Get Through the Noise

There is a lot of noise in my head lately — everything that needs to get done is screaming at me to get my attention. Is it that way for you, too?

Imagine what it’s like for your customers and prospects. Each of them has their own individual needs and desires. It’s very unlikely that any of their needs and desires has anything to do with satisfying you.

Each of us is faced every moment of the day with a thousand things that scream for our attention. If your customers and prospects are business owners, they are probably being screamed at by every detail that requires their attention at the office — they have their own customer worries, they may have HR issues with their employees, payroll, vendors… the list goes on and on!

If your customers and prospects are homeowners, there is a whole other set of details that may be screaming at them for their attention — what needs to get done around the house, what needs repair, how about decorating, mowing the lawn… once again, the list is endless!

The Role of Marketing

I’ve said before that the role of marketing is to influence peoples’ perception of you, your products, and your services, such that when they are ready to buy they will think of you.

But how can marketing accomplish this task if there is already so much noise in peoples’ heads?

Let me illustrate:

A while back, I told the story of a business owner who attended a seminar one afternoon on the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The business owner returned to his office after the seminar shouting to everyone, “We need SEO! We need SEO!”.

But the business owner didn’t understand precisely why.

More recently, I heard from another business owner who attended a seminar at which the virtues of social media were being discussed. This business owner returned from the seminar telling everyone, “We need social media! We need social media!”.

But again, he didn’t understand precisely why.

What both of these business owners were being taught at their seminars was correct: the first business owner did need SEO, and the second business owner did need social media.

They needed these things because at the time, each was an effective technique at allowing businesses to get through the noise that was in their customers’ and prospects’ heads.

Technology Changes; Marketing is a Constant

The technology (the “technique” if you will) changes over time, but the need to market and make yourself heard is a constant.

As business owners and marketers, we must constantly adapt to the technology of the moment and figure out how to use it to influence our audience.

People that specialize in just one technique may not be able to carry you to the technique that is next.