How Marketing is Much Like Cooking2 min read
share:
Do you see marketing your professional services as hard, difficult, perhaps even unpleasant?
If so, you’re not alone.
We may see marketing as hard because we worry the worst will happen:
We have a marketing message that is unclear and confusing, turning people off.
We reach out to prospects and it feels like we’re interrupting or bothering them.
We write emails or marketing materials that we believe nobody will find interesting.
We second-guess ourselves and feel that our services aren’t really valuable after all.
With those attitudes, no wonder marketing feels hard. But there is a way to make marketing a whole lot easier.
The key is to turn a practice into a system. Instead of focusing on what might go wrong, we discover the underlying principles that make that practice work.
For instance, we may also perceive cooking to be hard. After all, we could end up with unpalatable meals that nobody enjoys.
But if we break cooking down to its most basic elements, we come up with four simple activities that can be applied to creating any dish:
1. Selection of ingredients
2. Preparing of ingredients
3. Mixing and heating ingredients
4. Serving the prepared dish
Yes, that sounds pretty simplistic, but that’s essentially what cooking consists of.
And there are millions of recipes and cookbooks that explain exactly how to successfully perform those four activities for any dish in the world.
Before long, with a little practice, cooking becomes fun, a real pleasure. You’re eating and sharing delicious meals.
Marketing really isn’t much different. There are also four core activities required to implement any marketing strategy.
1. Target your ideal clients. (Research who they are and where they can be found.)
2. Get the attention of your ideal clients. (Create messages that appeal to their needs and interests.)
3. Inform and educate those prospective clients who respond to #2. (Through written, audio or audiovisual media.)
4. Invite to engage in a conversation with said prospective clients. (Explore through dialog whether or not the services you offer are a right fit.)
Now all you have to do is become competent at those four steps.
With some research, study, and practice you can follow various marketing recipes that are proven to attract clients.
And before long, marketing is easier and more successful. You’re attracting great clients consistently.
When it comes to cooking, some will learn enough to cook three square meals a day. Others will master the art and become celebrated chefs.
For most independent professionals, mastery of marketing is not required, simply competence in the basic four marketing activities.
I urge you to commit to effective marketing by learning and practicing the basics of marketing until attracting all the clients you need is no longer an issue.
Cheers, Robert
share:
