Monday, February 15, 2010

Dealer Marketing

There is an old saying about marketing that goes, “Reducing your marketing to save money is like trying to stop a clock to save time.”

Multiple times this week I have had people tell me they would employ our services if they could “afford it” or “had the time” to invest. Some of my initial responses were:

- What makes you think you can’t afford it?
- When do you expect to have time?
- Time must be created.

Time is real, to you and me. But you must be cautious about confusing it with money or leaning on it like a crutch.

Believe me, I get it. There is not enough time in the day to accomplish everything you need. I experience this most of the time. But then there is the saying to God about granting you the serenity to accept the things you can not change, to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Now, it is because you can not escape time you must use it to your advantage. This, I would argue, is where you must learn to create time.

If you have a reason or excuse or a really good justification for not communicating your message then you are attempting to stop the clock and that is not realistic. You must reach your audience. Some suggestions I would throw out there include to…

- Be attentive not to quantify your effectiveness by one measure only.
- Be sure to communicate your message in multiple formats and circumstances.
- Invest time and money, but only when it meets your goals and objectives
- Have goals and objectives
- Define your goals and objectives

Ok enough of the hints. This week I have had people express an interest in spending money to market their cause, and people finding reasons not to.