You want me to tell you something on how you can motivate your market force? I will do so today. I will tell you ideas that will power your marketing and promotions with force if only you will appreciate their simplicity and common sense.
A critical question: How simple, motivational and forceful are your communications and market thrust? Is it all creativity, hi-tech and strategy, but no force? How easily digestible and real are your promotions?
Simplicity and Common Sense
This is a winning combination in today’s marketplace, yet many corporate bodies and professionals discount them. The more complex your marketing, the more forceful, so they think. Not anymore.
If you must lead the pack in your business, then keep your product packaging and marketing simple. You have to stoop to the level of your customers and forcefully communicate with simplicity. These days, as you communicate and sell, you have to motivate your workforce and customers. Motivation and simplicity are the power ruling markets now. Without them, there is no force in your marketing. Some ideas.
1. Create your own medium
Your marketing costs should not be heavy. You can keep it low by creating your own medium that is simple and cost effective. Here is what an American company does. It plants corporate messages right on the back of the complimentary cards of staff. The messages are seasonal. It can be on your vision/mission, ethics, quality control or social responsibility. In 30 words you tell your story.
2. CEO’s sweep the floor.
CEO’s, how do you communicate with your workforce? Do you limit it to managers? What about the staff at the bottom? They have information no one else has. Kenneth Hendricks, CEO of an American company gives this idea: “If you want to know really what is happening in most companies, you talk to the guy who sweeps the floor. Nine times out of 10, he knows more than the President. So I make it a point to know what my sweepers know even if it means sweeping the floor.
3. Business Mail
Who handles incoming mails for your company? Is it the corporate messenger? He collects all mails, sorts and distributes? Besides, you can miss big business opportunities either from a customer complaint or suggestion in a letter. Much depends on how your letters are handled.
Handling mails can be a manager’s job, no longer a messenger’s job. Some CEO’s insist on reading other mails besides those marked for their attention or with their names. Some even give financial rewards for the “star” letter of the week to encourage readers to write.
4. CEO Marketing
CEOs please go out and sell. Do not limit your exposure only to your air conditioned offices. Go out and sell. When you do so, you power your corporate marketing and improve bottom line. Don’t stay at head office holding management and board meetings. If that is your style, then watch out. It will reflect in your balance sheet. Next Annual General meeting, shareholders will call for your head. You should motivate your market force. Take this advice from Jim Roch, CEO, the Boston Beer Company…..”If more CEO’s had to go out and sell their products, day in day out, they would pay a lot more attention to what they were making. When you are out there selling, there is no place to hide. It is the acid test.”
5. Have an “Open Day”
Why shield your operations from your customers and other stakeholders? When they look at your business, all they see are head office buildings, corporate managers, cars, corporate promos and maybe your marketing team. And your customers are now wondering; Who are you? How do you operate? What do you do? What are your pains? Where are you going? They want to see you as you operate, not just bombarded by your marketing communications that maybe all promotions. And persuasion begins with being real, open, informative and simple.
Some educational institutions do that with “Open Days.” That is the day they throw open their gates for parents and other stakeholders to visit and see how their staff operate, how they teach, how the students interact with teachers, how they assess their children/wards performances. That day, visiting parents/guardians criticize, offer suggestions and get a feel of the rhythm of the school.
You want customers to measure your business pressure, have an Open Day.
Eric Okeke is a storyteller, editor, business writer, motivational speaker and author of the best selling book: I Want a Husband. He is one of Nigeria’s most experienced financial journalists. He has published several articles in local and foreign publications and in websites such as http://www.ezinearticles.com, www.ezinearticles.com and www.writingcareer.com. He is currently running Infomedia Company, a media consulting and information marketing company. Visit his blog at http://sallywantsahusband.blogspot.com
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