Monday, February 05, 2007
Internet Marketing: Should your consultant walk the talk?
Every so often a well-known marketing consultant warns us, "Choose a mentor who has walked the talk." In other words, hire a mentor who can demonstrate success. Ask to see sales reports. Work with someone who's still actively marketing, not someone who's stopped marketing to become a marketing coach. But I'd take this advice with a medium-size grain of salt. Sure, you need a knowledgeable source. And that argument has merit. But you've probably heard the saying, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." My response: "So what?" Basketball coaches run the gamut. Occasionally you'll see a great player who goes on to become a great coach. But you also see coaches like Pat Summitt, who coaches champions but was never a superstar herself. And you see great players like Cynthia Cooper who failed to find success as a coach. Marketing coaches also come in a variety of flavors. Experienced marketers often coach by saying, "Here's what I did." Even when they're successful today, they grew their businesses in a different world. Economists talk about externalities -- the way we're affected by what everyone else does. For instance, telephones gain in value as they become more commonly used. And some products actually lose value as they become more popular: think of your favorite restaurant or ski resort. Today, just about everyone has an ezine. You no longer stand out if you send out a monthly mailing. In fact, I advise clients to send ezines at least twice a month. These days, you'll get lost in the crowd and your readers forget you if you don't show up often in their inboxes. Teleseminars and forum groups also have become extremely popular. Recently I got an email from a harried ezine reader: "Will you send a reminder of your teleclass? I've signed up for so many things I've lost track." Networking events have become more focused and more directly commercial. You no longer stand out with a great elevator speech. "Groups are begging for speakers," one affluent marketing coach told me. "Not around here," I answered. So how do you choose a marketing consultant? First, begin with the free and low-cost stuff. Buy an ebook. Read his ezine. Try a few tips. Do they work for you? Good: try some more. Second, talk to your guru's clients. Did they find the sessions helpful? Are they earning money? Or do they just say, "I loved working with her. She was so nice." Third, develop your own intuition and keep your power. Ultimately success depends on connecting with a target market and your target market's pain. In my experience, few mentors can help. You have to invest huge amounts of time digging into your market. Ideally you'll have a natural "in" with your market -- something you can't be coached for. Bottom line: No guarantees. You have to take control of your market. If you've already started to see meaningful success, a lot of mentors can help you. If you're trying to reach a resistant market with a product they're not excited about, few can, no matter who they are. |
Labels: coaching, gurus, internet marketing, mentors
# posted by Cathy Goodwin @ 8:29 AM 
