by Scott Howard | Dec 19, 2014 | The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo
From the ScLoHo 2008 archives:
Which would you rather do:
- Start at the mouth of the Mississippi and paddle your canoe upstream until you reached Minneapolis,
- Or Start in Minneapolis and head downstream until you reached New Orleans and the Atlantic?
The distance is the same.
The obstacles are the same, such as other boats, dams, etc.
The scenery is the same.
The area or territory you cover is the same.
So what’s the difference?
Going with the flow is much, much easier compared to the opposite.
I Googled both options and could not find anyone that made the trip upstream.
But there were plenty of folks that went with the flow. In 2002 a man swimmed the Mississippi in 68 days. A canoe trip takes about three months. It also takes three months for a single drop of water to make the journey. 90 days is the natural flow of the river.
Imagine the extra effort that it would require to paddle upstream? Not only will it take you more than three months, but it will take more resources, more strength and more stamina to fight the currents that are pushing you in the opposite direction.
My guess, is that it would take 2 to 5 times the effort.
And the question is why go against the natural flow?
This story is not about rivers though, but it does paint a very visual word picture.
This story is about marketing and advertising. All too often I have watched well intentioned business owners paddle upstream and fight the factors that they have no control over instead of using those same factors to their advantage.
Marketing and Advertising that goes with the flow, follows the buying processes that people go through. It mimics the relationship factors that we as human beings look for in our lives.
Bottom line, if your advertising and marketing efforts are contradicting the way people buy or want to buy, you are going to spend a lot more time, energy and money to accomplish what could have been done easier if you followed the flow.
If an advertising salesperson tries to sell you ads without these considerations, you just may be paddling in the wrong direction.
by Scott Howard | Nov 6, 2014 | The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, Uncategorized
For #TBT also know as #ThrowBackThursday, this piece I wrote in 2009:
I serve on a few marketing advisory boards and I have noticed how some folks are either confused by, or scared of new technology.
Let’s take some of the mystery out of it.
Technology advances are coming at us faster and faster it seems but they are only tools.
And you have to use the right tools to accomplish the task at hand. A pipe wrench isn’t the best tool to change a light bulb, but you probably could use it.
Before you decide which tool to use in your marketing, keep in mind the following timeless principles:
- The very best marketing method mimics human relationship principles.
- In order to build relationships, you need to have positive contact repeatedly.
- Anything that does not follow these two principles should be examined very carefully before you decide to invest your time or money in it.
For centuries, men and women have gone through a courtship stage in their relationships. Many times, this leads to marriage. And that is one of the ultimate examples of how marketing works.
Yes, there are other outcomes between men and women, ranging from friendship to one-night-stands. But what type of relationship do you want with your customers? I bet if you were really honest with yourself, you would want the one that lasts a lifetime, puts up with imperfections, stands by you even when you screw up, and smiles when they think of you.
In return, you strive to be your best, to forgive when your customer screws up, to put up with their quirks and to go out of your way to serve.
No matter what tool you use in advertising or marketing, follow these principles. They will stand the test of time.
by Scott Howard | Oct 23, 2014 | The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo
#TBT From my 2008 ScLoHo archives:
Some of the smartest marketing minds don’t seem to get IT.
Some of the smartest marketing minds DO GET IT.
What’s IT?
IT is the real reason people like you and me and your neighbor, and your spouse, and nearly every human being decide:
- What to Buy
- Who to Buy from
- When to Buy
The pessimistic economists and some in the news media say that we are slaves to prices. That we are driven by the mighty dollar and what it will buy.
It’s this line of thinking prompts retailers to always have a sale, to the point that you feel stupid if you pay full price.
We have become numb to the price games.
We want more.
We want to feel important.
We want to feel valued.
We want someone to care about the things we care about.
We want to know that we are getting what we pay for, not just something cheap.
It’s the experience we are after and here’s two examples from my own life that illustrate this point:
In 2002, I bought a house that had no central air conditioning, and no duct work since the house had hot water heat.
I got two bids from two companies that I was familiar with that my parents had used years ago, or that I remembered from their decades of advertising. One bid was for $8,000. The other bid was for $8,500.
I spent the extra $500 from the company that impressed me with the way they treated me as a potential customer, and I was not disappointed. After the A/C was installed, they had to come back and make some adjustments, but they told me in advance that this was going to be necessary, and I continue to recommend them and use them.
The other story involves dry cleaning. I once was tempted to visit a different dry cleaner than my usual dry cleaner because of a special they were running.
Problem was, they told me it was going to be 5 days instead of the 24 hours I was used to at my usual dry cleaners to get my clothes back. I continue to be loyal to the one that provides the best service for my needs.
Now granted, there are certain stores that do both, provide good service and good prices.
But you can never lower your prices low enough to make up for bad service.
by Scott Howard | Oct 10, 2014 | Really? The Personal ScLoHo
It was 6 years ago that I wrote this on one of my original blogs and it still applies:
One thing you have to do is learn the language that your partner speaks. My wife and I both speak English, but it goes deeper than that. When she says, “The trash in the kitchen needs taking out”, I can agree and do nothing, and then be accused of not listening, being an uncaring husband, etc.
I have learned that when she says that, it means she wants me to take action. There are also differences in generations in the way we use language. My son is a bit of a gamer. So when I’ve heard him over the years talk about “Cheat Codes”, I know that it isn’t automatically something illegal, or immoral.
I stumbled across this recently:
I often remember times when I played video games and had cheat codes which made winning the game faster and easier. I have wished innumerable times to have cheat codes for winning a marriage, to have cheat codes for a happy marriage.
Of course I know that there are no short cuts to a happy marriage. The basics steps of “How to have a happy marriage” have to be applied. But, even then, wouldn’t it be great if there were some tips which made having a happy married life easier; Tips which are easy to implement and yet give tremendous results.
I didn’t have cheat codes for a happy marriage when I got married. But I sure found them later on while living the marriage. These obviously do not eliminate the basics – to love, to communicate, to laugh, to forgive etc. But they do increase chances of a happy married life drastically. And most importantly, they work.
Cheat Codes To Have A Happy Marriage (click here)
by Scott Howard | Aug 19, 2014 | ScLoHo Sales Tips
Earlier this month I was part of a training exercise for our company that was designed by our sales consultancy. 2 days filled with role playing and other exercises to stretch us to better serve our clients.
The 27 of us were divided into 3 competing teams. Over the two days I had a love/hate relationship with our trainer.
When it was all over, I wasn’t sure what I learned. I mean after being in the marketing and advertising since I was 26, let’s say 2 decades due to time away pursuing other career interests, there isn’t much I haven’t learned, heard, or taught.
Most of this training is a refresher. A reminder. Perhaps a new structure of organization of the same basic principles, but rarely something brand new. But the following week, I realized the benefit I got from those couple of days and started putting those lessons back into daily practice.
So what is the Most Important Question that you and I need to ask?
It could be asking them about money and budgets. It could be about who makes the decisions. These were a couple that we discovered during the exercise.
But the most important question is one that you should ask every time. You should ask it after you have asked many of the other must ask questions:
What else should I know that we haven’t talked about yet?
You can adapt this to any selling Q & A, with one condition. Make sure you keep it open ended. You don’t want a yes or no answer. You want to discover what is really important and this question can open that door.
From the ScLoHo 2008 archives:
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
TuneIn
Deezer
CastBox