Last week I was blessed to be interviewed by direct marketing legend and mentor Dan Kennedy. I was both honored and excited to have him turn the microphone on me for his top clients to discuss leadership and influence strategies from my latest book, Mind Capture: Leadership Lessons from Ten Trailblazers Who Beat the Odds and Influenced Millions. In addition, we hit on the topic of attention and Mind Capture which has been my main mission and message for over a decade now through my live talks, multiple books and weekly messages of value.
I’ve been around Dan’s work for nearly 20-years now and it still amazes me as to how in tune he is with both marketing and human nature. Being a skilled copywriter who routinely gets six-figure projects, plus royalties, he’s also a prolific writer of countless books and multiple monthly publications which I devour and learn from each time I listen to and read his wisdom. His influence within the business space is impressive, as is his solid reputation for being one of the best direct response experts on the planet.
I went back into my newsletter vaults and found an article I had written a few years ago from a special event Dan spoke at in Indianapolis. In this blog post I again share the three lessons I originally shared which are still extremely relevant and valuable. Enjoy and keep Capturing Minds!
Three Lessons from the Marketing Genius Dan Kennedy
Last week over 400+ marketing minds assembled in Indy for a rare four-hour marketing presentation with Dan Kennedy. My pen was on fire and my mind set ablaze after watching and listening to Dan lay down key strategies from his talk titled: “Re-invent Your Business: 10 Ways to Double Your Income in 29 Days!”
Here are three key lessons from Dan’s presentation and some of my additional thoughts on why they are so valuable for all of us engaged in marketing and promotion.
#1: The customer of today is seeking “direct personal relevance”: What Dan was driving at with this statement, in my opinion, is that we must ALL strive to make our product/service/cause resonate in a customized fashion with our ideal audience. In today’s age of speed, instant communication, and massive choice via the Internet, the same-old-same-old will no longer cut it.
With so much choice and customers more empowered than any other time in history, mediocre or boring companies will face severe challenges if they don’t get into the mind or conversation of their customers. All people want to be appreciated for their time, business and patronage. The smart, marketing minded firms that not only thrive, but survive, will focus in on making their messages extremely relevant and tightly targeted to their most ideally suited customers and prospects.
#2. The key question to ask yourself in relation to marketing is “Why should I choose to do business with you versus any other option available?” This question is extremely powerful and a perfect reminder that we ALL have competition. I work with many successful people and firms who are doing very well but they approach their business with the mindset of the Dan’s question. They are relentless, passionate and do not rest on their laurels.
With competition always present and new competitors continually emerging on the scene, we must never take for granted the business we earn from our customers. They are bombarded with choice and competing offers on an almost non-stop basis. With all this marketing noise and confusion attempting to persuade them away from us, we must continue to listen to their needs, keep communication consistent, and never forget that they can choose to work with us or with a long line of potential competitors.
#3. Avoid “dreadful sameness” in your marketing. I could spend an hour on the relevance of this advice from Dan, but let me strip it down to a couple of quick thoughts as to why his advice is spot on and of such importance.
First, people are busier than ever and have even shorter attention spans. With this in mind, it’s even more imperative that our marketing message and offers clearly stand out or “Capture the mind” and imagination in a quick and memorable fashion. If you’re marketing message is boring and looks like everyone else in your industry, then the odds are very high that no one will pay much attention to it. Common sense, but people still miss this one.
Second, by doing some unique things in your marketing you immediately stand out from your competition who are often too afraid to try new ideas. Often times the fear is based on a foolish belief that doing something new is too dangerous or may cause negative feedback. Yes, balance is required here, but to simply avoid doing new things based on what competitors or industry peers think is acceptable, is often the path to mediocrity and boredom. This is not a good spot to be in as it pertains to your marketing efforts.
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