Stupid Marketing Tricks Part VIII - The Cleaver Advertising Agency

Today is Hugh Beaumont's birthday (the actor who played the Beaver's father). Yesterday I was accused of 'spamming' because I mentioned my website address in a post on a discussion group for crying out loud. I also signed up for yet another social networking site. Now, you might ask, how do all of these things tie together in my own mind? In answer, I offer the following.

Stupid Marketing Tricks - Part VIII - The Cleaver Advertising Agency

Newspaper, radio, tv and magazines are suffering massive meltdowns. The revenue is drying up. The publishing business is not far behind. Why is this so? I call it the 'Ward Cleaver Syndrome'.

Back in the late 50's and early 60's print media used to run ads that featured Dad sitting at the head of the dinner table, dressed in a crisp white shirt and skinny tie and smoking his pipe, smiling cluelessly. Mom was always serving up something like a perfectly cooked turkey in her beehive hairdo and A-frame dress, while the kids sat in their plaid shirts, buttoned up completely to the top, with a napkin sticking out of the top, sprouting their cowlicks proudly and licking their little chops. The background was normally greenish and the headline was always shouting something like 'My Family Deserves Only The Best!'

This is the year 2009. Those days are gone. However, the people who created those ads are not. And, unfortunately, many of them still want to run things.

When I listen to or read some of the rants, wails and comments of the big dogs in these industries, I get the impression that they are most likely sitting in a 50's style backyard bomb-shelter, typing it out on a Royal typewriter, or perhaps broadcasting their message using a tube style ham radio. ('Gee Beav, I guess things are changin' huh?')

Not in their world. In this, the real world.

Marketing is now 'social' in nature. 'Social' is a term that loosely means 'NO GATEKEEPERS'. It is a free exchange of ideas and information. As I have mentioned hundreds of times, you, as an individual, are on a completely level playing field against corporations that have millions in their advertising budget. You are equal. This is fantastic news for you. This is bad news for them.

This opens up a whole new can of worms, filled with both good worms and bad worms. China be damned - the Internet is all about free people and free exchange. Some of the newspapers, magazines, radio and television moguls don't like the free exchange of information. Free exchange means they have nothing to sell. Bloggers can now destroy companies. Google and Amazon are making their moves to take over the world. Blah, blah, blah.

It is only the Cleavers of the world who are getting upset, because their tightly controlled little world is crashing down. You can hear the desperation in every word they speak. The fear is as thick as the maple syrup on Mrs. Cleaver's pancakes. They are losing their control.

As a marketer in the year 2009, you can now take your message directly to your buyer. No advertising necessary. No regulation imposed. Do as you please. The market itself will determine your fate, not some editor or some publisher or some other myopic, self righteous judge of what the public may have or have not.

The field of book publishing is trying desperately to adapt. However, like everyone else, as a group they have no idea which direction to take. Unfortunately most of those in power have a June Cleaver 'The Internet - isn't that nice, dear!' kind of mindset. Too late for many of them. Many of the publishing companies appear to be more interested in FIGHTING the changes than they are in MONETIZING these positive changes. In a social environment, they will lose.

The Color Computer is gone. 8 tracks and CB radios are no more. Neither is it necessary to play by any set of rules given by any organization with Mr. Cleaver at the helm. Don't get me wrong. Beaver Cleaver's dad was a really nice guy. However, today, Mr. Cleaver would be merely clueless and completely out of touch. Try though he might, he could no longer control anything, for the world will have passed him by.

Google is not destroying any newspaper, radio, tv, magazine or publishing company. The market itself is determining that these things are no longer relevant to any degree and therefore, they will not survive in their present form.

If you are still using marketing strategies from the 1990's and before, you will not be attacked. No one will tell you. Instead, you will simply be politely ignored. Then, much like Ward, June, Beaver and Wally, you will be forgotten.

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Stupid Marketing Tricks Part VII - Using The Wrong Words

Let's take just one moment to review what we have accomplished this far . . .

The very broad and most basic formula for developing and implementing an effective marketing plan has not changed at all. It is still, and most likely ever shall be:

a. Define the market.
b. Define the people.
c. Define the message.
d. Define the preferred delivery system(s).
e. Deliver the message.

We have thus far accomplished a and b. We have begun to learn how to craft an effective message (one that creates sales). This is the second post on this subject.

Remember that the entire formula must be viewed from a new perspective that takes into account the current options now available in the marketplace. The old 'tried and true' marketing systems are not working because they being applied TO a marketplace that has changed radically, dramatically and permanently.

In her book, Every Generation Needs A New Revolution, author Linda Thompson of Life Path Solutions ( http://www.lifepathsolutions.biz ), provides us with an extremely penetrating look into this new marketplace. (If you have not read her book, I highly recommend you do so if you intend to successfully market any product or service in this new marketplace. In my opinion, it is the new Bible in regards to learning to craft effective marketing messages).

"Remember the sale pitch, 'This is not your father's Oldsmobile?' That's what's happening today,” Linda says. “We are trying to sell our products and/or services to multi-generations, using the same delivery, to everyone. Most likely, those who have tried this approach have not found a great deal of success. Every Generation Needs a New Revolution illustrates how this commonplace problem can easily be overcome and can indeed be transformed instead into a real asset.”

In her book she defines the following groups of people:

The Veterans - born 1901 - 1929
The Silents - born 1930 - 1945
The Boomers - born 1946 - 1964
The Generation X - born 1965 - 1976
The Generation Y - born 1977 - 1990
The Millenials - born 1991 - Now

All of these diverse groups are found in the marketplace currently. However she breaks this down even more. For our purposes here I will summarize briefly just a few characteristics of these groups. Her treatment is far, far more comprehensive. (Again, I highly recommend that you read the book to get the full, unedited picture).

Veterans
Personality: Traditional, Family Oriented
Core Values: Patriotism, Loyalty
Think of: Charles Lindbergh, Rudolph Valentino

Silents
Personality: Conformist, Conservative
Core Values: Dedication, Sacrifice
Think of: Jimmy Carter, Charlton Heston

Boomers
Personality: Driven, Soul Searchers
Core Values: Optimism, Teamwork & Involvement
Think of: The Beatles, Bill Gates

Generation X
Personality: Risk Takers, Skeptical
Core Values: Diversity, Global Thinking
Think of: Michael Dell, Brooke Shields

Generation Y
Personality: Optimistic, Prefer Collective Action
Core Values: Confidence, Civic Duty
Think of: Tara Lipinski, LeAnn Rimes

Millenials
Personality: Remains to be seen
Core Values: Remains to be seen
Think of: Remains to be seen

What does this mean to you and your marketing efforts? It means a great deal. For here we have 6 very distinct groups of people, with 6 very distinct ways of communicating and 6 very distinct ways of perceiving that message you are sending.

One of the primary reasons your message may not be effective is that it is being perceived by groups of people who perceive your words in many DIFFERENT ways, not all of them as favorably as you might hope. This is not your father's anything.

According to Ms. Thompson in Every Generation Needs A New Revolution, the numbers break down as follows: (these numbers have not been verified by me - I reference them here from the book)

The Veterans 63 million
The Silents 49 million
The Boomers 78 million
The Generation X 40 million
The Generation Y 70 million
The Millenials Unknown

Now, let's suppose you are a Veteran, but your primary market is Gen Y. You develop a great message that references Rudolph Valentino. Nobody will know what the hell you are talking about. Don't laugh. I have files full of these things. I see this over and over again.

(Remember that you are developing multiple profiles. Hopefully you will have more than one. You will want to craft one message for the female Silent, and a completely different message for a Gen X male. You may have many profiles, requiring many different, highly targeted messages - perhaps even a different landing page for each profile . . . )

Not talking the language of your targeted market would be a really stupid marketing trick. More on this subject in the next post.

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Stupid Marketing Tricks Part VI - Selling YOUR Product

Thus far, we have covered the first 3 key areas to be addressed before attempting to create a marketing plan that will actually produce sales. We have discussed the facts that you must determine:

a. IF there is a market for your product or service

b. if so, HOW MANY people comprise that market, and

c. WHO comprises that market.


So let's complete a short quiz:

1. IS there a market for your product/service? If so, what verifiable sources can you cite? List them.

2. HOW MANY people comprise that potential market? Cite the studies, surveys, verifiable information sources.
(NOTE - Failure to produce verifiable proof sources will cause you to get an F- on this quiz. Please stop fooling yourself and do your homework. Hey, it's your money and time . . . :) )

3. WHO comprises this market? How many profiles have you created? Remember you must know your potential purchasers:

* Gender
* Income Level
* Age
* Occupation
* Education Level
* Geographic region
* Lifestyle characteristics
* Purchasing characteristics
* Hot buttons
* Benefits sought by this profile

The next two very broad steps will cover developing the message and delivering the message.

THE BASIS OF DEVELOPING A MESSAGE FOR EACH PROFILE

Before we get into developing a message, I would like to make a very important point.

All successful marketing messages have, at their core, a common element. Conversely, many unsuccessful (or mediocre) marketing messages have, at their core, a different common element. Do you know what these common elements might be?

Let's look briefly at two, 'in your face' marketing messages:

Message A:
"My Handy Dandy Super Duper Lawn Destroyer 2000 took over 400 hours of research to develop. For the money, it is a real bargain. It has oversized wheels, a comfort rubber handle and a patented Jizmo Gizmo Lever that allows it to be emptied easily. The Lawn Destroyer 2000 is great! You will never find a better lawn mower at a better price. . . ."

Message B:
"This easy to use machine is easy to push and easy to navigate around anything found on your lawn. The handle reduces vibrations, so that your arms never get tired. You can even empty the clippings without bending and stooping. It's so easy to use, even children and grandparents can use it. This kind of comfort cannot be found in any other lawn mower, at any price, anywhere."

Now, what is the difference? Some would say it is FEATURES VS BENEFITS. True. However, what is demonstrated in the second message is that you have the potential clients' best interests at heart.

Listen to me carefully now. Developing an effective marketing message (one that produces the results you seek) has absolutely NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH YOU.

Nothing. It instead has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE PURCHASER.

People do not care about you. They do not care about your product or service. They ONLY CARE ABOUT SOLVING THEIR OWN PROBLEMS, WANTS AND NEEDS AS THEY PERCEIVE THEM.

To develop a message that will work, regardless of profile, you need to get inside that profile's head. You need to solve their problem as THEY wish it to be solved. This involves five steps:

1. Acknowledge and identify the problem/need/want

2. Build up the problem/need/want - make it urgent

3. Offer a very good solution

4. Make the decision easy to implement right now

5. Ask them to solve their own problem/need/want right now

This is not salesmanship - this is helping people. If you learn to help others, you will succeed with the WORST of messages.

Having the best interests of others at heart, and being able to communicate it well, is the key element to successfully marketing anything.

Look at the messages you have been using. Find the 'me's, we's, our's and us's' and cross them all out with a big red pen. Now start over.

Not giving your potential buyers what THEY want is a REALLY stupid marketing trick.

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Stupid Marketing Tricks - Part V

Thus far, in our quest to build a realistic marketing plan that produces results, we have done some homework and some legwork and have answered the first two questions:

1. IS THERE a market for my product? (do people need this product or service) AND
2. HOW MANY people feel they want or need my product or service?

These are but 2 of the most important questions you must ask before beginning to develop the plan. The next question is equally, if not more important. It is:

3. WHO ARE these people?

Now anytime we discuss marketing on the Internet, the subject of getting traffic comes up. Everybody wants traffic to their site. Everyone wants lots of traffic to their site. This is foolishness.

I have 2nd page placement on Google for my very generic search terms. First page on Yahoo. Does this get me traffic? Yes. Is it the traffic I want? In most cases, no.

What I get is the tire-kickers. I don't want tire-kickers. I want people who are

a. sincerely interested in marketing their product
b. are willing to do the work necessary to be successful
c. are willing to invest the time, money and effort to be successful
d. are willing to step back and do it the right way
e. have set specific goals by which they will measure success
f. are realistic in their approach and in their expectations
g. will not give up easily
h. understand that marketing is a numbers game and will play the game by the numbers
i. are willing to allow the real numbers to drive the plan, resulting in success
j. are willing to change the plan when market factors change

Unfortunately, what I often get is that person who is looking for the easy, get rich quick method of selling a product or service. These are the wannabe marketing rock stars (read 'failures'). Or I get the person who wants to pick my brain for hours for free. I turn down nine of these people for every one I accept. In short, I rely on the traffic to create leads, not sales.

Internet marketing works exactly the same as marketing in the real world. The game is simply bigger. Bigger offers much more opportunity, but also much more competition. The process of selling on the Internet, therefore, requires that you create a much tighter, more restrictive definition of your niche.

Here is a silly example. Imagine that you have a store in a mall. You sell skateboards. Now, who would you rather have in your store:

100 people age 65 and above OR
5 people age 14?

Certainly, the 5 people age 14. These are your real potential customers. They buy skateboards. Hardly anyone over 65 will buy a skateboard, unless they are buying it for someone age 14. 'Nuff said.

In the world of Internet marketing, you must imagine, however, that your store is located in a mall that contains several MILLION other stores. That changes the game in a major way. How will you set your storefront apart from the millions of other stores in that mall?

By defining your niche.

You must now define very clearly WHO that potential customer might be. Let's draw a picture of your first niche customer or client. Who is that person?

Gender?

Income Level?

Age?

Occupation?

Education?

Geographic region?

Lifestyle?

Purchasing characteristics?

What is the hot button for the person who fits this profile?

Why does this person feel they need or want what you have to offer?

What benefit (not feature) does your product offer to satisfy that need or want?

CAUTION - Don't feel that you must draw just one profile. You can draw as many as you like. For instance, if your answer to gender is both 'male' and 'female', continue through the rest of the questions for just 'male', and then repeat all the questions for female. You now have two profiles. You will want to do this because you will create one message for 'male, age 25-35' and another for 'female, age 25-35'. You will create a different message for each profile and will most likely want to create a different landing page for each profile on your site.

What will motivate the female age 25 is not necessarily what will motivate the male age 25.

When defining your niche, don't use an ax - use a scalpel.

Creating a single 'one size fits all' message for ALL your potential customers or clients could be said to be a VERY stupid marketing trick.

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Stupid Marketing Tricks Part IV

In the last few posts I have made the point that, before taking any product to market, you first must determine whether or not people need or want your product or service. If they NEED it, you will use one approach. If they merely WANT it, then you will use another approach.

So let's assume that people actually WANT or NEED your product. Now we must look at how MANY need or want that product.

Again, don't laugh. Not looking at this subject realistically will cause you to fail faster than many of the other failure factors that might come into play here.

Let us suppose that you have developed a small computer chip that solves a system error in the XYZ232 computer system. Every user of the XYZ232 Computer Operating System in the world really NEEDS this chip. Without this chip, users of the XYZ232 Computer System will experience never-ending and ongoing frustration. In all the chat rooms, on all the discussion groups, in the IT forums, everyone talks about the need to solve this inherent problem. You have the answer. In your mind, you have determined that this is a NEEDS based marketing scenario. And so you spend 10 grand to develop your chip. You then announce that you have developed the chip in an ever so perfect marketing campaign. You do everything exactly right.

Sales, however, end up being 50 chips. Just 50. What happened?

What happened is that you failed to do the research. Surprisingly, there are only 200 XYZ232 Computer Systems users on the entire planet.

Knowing there is a market is one thing. You KNEW there was a market. Knowing the potential size of the market is another.

You see, a really stupid marketing trick is to believe that everyone is just like ourselves. We assume this is the case. It is not. The fact that you are interested in a subject does not necessarily lead to the correct conclusion that there are many others interested in that subject.

Yes, it is important to you. However, it may be important to just a few other people. If this is the case, you will fail.

As marketers, we believe it is all about us. This is human nature. However, in successful marketing, it has absolutely nothing to do with you. It is all about the potential buyer. Your OPINION frankly does not matter at all. YOUR likes, YOUR preferences, YOUR dislikes are not going to cause another to willingly part with their hard earned money. THEIR likes, dislikes, preferences and perceived needs or wants will.

All of marketing comes down to the ability to get into the head of another person or large groups of people. You will only be successful if you solve THEIR perceived problems in the way THEY want them to be solved. Very basic, but often overlooked.

Artists (painters, poets, authors and musicians, etc) are especially guilty of assuming everyone will be interested in their grand works of art. Not so. Yet artists are SO INTO their works of art that they never stop to consider the fact that frankly, nobody cares, except extremely limited and narrowly targeted groups of people. This is how the phrase 'starving artist' came to be. (Selling artistic works is very difficult in the general marketplace, but EXTREMELY easy if one can precisely define that specific group of potential buyers).

And so, the second step is to determine the size of the market. This is done through research. There is no single research tool that will provide the answer for all products.

The Internet can provide much of the information you need. Start with a search on 'XYZ232 Computer sales' as your search term. Look specifically for studies, articles, etc on the number of buyers out there. Also use Google Adwords Keyword tool. This tool now tells us the NUMBER of searches done on a particular phrase for a specific period of time. Look at the number of searches done on 'XYZ232', for instance. If the number of searches done on 'XYZ232' was 100, while the number of searches done on 'ABC456' was 10 million, you can guess that your potential market is relatively small.

Ask for help. Get into the chat rooms of XYZ232 computer users and ask about where you might get information on these numbers. Everyone in these rooms is really trying to be helpful, so get some input from others. Don't forget about that old, dusty library down the street. Explore magazines devoted to the XYZ232. Go to the bookstore. As your local computer technician. Ask XYZ232 Inc. What you are looking for here is the NUMBER of users of this brand of computer.

But be careful. If you ask XYZ232 users IF they will buy the product, nearly all will say yes. You are not attempting to find out IF they will buy (they certainly will), you are trying to determine HOW MANY THERE MIGHT BE. Don't be fooled into thinking there MIGHT BE a large number of potential buyers.

You must KNOW there are a VERY LARGE NUMBER of potential buyers for your product or service. Establishing THE PROOF that this is so is the first step any potential manufacturer of any product would take in the real world. Again, this is so basic that it perhaps need not be verbalized. Marketing 101. Failure to know the size of the potential market before even considering taking that product or service to market would be a majorly stupid marketing trick.

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Stupid Marketing Tricks Part III - The Unrealistic Marketing Plan

As promised I am going to discuss how an effective marketing plan is developed. We must start the discussion by asking what might at first glance appear to be a silly question.

This question is so basic to one's ultimate success that most people never stop to ask this question when attempting to take a product or service to market. This is why most people fail.

This question is so basic that it is easily pushed out of consciousness and is frankly often never asked.

Yet it is hands down the most important question one could ever ask.

Are you ready for the question? Get a pencil and some paper.

This question will be developed in three distinct steps. Ready? Ok, here goes.

Step One: Write down the name of your product or service

Step Two: Put a question mark AFTER the name of your product or service

Step Three: Before the name of your product or service, write the words 'DO PEOPLE NEED'

Now you have a question. It should look like this:

DO PEOPLE NEED (NAME)?

Now answer the question. And don't laugh. This is not the time for laughing - this is the time for brutal honesty.

I spend all day talking to people who are having a difficult time marketing their product or service. They have gone to all the trouble to set up a website, print up brochures, put together mailing lists, sent out direct mail, posted ads, sent press releases, done blog tours, developed newsletters, joined associations, put together affiliate programs, blah, blah, blah, blah on and on and on and guess what? No or low sales.

They then ask me why, after doing all of this, there are no sales. There are no sales because they forgot to ask the most important question:

DO PEOPLE NEED (NAME)?

This is not funny. You see, we get so excited about developing and marketing our product or service that we forget to ask if anyone actually needs the thing.

When I say 'need', I mean need. Not want. Want is different. The entire approach will change when one needs something versus wants something. The entire game, the whole approach, is different.

Need means the prospect will die without it. It means they will suffer terrible consequences if they do not have it. Need items are items such as food, clothing, shelter, air, water etc. Some needs are legislated (auto insurance) etc. Need means need. Must have. No way out of it.

If people NEED this product or service, the potential market is a given. The approach then is to advertise, market or publicize the fact that your product or service meets the NEED better than the product or service of the competition. People recognize the NEED for your product or service; you do not have to 'talk them' into it. It is a given.

Once you have determined that people NEED this product or service, then you must simply take the steps to define WHO needs the product or service. This is the second step. Let's not go there yet.

WANT

If people do not NEED your product or service, but rather simply WANT it, then you must attempt to elevate their WANT to the status of a NEED.

One of the primary mistakes those new to marketing make is that they assume everyone NEEDS their product or service when in fact they do not.

You may believe people NEED your item. This will not cause them to buy your item. What will cause them to buy your item is when THEY RECOGNIZE they NEED that item. This is accomplished by elevating their WANT to the status of a NEED in their mind.

See how this works? It's basic. So basic, in fact, that we forget to do it.

Do not fool yourself. Be brutally honest. Look at this from an outside perspective and ask yourself if people actually NEED this product or service. The answer to this question will form the basis of the entire approach of a successful marketing plan.

People do not NEED toys. They do not NEED gadgets. They do not NEED books. What they WANT is the enjoyment the toy might bring. What they WANT is the reduction in stress a gadget might provide. What they WANT is the information in the book.

Selling to satisfy a NEED is not easier than selling to satisfy a WANT. It is simply a completely different approach. Do NOT fool yourself into thinking that people need your item when, in fact, they do not. If you fool yourself, you will end up wasting a great deal of time and money.

Trying to sell your product or service without asking 'DO PEOPLE NEED (NAME)?' is a really stupid marketing trick . . .

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Stupid Marketing Tricks Part II

Watching TV Is Exhausting . . .

. . . and exasperating, I might add.

Karl Greenberg of Media Daily News says it better than I ever could. However, I would also add that the same holds true for radio (especially), newspaper and magazines. The article he wrote is located here:

The public, by and large, is fed up. The use of commercial skipping technology is on an ever-upward trend. I have commercial skipping technology on nearly all my electronic devices. I call it the 'mute' button.

People want to buy. However, they do not wish to be sold. Giving the market what it wants, in the way it wants it is key, but does require a completely different set of strategies.

As I have said many times - giving your potential buyers a message, using intrusive advertising tactics not only does not work, it causes them to actually resent your message.

The entire world of advertising is slowly moving towards being lumped under the 'spam' heading.

Do you really want your potential buyers to actually resent your methods? If so, keep shoving advertising in their collective faces. If not, draw them in with strategic publicity strategies.

To be fair here, running intrusive advertising certainly is not a Stupid Marketing Trick . . . yet.

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Stupid Marketing Tricks - Part I

Now don't laugh . . .

Being a marketing consultant, I spend my day talking to people who are having a hard time selling their product or service. It seems to me that there is no end to the number of people who are experiencing this difficulty.

This week, I heard a story from one such person. This person could not understand what might be wrong. According to her, she had done everything exactly right. She posted a very long list of all the things she had done, from the development of the marketing plan, to advertising, publicity, blogs, seo work, newsletters - the list went on and on and on and on.

She could not understand, having done everything a human could possibly do to market her product, why the sales were not happening. The answer seemed very simple to me.

So, here is a question.

Who buys medicine?

Really - answer the question - who buys medicine?

Answer?

Sick people, obviously.

People can be sick. Or they can believe they are sick.

If they are not sick, or do not believe the are sick, they will not buy medicine.

Why make such a silly pronouncement?

It is an unfortunate fact that unsuccessful marketers concentrate on the benefits of their product or on the strength of their marketing efforts. They believe people will buy actually their product on the strength of the benefits it offers, or on the basis of a marketing plan based on fantasy. Benefits are important certainly. This is true. However, this is not what sells products (or medicine for that matter).

What sells medicine is the fact that there are enough buyers who are either sick, or believe themselves to be sick.

Again, this seems silly, but this makes a very important point. That point is this:

You can do everything right - perfectly right down to the last detail. However, if there are no sick people, or no people who believe they are sick, no one will buy your medicine. Ever.

The very first question you must ask, before even considering developing, creating or taking a product to market is whether or not there is a market for the product.

IS THERE a REAL market for this product? And precisely how big is that market?

Don't laugh. Hardly anyone thinks of this question before jumping into the market. This is why many fail.

I read hundreds of marketing plans every year. I even have a form I have people fill out before we talk. One of the very first questions asked on the form is 'If everyone who COULD buy your product DID buy your product, how many sales would you make?'

This is another silly question. However, without a doubt, it is the MOST important question.

Very few people can answer it. Nine times out of ten the answer is either 'I don't know' or 'Everyone!'. Both answers are completely wrong.

You have a great product or service. It does great things or provides benefits you feel people need. However, you must ask yourself if THOSE PEOPLE believe they need it. If not, you would be stupid to spend the time, money and effort to try to sell them something they simply will not buy.

Let's cover that again. People will only buy your product if they believe they need it.

If they do not believe they need it, they will not buy it. (Please note that I said 'believe' they need it).

The Internet is many things - however it is primarily marketplace where people go to find something they already know they need. Few people log on thinking "Today I will buy something. I don't know what I will buy. I just want to buy anything. I will look around until I find something to buy."

No indeed. People log on thinking "I need X. I will find the right X at the right price and I will purchase that X."

Throughout the coming weeks I will demonstrate how to begin to build a valid, realistic and working marketing plan - one that may actually make you money. So, before the next post, I will ask you to answer several questions:

1. HOW MANY people NEED your product or service. This requires a numeric answer, not 'everybody' or 'anybody' or 'a lot of people'. Give me an actual number here.

2. Now, prove it. Show me the studies or survey results.

If you can't answer with a number derived from studies or survey results, you are only fooling yourself or being overly optimistic.

I almost said 'You might be a stupid marketer IF . . . ' but I won't. That's already been done.

More at the Free Publicity Focus Group (http://www.freepublicitygroup.com )

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