What can we learn from the World Cup?

Watching the World Cup has reminded me of some marketing home truths. There is no magic formula for winning football matches anymore than there is delivering a winning marketing campaign. We have come to expect that there is a secret formula or one special ingredient - Wayne Rooney and Twitter both have there place but there are more forces at play. The expression we use at Size 10 1/2 Boots to describe success formula is “intelligent elbow grease”. ‘Intelligent’ relates to making the smarter choices, say choosing a permission based marketing approach ahead of traditional interruptive techniques, like cold calling. ‘Elbow grease’ is a more old fashioned concept that has been lost, as we have been duped into believing that instant gratification is possible. Well, in marketing and on the football pitch hard graft is still valuable. Did you see how New Zealand won a famous point against Italy? “Intelligent elbow grease” was the key ingredient here, not expensive sponsorship.In marketing too much has been said and written about digital media at the expense of face to face communication over a bacon sandwich or pint of beer. In football there is a place for both the giants and minnows, as in marketing coffee is as important as blogging. Anyway, my money is on Holland to lift the big prize.

Lead Generation

Lawyers; accountants; patent attorneys; barristers; surveyors; acrhitects; and engineers have one thing in common- they don’t like selling. Well, I have some good news for you if you belong to one of these professions. You don’t have to sell. Oh, but you do need to drink coffee. Drinking coffee is a perfect way to create a lead generation system that ultimately wins new business. Creating leads is the way to win new clients; not focussing on closing sales. Business to business is about relationships. Relationships are based on trust. Trust takes time to build. Coffee is social glue. Glue cements trust. Trust wins business. Don’t try and sell, but do invest time to listen and learn what your contacts are doing. What better way to do this than over a capuccino or latte?

Dont call me a luddite but…

One of the most common questions I get asked these days is ‘what do you think about twitter?’ or ‘is social media worthwhile for my business?’ Sorry to be a killjoy but there are no silver bullets or magic dust to win business in the service sector. The same rules apply today as have always applied, namely: be visible and touch your contacts a little and often. The phrase that we use at Size 10 1/2 Boots is ‘intelligent elbow grease’. What we mean by this is that we are targeted in who we communicate with and then very disciplined in following up. Candidly nothing beats face to face communication over a coffee or beer to build trust. Relationships are built in real time not a virtual world. Yes, social media can supplement and indeed amplify your message but it will never replace looking in someones eyes.

How many marketing touches?

Conventional marketing wisdom tells us that you need to ‘touch’ someone 5-7 times before they will buy. Candidly I don’t buy this anymore in the current increasingly competitive environment. A combination of increased noise in the market place, ie information overload, and tougher trading means 5 things: 1) You need to communicate more often to get heard; 2) You need to be clearer with your messages; 3) You need to get emotional buy-in to your proposition - people wont buy you simply because you have technical credentials - others will have this; 4) You must demonstrate value; and 5) You must make it easy for people to take the next step,eg manage risk. Thats Size 10 1/2 Boots experience from engaging with buyers in the professional services market. How about you?

Don’t want to sound like Nicholas Winterton but…

Tory MP Nicholas Winterton didn’t do himself any favours today when interviewed on the radio. He was challenged about why MP’s think that they should travel first class. It reminded me of a tip I picked up recently from an entrepreneur. He shared with me his secret of strategically placing a provocatively titled book on the table in front of him when travelling first class. The bait attracts interest from curious business folk and can lead to new relationships. I am going to test it. Mind, nothing too provocative!

Client Scare

Had to laugh this week when I visited a legal practice that shall remain nameless. I had been invited to pitch for an Independent Client Service Review programme. The firm I was told were keen to raise the bar of client care. Interesting then that on my arrival to the car park I was nearly scared away by a very officious receptionist. I was told in no uncertain terms that the space I had parked in was reserved for a partner. There was no signage and no alternative was initially offered. The angry receptionist could not have made me more unwelcome. After 2 hours on the M1 and a 6am start I was hoping to arrive for a warm bacon sandwich. Instead all I got was a flea in my ear. Client care? More like, Client Scare!

Get a dog

When the children ganged up and demanded a dog I took some convincing. A month on as a virgin dog owner I am seeing the world differently. Its amazing how you change your paradigm of your locality immediately and discover places and people that never existed previously. Its got me thinking about business paradigms and made me realise that we are all guilty of approaching issues from often a narrow perspective. My question to you is how might you grow your business by doing something different. Perhaps you could give a dog a home in the process!

Confidence

Having got caught in the snow I was rescued by road side assistance. During an exciting couple of hours in a transporter trying to retrieve my vehicle I got to know the driver, Ashley. He asked what I did for a living and I explained that I had crossed the A1 on foot that morning to beat the snow and deliver a workshop on Effective Networking. Ashley then talked about his past and personal exploits in the Falklands War and Belfast. The message that he got across loud and clear, was that success in such challenging environments is all about confidence and personal mind set, not technical ability. Interesting, I thought, as I had spent that morning saying very much the same thing to men in suits about ‘working a room’. Very different environments, but perhaps an important parallel. Are you addressing ‘confidence’ in your plans for 2010?

Mary “Queen of the shops” Portas

Key message delivered at an ‘effective networking’ training workshop I ran earlier this week was on taking action and overcoming the fear of rejection. Later that afternoon I had the chance to practice what I had been preaching. Sat a few rows behind me on the London bound train at Leeds was Mary “Queen of the shops” Portas. Time to find out Mary’s shoe size and sieze the moment. The timing was perfect - Size 10 1/2 Boots is helping a national law firm with its retail sector strategy. Mary was charming and we had a very convivial conversation all the way to Kings Cross. So convivial, Mary forgot to take her bags with her when we pulled in. I have followed up, as you just knew I would, and now have a valuable connection to boot. Who might you connect with if you have the confidence to try?

Dont judge a skinhead by his boots

Going to see The Specials at the weekend highlighted the danger of jumping to conclusions. True, the sight of scores of skinheads with Dr Marten boots might at first appear intimidating. Surely they must be racist thugs, mustn’t they? No….genuine music loving skinheads have a passion for ska and rocksteady originating from Jamaica . I talked to a group of skinheads before the gig in a pub and what impressed me was their knowledge and respect for black culture that inspired bands like The Specials. They despise the right wing element that were attracted to the British 2 tone movement in the late 1970s. The Specials is for everyone black and white, dreadlocks and boneheads.

What conclusions are you jumping to in your marketing? Are you really putting yourself in your clients Dr Marten boots?