The counterintuitive approach: When wrong is right

I continue to enjoy the contractortalk.com thread, “Top 5 Marketing ideas that DO NOT WORK.” The “DO NOT WORK” is a great grabber (and marketing message) which draws us into the thread, which actually contains much useful marketing advice as some posters questioned the inclusion of certain items in the “do not work” listing of the original poster.

But you can discover  another message here:  Sometimes wrong is right; and sometimes you can be so careful to do the correct thing, while your mistakes may provide the best insights, value, and clues to success.  Admitting your mistakes, while painful, can often lead to genuine client respect and marketing success.

For example, the (unfortunately unverifiable) story of the guy who generated thousands of dollars of revenue with a handwritten and photocopied flier (see this posting), is a great example of doing everything “wrong” while apparently getting it right.  Almost inevitably, when I describe my failures and weaknesses on this thread, I receive the most enthusiastic and rewarding comments.

Yet, are there right ways to do things, which really will save you time and money, and pay off?  Yes, if you are thoughtful.

If you are advertising, think creatively, in terms of user’s benefits, and carefully about which media/markets you serve.

If you are relying on word of mouth and referrals, stop feeling good about yourself, and do something about it.  Develop an organized, assertive program to win and retain these valuable leads, through a structured follow-up service and communication program and effective use of social networking sites such as Facebook.

If you wish to extend your marketing scope with other forms of media/advertising, think about your clients’ interests and your own interests/values.  You then need to bridge the disconnect, and cash often is the solution.  (So you advertise in media you can’t stand to hear, but your potential clients love, or you engage in community activities and golf tournaments because you love golfing; either is valid.)  If you don’t have a lot of cash, you ideally should correlate your marketing to activities you enjoy but when don’t cost you much money.  So I write a lot, especially for relevant association publications, but I’m a writer not a contractor!  If you are a great builder, find a way to connect your building to some community initiative or support which will win you positive recognition and press in the environment you are serving (maybe offer to build a community resource or facility without any cash payment to your business.)

Most importantly, take all the advice you receive with a grain of salt. If it is free, it is often worth exactly what you are paying.  Check the credentials and verify the references — either by seeing many examples, or phoning or calling other clients of the service you are planning to use.  If you take the same care in purchasing business services as you put into consumer purchases, you probably will be okay.