Marketing is something that has baffled me for years. Here is part 1 of my account of how I have changed my marketing knowledge and approach.
For 3 years in business I have made some horrendous marketing mistakes, some costly others just simply stupid. Even though I made these mistakes, business generally did not suffer. I had a steady stream of clients who trusted the work we did, this was fine but in order to get to the next step I really needed to actively market the business.
So what were the key mistakes I made?
- I confused branding with marketing – I thought that marketing was all about the brand! I wasted money on brochures and other things that looked stunning with the company logo etc but in reality was nothing more than a pretty looking piece of paper.
- I did not plan my marketing – I jumped around from one thing to another – chucking money at things in the hope that they would work
- I failed to understand the market/customers that I wanted – A simple but very costly mistake. If there is one thing that I wish I could change, this would be it. I chased customers/jobs that I thought I needed rather than wanted, this ultimately devalued my business and impacted revenue.
There are several more reasons but these were the costly ones.
So what did I do?
By chance a very close associate of mine, referred me to the Results Academy, in particular Iain Gray. After several long phone calls with Iain, I signed up to the 8 week coaching programme, praise indeed considering that I had gone out of my way to avoid any sort of coach for years!! I have been sceptical of coaches in the past, but I felt comfortable with the approach that Iain outlined to me and took the plunge.
I undertook the course and invested considerable time with Iain working through the programme and on some additional workshops. It was hard work, especially considering my lack of marketing experience or knowledge, however I gained an awful lot of knowledge and more importantly the confidence to get out and market my business without repeating my previous mistakes.
Was it worth it?
100% yes, not cheap but to me worth every penny.
Has it worked?
Yes, I am starting to see the results coming in and more importantly from the type of prospects that I want to work with.
As an indication, referrals have increased by 45% since completing the programme, a fair result in my book.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, its probably not for everyone, but I would recommend you at least talk to them to find out more. I would make it clear, that it does require a lot of effort to get the best from the programme.
What’s Next?
All will be revealed in Part 2…….coming soon!
[...] From marketing idiot to………. Part 1 Marketing is something that has baffled me for years. Here is part 1 of my account of how I have changed my marketing knowledge and approach. For 3 years in business I have made some horrendous marketing mistakes, some costly others just simply stupid. Even though I made these mistakes, business generally did not suffer. [...] Share and Enjoy: [...]
[...] knows bugger all about marketing, to somebody that actually now has half a clue, (read my exploits here, here and here)I thought I would share some of the information that I have gained. My promise to [...]