Truth in Marketing: Not What You Think
By Curt Clinkinbeard, Executive Director
The FAMEE Foundation
I have a wonderful four year old son. He makes my heart sing even thinking about him for a second. Like other father’s, my children mean the world to me and I think they are perfect.
If you’ve been a parent in the last few decades, you probably know how children get addicted to a given movie; when given the option, they go the favorite time and time again. Currently my son’s favorite, is the Pixar movie, “Ratatouille,” a feel good movie about how success can happen to the unlikeliest of people (or rodents.)
Like many of the other movies like this, they sprinkle in a few things for the adults to snicker about. For me, one of my favorite scenes is when Anton Ego, the intimidating, brooding, and downright condescending food critic visits Gusteau’s restaurant to see for himself what all the fuss is about. Here is the dialog with his waiter:
Waiter: [taking Ego's order] Do you know what you’d like this evening, sir?
Anton Ego: Yes, I think I do. After reading a lot of overheated puffery about your new cook, you know what I’m craving? A little perspective. That’s it. I’d like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?
Waiter: With what, sir?
Anton Ego: Perspective. Fresh out, I take it?
Waiter: I am, uh…
Anton Ego: Very well. Since you’re all out of perspective and no one else seems to have it in this
bloody town, I’ll make you a deal. You provide the food, I’ll provide the perspective, which would go nicely with a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1947.
Waiter: I’m afraid… your dinner selection?
Anton Ego: [stands up angrily] Tell your chef Linguini that I want whatever he dares to serve me. Tell him to hit me with his best SHOT.
Good stuff. (And pretty intelligent humor for a movie targeted at kids.) As a consultant, I have to admit, there are days that I feel a little like Anton Ego. Let’s shine some “perspective” on this business.
The reality is, that the moment you (and I) started in business, our unbiased viewpoint went out the door. We stopped being able to see the REAL truth: how our customers really see our business versus how we really want to see it.
In marketing, the truth can often be painful. Customers are NOT as enamored with your product or service as you wish they were. They are not as appreciative as you would hope. They don’t respond to your advertising as much as they should. And, darn it, how hard would it be to tell just a few other people a few positive things about my business?!?!
Well, if marketing were easy, we would just hire some smart people, put a marketing plan in motion, and just spend the rest of the day counting money. The reality is that marketing is not that simple. It is challenging and is an ongoing part of your business. As long as you are in business, you will likely be adapting to or trying to solve some marketing puzzle in your business.
The truth, however, is a great place to start. (A little fresh, well seasoned perspective!)
Most of us tell these little lies to ourselves. (My competitors are terrible people who just want to rip other people off. The market is just stupid. My media rep took advantage of me, etc, etc, etc.) The challenge of running a business is so great that facing the truth is sometimes quite difficult to do.
But keying into the truth is important. In fact, maybe even assuming a little worse than the truth can work in your favor. Let’s assume you have a product that is a “6” in the marketplace – this is how customers view it. If you believe you have an “8”, but the market responds as if it were a “6”, you will likely believe something is wrong outside of you own control. (The customers are crazy; the competitors are lying; your employees are to blame, etc.) The likely response, instead of being proactive, is to be frustrated and point fingers. The probability is that you will be lower than a “6” in the future.
However, if you believe your product is a “4” in the market, you will push yourself to improve the product, market it at a higher level, accept more market input, and take more responsibility for your overall success. You will own the problem and be very deliberate about fixing it. In all probability, you will see improvements in the future.
Recently, I told a client I thought a product he had recently launched was overpriced and behind the times from a technology standpoint. In my opinion, he was best to “call a spade a spade” and find a way to expeditiously and graciously exit the product line – and live to fight another battle. It was a “truth” he did not want to hear. (It was also a truth I did NOT relish in telling him.) The best approach, though, was to face reality and manage the business based on those truths, hard as they may be.
Don’t mistake me….. I am not suggesting you belittle everything you do and simply become overcritical (and frustrated / depressed). I am suggesting you order up a bit of fresh perspective.
A couple of tips….. ask people for bad news. Customers and employees tend to sugarcoat stuff. Next, find a skeptic or two to be around. Sure, you don’t want take on their negativity, but sometimes a dose of cold water can be relevant – and a nice challenge. And don’t rationalize. It’s just too darn easy to do. If you find yourself making excuses, catch yourself and really challenge that mindset. Seek the no “BS” truth. Ask if you might be telling yourself an innocent little “lie.”
In a way, a business is like our children. We love it so much and want so much for it that we lose, well… a little perspective.
Sometimes the truth stinks. But face yours and you will find you are more effective and expeditious in putting your company on the path to success. They say “the truth will set you free,” and that’s probably great advice.
Curt Clinkinbeard is the Executive Director of The FAMEE Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs “advance marketing excellence,” and build profitable revenue streams. More information on their free small business marketing programs can be found at http://www.famee.org. He is also the president of Strive Coaching Inc, a marketing and strategic planning and coaching firm
The FAMEE Foundation
I have a wonderful four year old son. He makes my heart sing even thinking about him for a second. Like other father’s, my children mean the world to me and I think they are perfect.
If you’ve been a parent in the last few decades, you probably know how children get addicted to a given movie; when given the option, they go the favorite time and time again. Currently my son’s favorite, is the Pixar movie, “Ratatouille,” a feel good movie about how success can happen to the unlikeliest of people (or rodents.)
Like many of the other movies like this, they sprinkle in a few things for the adults to snicker about. For me, one of my favorite scenes is when Anton Ego, the intimidating, brooding, and downright condescending food critic visits Gusteau’s restaurant to see for himself what all the fuss is about. Here is the dialog with his waiter:
Waiter: [taking Ego's order] Do you know what you’d like this evening, sir?
Anton Ego: Yes, I think I do. After reading a lot of overheated puffery about your new cook, you know what I’m craving? A little perspective. That’s it. I’d like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?
Waiter: With what, sir?
Anton Ego: Perspective. Fresh out, I take it?
Waiter: I am, uh…
Anton Ego: Very well. Since you’re all out of perspective and no one else seems to have it in this
bloody town, I’ll make you a deal. You provide the food, I’ll provide the perspective, which would go nicely with a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1947.
Waiter: I’m afraid… your dinner selection?
Anton Ego: [stands up angrily] Tell your chef Linguini that I want whatever he dares to serve me. Tell him to hit me with his best SHOT.
Good stuff. (And pretty intelligent humor for a movie targeted at kids.) As a consultant, I have to admit, there are days that I feel a little like Anton Ego. Let’s shine some “perspective” on this business.
The reality is, that the moment you (and I) started in business, our unbiased viewpoint went out the door. We stopped being able to see the REAL truth: how our customers really see our business versus how we really want to see it.
In marketing, the truth can often be painful. Customers are NOT as enamored with your product or service as you wish they were. They are not as appreciative as you would hope. They don’t respond to your advertising as much as they should. And, darn it, how hard would it be to tell just a few other people a few positive things about my business?!?!
Well, if marketing were easy, we would just hire some smart people, put a marketing plan in motion, and just spend the rest of the day counting money. The reality is that marketing is not that simple. It is challenging and is an ongoing part of your business. As long as you are in business, you will likely be adapting to or trying to solve some marketing puzzle in your business.
The truth, however, is a great place to start. (A little fresh, well seasoned perspective!)
Most of us tell these little lies to ourselves. (My competitors are terrible people who just want to rip other people off. The market is just stupid. My media rep took advantage of me, etc, etc, etc.) The challenge of running a business is so great that facing the truth is sometimes quite difficult to do.
But keying into the truth is important. In fact, maybe even assuming a little worse than the truth can work in your favor. Let’s assume you have a product that is a “6” in the marketplace – this is how customers view it. If you believe you have an “8”, but the market responds as if it were a “6”, you will likely believe something is wrong outside of you own control. (The customers are crazy; the competitors are lying; your employees are to blame, etc.) The likely response, instead of being proactive, is to be frustrated and point fingers. The probability is that you will be lower than a “6” in the future.
However, if you believe your product is a “4” in the market, you will push yourself to improve the product, market it at a higher level, accept more market input, and take more responsibility for your overall success. You will own the problem and be very deliberate about fixing it. In all probability, you will see improvements in the future.
Recently, I told a client I thought a product he had recently launched was overpriced and behind the times from a technology standpoint. In my opinion, he was best to “call a spade a spade” and find a way to expeditiously and graciously exit the product line – and live to fight another battle. It was a “truth” he did not want to hear. (It was also a truth I did NOT relish in telling him.) The best approach, though, was to face reality and manage the business based on those truths, hard as they may be.
Don’t mistake me….. I am not suggesting you belittle everything you do and simply become overcritical (and frustrated / depressed). I am suggesting you order up a bit of fresh perspective.
A couple of tips….. ask people for bad news. Customers and employees tend to sugarcoat stuff. Next, find a skeptic or two to be around. Sure, you don’t want take on their negativity, but sometimes a dose of cold water can be relevant – and a nice challenge. And don’t rationalize. It’s just too darn easy to do. If you find yourself making excuses, catch yourself and really challenge that mindset. Seek the no “BS” truth. Ask if you might be telling yourself an innocent little “lie.”
In a way, a business is like our children. We love it so much and want so much for it that we lose, well… a little perspective.
Sometimes the truth stinks. But face yours and you will find you are more effective and expeditious in putting your company on the path to success. They say “the truth will set you free,” and that’s probably great advice.
Curt Clinkinbeard is the Executive Director of The FAMEE Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs “advance marketing excellence,” and build profitable revenue streams. More information on their free small business marketing programs can be found at http://www.famee.org. He is also the president of Strive Coaching Inc, a marketing and strategic planning and coaching firm
Tags: Curt Clinkinbeard, FAMEE, Marketing, entrepreneurs
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