaves #4 to remember to call you.

Now, I’m going to go dig up my landscaper’s phone number…here’s hoping I don’t get distracted before I find it and actually make the call. (Update: I got distracted so no phone call yet.)

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, emarketing, direct mail, entrepreneur sanity check

Headline: Industry Shocked And Angered By Facebook CFO’s Firing

Hmmm…Methinks this is a case of “fall guy.” Happens ALL the time in Corporate America.

I enjoy Facebook. It’s fun. But it’s also annoying. I’m having to ignore an increasing amount of crap (that “crap” is FB trying to turn a fun thing into a viable business.)

Here’s the thing: It is fun, but I can live without it. Did so before. After a week or so, I’d get used to not having it. It can/could be a good way to develop business…but…I can do other things too, like continue blogging…All of which doesn’t bode well for FB becoming a viable business.

Can your customers live without you (or think they can’t?)

Related Post: Does Facebook Literally Not Know Any Better?

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, communications, social media, social marketing, social advertising, Facebook

Nobody “gives” you money (with the possible exception of your Mom, and unless she’s a mega-millionaire, she likely can’t fund your start-up)

When you’re looking for financing - rather from VCs, angels, banks, or alternative lenders - they ALL want to know how you’re going to spend the money. As one of my long-ago mentors used to say, “We’re not the Fresh Air Fund.”

In my role as a long-time advisor for the annual TVC Equity Capital Symposium, I see the “use of funds” headline a lot. Unfortunately, what follows is often lacking.

Example #1, “Use of Funds: Advertising.” What seems like big bucks to you for “advertising” will barely (if that) penetrate your target customers’ awareness, much less help against a bigger, entrenched competitor.

You’d be better off spending your millions on channel development (get larger, established companies to do the sales and marketing for you. But caution: just because they’re big doesn’t mean they’re right for you.) Sure, your profit margins will be smaller, but you’ll actually get to market and have revenues. (And, far better to have 10% of something, than 100% of nothing.)

Example #2: “Hire a Sales VP To Build Sales & Marketing.” Good that you recognize you’re not a stellar salesperson. But, are you ready to hire a big dog? Do you have a product ready to go? Can that big dog actually sell in a start-up environment? I’ve seen many a Big Pup with a Big Company resume who weren’t able to produce in a start-up scenario. They wanted their big company salaries…and expected their big company support structure and timelines. Sales cycle, schmycle. You need to close the deal in 90 days, not nine months. And, stellar sales people usually aren’t good marketers. Different skill sets.

Example #3: “Comprehensive, Integrated Branding Program.” Okay, do you even know what that means? (I thought so…;-)…) I’ll tell you what this usually means - some “marketing expert” has talked a great line about “creating a brand for sustainable creative advantage” and sold an over-priced,under-creative logo/stationary/biz card/coffee cup package. You don’t need a coffee cup; you need a product. I actually had an entrepreneur once tell me, “We’re branded! We’ve got a coffee cup!” Yes, and nobody in the investor audience could (easily) tell what his company actually did, much less why they should open their check books. (VCs can’t do due diligence on a logo.)

So before you go looking for funding, think about what you REALLY need and when…and why. Can you get to market with $600K versus $6M? (or $50K versus $500,000?) Yes, there’s the old bugaboo of “undercapitalization,” but you can spend wisely.

Related Posts:
Start-Up Success: Sales Pros Or Order Takers?
Is Your Marketing Big M or Small m?
“I’ve Got A Great Product, Now I Need Some Marketing.”
“Strategic Alliances: Snake Or Hamster?”
There’s A Reason They’re Called “Market Windows.”
Three Things You Don’t Need In A Start-Up

Tags: financing, start-up funding, entrepreneur sanity check, start-up success, marketing troubleshooting

In my last “real’ job I worked for a technology start-up for which the founder raised $60 Million. Yes, that’s right 60, six-oh, followed by million. We had beautiful, custom designed offices, terrific marketing materials, a great support staff….and one customer. Sad (and needless) to say, my stock ended up being worth nothing.

So, here the three things you don’t need in start-up mode, if ever:

1. Cool Offices. If you’re two guys coding, you can do that at home. But DO have some structure around “little” things like production plans and documentation. (And, if you really do need facilities - don’t sign a lease for 50,000 square feet when 10,000 will do for at least a year.)

2. Glitz and Glitter. Sure, you need to look professional when talking to potential investors and customers, but that should be more a function of your capabilities than your brochure design. VCs don’t invest in pantone colors and customers don’t buy based on a logo. And, in the very early stages, a simple informational web page is fine. As you get funding and develop your company - then’s the time to build your onine office (see #1.)

3. Staff. This is always a bit of delicate dance. You need people to support your customers…but you need customers to pay for the people. However, staffing up based on what you think will happen in a year is a real gamble. These days, you can build a virtual team, as needed, thanks to technology. (And, build your network of hired brains BEFORE you need them.)

Related Posts:
Start-Up Success: The First Five Things
When Bad Things Happen to Good Ideas
Start-Up Or Shut-Down?
Start-Up Success: People Before Plan
My Best Advice to Start-Ups: Don’t Start
It’s Impossible To Be a “Thought Leader”…

Tags: business development, business planning, start-ups, entrepreneurs, entrepreneur sanity check

Marketing pro Maureen Rodgers posted, Hate The Gray. Wash It Away.

A famous Clairol ad of my childhood asked, “Hate that gray?” And answered, that you could simply “wash it away” with Lady Clairol hair coloring. In a weird and discursive way, this came to mind as I thought of the likelihood that the Social Security retirement age will no doubt be extended. Which got me to thinking about some of the marketing folks I’ve worked with over the years. Which got me thinking about how important it is to keep up with the radical changes to the practice of marketing that the Internet has begotten.

I’ll take a step further - biz owners also have to WAKE UP and realize that - if they plan on being in biz for much longer - they’ve GOT to learn some new tricks.

(And - Big Clueless Company CEOs? That means what you do has to match what you say, including on your web site. Your customers are talking, on the “Internets” and that old fashioned t.v. machine. Even if you don’t grok the Web, surely you can understand “audience of millions.”)

I recently talked with a local entrepreneur who said, “I know I need to do this “Web stuff” but I don’t want to learn it. Who can I hire to do it?” Ouch. If you don’t know anything about the Web, how do you know the person you hire is any good? What usually happens in this scenario (which I’ve seen ad nauseum) is the biz owner pays mucho dinero to a web techie for an already outdated (and very broken) web site…then they get suckered by a self-anointed “Web expert” who slaps hoary marketing techniques into the new technology (those dreaded cold email blasts; hardcore selling in Facebook; sending out a traditional press release, with the “press of a button” to thousands, etc.) Then, they tell everyone how the Web doesn’t work for them. Well, of course not.

Maureen closes with: “You need to get with the new program, and figure out what will work best for your products and your audience. It may well be a combination of new and old. It may be, I hate to tell you, about 99% all new. But I can pretty much guarantee you that what it will not be is all the old tactics of yesteryear.”

What she said. Now, this old dog has got to go read up on some of the dreaded “web techie” stuff. Woof woof!

Related Posts:
I Don’t Get Any Business From My Web Site.
I Don’t Have Time To Play On The Computer.

Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, emarketing, web marketing, web development