A Fishing Tale
Sometimes, I like to compare marketing to fishing. When I lived and worked in Yellowstone National Park for the Summer of 1999 I met quite a few anglers. One specifically comes to mind because of an interesting fact he explained on the banks of the Snake River. While standing hip deep in chilled mountian run off, and casting his fly rod out over the eager trout, John explained his method of catching more fish than anyone else on the river.
Marketing - like fishing - is all about attracting the attention of your target, and getting them to take the bait. No - I don't support "bait & switch" tactics ... but I do believe in marketing strategy.
John revealed to me that the best time to go fishing in a trout filled stream was early. Not just early in the morning. But earlier than other anglers. As the fishing season begins - the fish are dumb. They don't realize the difference between a natural hatch floating on the surface - and a man-made fly-tie at the end of a line. And the earlier in the season you approach the fish with your lure - the better chance you have to land a catch!
How does this translate to marketing, or sales in general? Well, as I began to listen to John explain about how the fish grows savvy to the tricks of the angler over the course of the season - it became clear.
When I approach my customers with an offer using a new medium - like virtual reality for example - the customer is not as savvy to the marketing strategies used. At one time, the personalized direct mail sales letter was a new and fascinating tool that many customers believed was individually typed and mailed to them personally.
The effectiveness wears off over time as the customers talk with one another about the tactics and methods being used by the wiley marketing experts. It's all a lot of fun - but this is also the reason many customers get away...
If you are experiencing a drop in sales, or a loss of new customers - it is time to examine your marketing strategy.