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Pen & Paper Marketing Ideas On Ways to Simplify Your Marketing & Grow Your Business A Newsletter from Write On Results | October 2007 |
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Write On Results | www.writeonresults.com | 301-624-1705
It's almost Halloween. Spiders, bats and jack-o-lanterns are appearing on doorsteps. As others are planning their party costumes or trying to find some time to carve pumpkins, I'm dealing with my own ghoulish dilemma - how to conquer my inner marketing zombie.
Are You Ever a Marketing Zombie?
If you've watched any horror movies, you know that zombies are the least interesting members of the living dead. Werewolves go through stunning body transformations before our eyes and swiftly stalk their unlucky victims. Vampires not only fly, but are quite sleek and sophisticated and often seduce those they attack. Zombies on the other hand are rather dull. They just clunk along, slowly victimizing only those that aren't fast enough to get out of their way. So, when I say "marketing zombie", I'm referring to the dull, droning way in which we often present ourselves and our services. Like movie zombies, we can lack pizzazz and personality. We stumble through the day, using overused phrases like "solutions provider" or "industry leader". Instead of intriguing our audience, we borrow dull language from other zombies in our industries and slowly shuffle along, half asleep, with no real plan. We only capture the attention of those who aren't fast enough to find someone else to listen to.
How to Stop Your Marketing Zombie...
Wake Up
The first thing we need to do is snap out of our zombie state. We must wake up, step back, and really listen to what we're saying. This is easy to say, but not so easy to do. With looming deadlines and busy schedules, it's challenging enough to find any time to describe your benefits, much less to step back and review them. But, this must be done. How can we expect others to read or listen to what we have to say, if we don't take the time to review and edit out the dull, unnecessary language? Think For Yourself Keep Moving
Finally, we need to keep our creative minds fresh. Read different books, watch different movies, do something you normally wouldn't do. Look outside of your comfort zone to refresh your thoughts and keep on your toes. These new insights can only help to make us, and our messages, more interesting to others. As you become more alert and involved in your marketing messages, you'll find that your Inner Marketing Zombies will go shuffling away. You'll be moving too fast and have too much energy for them to keep up. Good luck and have a Happy Halloween!
Take Care,
Kathy Hrach
A Great Quote... Determine never to be idle...
It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.
Thomas Jefferson A Great Read... INFLUENCE
The Psychology of Persuasion This book is a must-read for anyone who has or hopes to have customers. Cialdini speaks from the viewpoints of both the "persuaders" and those that are influenced. He shows us the different types of environmental triggers that can cause people to "say yes". This book isn't about bad guys and good guys, but instead helps us to understand why we behave the way we do. About Me, About Us...
I'm Kathy Hrach, Co-founder of Write On Results, a direct marketing firm that uses real pens and real people to hand address mail for increased response rates. While I love all of the new technology available for sales and marketing professionals, I believe that sometimes a simpler, old-fashioned approach in working with customers can be most effective. My goal for this newsletter and my business is to keep things simple and personal, keep an open mind and always be learning. Please feel free to email me your thoughts at khrach@writeonresults.com.
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