Yes, I list "rules" in my seminars and writings. I do this to keep it simple, clear, relatively concise – and I'll defend to the death that there is a place for such. The pie crust recipe on the box is just fine for "standard"; it's your mama who made it better. She made it hers.
So far, I've hinted at two marketing lessons relative to the headline. The first is the elusive "they", a band of mysterious experts that most would like to see beat up somewhere. The second is "standard", which although representative of the majority, virtually no one claims to be a member!
Both, as it turns out, are rather subtle "enemies". You identify with each on some level, desirous of stepping aside while they pass.
Then there are the flagrant enemies, worthy of banning together and bashing against the tyranny.
All good movies and books have them. All super-heroes have them. All fascinating lives have them. And I have mine in marketing: Thank Heaven for the villainous Yellow Pages.
I applaud their sales nastiness, their cunning, marginally deceptive strong-armed tactics. I adore their awful, underperforming ads, dripping with world-class creative incompetence. I love that they're a really big, really expensive, and – in the realm of ad creation – an easily beaten foe. A Goliath needs a David. I have been happy to accept the role, however poorly, crudely, or undeservedly.
The ad agencies told me, not so politely, that I was insane to "charge" for a YP ad that the publisher would do for free. We started doing these because we knew we could do a better job than the schlock "they" did. And we could guarantee them. (Currently a 97% "keeper" rate! Something MUST be working!) We were paid, and the ads worked.
Oddly, that wasn't the main value.
Whenever I mentioned the Yellow Pages in a seminar or article, we found a near-rabid, froth-at-the-mouth, "Let's storm Frankenstein's castle!" type of rage toward the Yellow Pages. Contractors were livid, impassioned with stories of, well "un-nice" things. I'd stumbled upon "the enemy". Hallelujah.
Over the years, you've supported helping us take Goliath if not to his knees, at least a couple well placed shots to the shins. Thousands of you have gotten better ads (mine and your customer's opinions.… not always yours!) that saved you money, generated more leads, and got you to consider investing some of those saving with this "crazy marketing guy". It's been an honor.
You too have enemies to flail in front of your customers.
A few in our PowerPack in case you missed them, but whether you have that product of ours, take a gander at the "enemy" line up that causes your customer to sit up, take notice, and hopefully take out a pen to sign the "Bid Acceptance" form….
The Government – We yelled at them for the 1.6 gallon toilets (in the Plumbing PowerPack) and for their handling of the 10-12 SEER efficiency change. We did the "end around" for the efficiency rebates. (Greg Gill did over $2million is sales by himself with that promo. Showed that ad to a combination of applause and shock at two conferences. Mega Members have it.) We've used the Government as a "friend" when needed to support facts and figures. It's all marketing.
The Utility - If you can't make these guys enemies, you're WAY too nice. The rate shifts, profit gouging (perceived), and the assumption that all energy bills are going up, all the time, even while you sleep. Showing an ROI on energy – NOT PAYBACK! – is easier than my daughter's 9th grade math homework, by far.
The Competition – Be careful here. What you want is a "General" acceptance that "many" contractors make you wait too long, or don't show up at all, or "seem" to disappear when there's a warranty claim. That's easy because it's true. But customers need reminding. And many contractors don't drug test, or train beyond the "can you please walk upright" test, but YOU do drug test, and you send your techs/CSRs to school regularly. Plus, "others" may confuse the homeowner (undoubtedly) but you show prices up-front, and explain what you're doing. Guarantees separate you even farther.
The "Business As Usual" Approach – This is the "Whatever happened to Customer Service?" that McD and others have so ungraciously numbed us to. Making a point of follow-up, sending newsletters, thank you cards, and appointment reminders are not just me trying to 'sell' you something, it's for you to be a standout in a sea of Customer Disservice. Heck, I just spent a year on a CSR package because this industry needs to step out of the shadows. Making an 'enemy' out of sorry service is easier than Michael Phelps kicking rear in Marco Polo. You're different from the "norm"; make that thoroughly obvious.
Yourself – Funny one to pick, but you're different.… remember? You bought too many, you bought too late, you understaffed for the season, you forgot there was a price-increase coming ("so act before I change the price books"), you over-allowed/under-allowed for the mild weather. Oh, you can't "admit" a mistake to your adoring public? Then please show us the X-rays of the printed circuitry where your brain is supposed to be. We make mistakes; humans admit them; customers accept them.… and raise their trust of you while they buy accordingly.
If you're not employing enemies in your work, you're failing at the "contrast" customers use when they buy. Check your PowerPack for more, or call us to get you started.QUESTIONS:
- How can I make an obvious 'differentiation' in my business in every phone call? Every ad? Every form? Every customer contact?
Do my techs and CSRs know how we're different? Do they regularly "position" us favorably against the enemies and threats customers face?
WHAT IS THE UGLIEST YELLOW PAGE AD ever in the history of the universe? (Okay, it's not the ugliest, but it IS the one we chose for the Free Yellow Page Ad Makeover to be given away at Comfortech! Come by EXHIBIT 132 to see all the critiques! Or you can "CLICK HERE" to get the full report when it's published. This should be a hoot!
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