This weekend, I had two big “firsts” every Iowa boy should experience… (A lot sooner in life than I did.)
Climbing through caves and traipsing through cornfields.
And, wouldn’t you know, I managed to churn up a couple valuable marketing lessons along the way.
Down and dirty
I was with my son on his Boy Scout trip to Maquoketa, Iowa. Known for their state park featuring some great caves to explore. But our scout leader had some other caves in mind for us that were off the beaten path.
At around 9 AM on Saturday, we were on our bellies “worm-crawling” through a small opening in the side of a hill. Into Werden’s Cave. It’s a private cave, located on a farm a little ways outside the state park.
After about ten feet of crawling, we were in the entry chamber. Where we saw several other tunnels branching off. By the time I’d reached the chamber, the boys had found most of the dead ends. So we all got back on our bellies and made our way into the other openings.
We crawled deeper and deeper into the tunnels.
There was a mix of adults and boys ages 11 to 16. (Plus one little sister and her dog, Harley.) So, there were points where some of us had to stay back due to “size restrictions.” But the smaller ones crept in further to report back what they found.
We crawled back into the daylight about an hour later. The kids were laughing and each was claiming to be the muddiest.
It was a dirty, messy, exciting time. It was a great way to start the day. Everyone working together. Even the smallest ones felt valuable – thanks to their size and nimbleness.
That’s where the first marketing lesson popped up.
Big breakfast = Missed opportunities?
Sometimes in our business, we look at our marketing with a broad view. Looking at the big picture and don’t “get down on our bellies” to venture into the little nooks and crannies.
Are there little niches in your market that you’re not exploring? Has your marketing become too “bloated,” and you can’t see how you’d fit into that small hole?
Do you market your product or service to “everybody”? Missing out on building deeper relationships with your true ideal clients and customers?
If you’re trying to market to all architects, you can bet you’re missing the mark along the way.
I can’t tell you how many lunch-and-learns I’ve been to where the presenter hadn’t done his homework. One firm I was with did mostly healthcare projects. And we’d have vendors showing us their products on multi-family housing projects.
It’s not the same thing. If a firm has built their business as an expert in a particular building type, that’s all they see themselves as. It’s not unlike a chip on the shoulder.
“Looks like a nice product, but it’s not for us… We only do healthcare. But thanks for lunch.”
Imagine if you’d shown them unique ways another healthcare design firm used your product in a hospital or clinic. Then they’d sit up and pay more attention. Get the wheels clicking on how they might use it on their current project.
If you have a product that spans across many building types, you need to do your homework. Then customize and tweak your messages and presentations for each audience you’re addressing.
And if you’re not sure where to start, bring in an insider. Someone who’s been on the other side of the table. Who knows the conversations going on in your prospect’s head.
And if you’re new here — I’m talking about me.
I can help you explore those niches in your market. Help you focus your messages to get their attention and start building relationships.
Get in touch and let’s start exploring…
And if you’re wondering about the cornfields I talked about at the beginning? I’ll get to that lesson in my next post. Until then…
Make it a great marketing day!
Neil Sutton