Marketing works! | Travel Research Online

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Marketing works!

I don’t consider myself an impulse buyer but, I once purchased a vacuum cleaner from a TV infomercial at 3:30 am.

I am usually sleeping at this time of night ,but on this particular Saturday, I was watching the tube when something caught my attention and before I knew it, I was the proud owner of The Stick Shark. This thing sucks up screws and bolts like nothing you have ever seen. How did this happen?

Later that week…

I read about a new book titled The Tipping Point in the New York Times, by Malcolm Gladwell. It looked like something I might be interested in but I didn’t give it another thought …. until I was browsing at Barnes & Noble on Saturday afternoon and I spotted it in the business section. I was soon reading The Tipping Point. How did that happen?

In both instances, “it” happened because I was introduced to the product. In both instances, a product was brought to my attention and I was given a few reasons why I might want to consider buying the product. I was not shopping for a vacuum nor does my office library need another business book.

I am not sorry in either case, but the point is that it wasn’t in my plans to purchase either product until the product was brought to my attention.

In my mind, this is proof-positive that marketing works. It doesn’t work all the time on every single prospect, but in the long run, it works. But I can promise you that it won’t work unless you do.

This is what you have to do. Introduce yourself and your agency to people … and give them a few good reasons why they should use you for their travel purchases. Then let the cards fall where they may and follow-up when appropriate.

Not every sleep-deprived New Jersey-centric marketing guy provided their credit card number at 3:30am just so they could be the proud owner of a bolt-sucking vacuum named after a fish.  But I did. Marketing works folks … but only if you give it a chance to work.

This week, go connect with people and simply tell them what you’ve got. Go do a little “marketing.” Some people will pay attention, others won’t. And some; well, some may even give you their credit card number.

Stranger things have happened.

PS: As for my vacuum–it really does suck up bolts!

Mike Marchev is a non-linear thinker who makes his living shooting from the  hip. Wanna know more?  Send me an email … mike@mikemarchev.com

  2 thoughts on “Marketing works!

  1. Chanté says:

    You are right, Mark. I just received a call a week or so ago, from someone I gave my card to well over a year ago.

    By the way, “The Tipping Point,” is a great book!

  2. Bob Joselyn says:

    Great reminder Mike. I had a soon to be consulting client contact me 15 years after he heard me speak at an international conference.

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