Why is building a profitable business so difficult? This is an easy question to answer. And it has nothing to do with COVID-19 or the Internet.
It became glaringly obvious to me over the years that most people are still not practicing the simple art of marketing with any degree of consistency. Because there was (is) so much print on the subject, people were not being introduced to the finer (simple) points of marketing in a fashion that is being taken seriously.
My focused observations confirmed that people either did not know enough to be concerned about marketing, or they thought they had already heard all there was to hear on the subject. That happens to be a popular error. We feel that, since we have heard it more than once, we know all there is to know.
The truth of the matter is that knowing is not doing and until we do – we don’t know. “Knowing” might get you a gold star in the classroom. “Doing” pays the rent.
This lack of appreciation and lack of marketing activity introduced what I considered to be an enormous opportunity to educate the masses in the Marchev-Style of edutainment: That’s entertaining education. For the rest of you, you can categorize it as business-building content with a giggle.
Copycat Marketing. One of the reasons marketing gets a bad rap is because many folks opt for the easy way out, and the easy way is to copy others who call whatever it is they are doing marketing.
If you want a textbook example of what I am talking about, focus on your favorite airline – if there is such a thing. I’ll never understand why each airline has a Marketing Director. Exactly 24 hours after one guy/gal makes a creative marketing decision, all 247,000 airlines follow in step and do the exact same thing. Incredible! Prices up, prices down. Wider seats, narrower seats. Penalties for this, penalties for that. Charge for bags. Sell the napkins. If one does it, they all do it.
If you simply copy what isn’t working for others, you are going to be disappointed while finding yourself without working capital in very short order. You will also find the time to watch all 227 episodes of Seinfeld reruns. Twice! As entertaining as this may be, it is not a sound formula for a bright future in business.
My recommendation: Do not play “me-too.” Do not sit and wait for your good fortune to materialize. Get up. Get out, and make your future happen. Start by telling more people that you are standing by to make their life easier.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.
