Annoys me

As a qualified marketing and advertising professional, nothing annoys me more than seeing monkeys who claim to be marketing experts, rip poor unsuspecting business owners off. Honestly, the amount of these so called experts who confuse marketing with sales or advertising is mind blowing and what's worse, they give genuine marketers a really bad name.

A few weeks ago I attended a free workshop on the power of a solid marketing plan. Now before you ask what I was doing there, I firmly believe that everyone has something to offer you and in my field, you can never know enough, there are always small gems to pick up from the most unsuspecting places. As luck would have it, it was well worth my efforts.

It was here that I met a young man with a big homemade sign around his neck that said “Blah marketing’ ask me how I can help market you".

Thinking I had found a kindred spirit I began talking to him in marketing lingo, joking about the slaughter that had taken place in our industry over the last twelve months thanks to the GFC. Being a fairly small industry in Sydney, it's normal to find a connection between marketers so I casually asked where he'd worked before but to my surprise I discovered his tonality to be extremely hostile in reply, “I am actually a business consultant” he admitted “I am here to learn as much as possible about marketing before make money from it”.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have ourselves a classic example of a genuine fraud.

This is a perfect representation of the type of fool I despise. He, like so many others, is nothing more than an actor in disguise. I have no doubt that he would have left the 2 hour workshop feeling prepared and ready to take your money.

Friends, marketing isn't advertising and advertising isn't marketing. Advertising is just one small component of marketing, its the pretty, colourful bit that everyone recognises. But it isn't the deciding factor that makes people buy your product or engage in your service, it is the power tool that gains their attention and raises an eyebrow.

On that same note, marketing and sales are NOT the same thing and should never be placed in the same category.

When it comes to small business, what gets a customer over the line is you, your business, your personal brand, your conversation that has connected with them. How you do that is all written there in front of you, its right there in your marketing plan, the one that you and a qualified marketing expert have put together.

Just remember that you don't always have to be loud to be heard and monkeys are loud.