I do know those who connect well put great effort into it - John Maxwell

I do know that those who connect well put great effort in it. If you're

waiting for people to come to you, connect with you, make your day...

you're always going to be a bit unplugged. But if you decide to get

 into their lives, ask questions about them, value them and make

them your interest.........well, that increases your potential for connection.

- John Maxwell

to hear John talk about connecting click here

 I do know that those who

connect well put great effort into it

Thanks John, great word that I needed to hear today.

To that end..........

Execute to Market Well: #8 Evaluate and Correct

Unless I can make this plan happen,

it's not going to matter.
- Bossidy/ Charan in
"Execution: the Disclipline of
Getting Things Done

The previous post specific to Marketing Well was on the "top 3 most important marketing things to do; Execute, Execute, Execute."

I wrote that post in frustration, 12 days ago, because I was NOT marketing well. I was letting other things get in the way of EXECUTING my marketing plan. 12 days later and.......I'm still not marketing well.

 

Why don't we market more?

Why is marketing such a strange and elusive event? Why? Pure and simple....roadblocks.

Here's the 22 Roadblocks to Successful Marketing

 



Thinking youself to marketing more effectively

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to

entertain a thought without accepting it.

Aristotle

Readers of this blog will recognize a similiar post in 2011.

A marketing strategy starts off as a theory of how best to organize, invest and put into action resources (weapons) in such a way they work together to achieve results.

Thinking analytically, systematically and executing while robustly evaluating and correcting is critical to being a successful and effective marketer. Notice that Aristotle did not say an "educated person" but rather an educated mind. Hence, a disciplined way of thinking. Disciplined, not stale.  Thinking that moves to action.

Anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly

until you can learn to do it well.

 

Execute to Market Well: #7, Execute - Execute - Execute

The top THREE most important marketing things to do:

Execute

Execute

Execute

Execute with People

Execute with Operations

Execute with Strategy

But........EXECUTE something! Make an IMPACT!

Execute to Market Well: #6

I use Marketing Weapons everyday. We all do. This blog is a Weapon. How I use this Weapon, how I "think" about this Weapon, impacts its effectiveness and power.

Here are a few of the Weapons I use on a daily (D), weekly (W), monthly (M) and sporadic (S) basis:

• Email  (D)
• Service (D)
• Email signatures - (D) This is the probably the most neglected and easiest Weapon to use with greatest impact.
• Conversations - Face-to-face  (D)
• Conversations - Phone (D)
• Facebook personal page (D)
• Facebook business page
• Twitter (D)
• Blog (D)
• My logo (D) - purposefully put it where I want, but not on everything
• My picture (D) - purposefully put it where I want, but not on everything
• Graphics and Pictures - especially in my blog (D)
• E-Newletter (M)
• Fusion Partners (D/W)
• Thank you cards (W)
• Taglines - (D) - I purposefully use different taglines in my signaures. These are sometimes built into graphics
• Missions and Charities I support (M)
• Answering the Phone (D) - IT's A GREAT DAY!
• e-newspaper (D)
• marketing plan (W)
• Video (S) This should be at least weekly and working into my process. I'll use Hurdie Burk to help me get started, again.
• Contact Relationship Management/CRM (D) - CRMs aren't about technology. CRMs are about managing the relationships you work at having with prospects and clients
• Flexibility (D)
• marketing calendar (D)
• company name (D)
• Target/Niche Marketing (S)
• identity (D) - if someone stole your marketing identity, what would they get?
• Gifts (S)
• business cards (D) - do you use this as a shotgun or a sniper rifle? I know, not a nice picture but I'm trying to make a point here.
• training workshop (S)
• 1:1 training (W) - do you meet people and use opportunity to train yourself about them, or them about you?
• online workshops/webinars (W)
• face-to-face networking (W) - how many of these meetings to you waste by not following through with more weapons?
• Networking breakfast or lunchs (W)
• Attire (D) - your physical appearance is 90% of 1st impression
• Flyers (S)
• Conversations around product/service questions (D)

How many people have you been in contact with over the past week? The past month? Have you followed-up? Followed-through?

We have so many Weapons at our disposal and most are laying around unused.

For a broad list of Marketing Weapons, see Jay Conrad Levinsons 200 Guerrilla Marketing Weapons.

To download my list and worksheet, click here.

And to that end.............


Danny,  (512) 773-6528



Thanks Lynn and Kelly

If service is marketing's #1 weapon then the #1 evidence of great service is a Referral and a Success Story.

Lynn is a pastor and has bought and refinanced numerous homes over the last 30 years. After being referred to me by Kelly, Lynn was great to work with and here's his comment to me after the closing -

You have made the whole process fairly painless, the easiest of all the

times we have done house financing. The closing went smoothly yesterday.

Thanks again for your personal attention.

To that end.........what's your success story? I'd love to hear about your impact.

Danny



Marketing's #1 Weapon: SERVICE

I've been writing about executing a marketing plan around the processes of People, Strategy and Operations. That writing has been stalled a bit though due to the "living" part of that execution - Service: Marketing's #1 Weapon.

Here's a great example of athe impact of that weapon being used well: Customer Service Lessons from "Taxi Terry" by Business Speaker Scott McKain



Actually, after listening to this again, I've picked out 8 other Marketing Weapons.

How many did you hear Scott mention?


Danny
512-773-6528
Danny@DannyLSmith.com