Art of Marketing
Chapter 13. Military principles in marketing strategy
To have the highest income,
you have to be the best. – T. Harv Eker
The most important skill you possess
as a marketer is the ability to think ahead of your competitors.
Each idea gives you an edge,
allowing you to think differently
and better than others.
There are seven key principles of marketing strategy
that you can use to improve your marketing activities.
“All successful people have a goal.
No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go
and what he wants to be or do.” — Norman Vincent Peale
*******************
Principle of goal
This is the starting point of a marketing strategy
and perhaps the most important part of it.
We have already said that the most important word
in successful business is clarity.
You must be clear about the goals
and objectives of each of your marketing efforts.
Sketch it out on paper.
Outline the clear goals of your plan and organization,
the costs and resources needed to carry out your marketing activities,
the financial results you anticipate or desire.
Keep calm.
Set benchmarks against which to compare your own performance.
Remember: “You can’t hit the target if you can’t see it.
What can be measured gets done.”
Clearly define your marketing goals,
attach numbers and dates.
Then keep working hard to hit those numbers
and improve your performance.
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. — W. Clement Stone
*******************
Principles of general attack
Napoleon once said,
“There is no great victory like deffence.”
To be successful in marketing,
you have to “attack continuously.”
You have to try new things
and get rid of old ideas
that don’t work anymore.
This seems to be a direct relationship
between the number of new ideas you try in marketing
and the likelihood that you will find the ideal way
to present your products and services
to attract more customers.
Beware of the temptation of the “comfort zone”.
A lot of people use a marketing method
that gives them little success
and soon get so caught up in it
that they resist change at all costs.
Don’t let yourself fall into that trap.
You need to keep looking for ways
to improve your marketing results.
And there is always a way to achieve this.
Your task is to find them.
*******************
The majority rule
By focusing your forces on the enemy’s weak points,
you will win a glorious victory.
The ability to focus on your most unique message
and target your best customers is key to marketing success.
“Stay focused,
go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals.” — LL Cool J
*******************
Principles of rehearsal
Maneuver – a military term that means moving faster
and always being ready to try different approaches
and methods of attack.
In marketing,
we use the term rehearsal to mean creativity
and innovation
– finding better,
faster and more engaging ways to communicate
with customers and get them
to buy a product or service.
Practice zero-based thinking.
Ask, “Is there anything in the marketing efforts
I am undertaking that makes me rethink?”
Preparation will help you reach a higher standard.
Be prepared to discard marketing methods
and techniques that worked in the past but no longer work.
Researching the advertising and promotional activities
of your most successful competitors or non-competitors
is a great way to increase your creativity in marketing.
When I started writing copy for a large company,
I spent a lot of time researching the most successful ads
and the most impressive copywriters in history.
You will be amazed at what you can learn
from the successful efforts of others.
If you want to change the visible,
you must first change the invisible. — T. Harv Eker
*******************
Principles of coordinated effort
In the military,
a coordinated effort means combining all forces simultaneously
when attacking the enemy.
In business,
it implies teamwork.
In marketing,
the idea of a concerted effort refers
to working closely
with the people involved in the marketing effort,
from the people who developed the initial product
or service to the salespeople and customer service agents
who directly talk to customers after they purchase
and use a product.
Alfred P. Sloan,
the great executive who founded
and built General Motors
into one of the biggest companies in the world,
used to disappear from the office for a week a month.
No one knew where he went, and when he returned,
he said nothing.
It was later discovered that Sloan had driven several hundred miles
from Detroit to a General Motors car dealership to work there.
He spoke and interacted with customers,
receiving candid opinions and comments on the strengths
and weaknesses of current General Motors products.
Sloan then returned to the office
with this information and always had more information
than his other executives,
so that he could run GM with informed design
and marketing decisions.
An important part in the group activities
is taking care of your customers.
Encourage feedback (thinking and feeling)
from them about your product or service.
I have conveyed this concept many times:
“Customers will make you richer,
if you ask them enough questions
and listen to the answers.”
You should engage everyone in your organization
who is relevant to your customers in any way,
and continually elicit feedback
that helps you communicate with your customers more effectively.
One idea may change the outcome of your marketing activities.
You can’t climb a smooth mountain. ― Zig Ziglar
*******************
Principle of surprise
In the military field,
every great victory is the result
of the process of doing things
that the enemy did not expect.
During World War II,
the Allies landed in Normandy
when they were supposed to appear in Calais.
The Germans who attacked
from the Ardennes forest were extremely dangerous and difficult
when they were supposed to attack from the far North.
Apple launched the new iPhone around the world
and caught both Nokia and BlackBerry completely off guard,
resulting in an inevitable “failure” in the mobile phone market.
What marketing strategies can you implement
to completely surprise your competitors?
What message or product or service can you offer
that will keep potential customers interested in you?
The mind is just like a muscle,
the more you exercise it,
the stronger it gets and the more it can expand. — Idowu Koyenikan
*******************
The Principle of Explosions
In the military,
the term refers to the strategy
of continuing to utilize full force
when a breakthrough is achieved.
In marketing,
it refers to capitalizing on any breakthrough
you’ve just made in the market
through a stellar marketing effort.
When it comes to delivering a marketing message
that has the potential to deliver extraordinary results,
double or triple the speed to take full advantage
of your new position
in the market.
Remember that your opponents will counterattack
very quickly and fiercely,
so don’t waste even a second
when achieving success.
Think of yourself as a general in command
of your “marketing forces”.
Constantly thinking about ways you can leverage
and repurpose resources to win the “marketing war.”
For the best return on your money,
pour your purse into your head. — Benjamin Franklin
