A Marketing
Consultant is a professional who offers businesses OUTSIDE OBJECTIVITY...
EXPERIENCE... TALENT... and INTUITION. Here is what these qualities mean to
you and your business.
Experience...
is not only learning from your personal successes and failures, but also from
others. Experience is a combination of longevity and exposure. We all have
had experiences in life, but professional experience is a sought after and
valuable commodity.
When checking out a medical specialist, we always query the Doctors experience.
"How many operations like this have you done, Doc?" If the answer
is hundreds we feel somewhat confident. If the answer is thousands, our confidence
is increased. However, if the Doctor says, "You're the first one."
We politely excuse ourselves, and go and find another Doctor.
Professional experience instills confidence. Whether
it is a Doctor, an Attorney or a Marketing Consultant. Because experience
increases the degree of success, and reduces the risk of failure.
Professional experience is a result of being personally involved in various
situations and learning from their results. It is also studying cases and
analyzing what has worked for peers, associates. This isn't stuff that you
learn from textbooks. You have to be in the trenches, with the troops to understand
what works and what doesn't.
It is not only important to relate to a specific experience, but to know how
those principles can be applied to current situations. This all comes with
'experience', but then, I repeat myself. Yes, you have to have the initial
knowledge and then the ability to understand when and how to use it, when
applicable.
Over the past 50 years (Yes I was born in 1938 ), I have been interested in
Advertising and Marketing. I have read, studied and talked with experts in
these fields. I have attended numerous seminars, conferences and schools.
Most important, I have worked in, or with, every aspect of advertising, sales
and marketing. This combination is what my personal experience is built on.
Now, after years of listening, learning and doing, I can benefit my clients
with the knowledge gained through my diverse experiences.
Experience does not come cheap. But, it is well worth it. No one brags about
going to the cheapest brain surgeon in town. It is wise to pay once for the
expertise, rather the twice for a failed operation. And that goes especially
for marketing! But, there are those out there who do not understand the value
of experience and go with cheaper alternatives printers in-house employees
even relatives.
Years ago I made a proposal to a prospective client. The Sales Manager liked
my ideas, but other members of the management team decided to "try out"
a less experienced "designer" to "keep the cost down".
Nine months later, they called me back more than willing to pay my fee. The
'new kid' did not have the marketing savvy to create and implement an effective
advertising campaign. In fact, his inexperience cost the company ten of thousands
in sales and loss of time.
Do you know why the Edsel failed, but the Mustang succeeded even though both
used the same marketing technique? Do you know why Carlings Black Label Beer
decided not to advertise to the Afro-American market, even though they were
their biggest market segment? Do you know why Gillette spent millions on a
marketing campaign that failed? I DO!
These and hundreds of other marketing stories represent factors and fundamentals
that can be applied to your current marketing conditions. The sum of these
experiences presents a value, which will benefit your bottom line.
Sometimes a prospective client will get too focused on specific experience.
They almost insist that you have to have worked with their direct competitor
to be qualified to handle their marketing. This would be like asking your
doctor, "Have you ever performed this operation on an individual of my
exact height, age and hair color?" Now they're some exceptions, but if
the doctor has extensive experience in the procedure, the patient's physical
description has little bearing. I have found that most of these companies
lack imagination and try to emulate their competitors. In most cases I can
relate to experience with 'like' businesses that will satisfy the wary prospect.
They say, "There is no substitute for experience." I would like
to add to that " and knowing how to use it."