Marketing Direct

Tested Concepts In Lead Generation

Common Sense On Marketing

Do not, do not, spend big bucks on marketing consultants

It's a horrible idea.  A marketing consultant won't necessarily gouge the business — though they might.  But they'll take their time.  When marketing consultants take time, bills rise several thousand dollars.

More important, the extra weeks (months?) of marketing evaluations may tie up revenue better used on test marketing.

Some people have an odd notion that "their" marketing consultant understands that the only purpose of marketing is to make sales.  In the unlikely event this is true, what makes "your" marketing consultant capable of actually selling your product or service?  Not much.  He or she is probably good at presenting complex marketing strategies which means this is "your" marketing consultant's best chance to make money off you.

While we're at it, don't spend big bucks on advertising agencies either.

An advertising agency solves one problem: you don't have to worry about getting bored reading dry marketing reports.  Advertising agencies have their ways.  If free to "do their thing" they may come up with dressy ads that are graphically gorgeous, but costly to produce and mostly a waste of money to run.  They will certainly push you to run "creative" ads as long as they can.

To sum up, a marketing consultant should be someone who is personally loyal to you, has common sense, and is rough enough to tell over-eager advertising agencies, "Down, boy!"

Be hard-boiled about marketing

On a piece of paper write down the following phrase and place it on your mirror so you'll see it each morning: "the only purpose of marketing is to make sales."

It is profitable or unprofitable according to its actual sales.  It is not for general effect.  It is not to keep your name before the people.  It is not primarily to generate sales leads to aid your salesmen.

Treat marketing like a salesman.  Force it to justify itself.  Base your final conclusions on cost per customer or cost per dollar of sale.

Once you know your costs, ask your marketing consultant how to lower these costs.  Make that your primary objective... especially when dealing with marketing consultants.

Start a test campaign

Almost any marketing question can be answered, cheaply, quickly and finally by a test campaign.  And that's the way to answer them — not by arguments around a table.  Go to the court of last resort — the buyers of your product or service.

Consider a sample offer or a free package to get users started quickly.  Then wait and see if users buy those samples.  If they do, will they continue?  How much will they buy?  How long does it take for the profit to return to your cost of selling?

Make a business of such projects

One by one you'll find winners.  By testing in this way it is possible to promote a business with almost no risk whatever.

That is the only purpose of testing — to try out plan after plan to constantly reduce the cost.  Why should any marketing effort be less business-like and careful?