Two’s Company – Why having a Direct Marketing Consultant works

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Have you noticed how some business owners fall into the trap?

Well, a couple of traps, really.

The first is having things go wrong and then finding someone else or something else to blame it on – other than themselves, of course.

The second is running the show as if they know EVERYTHING about business, which they probably don’t.

I read in the local paper about the owner of a food business who claimed he would have to go out of business – because of the local council. He said work on a new development in the city centre included safety barriers which deterred people from entering his premises.

Now, it might well be that some improvement works have an impact on local businesses. But every business knew this work was coming. They had a chance to prepare for it. That might have meant doing some extra marketing and advertising – to reassure regulars and newcomers alike, that the place was open as usual.

Yes, that might mean extra expenditure. But it keeps you in the public eye. It might be the thing which helps take you through the “works period” and maybe even brings you some new customers.

That’s where advice from a direct marketing consultant would help.

It can get you through the short term.

In the longer term, the improvements will make the city centre a more attractive place for shoppers. So local businesses should benefit from that.

Once you’ve come through the rough patch, a direct marketing consultant can continue to help you drive longer term success.

I don’t know the ins and outs of this case but I suspect it’s a business that finds it easier to blame other people or other things, rather than look at what it could be doing to survive and thrive.

There seems to be a lot of that kind of mentality around.

The other “trap” I’m seeing business owners fall into is to believe either (a) they have to know everything or (b) they think they know everything.

The truth is, they don’t know everything. No business owner does. No entrepreneur does.

That’s how you end up with people saying they need four Facebook ads, a web page, six emails and a sales page. And then seeing how cheaply they can get these components.

The likelihood is those elements are NOT what that business needs. A direct marketing consultant can point them in the correct direction.

If the business owner bothered to ask for help they would find that two’s company. The entrepreneur outlines his or her vision and desired outcome. The expert in marketing, advertising or copywriting explains how the results can be achieved. Then you can talk money.

And despite what you may have heard, the key is NOT Social Media.

A direct response marketing consultant would be able to tell you why that is and what to focus on for better results and to stop wasting time, effort and money.

It’s simple return on investment. If someone could show you how to make an extra £50,000 would you be unhappy rewarding them with £5,000? Maybe a bit more? If you were sensible, you’d obviously say no. You’d be delighted to get that kind of return any month of the year.

If you could be shown how to make £100,000 would you quibble at £10K or even £15K? If the extra turnover was £250,000, how much would that be worth to you? How much would you be happy to pay for that kind of result?

Some businesses just can’t seem to see that bigger picture. They’re stuck in narrow-minded mindset which will more than likely prevent them from achieving higher goals.

Sometimes having someone from the outside, someone neutral, someone with a bit of specialist knowledge and expertise to look at your business can be highly rewarding. They may be able to see things you cannot see because you are so close to it all, you’re immersed in the day-to-day and find it hard to look beyond the next week let alone the next year.

You can take a look at my consultancy services here.

Sometimes it’s worth asking yourself if your marketing is cutting the mustard. What sort of results are you getting?

If you’re writing copy yourself or have entrusted that to someone else, how’s that working out for your business? Copy is the key to successful marketing. Changing the words can improve results. Changing just one word can make a difference.

Words are that powerful.

If you want words that are geared towards sales and results you may want to hire a copywriter. If you would like an expert copywriter to take a look at your existing copy and improve it, there’s a service you might choose called Critique.

The quality of so much marketing out there today is poor. When you add up all the money being lost or thrown down the drain by businesses through ineffective strategy, failed tactics and weak copy it must run into millions and millions and millions of pounds.

Is it pride that stops people from asking for help? Or something else?

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