Marketing Myopia™

(and how to cure it.), a regular series addressing the marketing needs and opportunities of small and medium-sized businesses.

The Fallacy of the "Big Picture"

I worked a number of years with a for-profit management education firm in New York City. This company was noted for helping organizations learn how to compete profitably. One of the particularly successful seminars was "How to Maintain Non-Union Status."

Led by high-powered attorneys from one of New York's most prestigious pro-management labor firms, this program was consistently well attended, year-in and year-out. We even had a newsletter addressing the question. The profile of the average seminar attendee was either top management for small to medium-sized firms, or middle management from larger firms.

The premise of these seminars was simple: "If you have a union, you deserve it," because you have not made open caring and communication with your employees your number one priority.

Since my seminar sponsoring company had a long-term commitment to quality, each presentation was rated by the attendees at the end of their 3-day session. Along with statistical rating information, they were asked if they had any suggestions for other seminar topics. Repeatedly, these executives told us we should have a program addressing the hands-on communication needs of direct supervisors.

After some additional research, we developed just such a seminar in response to their comments.

It was a bust.

Why? Because management saw the "Big Picture" but not the actual details of what was needed for success (i.e., getting the front-line supervisors to attend the program).

As managers of our own small and medium-sized businesses, we, too, suffer from an overdose of the "Big Picture."

How many times have we said,

• "I know I should be doing that, but I just don't have time"

• "My customer database is a mess so I can't keep in touch."

• "I know I should track results with my marketing campaigns, but I just haven't gotten around to it."

• "I'm so busy doing the job, I don't have time to plan."

• "I am able to pay my bills every month so I must doing OK."

• "I don't really have a promotional budget so I just squeeze every dollar until it screams."

• "Servicing my biggest customer requires some capital investment, so I don't have funds for marketing."

• "I know I should get a letter out about our new product....but...etc., etc., etc."

The Bottom Line:

The bottom line is: We all know what needs to be done, but we get lost in the "Big Picture" and somehow can't or don't follow through. We can't do it all, even though we know what it takes to be truly successful.

This is why amc marketing group, llc, came into being. Just as with financial, legal and other essential services, creative, cost effective marketing advice is critical to the long-term success of your business—and since our services are outsourced to you, you incur no in-house staffing overhead. Consider us your "outsourced marketing resource."

We're here to help with:

• marketing planning to help you see where you are, where you are going, and where you want to be.

• marketing promotion to get the word out creatively and cost effectively with copywriting that sells.

• marketing project management to get the job done, professionally and on schedule.

Initial phone consultations are free, so call today to explore outsourcing your marketing needs to amc marketing group, llc. (201) 652 8515.

Let us take that marketing load off your shoulders, so you’re free to see your "Big Picture" take shape,

Talk to you soon….