ARE YOU LOSING YOUR ASS WITH YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS?
I read this story in a book called Traction by Gino Wickman. I can’t illustrate the point I want to make any better than this does, so I’m going to repeat it here for you:
A mother, her young son, and their donkey are taking a long journey through the countryside. The mother is riding the donkey with the son walking alongside as they enter a village. All of a sudden, the village people gather and start stoning them. The pair run away and manage to escape.
The mother is dumbfounded, and as they approach the next village, she thinks, “Maybe they thought it was inappropriate to have the son walk”, so they switch places and prepare to enter. But once again, they’re stoned by the village people.
At a loss, she thinks, “Maybe it’s the donkey. Maybe they worship donkeys in this country.” So before entering the next village, they decide to pick up the donkey and carry it, but it proves so heavy that as they cross a bridge, the donkey falls over the side, lands in the river, and drowns.
What’s the moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, you’re going to lose your ass.
So are you losing your ass with your marketing efforts? If you’re not razor-focussed on your target market, then you probably are. If you’re trying to speak to everyone, please everyone and be all things to all people, then you probably are.
Many businesses waste enormous amounts of money on marketing tactics without taking the time to craft a message that speaks directly to their ideal customer. A clear, compelling and directed marketing message is the essential fuel that you need to power a marketing strategy that doesn’t cost you your ass.
In trying to say everything to everyone, you’ll end up saying nothing to anyone.
There are lots of resources out there which can help you to define your market, craft your messaging and laser-focus your marketing strategy. Here are some that I can recommend:
1. Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
2. The One Page Marketing Plan by Alan Dibbs
3. Traction by Gino Wickman
Happy reading! If you would like to discuss anything that you read in these books with me, let’s have an impromptu bookclub discussion – I’d love to hear from you.