FEATURE STORY
case-by-case basis and decide whether to work outside the “ official ” warranty duration . Are there areas that your competitors are ignoring that , by being more entrepreneurial , you can capitalize on ?
• Be smarter : This sounds too simple and is almost too embarrassing to say . Since we are smaller , we can look more carefully at the business we do and make sure it makes good business sense . We don ’ t pick up another product just to increase the size of our line card . That ’ s doesn ’ t make good business sense for us . That ’ s the way we have to think — and so should you .
• Foster staff loyalty : One major advantage guerillas have over gorillas is the ability to attract , motivate , and keep good people . Primarily , this is because guerillas can be more flexible , easier to work for , and give people a greater sense of accomplishment because what they do contributes more directly to the company ’ s bottom line . I have always found great power in being a smaller company and treating my people with respect and not just as numbers . At Danby Appliances , everyone is on a first-name basis , which is good for business and company spirit . Gorillas can try to do this , but it is tough for them to copy you in this area .
• Be a gorilla : We like to enter market areas that we can dominate and specialize in . We may not be the biggest , but in certain specific niches , we dominate . As long as we are the biggest in an area , we can act the part . We can underprice and overservice the competition forever . Anyone who enters our markets learns that it is expensive — and often impossible — to unseat us .
• Be personal : One thing a smaller company can do is be more personal . People buy from people . You can foster relationships that will help you sell . Part of the way we are personal is by showing our customers what markets and products are profitable . There is nothing that cements a customer relationship better than making them money , because you ’ ll be making money for them and for you !
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR THE MARKETER IS TO GET PROSPECTS TO ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION AND READ WHAT YOU ARE
SENDING THEM .
It does not matter if you have over one hundred thousand Twitter followers or over ten thousand email subscribers if no one reads what you send . The easiest ( well , not really easy ) way to get people to read something is to make it personal .
I never cease to be amazed by the people who use the standard LinkedIn introduction , “ I ’ d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn ,” with no additional comment . Adding a simple , personal message like “ Jim , we met at such-and-such show …” would go a long way in making me click the “ Connect ” button .
• Be opportunistic : To sum up guerilla strategy is simply to be opportunistic . Take advantage of opportunities that the gorillas cannot . There are many companies that remain profitable by being opportunistic .
WHEN YOU SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT MARKETING STRATEGIES , HOW DO YOU APPROACH REACHING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE ?
The first rule of marketing is to know your customers . Customers have changed over the past ten , twenty , and thirty years , partly as a result of technology and partly as a result of economic pressures and the need for efficiency . Customers lose focus very quickly . They have limited attention spans . Good marketers know this and cater to this . We cannot change the customer ; however , we can change the message .
The new world demands simplicity , brevity , and ease of use . Marketers have the challenge of getting through to these newworld customers . Live by these rules :
• Grab their attention : Customers need to be woken up and shaken in order to even look at your marketing . This is why unique , outrageous , and highly creative ideas can break through . If you look at Danby Appliances ’ latest marketing video , “ Flipping Your Fridge ,” customer attention is grabbed immediately when the viewer sees someone throwing a fridge in the air and flipping it .
• Keep it short : I have noticed an interesting screening mechanism that people use — the length of the message . If the message is short , they read it . If it is long , they do not . Look at business books . Their length has dropped to about two hundred fifty pages in order to be marketable . People no longer think they get more value if a book is one thousand pages long .
Instant messaging is a hot phenomenon , especially with younger people who have grown up in the age of Uber technology and information overload . And Twitter ’ s success is remarkable when you consider it limits its users to one hundred forty characters of text . We can all learn from Twitter ; it can teach us to keep it short . I advocate that every marketer should sign up for Twitter and try sending twenty to thirty tweets . It is good training on how to get a message across in fewer words . Cut the message length and increase the impact . Less is more .
• Allow prospects to take action quickly : Have an obvious “ Order now ” button on your website . Make your phone numbers easy to find . And don ’ t forget the good old-fashioned call to action —
18 | FALL 2016