The first slide of John Goldman's marketing Learning Lab on Tuesday morning welcomed attendees with "MARKET OR DIE." That's a might fine "good morning" for you! But welcome attendees he did. Goldman spent the minutes before the 9 a.m. kickoff of his Learning Lab introducing himself to attendees in the room, and learning about their associations and marketing needs. He also collected business cards to give away some cool prizes during the session. I wonder what I'll win?
He then addressed several marketing problems that associations face:
- How are you going to break through the clutter?
- It's boring.
- Your audience doesn't respond.
- Out of sight, out of mind.
"It's not enough to simply create a message," Goldman said. "You have to make it believable and attractive."
The 10 most important tips for being successful in marketing:
- The who. If you're selling hamburgers, you want to find a starving crowd. Find your "who" by doing a member audit. Discover their passions, their buying patterns, their demographics.
- The story. Goldman told the story of the young college kid who lost weight by changing his diet eating sandwiches. Jared Fogel's personal Subway story turned into a giant marketing campaign for them. "He who controls the story wins," Goldman said.
- Next stepping. How many times do you have to touch your audience before getting a response? Eighty-one percent of sales are made after the fifth contact. Eight-three percent of senders give up after the first try. Isn't the goal to get them to take action? Keep reaching out!
- Irresistible bait. Free information and free stuff! Member referrals are key. Goldman gave the example of an ACHE "leader to leader" campaign. Members were given points for each person they referred, and points could then be redeemed for ACHE goodies like t-shirts, water bottles. What irresistible bait can you offer?
- The big zig. How can you be different? If everyone else is zigging, how can you zag?
- Reason to believe. Get testimonials, give demonstrations, overcome objections. "'Because' is a powerful word," Goldman said. How can you use "because"? How can you demonstrate the difference you make in your customers'/audience's life?
A marketing story must be simple and surprising. It must demonstrate your "big zig." It's believable; it's emotional. It includes a big promise and a good tale.
