Well,  in a discussion with a friend about the future of marketing, they said to me “Tradional media (as it it used in marketing) is not dead (like television and print) . . . and has the numbers on their side (as opposed to internet marketing) and, for now, it looks like it’s as strong as ever” . . . This got me bothered, becuase I’m not sure what numbers they are referring to? 

I mean, I don’t use either for my company, and we’re growing every quarter . . . also, I know several other business who are seeing great growth without using “tradional media” as well. 

Maybe it’s just the phrase “Traditionalmedia is not dead” . . . I wouldn’t say it is or is not dead . . . I think that it’s going through a great evolution wight now.  

I think marketing itself is going through an evolution not a fight. 

If you think marketing is all about how many people see you, I think you are missing the point of marketing effectively.

Numbers alone mean little here.

If you look at Neilson ratings and  take companies like Ford and Coca-Cola who advertise on shows like American Idol, for example . . . Yes, you can say: “See, tradition marketing is still going strong.”

But it’s really not . . . 

You need to ask first “who is marketing here?” with “traditional media.” 

Ok, sure, Coca-Cola and Ford. 

But these are huge corporations . . . but what about smaller companies? 

Remember the Super-Bowl dilemma this year? 

Even large companies are second guessing using “traditional media”. 

Nielson ratings tell us only a small part of information . . . and numbers of people who see an ad means little. 

Effective marketers know this . . . it’s the people who sell the ad space that care about numbers, not the companies buying it. 

Good marketing is not like pigeon hunt with a shotgun . . . it’s a sniper shoot. 

This applies for all media. 

With evolution, yes — some things die — but the casualties here will not be the types of media but the “traditional media” companies that do not effectively integrate themselves into using the internet and evolving with it. 

This is what good companies do though . . . they see a change happening and they adapt. 

What you should be paying attention to, more that the colossal corporations, is small and medium sized businesses and how they are trending in their use of traditional media. 

With the development of social media, the internet itself is evolving and even traditional internet based companies that thrived on promoting commerce, like eBay, are facing great problems and rapidly declining traffic. 

The internet is entering into a new stage of community development, where it’s more like a small town in its feel . . . this essentially is what social media is doing. 

In short, the companies that are the early adopters of this new media and who can effectively use it, will thrive. 

Ironically, it’s more traditional small town values that we’re trying to incorporate into the world wide web. 

The days of faceless and emotionless corporate colossuses are numbered. 

These are indeed interesting times

I’ve been running on online auto dealership for over 6 years now and someone recently asked me on some of the wisdom I’ve picked up on over the years and what I’ve done to keep my customers happy and prevent issues from arising. 

Here are my thoughts: 

Well, the biggest potential issue comes from people not getting what they expect . . . this is why it’s important to handle a special juggling act where you want to earn their trust by being very open and having great customer reviews, but still keeping them open to the idea that mistakes can and will happen in these transactions and that they are dealing with a human and that someone is here to help them if they need a hand. 

Also, it’s critical to be upfront in providing as much information as possible in a very structured and easy to filter method, but at the same time giving them a little element of doubt at first. 

The main goal is to get them to call and build a relationship with me and see that I really do give a damn. . . . and I do.

The next rule of thumb is to refuse a sale to someone who you feel will give you issues . . . one bad customer can ruin your business, so, in my line, I do refuse to sell to people I have a bad feeling about. This doesn’t mean I will never work with them. I just wont pressure them and I will stay distant . . . sometimes people have to just come to you because they have trust issues that they are trying to overcome and this happens on their own pace and through being transparent . . . you can lead a horse to watter, but you can’t make it drink, so to say.

There is also a balance in being sort of a dictator in these transaction and having the client realize that you will be flexible, but when it comes to closing the sale, you are strict and by the book. . . this is for every-one’s best interest.

So that this doesn’t come as a surprise, framing is very important. 

In any complex transaction it is very important to do what’s called “framing” as soon as possible  . . . this means you outline the whole transaction upfront and tell the customers what they can expect. . . this really does help put the customer at ease, because they now know that there is a process and order to something that is very new to them. 

The ability to frame properly comes with experience. . .

Above all else, the most important rule is to never lie and also realize that all people have value . . . and this does not come by telling them they are valued, but my trusting them first. . . . actually.

Of course, this isn’t too far off from real life either.

In this business, just like life, all we have is our integrity and without it, we have nothing. . .

One big problem many sellers, like many people on the street, have this the fear of disappointing others so they tell people what they think they want to hear rather than remaining confident and consistent. . .

It’s just better to be upfront and let your cards show.

If you’re operating a legitimate business, there is just nothing to hide.

In the end, the goal is to build a sort of partnership with the client where they feel they have a vested interest in your success and failure because your relationship is mutually beneficial.

Too many businesses fail to see the long term value in this, but in times like these, it’s these clients that will carry a business though and one reason why, while many car dealerships are struggling, we’re actually doing just fine . . .

Greed makes big profits in the beginning, but they drop quickly and the effort and money needed to keep finding new clients will increase overtime, making long-term gains very low and the risk of failure in the end very high.

There’s a saying that I like to keep in mind when making deals . . . “You can shave a sheep many times over the course of it’s life and it will love you for it . . . you can skin it only once.”  Always, make it a point to be fair . . . people will ultimately find out when they have been taken advantage of and regaining their trust will be nearly impossible.

Anyhow, the best rule of thumb to avoid issues when dealing with customers online, is to always address what’s difficult upfront . . . this is good for both life and business. . . as I’m getting older and wiser, I’d have to say, there is little difference.

Because, in the end, with life and with business, it’s all about relationships and people helping each other.

You dig?

This is a samlpe of a poject I’m working on called the “mending heart” . . .

please click on the images below to see in their full size

Above: “this will heal”

Below: “like new”

Here are some great quotes from the the dude’s Dude, John Wayne:

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very
clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes
we’ve learned something from yesterday.”

“Women have the right to work wherever they want, as long as they have the
dinner ready when you get home”

“Life is tough, but it’s tougher when you’re stupid.”

“If you’ve got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow.”

“A man ought to do what he thinks is right”

“If everything isn’t black and white, I say, “Why the hell not?””

“Talk low, talk slow and don’t say too much.”

“A horse is a horse,it ain´t make a difference what color it is.”

“Healthy, lusty sex is wonderful”

“Never say sorry - it’s a sign of weakness”

“I’m the stuff men are made of”

“I stick to simple themes. Love. Hate. No nuances. I stay away from
psychoanalyst’s couch scenes. Couches are good for one thing.”

“I’ve had three wives, six children and six grandchildren and I still don’t
understand women”

“Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.”