AMiable Solution #122: The Value of Preparation

Ahh…the Thanksgiving feast.  It takes hours to prepare but only minutes to consume.  Why do we spend so much time preparing something that lasts such a short amount of time?

Necessity. 

You can’t pop a frozen turkey in the oven and expect it to come out juicy and thoroughly cooked in an hour any more than you can expect to whip up a direct marketing promotion on the fly and expect your audience to respond.  You need to think ahead. 

Thinking ahead means devising a plan.  Who will your “guests” be?  What are their preferences?  What are their needs?  What have they consumed in the past?  Your offer should tailor to their specific tastes and histories.

Thinking ahead also means getting your timing right.  Offering a special discount?  Make sure you build in enough time to allow your audience to receive your offer and respond.  Doing an annual fund drive?  Think about psychological, financial, seasonal, and historical facts that could maximize interest and response.

The end result for any marketer--and any Thanksgiving cook--is to elicit the appropriate “oohs” and “ahhs,” which can be achieved only with the right planning and preparation.  And that’s something everyone will be thankful for.

AMiable Solution #121: The Value of Veterans

Most of us chose safe occupations.  We sit at desks or stand on shop floors or stride through stores.  Our biggest dangers include an angry boss, a traffic backup, or a missed budget.  To us, being a “veteran” of something simply means we’ve been doing it for a long time.  That we’re pretty experienced and, presumably, pretty good at the task or role at hand.

For anyone who is serving or has served in a branch of the military, and for anyone who has loved someone who served, “veteran” has even greater value.

Despite the enormous responsibilities they undertake and the morbidly high stakes they face, the task of protecting our freedoms and our lives is carried out by relatively few.  Veterans make up only 7% of the American population.  Active members of the military make up even less: less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to the 2010 Census, as reported online by ABC News reporters Luis Martinez and Amy Bingham in 2011. 

Although Veteran’s Day is officially over, we hope to always remember the men and women who voluntarily work some of the hardest, most dangerous, most important jobs in America.  To them, we say thank you.

AMiable Solution #120: Getting the Votes

For marketers, getting a customer, prospect, or donor to choose their organizations for a product or service is much like a politician trying to get votes.  There are usually campaigns, marketing, pleas, and personal appeals involved.

But what actually gets the vote?

While the promise of a better way sounds appealing, the vote usually goes to the one with the best track record.  The company or organization that makes and then follows through on a good offer.  The group that not only listens to what its customers have to say, but also acts on what it hears.  An organization that creates solutions to problems, not the other way around.

Have you been getting the votes lately?  If your numbers aren’t as good as they once were, maybe it’s time for a re-examination. 

                                                                            

For starters, meet with your customer service department to discuss any noticeable changes in customer attitudes, questions, or complaints.  Then, study your marketing language.  Are you overselling or over-promising the benefits of your offers?  Do your offers sound attractive or unbelievable? 

Having a larger marketing budget than your competitors may help, but it will only be a short-term win if you don’t have the substance to support your position.

What can politicians learn from marketers?  Be honest.  Work hard.  Earn the votes.