MARKETING INSIGHTS
Devil
The
Details
Is In The
How Big Wins Are Secured By Managing The Minutiae
By now , the tragic Florida condo collapse will be “ old ” news for the rest of us in the U . S . — but certainly NOT for the local community there and the families who suffered the senseless loss of loved ones . This kind of tragedy is such a shock because we believe that an entire building suddenly collapsing would only happen in poor countries where there is not as many regulations and laws to ensure buildings are created structurally sound and kept up to code — not here in America in a suburb of a major metropolitan city .
But sadly , a LOT of America ’ s infrastructure is crumbling and in desperate need of repair , and a big reason it gets neglected is the same reason so many business owners wait to upgrade critical computer systems and infrastructure : Nobody likes to spend money and time on mundane necessities and maintenance .
I like watching home makeover shows on HGTV . One of my favorites is “ Love It Or List It .” In the show , the homeowner gives designer Hillary Farr a budget and a wish list of things they want changed to make over the home in order to stay in it . The wish list is always bigger than the budget , and the homeowners are ALWAYS annoyed at her for taking away their new bathroom remodel to repair a roof that ’ s leaking , dry out and waterproof a wet basement , fix faulty electrical work , replace a seriously outdated HVAC system , or repair some other “ inside the walls ” problem .
Of course , we all know logically that having a roof that doesn ’ t leak or a basement that doesn ’ t have mold is FAR more important than how the tile and countertops look in the kitchen , but nobody sees it that way , and nobody is happy spending their budgets on necessities and infrastructure .
Now , To The MARKETING Lesson :
This same rule applies to running a business and implementing a productive marketing plan . Everyone likes to spend money on the flashy , interesting stuff , like a new website or an updated logo , brochure , or van wrap , but they frown and drag their feet on the internal , mundane “ infrastructure ” stuff that ’ s required to make things actually work .
I can get people interested in buying a new website face-lift all day long . What I have a hard time selling is the mechanical process of making sure Google Analytics is installed properly , tested , and monitored for the website ’ s performance on a weekly basis to know if the fancy-schmancy new design is actually paying off or not , tweaking where necessary , and revising copy and design UNTIL it does . I can sell a new Facebook campaign but have a hell of a hard time getting someone to make sure their phone is answered live by a trained person who is scripted , monitored , and managed , then have that lead put into a marketing automation system that will ensure it is captured , cleaned , tracked , and properly followed up on in the
8 | MSPSuccessMagazine . com • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6