I recently re-read Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits and was reminded of something I don’t think gets near enough attention. Why? Because it’s tough. Really tough. You can’t fit it in a blog post and it takes time to master.
It’s something we all know but only a handful of people can actually say they do it.
When Stephen Covey talks, I listen. As someone whose sold over 20million books and started successful companies like Franklin Covey, I know there’s a LOT to learn from him.
Habits make and break us. In marketing, a companies success (especially in the wake of new media) depends on consistency. Companies aren’t able to run big ad campaigns and then disappear anymore. Effective marketing is built on things we do over and over again and systems we put in place daily. Here’s the breakdown.
Knowledge: What To & Why To
When businesses decide they want to start communicating with their audience continually rather than on a per campaign basis, the first question that’s always asked is WHY? If their answer amounts to “keeping up with the Jones’ business” it may be time to go back to the drawing board. Businesses need to be able to tie every marketing effort back to their business goals. We may not be able to track every single dollar generated by a Facebook status or blog post but then again that’s not always the point. Businesses should focus on their content aligning with their business goals at the beginning. If their goals is to increase retention among their existing customers, they may measure that in terms of revenue generated. Instead they need to focus on creating content that is interesting enough to keep customers coming back and sharing it. It’s not until we’re focused on the right WHY that we can make sense of new media.
Skills: How To
Most of us are sooooo close we can almost taste it! We have two of the three characteristics that make effective marketing habits. We know exactly what we want in our business (Knowledge) and we want it so bad it keeps us up at night (Desire) but we’re missing the HOW. We just don’t have the know-how to get there. Developing new skills isn’t easy and requires a lot of time in the trenches. If this is what’s stopping you though, don’t hesitate to find a professional who can either teach your or your staff or if you need to hire someone to champion the “HOW” part completely. The technical stuff is daunting, there’s no doubt about it, but the good news is that it can be learned and if you already have the right mindset from having knowledge and desire, you’ll be able to tackle the Skills with minimal resistance!
Desire: Want To
Another common problem I see is companies that are lacking the desire in marketing. They know they need it and even know how to get results but they don’t have the desire to actually connect with their audience. They’d rather blast advertising and ignore the response if it doesn’t mean an immediate return. Those brands won’t reach their true marketing potential no matter how much money they pour into it. Steven Covey has a great saying that wasn’t intended for the marketing audience directly but little did he know, fits perfectly on the subject of listening to your audience
…But knowing I need to listen and knowing how to listen is not enough. Unless I want to listen, unless I have the desire, it won’t be a habit in my life. Creating a habit requires work in all three dimensions.
In order to keep that desire, it’s so important to create an environment where it’s easy to constantly be learning about your customers and business. Don’t make it difficult for your employees and yourself.
Great brands understand they need all three: Knowledge, Skill and Desire. Look closely at Zappos unwaivering customer service as their marketing Apple’s flawless design built into every piece of marketing collateral and Patagonia’s cult-like following that spreads the word for them and you’ll see the knowledge, skills and desire built into each one.
So what is your company doing right? What are you missing? I’ve found it’s much easier to identify the gaps when I break things down into these buckets. Take a few minutes to try it for yourself and evaluate your marketing efforts. Once you’ve evaluated each of the three areas, go back and work through one at a time until you’ve developed your effective marketing habits. You’ll know when your there because you’ll be selling more and your customers will love you more than ever!
image by time management solutions
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