The other day a customer said, “I’m putting in 120% effort, I’m exhausted and my wife hates it.” I can almost guarantee you, that guy’s doing all the RIGHT things to fix the WRONG problem.
At Roundtable last month, Stew, who sells replacement parts for industrial equipment, revealed his #1 discovery in 2011: His customers will pay what to him seemed “exorbitant” prices, for next-day delivery of hard-to-find parts.
Today he’s getting $500 for parts he used to sell for $150, simply because he’s the only guy who’s figured out how to ship the stuff in 24 hours instead of five weeks. It’s a bargain for the customer because otherwise a costly machine sits idle.
This is only one example of how he’s re-engineered his biz during the last year. Almost none of it has been “copywriting” or “optimization.” He’s changing the game instead. Last year he tripled his profits; in June he took an 11-day vacation to Alaska and the business hummed along without him.
Are you using all the perfect techniques and best practices – but fixing the wrong problem?
http://www.perrymarshall.com/roundtable/
Perry Marshall
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About the Author
Perry Marshall has launched two revolutions in sales and marketing. In Pay-Per-Click advertising, he pioneered best practices and wrote the world's best selling book on Google advertising. And he's driven the 80/20 Principle deeper than any other author, creating a new movement in business.
He is referenced across the Internet and by Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, INC and Forbes Magazine.
3 Comments on “Is your "marketing problem" really a marketing problem?”
A brilliant example of identifying the true problem and “following the money” – the client downtime and its economic value.
Last October, the power window switch in my car broke. With the window stuck in the DOWN position. It was 40 degrees out. I don’t have a garage.
I called every dealer in the area and got, across the board, surly attitudes and “we’ll put it in our next parts run, the order goes Thursday.” They didn’t even pause when I asked outright, “What do you need from me to have a switch overnighted so I can pick it up tomorrow morning? My window is down and I don’t have a garage.”
I called junkyards. A couple had the switch I needed but didn’t feel “right” charging for overnight shipping. About ready to give up, I called one more junkyard. I asked the same question and he matter of factly said “For just $75 more it will be in your hands 10:00 tomorrow morning. But I’ll warn you, the switch is gray. You said you wanted a black one.”
Not only did I order that switch, but I had them throw in a few “not urgent but coming soon’ items on too. All of it overnighted to save time.
It was this junkyard that recognized I needed my driver-side window in the up position, like, RIGHT NOW, to whom I gave money I hadn’t even planned on spending.
– ARH
Thanks for the Miyagi email – you illustrate a very valid point – I remember seeing that movie for the first time in the 80’s – remember thinking “that ol’ guy is just getting the young fella to do all that work for free”.
My jaw almost hit the floor when the true meaning was revealed…. Well written movie (and based on the real Mr Miyagi who invented and systematized Goju Ryu Karate)