Online Personality. Is That YOU? 19/101 Marketing Secrets

Will Your Client Get What They Expect When They Meet You in Person?

Earlier we talked about how your business should project a personality, and that for the greatest success, the personality you project should be yours, the owner.  To a large extent I have seen that the more immediate the environment, the more of the owner is visible.  So in a retail store, the quality of the ambiance, the cleanliness, the type of employees, and the product selection are likely to be relatively close to the owner's personality.  Not necessarily on purpose, but more by happenstance. 

The further away from that immediacy we travel, the less of the personality shines through.  So, the print advertising, mailers, trade show look, etc., are more likely to evidence the personality of the designer of the ad, mailing piece, or booth.  This is most notably true when it comes to website media, including the company website.  Since most owners are not going to design the website themselves, and may or may not get heavily involved in the design stage, the "look" is left largely to the designer or employee who is in charge.

The result is that we may see a high tech website that has nothing to do with the low tech retail experience.  We may see a flashy, modern website for a company that is staid and traditional.  Some are wondering why this matters.  Your potential client is going to get a first impression from your online media.  They are going to expect that experience to continue when the interact with you or your company in the real world.  If there is a disconnect, there will often be a failure to close the deal. 

For instance, there is a service company in my city that spends tons of money on radio ads.  These ads would cause you to think of them as friendly, fun loving, and great to deal with. A few minutes of checking out their Yelp and Google Places reviews present a picture of a company that is more likely to rip you off that make you smile.

The important take away here is that the impression you make online through your website, YouTube videos, Facebook, etc., should present that authentic you, and provide the client with an experience online like that which they will see in person. 

Action steps for day 19:

1.  Consider the personality of the business. Is it a reflection of the owner?
2. Decide if the current personality is the one you want to continue to project
3. Be careful. As noted previously, it is easier to be authentic and reflect the owner than to try and have the business be something that the owner is not.
4. How should the personality be extended to the business environment, the way the phone is answered, the advertising and online presence, the trade show booth, etc.
5. Begin to make over those elements that might give the wrong impression

101 Marketing Secrets - Whoops! Starting Over At the Real Beginning

What a difference a week makes.  Just last week I started this list of 101 Marketing Secrets based on my 60 years of experience as a sales and marketing professional.  I know that in my pictures, I don't look like I'm 80+.  Old photo?  Great surgery?  Excellent genes?  Not exactly.  I started selling at age five when my great grandmother gave me some Christmas card samples left over from taking orders and sent me out door-to-door.  That was the beginning of an almost continuous 60 years of starting small businesses, some of which got big.

Not me!

But, I digress.  As I was researching one of the posts, I ended up down one of those rabbit trails we all go on doing internet search.  And it hit me.  Starting with profit, cost, and sales were pretty darn interesting, and counter-intuitive for most readers.  But they should have followed goals, strategy, and tactics.  Maybe these can be the prequel trilogy released after the first trilogy.  My kids are shouting "You're no George Lucas, Dad."

Goals Are the First Step in Every Major and Minor Marketing Process

The word "every" is a well considered word.  My editors sometimes point to my use of such words that may or may not be provable.  In this case, I'm saying every, and I'm sticking with it.

The first marketing goal setting session should be personal.  What are your goals.  Being 100% honest here, I haven't always, and don't always take the appropriate time to contemplate my personal goals.  At almost 100 years-old, I have not drawn up my bucket list.  But the other day I was in a conversation with someone approaching retirement, and doing a bit of counting of her available retirement funds.  She wondered out loud how she could maximize her income and net worth by age 65.  My immediate response was "Why does it matter?  What will you do with the money?"

I suspect that everyone reading this could get by in retirement on $3000 a month of after tax income if single and $5000 if married.  Maybe far less.  So what would you do differently if you had double or triple that number.  Maybe nothing.  Maybe it is just for peace of mind or a desire to leave a bunch to the kids or grandkids.  But wouldn't it make sense to have some goals so that the decisions you make are grounded in strategies and tactics that are likely to get you to the goals?

Then you come to your larger business issues.  What are the goals of your small business?  Sell out someday?  Leave to kids?  Work until you drop?  Why?  Generate a certain amount of income?  Value?  Why?

Now, let's drop down another level.  Goals for a new product launch.  Goals for an event.  Goals for an advertising campaign.  Goals for an expansion.  Goals for sales.  Goals for profits.  Goals for the next hire.  Goals for each employee position.  Goals for a new equipment purchase.

The Point - Whether you are having a team meeting or make all decisions on your own, start each decision process with a statement of the goal.  As you write down the goal, there should be some ability to see that this goal coincides with the overall goals of your company and your personal aspirations.

If you would like to learn more about goal setting, purchase a copy of my most recent Warner Business Book offering, Running a 21st Century Small Business.  I will admit that some of the internet portions are outdated, but most of the book is still 100% on point.  And the cost is nominal.

Next we will review the difference between strategies and tactics.  Do you know the difference?  Does it really matter?

How are you doing at setting goals before making decisions?  Do you suspect that setting goals would make a difference in outcomes?  Let me know in the comments.