That Marketing Tactic Don’t Work On Me

First let me say that my area of expertise revolves around selling. When it comes to marketing, my skills range from nothing to nada. All I have to go on is my perception of how effective any marketing tactic is on me.

Every day I get hit up with multiple offers via email or on one of the social channels. Only a very small fraction of these will move me to even read, let alone respond to, the originating party.

Still, I see multiples of companies, well recognized firms, doing exactly the same thing so my tiny brain says … “All of these firms have marketing people on staff, and they are all doing the same things, so what they are doing must obviously work?” But, I have to wonder if they could work better.

I do get that you can send out 10,000 pieces at the push of a button and if even 1% respond, that’s 100 potential customers. I do not know what percentage of those might be qualified buyers. Ten percent? You are also building brand awareness.

These methods are really no different than the age old methods of print, radio, television, and direct mail and all of these are obviously still widely in use. With the possible exception of direct mail, these don’t use any personalization at all. However, they are directed to a target market.

I’m guessing that today’s marketers are also trying to reach a target market and in my world, B2B, the buyer persona is a little different than B2C. Little to no emphasis is placed on demographics such as age, gender, and household income. Why then, if I am a business, do you market to me like I am a consumer?

Emails

Email blasts – Unwanted emails qualify as interruption marketing. Template email blasts with some lame attempt at personalization are even worse. Add to the fact that at least 50% of the emails like this that I get are not even relevant to my needs and … it’s no wonder why nobody reads emails anymore. Thank God I have Unroll.me!

Newsletters – Newsletters that I have actually subscribed to are fine but, I don’t want to see them every stinkin’ day! Now, if I did not subscribe and you did so without my permission … I don’t have time for revenge but, you and your company are now persona non grata … forever.

All of the above holds true when …

You subscribe to articles
Agree, or not, to allow the company to send you offers
Download a report and sign up for their mailing list
Get added to multiple affiliated companies mailing lists … without being asked

Social channels

With the advent of social media, we are now getting hammered on the social networks in addition to our inboxes. While the media channels might be different, the marketing tactics remain the same. Blah, blah, blah.

DM’s and auto DM’s -A reasonably large percentage of the time when I connect with someone on Twitter, I will get an auto-direct message in reply. Mind you, I am generally responding to their request to connect although their message would indicate the opposite. Error #1.

Next comes my “reward” …

Like my Facebook page
Ask to connect with me on LinkedIn
Watch my video
Buy my book

My question is … who raised these assholes? My reward is for me to do something for you? Seriously?

Template invitations – I simply cannot begin to tell you how much I despise templated invitations to connect. Of course, we are talking about LinkedIn. I do get that LinkedIn will not always allow you the ability to personalize an invitation and, despite some who claim “do this”, I have never found a way with 100% success.

So, sometimes I am willing to cut you some slack and say that either LinkedIn did not give you the opportunity or that you just don’t know any better. “Forgive them father for they know not what they do.” However, if we have never engaged otherwise, and you have not even looked at my profile … that’s all I need to know. Delete.

Other methods

I honestly cannot remember the last time that a real person at a real company called me on the phone. Maybe they could not get through as I was already on the line with a Medicare provider, the IRS, or Microsoft support. This is probably why, as a one-person office, I rarely answer the phone.

However, if you ask me via email or a valid social channel if you can call me, and your services could be relevant to my needs, I will most likely accept providing that we schedule that call. Don’t be late. This is a part of the test.

Now, I do get a lot of direct mail and most of it sucks. Over and over again I get …

Hearing aids
Cable and dish networks
Heating and Cooling
Catalogs, huge expensive catalogs, of office products that I have absolutely no interest or need for. Theses things have to cost some money

Most of these I get every month and from the same people. Go figure.

Unique, memorable, and remarkable

I did not coin this phrase but, it has stuck with me. If you are not unique, memorable, and remarkable … you are merely one of the unwashed millions and nothing separates you from the next dirty fella’.

Personalization is much more than a merge tag with my name that has been added to an obvious template message that has been sent out via a bulk emailing service. Do what works! Not what don’t!

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Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services

Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!