I Don’t Do Plumbing, So Why Are You Doing Marketing?

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Water heaters aren’t very exciting to me, however, mine was installed incorrectly years ago and some “reworking” needed to be done. The plumber just went to buy parts…some pipes, earthquake straps for reinforcement, and a smitty pan among them. Sure, I know what the first two things are, but the third… fuggedabouit. And INSTALLING those parts? Me? I don’t think so! Busy day here; he’ll be installing a new dishwasher today too.

I’m not a plumber, so I hired someone who possesses the knowledge and expertise required for resolving the issues. However, I AM a seasoned professional when it comes to marketing matters.

Yesterday on Google+ I commented on a lively discussion that spoke to my profession. Jim, who started the conversation, was lamenting about how so many businesses participate in social media, work hard at it and ultimately stress themselves out because they make “unremarkable offers to uninterested people.”

The folks that Jim was referring to in his post are trying to do my job…and Jim’s too! They may be great cooks, accountants, real estate brokers, landscapers, hey, even plumbers, but are they skilled in marketing strategy, market research or social media?

One of my comments from the conversation yesterday:

Been itching to write a blog post on the subject. I actually said those words to someone recently. And my plumber IS coming tomorrow to install a dishwasher. I wouldn't dare attempt it myself...I know when to leave it a professional.

But seriously, why do people feel they have the knowledge to do just about anything? I once headed a market intelligence group during my "corporate life". A department decided that they would write a "quickie" survey to get feedback on a product via employees. They never asked for my team's help. I discovered them administering the survey in the lobby. It was pure garbage that provided no actionable results and was a waste of valuable time and effort. SIGH.

Strong words? Yes. And here’s my peeve; it’s frustrating to be in the business I’m in. Painful too to see people not doing what they should be doing and doing what they ARE doing in a way that’s not helpful to their businesses.

Jim also brought up a most compelling point: “you can be so involved inside your business that you can't see what it looks like outside, to the marketplace.”

Jim’s talking about how your potential customers see you. Simply put, a consumer’s perception of your business may be entirely different from what you THINK you're projecting to them. Is this rationale convincing enough for you to contact a marketing professional? Sure hope so.

My dog poses by the smitty pan.

Oh, my plumber just said to me “I'm going to tie your smitty pan in to your old condensate drain line.”

Huh?

Thanks to Jim Connelly for giving me the final piece of motivation I needed to write this article. You can find him here.

If you want to know more about me and my "seasoning" (count your fingers, toes, and add some more) find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. I promise lively, engaging conversation and I don't bite unless threatened. And my dog? Rumor has it all dogs bite.