So… What do I do then???

I start by sticking to what I know works, focusing on my image and utilizing marketing venues that are already at my finger tips. Do you have a marketing blurb in all company emails that go out? Hotmail actually coined the term viral marketing by doing just that. Are you pushing your sales staff and providing them resources to enlarge each transaction. Clients don’t get offended when you ask them if they would also like “x” service/product. Have you tried running a regional ad in a national publication such as “Time Magazine” and then framing it and putting it all over your office (As seen in Time Magazine.) Clients flock to companies they trust when their pocket books are hurting, build trust not gimmicks.

Action Steps:

List five things you are doing now to earn extra consumer confidence and credibility.

List five additional things you can and will do to earn extra consumer confidence and credibility.

Put into writing exactly why your offerings provide exceptional value.

If you aren’t already begin marketing to your past customers to gain repeat business. (Vtiger CRM is a great FREE open source CRM) In most cases getting this set up will only cost you time.

I realize we are marketers not sales men/women, but the best marketers understand sales so I am going to leave you with this:

Don’t sell me things – Sell me what things can do

1. Don’t sell me tires – sell me freedom from worry and low cost per mile.
   
2. Don’t sell me clothes – sell me neat appearance, style, attractiveness.
   
3. Don’t sell me candy – sell me happiness and the pleasure of taste.
   
4. Don’t sell me property – sell me a home that has comfort, cleanliness, contentment
   
5. Don’t me books – sell me pleasant hours and profits of knowledge.
   
6. Don’t sell me toys – sell me playthings to make children happy.
   
7. Don’t sell me tools – sell me the pleasure and profit of making fine things.
   
8. Don’t sell me refrigerators – sell me the health and better flavor of fresh-kept food.
   
9. Don’t sell me plows – sell me green fields of waving wheat.
   
10. Don’t sell me things – sell me ideas, ideas, feelings, self respect, home life, happiness.

Check back soon I will be writing two more posts about marketing in a troubled economy. Also, I want to hear your comments

So much for powerpoints… this is way cooler.

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“Out of a Job, In Front of a Mic” is four part series covering the ups and downs of being a 20-something marketing strategist.

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Here are 3 tactics I have learned to overcome perceptions, gain credibility with tradeshow attendees and most importantly, have fun being there.

Use Technology To Your Advantage

During this tradeshow that I am at right now, I had to create a booth from scratch. As well as the typical signs and tables, I also added a personal touch: my laptop. Though some could argue adding technology to the mix would only highlight the age gap, using it in an understated fashion can help you show the attendees something they may have never seen before.

In this instance, I created a presentation, set a playlist in iTunes and sat the laptop off to the side of my booth, on its own table. The music drew people in and the slideshow wowed them with the features of the products while I walked them through my talking points. In all, it can be a cool way to play up the strengths, rather than the weaknesses of youth.

Leverage What You Know – Not What You Don’t

If you can do a 15 min spiel on the origin of the universe, by all means do it. However, instead of trying to answer a question you don’t know the full answer to, try offering to set attendees up with the experts in your company. Just say, “You know what, I am probably not the best person to answer that question but I can set you up with someone who is an expert in the field. If I can get your contact information, I can have him call you to set up a time to talk more in depth about it.”

This tactic allows you to be respectful of the attendees’ time, make you seem humble (huge + when you need to debunk the age gap) and can help you ensure follow-up after the tradeshow.

Get The Attendee List Ahead of Time

This comes as a no-brainer given its cardinal rule of marketing (knowing your audience), but getting the attendee list ahead of time is probably one of the most useful tactics anyone can put into play for a tradeshow. Once you have it, review it and do some homework on your best potential targets.

When you are at the tradeshow, pay close attention to name badges and when you see those targets, make sure you introduce yourself and use questions peppered with information you already know about them. Example: “I know your company has had a lot of success with this product, have you checked out the newest features we’ve added to our service?” This is a home-run tactic that I do for EVERY tradeshow no matter how small. Because they think you might not know a lot about what you are talking about, this can help prove them wrong.

Personally, give me a clean room, an old, classic hotel with classic service and I will be in heaven.

I digress though…enter the Heavyweight; Marriott Hotels and Resorts. Not only have these guys designed their own bed, but they are also making a major marketing play for the young professional market.

Marriott is indeed going MUCH farther with an entire room designed around the needs of the younger, more technology and ergonomically aware consumer.

The way their doing this is through the mSpot, a mobile hotel room complete with a stage on top. It’s currently touring the country and introducing itself to corporate expense accounts everywhere by way of massive block parties and VIP tours. I caught up with the mSpot in New Orleans where it had lined up a host of local talent including Kermit Ruffins, Jeremy Davenport and Ingrid Lucia for a massive Canal Street party coinciding with JazzFest.

When I toured the room, John ‘Spud’ McConnell (a local celebrity and character actor most remembered for his “Stay out the Woolworth” line in O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?) was there chilling out in what I can only describe as one of the most comfortable looking club chairs imaginable. It was a great touch given that around New Orleans, this guy’s popularity and likeability is somewhere up there around grits and gravy. So, as Spud made classic New Orleans quips and showed us around the room, I couldn’t help but notice that the room had every cool amenity known to mankind.

First the electronics…Appealing to massive techno-geeks like myself, the room has a full desk console complete with widescreen TV. Now, you might say that is par-for-the-course these days but what hotel do you know of that has a handy, arms-length series of connector ports where you can use it as your monitor. The room also has a touchpad safe built into your desk drawer to stash the laptop, which is a nice touch.

Completing the room is stylish decor, ergonomic lights, a swivel desk and a bathroom Caesar could die for (or so I am told, the show version of the mSpot comes sans royal throne).

Now, at this point I have to direct your attention to the fact that the mSpot New Orleans may have fallen short of its intended audience. The block party itself was incredible but I didn’t really see that many press outside. In fact, I may have been the only person that could even mildly pass as press which is a big concern given I am a bit bias towards Marriott in this case.

Something tells me though with the line of VIP’s waiting to take a tour, there wasn’t much of a need for press. Besides, when’s the last time the AP put up for a premium suite?

Show Notes:
I) Busier than hell and loving it
II) ASK JARED: Adrian Ramos, Cartoonist – Count Your Sheep (Mexico City, Mexico)
III) Game Plan: Tool-boxing and finding your “North Star” with metrics

Referenced Links:
Count Your Sheep – Visit, Bookmark, Laugh Your Head Off

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First, the background – I did some digging and it turns out that the celebration of the modern Valentine’s Day actually has its roots in several different historical practices. It seems that the modern version of Valentine’s Day is part a Christian version of a pagan sheep-herding holiday and part romantic epic featuring a roman priest named Valentine.

Since the idea of a single ‘true’ origin of Valentine’s Day is up for grabs, let’s just settle the historical hair-splitting and say that somewhere, somehow there is a reason beyond the cards and the flowers that this day exists.

Of course in popular culture, Valentine’s Day is the holiday to celebrate the ‘magic of love’ with gifts, flowers and expensive price-fix dinners. During this time of year, popular thought is you either love Valentine’s Day because you’re with someone or you hate it because you’re alone, sad and bitter.

In fact, the Washington Post recently had an online survey of best songs for an Anti-Valentine’s Day Playlist. The categories we had to choose from feature rage, regret and revenge. This is troubling because even though I am single, I honestly don’t feel any of those things.

This illustrates what I think is really wrong with Valentine’s Day. Apparently, there is no room in the red velvet-clad halls of St. Valentine’s massive cathedral for someone who is just there; single, strong, and happy. My problem with Valentine’s Day; there is no corresponding holiday to celebrate the individual, single person.

Now, I’m not talking about a day where only single people get to celebrate. I am talking about a day which says “you know what – you’re good enough as you are without needing anything – or one – else to validate you!” Something tells me you are never going to see this happen.

The reason you’re not going to see this is that you wouldn’t need anything to celebrate it. Gifts and flowers would be contrary to the point of celebrating someone for who they are. Oh sure. It’s easy to celebrate something when you know you can buy your way into validation and that’s what’s become so successful for consumer marketers on Valentine’s Day.

Pair this with that in marketing; it’s been the very nature of our jobs to create needs. We accomplish this by making the case that you’re not good enough on your own whether it’s in business or as a consumer. Thankfully, there are companies like Dove out there that are making inroads to the very basic point that you can market a product without telling someone that if they don’t buy it, something bad is going to happen.

The trouble with Valentine’s Day isn’t its blatant consumerism and it isn’t its seeming snub of single people everywhere. The problem is the fact that it distracts us from realizing that no matter what your ’single status’ is, we should be celebrating our own individuality and not just facing off on two sides of a “single” issue.

It tough though, to sell something by openly acknowledging, “You know what, you’re good enough without our product but here’s why you should buy it anyway.” Without that burning platform of need, you actually have to sell the product on its ability to inspire your target, not just by pointing out their faults.

Be assured, marketers will still be saying “you need this because it will fix what you don’t know is wrong with you yet” for some time to come. For now though, I am going to propose we each try to, at least once, sell something by saying “you need this because its going to enhance how fabulous you are already.”

We can start with Valentine’s Day….

Folks, its time we had a holiday that says it’s ok to be who you are no matter what you own or who you’re with or not with. No Flowers. No Cards. No Dinners. Just you, and the ultimate form of affection – the quiet contentment of being yourself.

Put that on a holiday card, Hallmark.

In 10 seconds, come up with as many headlines as you can to market a product of or about the follwing pictures subject matter. Ready? Go!

• “Prepare to meet thy doom, Rodent!” (RatTrap)
• “It’s tax season. Are your W-2’s ready?” (TurboTax)
• “Don’t let embarasing moments keep you from looking your best.” (Friz-Eze)
• “Next time on Project Runway: Santino makes over fluffy!” (Bravo TV)
• “Ever feel like you need to get away?” (Travelocity)
• “In about 3 seconds, you’ll see why the Clorox Bleach Pen works so well” (Clorox)
• “Cat loving grandmothers can squeeze the ever-living daylights out of you – but they can’t save you hundreds of dollars on car insurance.” (Gieco)

Now let’s try it for podcasters & bloggers!

• “You think this one’s cute – wait till you see mine!” (Wanda Wisdom)
• “Cutter. Process. Kitty.” (The Vision Thing)
• “Zaba-do-beep-meow!” (American Copywritier) – p.s. 10 cool points if you got that…
• “Guees who we caught molesting this kitty in the Dirkson office building?” (Wonkette)
• “Your Kitty | Your Hairball” (20-Something Marketing Forum)

How then, do we get consumers to understand you get what you pay for without blatantly telling them ‘do this, its better for you?’

I was recently in a meeting with a group of folks who I had to sell the idea of a particular event to. The problem was that the event had a slight chance of being at a location unlike the one they have been holding similar events to. As it happens, Wal*Mart was also back in the news because Alan Greenspan had just fired a parting shot in an attempt to keep them from acquiring a bank.

How do these two events correlate? Convenience!

Think about this: it’s not like people don’t like going to Wal-Mart. , they love it! Wal-Mart has low prices, its basically everywhere and to that extent, all these attacks are coming because they have tapped a consumer need that is incredibly addictive – laziness.

Then why wouldn’t we want a Wal*Mart Bank? Because it would be too successful??

Now…back to my event discussion. The same thing can be said about the group I was meeting with. Certain people in the group opposed this event simply because they might have to actually…you know, expend some energy. Their argument was that if you want people to attend, you have to keep it close to home.

Is this a valid argument? Certainly, but is this also tantamount to a kid refusing to eat their vegetables? Damn right it is.

If you don’t shop at Wal-Mart in a small town you are most likely going to be shopping at a sole proprietorship owned by someone local. This shop, whose local owner pays taxes locally, votes locally, borrows locally and has an intrinsic link to that community, might cost more but the profits all stay in the community. For years, this is what keeps small communities alive. It retains local culture, and the very source of diversity that makes this country as incredible as it is.

If you shop at Wal*Mart, you are paying lower prices but with the trade-off that the profits from that sale don’t go back to the community. Slowly but surely, those profits will leach money out of the community until there is no new money flowing into the community and that slow trickle of money outwards will leave nothing but a shell of what the community was.

Soon, the entire community HAS to shop at Wal-Mart because they can’t afford anything else. The town has become a victim of its own laziness.

What happens when we keep making decisions based on laziness? Easy – It entices us to become more lazy.

As the meeting droned on, I couldn’t help but think of this; what happens when people are too lazy to leave their apartments? There was an incessant repetition that if you want to maximize your results, you have to bring your product where the audience is. It was seriously enough to make me want to rip my head off.

Right before the meeting concluded, I had kind of relegated myself to the fact that this event was going down in flames. Then someone piped up and said, “You know what, if people are too lazy to attend this event, we don’t want them there.”

There it was. Simple. Elegant. Pointed. If your product’s value isn’t enough to draw your customers’ interest to it – you probably don’t want them.

Don’t settle. Don’t market to the lowest common denominator. Your product deserves to inspire people to become more active, not less. If they don’t want it, then your problem might just be in your choice of audience.

Ok marketing fans, ready for your chance to shine?

Starting today, I am hanging a great big sign on my Lucy-inspired roadside stand reading “THE MARKETER IS IN!”

If you want free marketing advice (yes, I did drop the “f” word folks so you know I am serious), I want to be the source you turn to. If you have your own business, are working for someone else, or are just kicking an idea around the 20-Something Marketing Forum is here to serve you!

Our new feature, Ask Jared, will allow you to promote your own marketing efforts and get marketing advice…all for free! Visit http://20somethingmarketing.com/askjared/ and send me an e-mail today.

And if you’re wondering, yeah – you will probably be able to end yourself up on the show in the process…;)

Particularly, I love ones with strong female vocalists with powerful closing numbers about triumph and rising above adversity (i.e. Defying Gravity from Wicked). Same goes for soulful presentations with incredible back up choruses. You know the ones; the numbers that make the hair stand up on the back of your neck want to make you just jump up and sing with them?

I call this the chorus effect because what you are responding to is not the vocalist alone, but also the surge and excitement of what can be described as the secondary adaptors as well. This one-two punch creates a surge of positive feelings that make you want to take action in one way or another.

Now, apply this concept to marketing…

I always hearken back marketing and design to great pieces of artwork. Specifically, the craft and design of marketing collateral (web sites, direct mail letters, brochures, banners, etc.) and how it draws your eye around on the page. The same can be said of the chorus effect and your “voice” in marketing.

A great example of this is speechwriting. Writing a speech is just like writing a song for a musical. In a good, persuasive speech, there are multiple tracks (lines of reasoning the audience can connect with), cadence (patters of speech serving as a drumbeat that draws the audience along) as well as a resounding chorus that leaves the audience applauding at the crescendo of your point.

As Robe Lowe as Sam Seaborn on the West Wing says:

The difference between a good speech and a great speech is the energy with which the audience comes to their feet at the end. Is it polite? Is it a chore? Are they standing up because their boss just stood up? No. We want it to come from their socks.

This demonstrates the chorus effect in writing copy. Its easy enough to see the application of the chorus effect in speechwriting but what about in regular copy? What if you tried to make even the 3-sentance product blurb something that your reader wants to get up and applaud at? Or even better – take action because of…

In every piece of written copy, try for the chorus effect. Let’s dissect a three sentence blurb I used earlier this week…edited, of course for your consternation on where I work….

“The new widget from Acme Co. creates the next generation of accounts by liberating funds trapped in traditional widgets and turns them into valuable core deposits. This online widget platform goes further than any single technology solution by spanning multiple areas of doodle operations. Not only does the platform help to improve profitability and better leverage cross-sell opportunities, but is also provides customers with single sign-on access to their doodles, widget accounts , and more. Let us help you liberate those core deposits by calling (555)-4-PROFIT for a consultation, today.”

In all fairness, this doesn’t sound like much without specifics but to a customer you know is in dire need of those core deposits, this is literally an uplifting proposition.

The idea behind this is that you attempt to utilize key elements of an emotional appeal (in this instance the use of the words “liberate” and “trapped”). These words elicit an emotional response that can help to compel the reader to act. {I imagine my clients crying as if they were at the pound going “Please, please let the deposits go! They deserve to be free!”}

Finally, its not enough to put one emotional tie-in…that’s why I call it the chorus effect. By layering your dialogue or copy, you can effectively bring the reader to their feet then give them the second punch to go out and do something. In this particular instance, its the call to action. The call to action in my given snippet presents a serious emotional appeal and a direct action.

Compelling emotion and marketing effectively are two identical processes. Next time you are writing copy, pop in your iPod to your favorite uplifting song and ask yourself how you can make that copy read like the song makes you feel. Don’t be afraid to use emotion, don’t be afraid to use stronger language – just make it work by remembering that the copy will read as you want the reader to feel it.

I) What The Heck Is Everyone Doing Back Here?
II) Political Communications Mania
III) Get O.V.A. Direct Mail
IV) Game Plan: Just Be

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I) Tough decisions and changing
II) The imperative of making tough choices
III) Its tough to be a Jew on Christmas (featuring VP, Morale – Cara)
IV) Its not the decisions that actually matter

Referenced Links
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Luckily, we have no such burdens here in the Land of Marketing where ad execs run naked in the streets with the Wall Street Journal and 24 year-old hacks like myself are actually relied upon for sound marketing advice. However, it is interesting to realize that we deal with our own version of content integrity with our use of case studies.

In most respects, case studies present the facts of a case, and the outcomes that occurred and usually nothing more. We have all seen them in our college classes and we have used them to study a particular topic or situation. In the end, we are supposed to have a moral to the story and a lesson we can take with us. Essentially, because its purely academic, the point is to not use a call to action.

But then again, that’s academic.

What happens though when you have a case study from a for-profit entity that is trying to establish their credibility as a product or industry expert. The idea is yes, you want it to resemble, sound, and function like a traditional academic case because it maintains the integrity of the source. However, you need to remember what you want it to be used for – to drive leads!

Here is the “catch 22″ of using case studies as marketing tactics – by putting a call to action at the end of the study (i.e. “to find out more information on how to accomplish X, call 1-800-WHO-CARES”) , you are making it a more effective marketing tool but you’re also undercutting its legitimacy as a learning mechanism which should, in theory, make it less effective in marketing.

Its a tough situation. You have to have a call to action – you can’t escape the need to put that connection at the target’s fingertips.