Seth Says All Marketers Are Liars, I Say Most Marketers Are Beggars

Looking forward to Seth Godin's new book, All Marketers Are Liars (excerpt, book blog). I was tempted to say All Marketers Are Beggars, but I think some prove that statement wrong.

I have noted time and time again that most marketing and sales professionals take on the role of a beggar more often than not.

It's a pitiful sight. They are frantically running up and down the beach jumping up and down waving dim-bulbed flashlights hoping beyond hope that any passing ship will notice them and take refuge.

Meanwhile the lighthouse around the bend on the point isn't killing itself (not to mention not embarrassing itself) to attract ships whatsoever. The ships are proactively seeking the lighthouse of their own accord. If there is a new lighthouse, the sailors spread the word. It's on their maps. They knew where they are.

One takeaway I had from sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer's book Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Selling was that his marketing goal was to get to the point that people picked up the phone and called him. This from a guy that doesn't eschew cold calling at all. But he wanted to get to the point he'd never have to make a cold call again. And he got there.

It's a very sane business approach to work towards a long-range goal where people seek you out. I remember talking to an inside sales reps whom confided that no one ever called into the company. They had leads to work from off the free webinars, the white papers and so forth. But yet no one ever just called them out of their own volition to inquire about their products and services. I knew the company was doomed.

I have worked with a large number of business-to-business technology companies, especially start-up ventures. Most are highly sales-driven. And so it's about hiring people with a Rolodex, or more aptly these days a big social network into the decision-makers at enterprises. Of course, snagging one of these well-connected sales folks is easier said than done.

That sales sans much marketing approach can work for a short while since you are leveraging existing relationships. (Ultimately marketing is about building trust and credibility too.) Once the cold calls aren't working for you, you might hit the phones even harder and begin tapping into far-flung acquaintenances.

Just like sailors talk, your customers talk. I've been on the buying side of the enterprise table too (but not now, so you can save yourself the cold-calling and spamming) and I do my homework by asking around in my network of peers, friends, colleagues. I hit the trade shows, I read the trade press, I visit blogs. If I don't get a recommend or referral or some kind of warm fuzzy that I'm not totally sticking my neck out -- then your call falls on very deaf ears. And I consider myself an early adopter. I need some kind of third-party validation if we don't have a personal connection that you're for real and can be counted on.

That's why word-of-mouth marketing is so attractive. That's why public relations is attractive. That's why B2B tech firms vie for a mention in "indepedent analysts" research reports like Gartner and Forrester. Or a review in InfoWorld. That's why a regular Joe blogger that just glows about you and wasn't paid nor prodded to write about you is so attractive. It's that third-party warm fuzzy coming from a person that you trust is a little less biased, a little less invested in making a commission and maybe a tiny bit more like you...when you don't know if you should trust the company itself and its products yet.

I appeared to have talked a bit more about sales than marketing. Still, I say most marketers are bigger beggars than cold calling sales folks. I'm curious. When, if ever, do you think marketers are beggars?

(John, here's one more - beggars - for your list of liars, cheats, quacks, spies and other noble professions.)

To Be Continued....

Comments

[Steve Pavlina]

Seth should read the article "Marketing From Your Conscience."
http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles/marketing-from-your-conscience.htm

[johnza]

How true it is. Your, as usual, thoughtful post, made me think about this whole notion of customer "relationship" management. In terms of relationships (wink, wink Hugh, products are conversations). In many of our relationships in life we are either beggars or choosers.

When we are beggars we are with someone whom we desperately want but who plays coy with us. This is called having a crush on someone. An educational experience but not a strong prospect for a long term relationship because it is built on our own overblown expectations/fantasies.

When we are choosers we are being pursued by a beggar (or beggars) who makes us feel great about being wanted. Who we, because we are weak, don't always let down easily or right away, because it sure feels good to be wanted.

But when we are grown up we find someone we like to talk to. We find someone who looks us in the eye and calls BS on us and to whom we do the same. And it feels great. And if it's right, it lasts a long time and is honored (this is what I think a true brand is by the way).

I think this is true of marketing but maybe not in that order.

First, when we start we will do just about anything to gain validation. We give away our beta. We promise anything and we work 24 hours a day to fulfill.

Then, when we are actually at our best we have a symbiotic relationship - helping, being helped by our clients/customers/partners. And both parties are satisfied (by the way, this situation is the one in which both parties feel happiest).

And maybe, when we get cocky from success (as a company, vendor, employee, etc.) we begin to think that worship is our due and that others ought to be the beggars. They feel bad. And in the end, if we have any soudl, we feel bad about ourselves.

Finally, they cheat on us and move on to someone who doesn't take them for granted - and we only find out about it too late. Or worse, out of our own greed, we cheat on them, forsaking their devotion for the promise of the next thing.

Marketing as beggers yes, sometimes. But marketing as satisfyer much better and more long term.