Need Marketing, Or Therapy?
True story:
I had a client who was a big fan. She told me she adored my agency site…sat in the front row of all my speaking gigs…read all my marketing articles and raved about me to her associates. We’d also partnered on a successful project for one of her clients. Finally, she hired me for needed marketing help with her web site.
Her site problems were obvious. It was painfully dull with long rambling text and poor overall page design. It was also lacking in any kind of brand message or personality. I made some simple suggestions as she took copious notes. So, when a couple months passed with no follow-up word, I logged into her site to see what she’d done. She’d done nothing.
When I rang her she seemed tongue-tied, making excuses and changing the subject. Confused, but still committed to helping her I commented: “I know how busy you are, but you must realize that your online presence is something that needs to be a priority. You can bet that your competition understands that.” To which she replied, “I have no competition.”
Huh? “You’re kidding, right?” I replied. She wasn’t. And, after a few minutes of her irrational reply I had to politely get off the phone.
I’m proud to say that have a list of two dozen clients who’ve sent the most grateful testimonies of how their sales have jumped as a result of our collaboration. You can see them at Client Letters. In my 30 years in business this is only client who’s ever requested help and then disregarded it with the rationale that they have no competition.
Oh, if you’re wondering, her business is Web Design. Which is why I suggest that some business owners need a therapist more than a marketing expert. Because marketing one’s own business can easily trigger some deeper, more personal, issues that can ultimately interfear with business success. And, that’s a big reason I began Marketing Therapy.
The logic behind Marketing Therapy is simple:
The better I can tap into your business-related psychological and emotional issues (ie. fears, desires, perceptions, expectations, etc) the better I can help resolve your marketing issues.
Yes, I know, I’m not a shrink. But I have run a business for 20 years and I know how tough it is to keep an honest perspective. I’m suggesting that a little psychological awareness and sensitivity goes a long way when it comes to problem solving. In any field.
A few years ago I did volunteer work for a 24-hour telephone crisis line. Before being allowed to answer a single call each volunteer was required to go through a 50-hour training program — to prepare them for any type of crisis call. One of the best things I learned from that 50-hours of training was something called “active listening.” It taught the importance of not just listening to what the person was saying verbally, but also what they were feeling emotionally. At the time I didn’t realize just how much that training would help me in business.
As described in my story sometimes a client’s erroneous perceptions are too deeply embedded for a successful marketing effort. And no amount of listening or dialogue can help.
BTW, I did hear back from that business owner two years later. She had lost a key employee and was forced to move her business to a less desirable part of town. The reason for her call? She was considering more marketing of my help.