Egad! Another marketing missile!
No wait! Please don't click me into oblivion before I plead my case. I'm on your side. Honest.
If you have something you want to sell whether it's a product, idea, institution, organization, belief, person, blog, lens or website--- or even a tryst---you have to find potential buyers and make an offer. You become a marketer (call yourself salesman, if you prefer). And I, among thousands of others, think we know how you should do it---except for that tryst bit.
So, with all the expert help available, why should you pay attention to me? Here's why:
The Brag Lady, Peggy Klaus, author of Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn without Blowing It, says people (well, some people) have difficulty expressing their accomplishments because they were taught that it's not nice to brag. She advocates that we should communicate who we are in an interesting way. (I'll try. You'll decide.)
And, another thing: I think the great Satchel Paige had it right when he said, "If you can do it, it ain't bragging."
I'm not bragging when I tell stories of my successes and failures and those of others I've witnessed. But when you spend half a century in sales and marketing, you pick up a lot of good stuff you'd like to share. Some of it can be valuable if only as a good or bad example, an aperitif that stimulates your ideas and helps your marketing communications.
Back Story:
Marketing Ammo began as a corporate newsletter titled "Marketing Ammo 101", and morphed (when I realized my readers were beyond 101) into "Marketing Ammo 102".Now this newest iteration accepts the fact that the hackneyed analogy of marketing and warfare is too apt to abandon. Like a good cliché, it has stood the test of time, ergo "Marketing Ammo".
Okay. But who needs it?
There can be no marketing without marketing communications. Yet the marcom---a buzz word I've not only leaned to tolerate but, alas, have adopted--- the marcom needed to ignite, stimulate and maintain the process is often ignored, neglected, mismanaged, flawed, or just plane screwed up.
With the glut of information, experts and technology, there must be room for a little down-home insight that cuts through the hype. Call it a second opinion.
My USP? I'll Tell You Stories
I don't have any studies to back it up, but I believe it helps to be a Renaissance Man of Marketing. Unless you've practiced, experienced, studied and continue to study the many facets of marketing communications (henceforth known as marcom) it's hard to tell the good from the bad, when you been had, and when you've had it.
My blog, "Marketing Ammo for the Little Guy" (http://jraction.blogspot.com)sometimes gets a little too preachy. (I'm just trying to be helpful.) So, for this Lens, I want to tell stories,stories you can segue and shape into your own Marketing Ammo.
So? What's In It for You?
I know something you don't know. Now, that's not of pivotal significance in the scheme of things. But if we hunkered down around a camp fire that flickered in our glasses of whiskey, or balanced fancy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails at a noisy reception, or hung out 'til last call in a nice Irish pub--- I'll bet we would swap some stories that could be both interesting and helpful. (A lot of great ideas were scratched in the sand, sketched on a cocktail napkin, or jotted on a cardboard coaster.)
So, when I say I know something you don't know, that's not a smart ass playground taunt. It's a fact. Each of us has something to share that can be valuable.
Introducing the Memoirette
It's time for a kinder, gentler notion, a notion that if I tell you a story, you might listen and mine a nugget, crack a smile, or just yawn. I call these stories memoirettes because they're short memoirs. Though some stories may be dated (come on, they're memoirs) the insights you discover are not. These stories (memoirettes) are meant to be a catalyst for your next great idea, and sometimes just good examples of what not to do.
Mktg. Memoirette #9 Egg Harbor Yacht Co.
Some business you don't deserve to get.
My friend and mentor Syd Nemarow was a prolific writer, an eloquent speaker, a creative adman and a natural salesman. The problems was, sometimes he got too creative when he was selling. He didn't lie, but he did dance along the edges.
Early in my career with his agency, Nemarow Advertising, Syd arranged an appointment for us with the president of the Egg Harbor Yacht Co. The purpose: to explore ways we could help his business grow.
Syd was a man of action. That's why, when someone mentioned that Egg Harbor Yacht Co. would make a nice account, he picked up the phone, asked for an appointment, and scheduled it for two days later.
We knew nothing about selling yachts or the Egg Harbor Yacht Co. except that the Company was a respected major player in the industry. The fact that we had no time to do any research or plan a sales pitch, didn't faze Syd. He felt my four years in the Navy was a big asset and implied a degree of expertise I didn't deserve.
When we sat down with our prospect, Syd did his watch on the table routine. He would take it off, look at it carefully and place it on the table facing him, then ask the prospect:"How much time do I have?" It was a rhetorical question. He didn't care what the answer was. He talked as long as he controlled the meeting. And the watch was soon forgotten.
I don't remember his exact words, but the meat of his presentation was that we were well qualified to work for Egg Harbor Yachts and that I was his maritime expert. That scared the hell out of me. As good salesmen know, after you've hyped your benefits and unique selling proposition you have to get down to the Q & A bit. The way you handle questions and objections is the moment of truth.
My friend and mentor Syd Nemarow was a prolific writer, an eloquent speaker, a creative adman and a natural salesman. The problems was, sometimes he got too creative when he was selling. He didn't lie, but he did dance along the edges.
Early in my career with his agency, Nemarow Advertising, Syd arranged an appointment for us with the president of the Egg Harbor Yacht Co. The purpose: to explore ways we could help his business grow.
Syd was a man of action. That's why, when someone mentioned that Egg Harbor Yacht Co. would make a nice account, he picked up the phone, asked for an appointment, and scheduled it for two days later.
We knew nothing about selling yachts or the Egg Harbor Yacht Co. except that the Company was a respected major player in the industry. The fact that we had no time to do any research or plan a sales pitch, didn't faze Syd. He felt my four years in the Navy was a big asset and implied a degree of expertise I didn't deserve.
When we sat down with our prospect, Syd did his watch on the table routine. He would take it off, look at it carefully and place it on the table facing him, then ask the prospect:"How much time do I have?" It was a rhetorical question. He didn't care what the answer was. He talked as long as he controlled the meeting. And the watch was soon forgotten.
I don't remember his exact words, but the meat of his presentation was that we were well qualified to work for Egg Harbor Yachts and that I was his maritime expert. That scared the hell out of me. As good salesmen know, after you've hyped your benefits and unique selling proposition you have to get down to the Q & A bit. The way you handle questions and objections is the moment of truth.
The Moment of Truth
I was dreading that I would be asked a direct question. Syd handle them well, until our prospective client asked me, the maritime expert, what kind of boat I had. The only answer I could live with was the truth: "I have an eight foot pram," I mumbled. To which he replied, "Hmmmmmm."
That was it. We were dead, washed overboard with my honesty. There was no invitation to follow up with a formal presentation and a proposal.
Syd was not a poor loser. He knew how to leverage every event. Months later when we pitched a small company that sold pre-owned yachts, he said,"We've been talking (not had talked) to Egg Harbor Yacht Co., but have no commitment to work with them." It wasn't a lie and it helped establish our credentials.
We got the business. What's more, we had fun and helped our new client broker some very expensive vessels.
I was dreading that I would be asked a direct question. Syd handle them well, until our prospective client asked me, the maritime expert, what kind of boat I had. The only answer I could live with was the truth: "I have an eight foot pram," I mumbled. To which he replied, "Hmmmmmm."
That was it. We were dead, washed overboard with my honesty. There was no invitation to follow up with a formal presentation and a proposal.
Syd was not a poor loser. He knew how to leverage every event. Months later when we pitched a small company that sold pre-owned yachts, he said,"We've been talking (not had talked) to Egg Harbor Yacht Co., but have no commitment to work with them." It wasn't a lie and it helped establish our credentials.
We got the business. What's more, we had fun and helped our new client broker some very expensive vessels.
Marketing Memoirette #8 The Modern Living Show
There's No Business Like Show Business?
One summer when I was working as an account executive at The Vineland Times Journal, a promoter came to town and staged a home show. He spent a few bucks for advertising with us and got of lots free publicity. The show was a big success.
The following year, he came back for an encore. But this time, he didn't book enough exhibit space to make a profit. No money. No promotion. No audience. For the few exhibitors who signed up, it was a flop. He left town before the show closed and was never seen again.
Several years later when I was an account executive at Nemarow Advertising Agency we decided to resurrect the show. Syd Nemarow named it, "The Modern Living Show," and created The Institute of Modern Living as the sponsor.
Mark Soifer and I managed and directed the revival. I hustled the booth space and Mark cranked out tons of publicity which included a guest spot for us on a radio talk show. He got us many inches of free space, and generated good buzz among exhibitors and potential exhibitors.
Ooops!
The show was a big success. Everybody was happy. So, the following year we cranked it up a notch with fresh ideas and more exhibit space. And then we made a strategic error.
The dates set for our second show were within a week of the dates for our town's week-long Centennial Celebration. The Centennial Committee (some of whom were exhibitors) suggested that both events would have more impact if staged at the same time. We buckled.
Instead of synergy, we got competition. We competed with the biggest celebration in the town's history---a celebration that included dozens of attractions that pulled people away from our show. But we did have one special attraction that helped our cause.
Show Visitors Make Their Mark
We created and gave top billing to "The Modern Living Show Time Capsule." Visitors lined up to sign a scroll that was placed with other artifacts of the day in a 72,000 ml. glass flask. With drum roll and fanfare, the flask and contents were sealed in a pre-stressed concrete vault and buried for the next 100 years in a park named after our town's founder, Charles K. Landis.
Sometimes, good isn't good enough
The Time Capsule helped build a little traffic. But not enough to save the show. Despite good ideas and heavy promotion, tough competition for the time and attention of your audience can still kill you. Our tactics were good. Our strategy was not.
The following year, he came back for an encore. But this time, he didn't book enough exhibit space to make a profit. No money. No promotion. No audience. For the few exhibitors who signed up, it was a flop. He left town before the show closed and was never seen again.
Several years later when I was an account executive at Nemarow Advertising Agency we decided to resurrect the show. Syd Nemarow named it, "The Modern Living Show," and created The Institute of Modern Living as the sponsor.
Mark Soifer and I managed and directed the revival. I hustled the booth space and Mark cranked out tons of publicity which included a guest spot for us on a radio talk show. He got us many inches of free space, and generated good buzz among exhibitors and potential exhibitors.
Ooops!
The show was a big success. Everybody was happy. So, the following year we cranked it up a notch with fresh ideas and more exhibit space. And then we made a strategic error.
The dates set for our second show were within a week of the dates for our town's week-long Centennial Celebration. The Centennial Committee (some of whom were exhibitors) suggested that both events would have more impact if staged at the same time. We buckled.
Instead of synergy, we got competition. We competed with the biggest celebration in the town's history---a celebration that included dozens of attractions that pulled people away from our show. But we did have one special attraction that helped our cause.
Show Visitors Make Their Mark
We created and gave top billing to "The Modern Living Show Time Capsule." Visitors lined up to sign a scroll that was placed with other artifacts of the day in a 72,000 ml. glass flask. With drum roll and fanfare, the flask and contents were sealed in a pre-stressed concrete vault and buried for the next 100 years in a park named after our town's founder, Charles K. Landis.
Sometimes, good isn't good enough
The Time Capsule helped build a little traffic. But not enough to save the show. Despite good ideas and heavy promotion, tough competition for the time and attention of your audience can still kill you. Our tactics were good. Our strategy was not.
Marketing Memoirette # 7 Baron City Beer
The Beer with the High I.Q.
Once upon a time, we believed you needed a slogan to sell everything. So, when we got the Baron City Beer account (one of many private labels sloshed out of the same vats by a small regional brewery) we immediately donned our sloganeering hats.
Our president, Syd Nemarow (a teetotaler) coined the line, The Beer with the High I.Q. Of course to make any sense, the copy had to explain that I.Q. stood for "Interior Quality." But the irony of Baron City Beer was that it was a gosh-awful brew. You had to be really parched to down more than a glass or two.
In our eagerness to get things moving, due diligence was ignored. A little bar hopping and samples for ad hoc taste panels before kicking off a program for a brew that nobody knew was in order. Instead we sprung into action
Regional promotion via billboards, newspaper, radio and press releases quickly spiked sales. The client and our agency were tipsy with the impact made by our modest budget. But the euphoria of a nice R.O.I. when we first tapped the market was soon replaced with a sobering fact: the early tasters%u2026those who like to try new things%u2026 did not become converts. When we had exhausted the adventurous tipplers, sales trickled to a drip.
As might be expected, the client wanted a new campaign, fresh ideas, and a silver bullet to turn things around Yet, even slow learners are quick to recognize that when one of the four "P's" of marketing is missing it's going to be a tough sell. When that missing "P" is the product, it's hopeless.
One agency's three big challenges were to convince the client that his product sucked, hang with him till he fixed it, and still keep the account. We failed at all three.
Our president, Syd Nemarow (a teetotaler) coined the line, The Beer with the High I.Q. Of course to make any sense, the copy had to explain that I.Q. stood for "Interior Quality." But the irony of Baron City Beer was that it was a gosh-awful brew. You had to be really parched to down more than a glass or two.
In our eagerness to get things moving, due diligence was ignored. A little bar hopping and samples for ad hoc taste panels before kicking off a program for a brew that nobody knew was in order. Instead we sprung into action
Regional promotion via billboards, newspaper, radio and press releases quickly spiked sales. The client and our agency were tipsy with the impact made by our modest budget. But the euphoria of a nice R.O.I. when we first tapped the market was soon replaced with a sobering fact: the early tasters%u2026those who like to try new things%u2026 did not become converts. When we had exhausted the adventurous tipplers, sales trickled to a drip.
As might be expected, the client wanted a new campaign, fresh ideas, and a silver bullet to turn things around Yet, even slow learners are quick to recognize that when one of the four "P's" of marketing is missing it's going to be a tough sell. When that missing "P" is the product, it's hopeless.
One agency's three big challenges were to convince the client that his product sucked, hang with him till he fixed it, and still keep the account. We failed at all three.
Marketing Memoirette #6 The Last Hurrah of Servall-Stazdry
With a name like Servall-Stazdry it had to be good.
Some products are so much fun to sell I would almost pay for the privilege to be their Chief Marketing Officer. Servall-Stazdry was one of them. Despite its awkward name, like a cat with nine lives it kept defying that old bell shaped curve that portends product oblivion. When its nadir was eminent, we always found new markets.
Stazdry was a byproduct of the sugar cane industry. After the juice is extracted, the cane becomes bagasse. This bagasse was dried under high heat to remove any remaining moisture. It was then compressed into 90-lb bales. The end product was used by the chicken industry for litter; by the horse industry for bedding; by the nursery industry for mulch and soil amendment; and by archers for target practice.
The Fox Co., of Newfield, NJ had exclusive marketing rights for Servall-Stazdry in the Northeast. I worked with them for 20 years as a sales rep and director of their house agency, Progressive Marketing Services.
What fun it is to be your own client and have great products to sell!
In the early days of its life cycle when used as poultry litter hundreds of railcars, each with 425 bales, were shipped annually. But then the poultry industry changed from floor operations to cage systems with no need for litter. So, we shifted our marketing to the horse industry.
Stazdry had three unique selling propositions: It could absorb and hold up to 300% of its weight in moisture; It was fire resistant; and because it was so densely compacted, one bale was equivalent to many bales of straw bedding.
Another marketing opportunity evolved when nurserymen began using Stazdry for landscaping and plant culture. But unlike dealers in the feed industry with access to rail, nurserymen wanted truck delivery. We were able to find a trucker that was happy to give us low backhaul rates into the Northeast for his trucks that delivered products into sugar cane country.
Stazdry was a byproduct of the sugar cane industry. After the juice is extracted, the cane becomes bagasse. This bagasse was dried under high heat to remove any remaining moisture. It was then compressed into 90-lb bales. The end product was used by the chicken industry for litter; by the horse industry for bedding; by the nursery industry for mulch and soil amendment; and by archers for target practice.
The Fox Co., of Newfield, NJ had exclusive marketing rights for Servall-Stazdry in the Northeast. I worked with them for 20 years as a sales rep and director of their house agency, Progressive Marketing Services.
What fun it is to be your own client and have great products to sell!
In the early days of its life cycle when used as poultry litter hundreds of railcars, each with 425 bales, were shipped annually. But then the poultry industry changed from floor operations to cage systems with no need for litter. So, we shifted our marketing to the horse industry.
Stazdry had three unique selling propositions: It could absorb and hold up to 300% of its weight in moisture; It was fire resistant; and because it was so densely compacted, one bale was equivalent to many bales of straw bedding.
Another marketing opportunity evolved when nurserymen began using Stazdry for landscaping and plant culture. But unlike dealers in the feed industry with access to rail, nurserymen wanted truck delivery. We were able to find a trucker that was happy to give us low backhaul rates into the Northeast for his trucks that delivered products into sugar cane country.
About the same time that the nursery market was growing, bow hunters discovered Stazdry. Though it represented only a small part of the market, word of mouth spread among archers that Stazdry was great for target practice. Because it was so tightly compressed, arrows would not go through the bale and destroy the fletching. What's more, since the bales soaked up moisture, they were heavy and sturdy.
Servall-Stazdry was my first introduction to the impact of a world economy. Our nice little profitable niche was obliterated by OPEC. As energy costs continued to rise, the cost of gas used to dry the bagasse and to ship the finished product killed our long time winner.
Those of us who loved the product mourned its passing. But, it had one last hurrah, albeit in its original form. Bagasse will burn and it became a source of fuel to replace some of the gas used by the furnaces that dried cane juice into sugar.
Servall-Stazdry was my first introduction to the impact of a world economy. Our nice little profitable niche was obliterated by OPEC. As energy costs continued to rise, the cost of gas used to dry the bagasse and to ship the finished product killed our long time winner.
Those of us who loved the product mourned its passing. But, it had one last hurrah, albeit in its original form. Bagasse will burn and it became a source of fuel to replace some of the gas used by the furnaces that dried cane juice into sugar.
Marketing Memoirette #5 Mystic Islands, NJ
I thought "Enjoy the Good Life" was a lousy headlilne to sell houses. I was wrong.
In the 60's our agency placed classified display ads for vacation homes in Mystic Islands. We advertised on weekends in the New York Times, the Newark Star Ledger and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Most ads were only two columns by four inches, or smaller. All carried the slogan, "Enjoy the Good Life at Mystic Islands"and featured an artist's rendering of a home, listed its features and blasted the price. Also squeezed into the ad were easy directions from metro areas.
When we tracked the results, I became an instant convert to the power of classified advertising. On Monday mornings we would ask the sales manager how many homes they sold over the weekend. The results were impressive. Some weekends they sold over a dozen homes.
Another thing that surprised me was the high closing rate among visitors. After a guided tour of the community and its blessings, an inspection of the completely decorated model advertised and other models available, they would return to the sales office, do the deal, and plunk down a deposit before heading back to the city.
I soon realized we weren't just selling little houses on the water. We were selling a chance for city dwellers to enjoy an affordable and comfortable vacation or year round home at the Jersey Shore within an easy drive of the Northeast's major cities. "Enjoy the good life at Mystic Islands" was the right emotional appeal at the right time to the right prospects. And the weekend classified real estate section of major papers was the place to reach them.
Instead of straining for a more creative approach, we had tapped into something that was already in the prospect's head. Our little ads, the sales and marketing program, and the product offered reinforced what was already there. It was an easy decision to "Enjoy the Good Life at Mystic Islands."
When we tracked the results, I became an instant convert to the power of classified advertising. On Monday mornings we would ask the sales manager how many homes they sold over the weekend. The results were impressive. Some weekends they sold over a dozen homes.
Another thing that surprised me was the high closing rate among visitors. After a guided tour of the community and its blessings, an inspection of the completely decorated model advertised and other models available, they would return to the sales office, do the deal, and plunk down a deposit before heading back to the city.
I soon realized we weren't just selling little houses on the water. We were selling a chance for city dwellers to enjoy an affordable and comfortable vacation or year round home at the Jersey Shore within an easy drive of the Northeast's major cities. "Enjoy the good life at Mystic Islands" was the right emotional appeal at the right time to the right prospects. And the weekend classified real estate section of major papers was the place to reach them.
Instead of straining for a more creative approach, we had tapped into something that was already in the prospect's head. Our little ads, the sales and marketing program, and the product offered reinforced what was already there. It was an easy decision to "Enjoy the Good Life at Mystic Islands."
Links that can help all marketers
- 92 West Marketing, Omaha, Nebraska
- 92 West's advertising and marketing services include: branding, logo creation, print and website design, e-commerce sites, hosting, copy writing and project management.
- Marketing help from professionals and professors
- Much of the excellent content on this site is free. They also offer a Premium Subscription for $49.95 a year and a Premium Plus for $199 a year.
- Counselors to America's Small Business
- Free, How to" advice from experts on starting, financing, management and marketing.Many links to other valuable resources.
- Knowledge@ Wharton
- Wharton is committed to sharing its intellectual capital on all matters affecting the business community. Contains many excellent articles on marketing.
- Marketing Ammo for the Little Guy
- An eclectic approach to the many challenges of marketing faced by small business owners. This link is to the blog of this lens' author.
Books that Help Marcom Careers
What Sticks: Why Most Advertising Fails and How to Guarantee Yours Succeeds
Amazon Price: $18.25 (as of 12/24/2009) 
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 12/24/2009)
Hot Appeals or Burnt Offerings: Do's and Don'ts for Twenty-First Century Fundraising
Amazon Price: $18.96 (as of 12/24/2009)
BOOM: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer -- The Baby-Boomer Woman
Amazon Price: $16.32 (as of 12/24/2009)
Making Money With Classified Ads
Amazon Price: $17.10 (as of 12/24/2009)
Marketing: Slim Trim Memoirette #4
We thought we were going to get fat with the Slim Trim accouont
In the '60s, Slim Trim was a brand new brand. Our little ad agency was hyped. We were off and running with a consumer product that was going to generate buckets of money from 15% media commissions plus production and merchandising fees.
Our shop did the label, product publicity, in-store demos, made sales presentation to supermarket chain buyers and brokers, produced all collateral material and created and placed newspaper ads.
There was plenty of energy to fuel our entrepreneurial flame. Slim Trim had a unique niche. When introduced, there were few competitors in the low calorie drink market. . We positioned it as a healthy low calorie non-carbonated fruit drink. It was priced competitively, distributed efficiently to supermarkets through food brokers, and promoted aggressively in regional newspapers.
Both client and agency were on a steep learning curve. Before we got to the consumer we quickly found how tough buyers can be. We leaned the amount of free goods you have to give to leverage a few facing on a supermarket shelf and how difficult it is to keep that space. We found that food marketing is a brass-knuckle business.
We got lots of free press with the product's launch and scheduled our first ads in the Delaware Valley market.
To support the program we set up and manned sampling tables in supermarkets and fairs. We also exhibited in food industry trade shows. As part of the merchandising effort we visited supermarkets to check on facings and detailed shelf stockers on the product.
The introduction was effective, but then one of the major "P's" of marketing's big four imploded: the product itself. The product, the ultimate salesman, was making a lousy presentation. Sometimes it was tasty and refreshing. Sometimes it was passably potable. But often it was just plain yucky and left an unpleasant after taste. (Cont. Next Module)
Our shop did the label, product publicity, in-store demos, made sales presentation to supermarket chain buyers and brokers, produced all collateral material and created and placed newspaper ads.
There was plenty of energy to fuel our entrepreneurial flame. Slim Trim had a unique niche. When introduced, there were few competitors in the low calorie drink market. . We positioned it as a healthy low calorie non-carbonated fruit drink. It was priced competitively, distributed efficiently to supermarkets through food brokers, and promoted aggressively in regional newspapers.
Both client and agency were on a steep learning curve. Before we got to the consumer we quickly found how tough buyers can be. We leaned the amount of free goods you have to give to leverage a few facing on a supermarket shelf and how difficult it is to keep that space. We found that food marketing is a brass-knuckle business.
We got lots of free press with the product's launch and scheduled our first ads in the Delaware Valley market.
To support the program we set up and manned sampling tables in supermarkets and fairs. We also exhibited in food industry trade shows. As part of the merchandising effort we visited supermarkets to check on facings and detailed shelf stockers on the product.
The introduction was effective, but then one of the major "P's" of marketing's big four imploded: the product itself. The product, the ultimate salesman, was making a lousy presentation. Sometimes it was tasty and refreshing. Sometimes it was passably potable. But often it was just plain yucky and left an unpleasant after taste. (Cont. Next Module)
Memoirette #4 Part 2 Slim Trim
Two big OOPS!
OOPS #1
Apparently, the beta artificial sweetener used for Slim Trim was not ready for prime time. And this is where the manufacturer made a big mistake. While he tweaked and twiddle with formulas, he opted to continued advertising.
With aggressive promotion you can make sales. But if the product doesn't perform as expected, that's all you've done. You made a sale, but you didn't get a customer. Once they say sayonara, it's forever. They have too many options to give you a second chance.
We filled the pipe lines, but Slim Trim just sat on the shelves. But. at the same time, despite poor sales, venture capitalists noted our promotional efforts. They liked the name and the positioning and saw the product's potential. Still, it was no surprise that these folks also wanted control of the company.
OOPS #2
And now, Slim Trim's creator made his second big mistake. He was not about to give up control of his company regardless how sweet the offer and the chance to make millions. Instead, he struggled and dinked with the formula and the sweetener trying to solve the taste problem--- until it was too late. His optimism outpaced reality. And he continued to promote the product to protect a market he never had and to disappoint those willing to try the product.
In a few months, sales trickled to a halt. There was no cash flow. There was no cash reserve. There was no way to pay the agency and no way for the agency to pay the media.
So when our stubborn entrepreneur finally hollered uncle, it was too late to rebuild. The guys with the cash and the smarts to help rescue and build the brand were no longer interested. He had nothing to sell and too many payables to pay.
The Slim Trim debacle cost our agency dearly. I was among the casualties, but found new life as advertising manager and assistant sales manager with one of our biggest accounts.
Since those early days, I've witnessed the Slim Trim syndrome again and again: entrepreneurs who try to market a product that needs fixing before they fix it. They let their optimism get in the way of their objectivity. When the product isn't ready for its role as your best salesman, don't waste money. You're just shooting your best salesman in the foot. When the market speaks, listen and you shall hear.
Apparently, the beta artificial sweetener used for Slim Trim was not ready for prime time. And this is where the manufacturer made a big mistake. While he tweaked and twiddle with formulas, he opted to continued advertising.
With aggressive promotion you can make sales. But if the product doesn't perform as expected, that's all you've done. You made a sale, but you didn't get a customer. Once they say sayonara, it's forever. They have too many options to give you a second chance.
We filled the pipe lines, but Slim Trim just sat on the shelves. But. at the same time, despite poor sales, venture capitalists noted our promotional efforts. They liked the name and the positioning and saw the product's potential. Still, it was no surprise that these folks also wanted control of the company.
OOPS #2
And now, Slim Trim's creator made his second big mistake. He was not about to give up control of his company regardless how sweet the offer and the chance to make millions. Instead, he struggled and dinked with the formula and the sweetener trying to solve the taste problem--- until it was too late. His optimism outpaced reality. And he continued to promote the product to protect a market he never had and to disappoint those willing to try the product.
In a few months, sales trickled to a halt. There was no cash flow. There was no cash reserve. There was no way to pay the agency and no way for the agency to pay the media.
So when our stubborn entrepreneur finally hollered uncle, it was too late to rebuild. The guys with the cash and the smarts to help rescue and build the brand were no longer interested. He had nothing to sell and too many payables to pay.
The Slim Trim debacle cost our agency dearly. I was among the casualties, but found new life as advertising manager and assistant sales manager with one of our biggest accounts.
Since those early days, I've witnessed the Slim Trim syndrome again and again: entrepreneurs who try to market a product that needs fixing before they fix it. They let their optimism get in the way of their objectivity. When the product isn't ready for its role as your best salesman, don't waste money. You're just shooting your best salesman in the foot. When the market speaks, listen and you shall hear.
Books from Amazon can help your career
Here are a few I often revisit for facts and insperation
The End of Advertising as We Know It
"Sergio is one of the few who recognize that the real problem with advertising is that the process itself is broken...."
Sam Hill, Helios Consulting Group
Amazon Price: $11.21 (as of 12/24/2009)
The End of Marketing as We Know It
"A wizard at marketing discloses his magic. No matter what your industry, you will benefit greatly from Serrio Zyman's out of the box thinking and contemporary concepts."
Charles R. Schwab, The Charles Schwab Corporation
Amazon Price: $12.44 (as of 12/24/2009)
The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual
"THE CLUETRAIN MANIFESTO is brilliant and impossible at the same time. It is magnificently overstated and yet entirely correct."
Thomas H. Steward, author of INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL: THE NEW WEALTH OF ORGANIZATIONS
Amazon Price: (as of 12/24/2009)
The Art of Writing Advertising : Conversations with Masters of the Craft: David Ogilvy, William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, Rosser Reeves,
Four decades ago, five of the original giants of advertising copywriting discussed their writing techniques with Advertising Age Magazine. They were so popular with writers everywhere they were compiled into this book.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/24/2009)
My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising (Advertising Age Classics Library)
"Nobody should be allowed too have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book (Scientific Advertising) seven times. It changed the course of my life."
David Ogilvy
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/24/2009)
Marketing: Exhibition Management
Memoirette #3 Part 1
One Friday, Les Kotok bounced into my office at Nemarow Advertising just as art director, Forrest Cooper and I were about to bounce out for Happy Hour. Les stretched his arms across the doorway and said, "Whoa! Wait a minute. I want you guys to design and build me a sound booth. I need it to give free hearing tests at The Modern Living Show. And I need it a week from today. Can you do it?"
His company, South Jersey Hearing Aids, was a small but profitable client. And Les was a gem to work with. What's more, he always paid his bills promptly.
"Sure," we said. We considered ourselves a pretty hot shop and our hubris at times was horrendous, or maybe we were just delusional Anyway, we thought we could do anything.
AH! WHAT'S IN NAME?
The name" The Modern Living Show" was an image stretcher for a local home show. The show was organized, directed, and promoted by our agency. So, since we were free to stretch the image another yard, we established "The Institute of Modern Living" as the sponsor. The names' cache helped generate publicity, sell exhibit space and build traffic. Everyone was a winner. We didn't lie. We just left out a few details.(Cont. Next Module)
His company, South Jersey Hearing Aids, was a small but profitable client. And Les was a gem to work with. What's more, he always paid his bills promptly.
"Sure," we said. We considered ourselves a pretty hot shop and our hubris at times was horrendous, or maybe we were just delusional Anyway, we thought we could do anything.
AH! WHAT'S IN NAME?
The name" The Modern Living Show" was an image stretcher for a local home show. The show was organized, directed, and promoted by our agency. So, since we were free to stretch the image another yard, we established "The Institute of Modern Living" as the sponsor. The names' cache helped generate publicity, sell exhibit space and build traffic. Everyone was a winner. We didn't lie. We just left out a few details.(Cont. Next Module)
Marketing: Exhibit Management
Memoirette #3 Part 2
HAPPY HOUR IS USURPED
Back to our story: Les wanted something simple, about the size of a phone booth. No widows. He was afraid prospects might be embarrassed or distracted as they sat wired to the Certified Audiologist on the outside.
As we talked Forrest sketched a dozen rough-roughs. By 7:00 we'd missed our happy hour, but were happy with a final sketch that Forrest's would use as a model for a finished rendering.
BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
By 3:00 Monday, Forrest had a full-color rendering ready for Les. It was a work of art. It looked like a sentry box that could grace the gates of Windsor Castle.
Les loved it. "Go!" he said. And we did. We scurried up the block to a phone booth, took a few measurements and added them to the rendering. Then, we zipped over to Walker Signs, and showed the project to Walt Walker, our always come through guy. Walt assured us he could build, paint and deliver the booth to the show by 4:00 Friday, one hour before the show opened.
Thursday morning we stopped back and were relieved to see the booth was about ready for the first coat of paint. Still, I had a twinge of uneasiness. Not about the deadline. It was the booth. It seemed to have lost something in the translation. But we reassured one another that it would look great when it was painted. ( Continued Next Module)
Back to our story: Les wanted something simple, about the size of a phone booth. No widows. He was afraid prospects might be embarrassed or distracted as they sat wired to the Certified Audiologist on the outside.
As we talked Forrest sketched a dozen rough-roughs. By 7:00 we'd missed our happy hour, but were happy with a final sketch that Forrest's would use as a model for a finished rendering.
BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
By 3:00 Monday, Forrest had a full-color rendering ready for Les. It was a work of art. It looked like a sentry box that could grace the gates of Windsor Castle.
Les loved it. "Go!" he said. And we did. We scurried up the block to a phone booth, took a few measurements and added them to the rendering. Then, we zipped over to Walker Signs, and showed the project to Walt Walker, our always come through guy. Walt assured us he could build, paint and deliver the booth to the show by 4:00 Friday, one hour before the show opened.
Thursday morning we stopped back and were relieved to see the booth was about ready for the first coat of paint. Still, I had a twinge of uneasiness. Not about the deadline. It was the booth. It seemed to have lost something in the translation. But we reassured one another that it would look great when it was painted. ( Continued Next Module)
Marketing: Exhibition Management
Memoirette #3 Part 3
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Friday at 4:00 Walt backed up to the exhibit hall. We helped unload the booth and muscle it into place. Then we stepped back to get the full effect.
It was ugly! Downright, gosh-awful ugly!
Forrest said, "Gee. And it looked so good on paper."
"Just followed directions," Walt said. But he didn't hang around.
At 4:50 Les arrived with two of his salesmen. "What have you guys done to me?" he said. "This is it? This is what I hired you to build?" This is what you designed?"
"Yes. That sucker is ugly," I admitted. "Ugly, but functional."
One of Les's guys said it reminded him of a megalith from Stonehenge.
And then just as the show doors opened an exhibitor in the next booth said, "Hey, Les; What's that? A Porta Potty?"
That was our epiphany: The damn thing looked like an outhouse!
REDEMPTION
That evening, all day Saturday, and until the show ended Sunday afternoon, Les and his guys used that crappy booth to literally (not figuratively) do their business. They hosted dozens of hearing tests, and got plenty of solid leads that were later converted to sales.
They did a brisk business because Les and his guys were aggressive. They collared people in the aisle and hustled them in for a free test. And it worked.
Les and his guys were happy with the show. Not with us.
THE SECOND MOMENT OF TRUTH
When it was time to bill for the job, I was nonplussed. An adjustment was in order, but I didn't know what to offer. Fortunately, our president, Syd Nemarow, had his own brand of shoot from the hip client relationship management. He also understood a client's potential lifetime value and the importance of solid vendor relationships. And he was generous as hell.
"Just bite the bullet," he said. "Pay the sign guy. Tell Les we're sorry. There's no charge for the project."
As for that freaken ugly booth, its show business career ended when the show closed. It was never seen or heard from again. It may have had a second career with a half moon in the door.
Friday at 4:00 Walt backed up to the exhibit hall. We helped unload the booth and muscle it into place. Then we stepped back to get the full effect.
It was ugly! Downright, gosh-awful ugly!
Forrest said, "Gee. And it looked so good on paper."
"Just followed directions," Walt said. But he didn't hang around.
At 4:50 Les arrived with two of his salesmen. "What have you guys done to me?" he said. "This is it? This is what I hired you to build?" This is what you designed?"
"Yes. That sucker is ugly," I admitted. "Ugly, but functional."
One of Les's guys said it reminded him of a megalith from Stonehenge.
And then just as the show doors opened an exhibitor in the next booth said, "Hey, Les; What's that? A Porta Potty?"
That was our epiphany: The damn thing looked like an outhouse!
REDEMPTION
That evening, all day Saturday, and until the show ended Sunday afternoon, Les and his guys used that crappy booth to literally (not figuratively) do their business. They hosted dozens of hearing tests, and got plenty of solid leads that were later converted to sales.
They did a brisk business because Les and his guys were aggressive. They collared people in the aisle and hustled them in for a free test. And it worked.
Les and his guys were happy with the show. Not with us.
THE SECOND MOMENT OF TRUTH
When it was time to bill for the job, I was nonplussed. An adjustment was in order, but I didn't know what to offer. Fortunately, our president, Syd Nemarow, had his own brand of shoot from the hip client relationship management. He also understood a client's potential lifetime value and the importance of solid vendor relationships. And he was generous as hell.
"Just bite the bullet," he said. "Pay the sign guy. Tell Les we're sorry. There's no charge for the project."
As for that freaken ugly booth, its show business career ended when the show closed. It was never seen or heard from again. It may have had a second career with a half moon in the door.
Marketing Ammo for the Little Guy
Ideas for better marketing communications without breaking the bank.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byEureka! It's the Amazon source!
You've discovered a shortcut to great books and magazines.
I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON AMAZON
I love everything about Amazon. It's a great example of how to run a gigantic business with attention to individual customers...a great example of good pricing, superior products and super service.
Following are just a few of my favorite publications:
I love everything about Amazon. It's a great example of how to run a gigantic business with attention to individual customers...a great example of good pricing, superior products and super service.
Following are just a few of my favorite publications:
The Copywriter's Handbook, Third Edition: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells
This book is for everyone who writes or approves copy---even entrepreneurs and brand managers who often don't really know what they think they know.
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 12/24/2009)
Juicing the Orange: How to Turn Creativity into a Powerful Business Advantage
Alan M. Webber, cofounding editor of Fast Company says the authors "...don't just juice the orange---they peel it, slice it, and serve it up. Without a doubt, when it comes to business, creativity is the new vitamin C."
Amazon Price: $17.79 (as of 12/24/2009)
Bottom-up Marketing (Plume)
I have seen the authors' technique work for clients who didn't even realize they were practicing Bottom-up Marketing.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/24/2009)
Marketing:How to lose with a Royal Flush
Memoirette #2 Part 1
I was an account executive at Nemarow Advertising Agency when inventor Nat Cordis hired us to market his new toilet tank ball. We were to share the profits after all sales and marketing costs were covered. With a gross potential market of 75,000,000 units, visions of dollars danced in our heads.
We named Nat's baby, the Royal Flush. And we just couldn't restrain ourselves from billing it as "The real power behind the throne." The unique selling proposition: "It seats perfectly every time," was a nice benefit for anyone who ever jiggled a handle.
It was as easy to change as a light bulb, carried a three-year guarantee, and retailed in a pretty bubble package for only 98 cents. We were sure we had a winner.
Syd Nemarow, president and owner of our little shop, was a talented dynamo. Within six weeks we had news releases in consumer pubs, ads running in Sunday supplements, catalog sheets for distributors, and appointments with distributors of plumbing supplies and rack jobbers who serviced the house wares section of supermarket chains. I merchandised our modest little ads by visiting hardware stores as a shopper with a copy to show while I asked if they carried the product.
(Next: Pitch Time in the City)
We named Nat's baby, the Royal Flush. And we just couldn't restrain ourselves from billing it as "The real power behind the throne." The unique selling proposition: "It seats perfectly every time," was a nice benefit for anyone who ever jiggled a handle.
It was as easy to change as a light bulb, carried a three-year guarantee, and retailed in a pretty bubble package for only 98 cents. We were sure we had a winner.
Syd Nemarow, president and owner of our little shop, was a talented dynamo. Within six weeks we had news releases in consumer pubs, ads running in Sunday supplements, catalog sheets for distributors, and appointments with distributors of plumbing supplies and rack jobbers who serviced the house wares section of supermarket chains. I merchandised our modest little ads by visiting hardware stores as a shopper with a copy to show while I asked if they carried the product.
(Next: Pitch Time in the City)
Marketing: How to Lose with a Royal Flush
Memoirette #2 Part 2
PITCH TIME IN THE CITY
On the weekend before our first calls on distributors and rack jobbers in Manhattan I improvised a crude demo unit from a wooden drawer of an old kitchen cabinet. With a few boards and a flush mechanism, we had a working model. (Imagine your toilet tank with 2/3 of the bottom cut off and you get the picture.) The original handle on the drawer was a convenient grip as we schlepped The Big Apple's streets from our little office at 299 Madison Ave.
In the City, two suits with an ugly drawer displaying a toilet tank ball were hardly noticed. . Once though, while waiting at an intersection for the "Walk" sign, a guy next to me said, "Hey, Mac, you forgot your toilet."
Syd was a super salesman. Just pushy enough for the tough buyers we called on. They would have eaten me alive just for sport. But Syd had the street smarts they admired. He was colorful, concise and pragmatic. He never used a canned sales pitch or notes. He knew where he was headed and took his prospect with him.
As soon as we sat down in a buyer's office, he would take off his watch and lay it on the desk, and ask, "How much time do I have?" One buyer said, "I don't know. I'm no doctor. How do you feel?" But whether the buyer said ten minutes or half and hour, no one ever paid any attention to that watch until the presentation was over.
Syd did the whole thing until it came time to show the beautiful simplicity of
The Royal Flush. Then I would hold my ugly wooden kitchen drawer over the guy's desk and-my big moment-flip the handle for a dry flush. Then flush again and again to show how it seated perfectly every time.
It was effective. Like Caesar, we came. They saw. We conquered. At least we thought we did.
Next: The Royal Flush Goes Down the Tube.(Cont. Next Module)
On the weekend before our first calls on distributors and rack jobbers in Manhattan I improvised a crude demo unit from a wooden drawer of an old kitchen cabinet. With a few boards and a flush mechanism, we had a working model. (Imagine your toilet tank with 2/3 of the bottom cut off and you get the picture.) The original handle on the drawer was a convenient grip as we schlepped The Big Apple's streets from our little office at 299 Madison Ave.
In the City, two suits with an ugly drawer displaying a toilet tank ball were hardly noticed. . Once though, while waiting at an intersection for the "Walk" sign, a guy next to me said, "Hey, Mac, you forgot your toilet."
Syd was a super salesman. Just pushy enough for the tough buyers we called on. They would have eaten me alive just for sport. But Syd had the street smarts they admired. He was colorful, concise and pragmatic. He never used a canned sales pitch or notes. He knew where he was headed and took his prospect with him.
As soon as we sat down in a buyer's office, he would take off his watch and lay it on the desk, and ask, "How much time do I have?" One buyer said, "I don't know. I'm no doctor. How do you feel?" But whether the buyer said ten minutes or half and hour, no one ever paid any attention to that watch until the presentation was over.
Syd did the whole thing until it came time to show the beautiful simplicity of
The Royal Flush. Then I would hold my ugly wooden kitchen drawer over the guy's desk and-my big moment-flip the handle for a dry flush. Then flush again and again to show how it seated perfectly every time.
It was effective. Like Caesar, we came. They saw. We conquered. At least we thought we did.
Next: The Royal Flush Goes Down the Tube.(Cont. Next Module)
Marketing:How to Lose with a Royal Flush
Memoirette #2 Part 3
THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE IS USURPED
We were, I hesitate to say, flushed with success. The business grew rapidly. Most orders came through rack jobbers who bought the product, stocked and serviced displays at retail locations, and shared the profits with the retailer. Business was humming.
Then, we started to get calls. The Royal Flush did not fit all tanks. Our package and ads said that it did. We found the wire prongs that guided the unit into the outlet were too long for some new tanks and the ball would not seat.
We rationalized: "Okay. So it doesn't fit every tank. There are still lots of johns to seduce."
But then came calls to replace the metalized DuPont Dacron line that tied the ball to the flush arm lever. Customers said their line shrunk and wasn't long enough to let the ball seat properly. We knew it didn't shrink. But we soon, but not soon enough, discovered why it seemed to shrink. The Royal Flush was a victim of vortex and the hydraulic phenomenon caused by the revolution of the earth that makes water eddy in the same direction each time it goes down the drain.
For a while, the string's memory would twist it back to normal. But with a little age came senility, loss of memory and length as the cord shortened a little more with each flush. And the Royal Flush no longer seated perfectly every time. It was usurped as "the power behind the throne."
.
Despite a good price, a unique selling proposition, and effective promotion, we were missing the ultimate salesman: the performance of the product itself.
So, The Royal Flush went down the tube. Syd was philosophical and gracious. He didn't blame the inventor; he blamed physics. "Nat," he said, "it's impossible to come up with a winner when the whole world turns against you."
We were, I hesitate to say, flushed with success. The business grew rapidly. Most orders came through rack jobbers who bought the product, stocked and serviced displays at retail locations, and shared the profits with the retailer. Business was humming.
Then, we started to get calls. The Royal Flush did not fit all tanks. Our package and ads said that it did. We found the wire prongs that guided the unit into the outlet were too long for some new tanks and the ball would not seat.
We rationalized: "Okay. So it doesn't fit every tank. There are still lots of johns to seduce."
But then came calls to replace the metalized DuPont Dacron line that tied the ball to the flush arm lever. Customers said their line shrunk and wasn't long enough to let the ball seat properly. We knew it didn't shrink. But we soon, but not soon enough, discovered why it seemed to shrink. The Royal Flush was a victim of vortex and the hydraulic phenomenon caused by the revolution of the earth that makes water eddy in the same direction each time it goes down the drain.
For a while, the string's memory would twist it back to normal. But with a little age came senility, loss of memory and length as the cord shortened a little more with each flush. And the Royal Flush no longer seated perfectly every time. It was usurped as "the power behind the throne."
.
Despite a good price, a unique selling proposition, and effective promotion, we were missing the ultimate salesman: the performance of the product itself.
So, The Royal Flush went down the tube. Syd was philosophical and gracious. He didn't blame the inventor; he blamed physics. "Nat," he said, "it's impossible to come up with a winner when the whole world turns against you."
Marketing: Customer Relationship Management at Harry's.
Memoirette #1 Part 1
Paul Peterman, a bulky ex-wrestler was nasty drunk. In brag overdrive he chronicled his big wins in Berlin of 20 years ago. With guttural pleasure he told how with his famous body slam he once broke an opponent's back. To emphasize the feat, he raised both arms high overhead and slammed his huge fists on the bar so hard everyone's glass jumped and sloshed suds.
The other regulars ---for Paul was a regular --- tried to slide away from him. But he stalked along the stand-up bar, put his face in the face of each nervous sipper, and challenged him.
My dad, Harry---owner; bartender; raconteur; and bouncer--- tried a touch of reason on the unreasonable man. When it failed he retired Paul's glass for the evening and told him to go home and sleep it off.
The "Who's gonna make me-I am" exchange that followed led to the dirt parking lot. There under the eerie pink glow of a neon sign that shouted BEER the two faced off in the circle formed by instant fight fans.
Paul outweighed Harry by a good fifty pounds and was a full head taller. Bent in wrestler's stance Paul bounced lightly on his toes. As he stalked for his catch-grab there was no sign he was loaded.
Harry backed. Paul grunted and lunged. Then Harry with every ounce of his body concentrated into a perfectly timed big-sweep round-house punch--- nailed Paul square on the left temple. Paul dropped, tried to get up then lurched and crawled through a gap that the crowd danced for his path. Then he sprawled on his back under a lilac bush at the edge of the lot.
Skeeter, a regular who worked as a practical nurse, checked Paul for signs of life. She found a strong pulse and a powerful snore.
There was a lot of congratulatory back slapping (the high-five and fanny slap had not yet been invented), and the one-punch event made Harry a hero. Back inside, he set up a round "on the house." Then he chuckled and said: "Just goes to show, the customer isn't always right."
(Continued in next module.)
The other regulars ---for Paul was a regular --- tried to slide away from him. But he stalked along the stand-up bar, put his face in the face of each nervous sipper, and challenged him.
My dad, Harry---owner; bartender; raconteur; and bouncer--- tried a touch of reason on the unreasonable man. When it failed he retired Paul's glass for the evening and told him to go home and sleep it off.
The "Who's gonna make me-I am" exchange that followed led to the dirt parking lot. There under the eerie pink glow of a neon sign that shouted BEER the two faced off in the circle formed by instant fight fans.
Paul outweighed Harry by a good fifty pounds and was a full head taller. Bent in wrestler's stance Paul bounced lightly on his toes. As he stalked for his catch-grab there was no sign he was loaded.
Harry backed. Paul grunted and lunged. Then Harry with every ounce of his body concentrated into a perfectly timed big-sweep round-house punch--- nailed Paul square on the left temple. Paul dropped, tried to get up then lurched and crawled through a gap that the crowd danced for his path. Then he sprawled on his back under a lilac bush at the edge of the lot.
Skeeter, a regular who worked as a practical nurse, checked Paul for signs of life. She found a strong pulse and a powerful snore.
There was a lot of congratulatory back slapping (the high-five and fanny slap had not yet been invented), and the one-punch event made Harry a hero. Back inside, he set up a round "on the house." Then he chuckled and said: "Just goes to show, the customer isn't always right."
(Continued in next module.)
Marketing: Customer Relationship Management at Harry's
Memoirette #1 Part 2
It was a pleasant summer night and as customers left for the evening they stopped by to peek under the lilac to make sure Paul was still alive. At 2:00 am, Harry locked up, went back to his house behind the bar, picked up a light blanket, came back and draped it over Paul
The next morning Harry and Paul had coffee together. There was no discussion about the night before. Even years later, though the event was often retold, it was never retold when Paul was on hand.
Paul remained a loyal customer for many years. He never got out of line again and became an ex-officio peace keeper when anyone got a little too rowdy.
This happened in 1935 when Harry still sold beer for a nickel a glass. So Paul's customer lifetime value probably never amounted to more than a few bucks a week. But he was one of many such customers during The Great Depression,and Harry cherished them all.
The next morning Harry and Paul had coffee together. There was no discussion about the night before. Even years later, though the event was often retold, it was never retold when Paul was on hand.
Paul remained a loyal customer for many years. He never got out of line again and became an ex-officio peace keeper when anyone got a little too rowdy.
This happened in 1935 when Harry still sold beer for a nickel a glass. So Paul's customer lifetime value probably never amounted to more than a few bucks a week. But he was one of many such customers during The Great Depression,and Harry cherished them all.
I'm Listening. Honest.
Tell me what you think. I can handle it.
I like to tell stories. If you mine a nugget from any of them that you can adapt, adopt, tweak, or steal ---it's a pleasure to aid and abet you.
(If you do, please let me know. I promise not to sue.)
submit
-
Reply
- financegirls financegirls Apr 16, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
- thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences=)
None
- Mozilla Firefox Start Page
- Web Images Groups News Maps Advanced Search Preferences Customize Firefox to work your way with free Add-ons - add anything from weather
None
- Mozilla Firefox Start Page
- Web Images Groups News Maps Advanced Search Preferences Customize Firefox to work your way with free Add-ons - add anything from weather
by JR
JR is a veteran of many major and minor sales and marketing wars, plus a real one in Korea (Navy). A Temple U grad with a journalism and marketi...
(more)Explore related pages
Stock images of Occupations and Business Concepts for Advertisments- Any business owner will tell you that in order to properly market a product or s...
marketing dictionary: benefits, not features- This just might be the best-known and most overlooked piece of advice since &quo...
Are You A Marketing Expert?- Marketing is a word with many meanings. What do you know about marketing? Usuall...
Sales Training- This lens is about sales training and development. Here you can find links to pr...
My Creative Team- My Creative Team is an evolving lens developed to share the Best of the Web reso...
Church Marketing Sucks- Church Marketing Sucks exists to frustrate, educate and motivate the church to c...
