|
by Paul McCarthy
My client told me about a marketing seminar he attended back in 1991. The price for the one-day event was $1,000 and it offered the chance to spend the day with a guy who was promoted as the 'world's greatest marketer'.
My client learnt about the day thanks to a promotional letter that was posted to him inviting him to enrol. At the end of the letter, if he wasn't sure he should attend he was encouraged to send away for a f.r.e.e. video to be sent to him.
He ordered the video. When it arrived he sat down to watch it. The video was of the marketing expert and a leading sales expert being interviewed. At the end of the video he was again invited to sign up for the marketing day, or if he still wasn't convinced he could request a marketing questionnaire to complete.
He requested the questionnaire. After he completed it, he decided to book a seat at the marketing guru's one-day event.
I asked "Did you learn a lot from the marketing guru?"
'No' he said.
In fact, he said, the valuable lesson came before the guru even took the stage, and it remains one of the most important lessons he's ever learned about marketing.
"So what was the lesson I enquired?"
When I arrived at the event there were about 200 people in the room. The MC for the event came out and said, "Before I introduce you to the 'Marketing Guru' I want to ask you all a question."
The MC went on, "Can everyone in the room who is here because of the original invitation letter please stand up."
NO ONE STOOD UP.
Then he asked "Can everyone who came because of the video, please stand up." Only about 8 people stood.
My client thought everyone must have done the same as him and signed up after completing the questionnaire, so when the MC instructed those who signed up after completing the questionnaire to stand, he anticipated everyone would stand.
Imagine his surprise when he was one of only about 12 people to get to their feet.
The MC continued asking people to stand based on which promotional activity they had responded to. As it turned out, there were 7 separate promo activities and 80% of the room signed after process six or seven.
There is a valuable lesson here for all of us; there certainly was for my client who attended the day.
When it comes to marketing, most business owners only ever send people one invitation to take up their offer and then stop. They then wonder why no one responded.
The lesson here is you need to position the value you offer many times in different ways if you want to maximise your result.
Even the 'Marketing Guru' would have been talking to himself if he'd only sent one invitation.
Keep Rocking,
Paul
About the Author:
Paul McCarthy is the founder of the Business
Support Network (BSN), a Premier Australian
Business Development Company. Paul is an
award-winning speaker, best selling author and
one of Australia's most innovative sales and
marketing experts.
|
