3 Ways To Alienate Your Peeps a.k.a. "How NOT to Market"

 

 

As I put the final touches on my Escalator Marketing(tm) report and what it means to businesses of all industries -- online and offline -- there are several things which have hit my inbox this week as great examples of how NOT to market your business and I want to share a few of them here.

1. I received 3 emails from someone whose list I've been on for well over a year and received so few communications that I completely forgot I was on her list (okay, that's a mistake in itself, but not the one I'm focusing on).  The 1st email mentioned that she's been busy and asked how I was (that's it...just a few words). I forget what the second was and the 3rd is to sell me a $700 program.  Seriously? No contact in "forever" and then sell me a $700 program after asking how I am? There are no words.
2. Another program offer/sales page talking about how "in demand" the coach is and that she isn't often able to include 1-on-1 time with her clients, but will for a limited time as part of a larger program (limited time and number of people not included in her sales page) and ending with how much she cares about my success and always overdelivers. There's no doubt that she and I differ on the definition of "overdeliver".
3. The following is an excerpt from an email sent to me yesterday (name withheld for privacy reasons): "Hi Sandra, I have been in a couple of programs recently. One at a platinum level that I still could not talk directly to my coach unless in a small group 1 hour call once per month. . .I am currently trying to leave a program that is not delivering what it sold and certainly not giving me the real information I need to move forward to a profitable business model." The concerns here are obvious: 1/ This individual will likely never invest in anything else offered by either of the two program hosts she's currently involved with, 2/ She may have shared her poor experiences with her friends/colleagues who will have less than overwhelming respect for the program hosts and 3/ Others in the same programs are likely feeling/experiencing the same lack of happiness/results  -- all of which have longer term impact for the programs' hosts.

Marketing our businesses isn't just the promotion/launching of new programs, products and services. Or posting on social media and our blogs. Or sending out a consistent ezine.

Marketing our businesses takes places every day in every action and interaction -- with current clients, former clients and aquaintances. It's how we show up in everything we do.

In other words. . ."Ordinary things, done consistently, create extraordinary AND consistent results."  :-)

If inspired, please share some of the "marketing missteps" you've encountered below. . .

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Melanie Benson Strick]

Sandra, hearing someone say they aren't getting the deliverables from the Platinum coaching program they joined always makes me sad.

Especially when the coach makes themselves completely unavailable.

I end up doing a lot of "guru recovery" work with my clients who followed a great marketing campaign, invested then found out that nothing they needed or wanted is being delivered.

It's time to help our entrepreneurs learn how to make better decisions and invest in the mentors who really CARE and deliver on their promise.

Thanks for bringing this issue out to the public! It's time!

Melanie Benson Strick
http://www.successconnections.com

[Sandra Martini]

Hi Melanie,

Thanks for commenting!

What's sadder than some coaches not delivering as promised, or insinuated through their marketing, is their total lack of availability combined with a contract which requires their clients to continue paying even if the program isn't right for them.

The way I see it. . .if a program's right for the client and the client's seeing results, she'll stay which is why I don't use those type of contracts in my business.

I agree that we need to support our colleagues in making the decisions best for their businesses and themselves and that's part of the reason I encourage them to ask lots of questions up front.

When it works, it's a win-win-win: a win for our client, a win for our client's clients and a win for us.

When it doesn't work, no one wins.

Sandy :-)

[Eileen Gordon]

I've been to countless networking events recently as I am visiting a new area and staying with friends for awhile. Met lots of great folks. And here I am a couple weeks later...having been "subscribed" (apparently) to a couple of "newsletters" (more like announcements, but still). No unsubscribe link. Inexperienced local business owners who are using Apple Mail or Outlook to mass mail their promotions with no concern for whether or not any of us opted in (we didn't). I consult with local businesses on internet marketing, and this is one of the premiere blunders I see over and over again. A major marketing no-no. To all of you who have business owner friends or acquaintances who do this, I strongly urge you to educate them. AWeber is only $19 a month!

[Rhonda Hess]

Another faux pas: Through Facebook I'm invited, hounded more like,to enroll in various programs put on by folks who haven't connected with me in any other way on Facebook. That Give-give-get rule of thumb is crucial. Give value and connect (not promote) most of the time to build enough social cred to market some of the time.

[Shannon Cherry]

Sandy,

Once again, you hit the nail on the head.

Yes, as coaches and mentors, we need to value our time - and that means people should pay for it too. But that doesn't mean you should show value by saying you charge more than $1000 (or whatever) per coaching session. Like I have said before, no coach or mentor is worth that much because the work really is within the client not the coach.

Value is not about price, it's about worth.

Here's my test to those who charge high fees to help me be successful...
1) Is the skill worth I want to learn good for me/my business? If so, move on to question 2.

2) Can I pay someone who is already skilled in it to do it for me at the same - or lower rate?

Usually if I can answer yes to the first question, I can find a way to make question #2 a yes too.