Are You Striking Out with New Clients? Let's Play Marketing Ball!

Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing (www.actionplan.com) inspired this series of articles with his original article some years back when I purchased the InfoGuru Marketing Manual.
Robert has a way of explaining complex marketing issues in very understandable terms.

He's a real professional and when I met him recently after a marketing workshop, I was not only impressed (again) with his marketing smarts, but his easy going conversational style of talking business.

It occurred to me that most us don't usually operate that way. Instead, we sometimes try to sound like 'official business owner', when networking, marketing, or selling. Robert's conversational style is consistent in his newsletter, his information products, and in his conversations.

This particular issue has stayed with me since briefly talking with Robert a few weeks back. When that happens, it usually means that I have some work to do in that area.

In redesigning my site, I've been rereading my manuals and eBooks on marketing and when I reread Robert's Marketing Ball article this week, I decided to expand the concept into a series of articles for you: Taking the basic premise of the principles behind Marketing Ball and examining how they contribute to increasing your business visibility.

Over the next five weeks, I'll send you one new article each Wednesday to think about.

Here is the publication schedule:
June 14 - Marketing Ball: First stop, the Locker Room
June 21 - Marketing Ball: Getting to First Base
June 28 - Marketing Ball: Stealing Second Base
July 5 - Marketing Ball: Rounding Third and Heading for Home
July 12 - Marketing Ball: Scoring a Run and Heading into the Dugout

So, without further mish-mash, here we go.

Are You Really Playing Ball?

I'm the father of three boys (and a girl). Ben (18) and Jeremy (20) both played Little League and later made their big league debut playing high school baseball. Justin (10) just completed his first Little League season here in Aptos.

We're big baseball fans. We root for the SF Giants & Oakland As here at home, but the NY Yankees hold a soft spot for us as well. (Unless you live in Boston, you gotta love the Yanks!)

To win at baseball, you've need to do several things well. You've got to catch, pitch, field grounders, run after pop flies, hit the ball, and run the bases.

It takes time to learn the game and to play it well.
Just as it take skills to play a winning game of baseball, likewise it takes a good deal of skill to play the game of marketing your business.

In marketing your business, you also need to do several things well. You need to generate interest in your business, field inquiries, negotiate rates and pricing, and convey a persuasive presence online and off.

But consider this: I can get a group of people together and have them play catch and hit the ball, but that doesn't mean their playing the game of baseball, does it?

Similarly, you can be sending out mailings, emails, attending networking meetings, writing a newsletter, and generally carrying out all the marketing tasks associated with your business and still not be playing the game of smart, effective marketing.

Playing Marketing Ball

In Robert Middleton's original article he states:
"The object is to start at Home Plate where you don't have a client, go all around the bases and then get back to home again where you have secured a new client."

Just like in baseball, the rules govern the game. The two most important rules in marketing ball are:

1. You must touch each and every base in order. (If you skip a base, you're out and you'll lose your client.)
2. The customer determines when you advance to each base. (If the customer isn't waving you forward, you stay put.)

Overview of Marketing Ball

Like any baseball game, the players begin their game in the Locker Room. This where they put on their uniform, and get ready to face the other team.

In marketing ball, the locker room is where we hone our core marketing message. It's where we devise our pregame strategy and draw up our game plan.

At the Plate
Picture this....it's your first at-bat in the big leagues. You're nervous. The sound you hear isn't the crowd cheering you, it's your knees knocking.
(Oh, the memories of my own days on the field of dreams...)

You go through your pre-swing motions, and look toward the mound, and see none other than Randy Johnson...The Unit...all six-foot-ten-inches of him facing you down from the mound with his menacing game face.

Talk about a defining moment! But, this is when the game begins.

Facing your target market is no different. In marketing ball, the game begins when you make contact with your potential client.

Getting to First Base

Only after the potential client gives you the signal, are you allowed to run down the baseline and touch first base.

What is that signal? It can come in many different forms, but most commonly it arrives when they say to you, "Tell me more" or "How do you do that?" Details in the June 14th article!

Stealing Second

Getting to second base occurs only after the potential client again waves you on by letting you know that they want to explore doing business with you.

How do you get to this point? I'll tell you on June 28th!

Rounding Third Base

Getting from second base to third is generally easier that stealing second. But you can still be thrown out in the process. On July 5th, I'll tell you about it.

Scoring a Run - Entering the Dugout

You're almost home with a new client in tow! But there are still ways to get caught in a rundown. On July 12th I'll explain how to avoid losing the game and your new client.

Final Thoughts

I love the concept of Marketing Ball. It's easy to understand and since almost everyone is familiar with the game of baseball, it's also easy for independent business owners to see where they're most likely to be tagged out.

Another reason I like the concept of marketing ball is that you have permission to make mistakes. Watching my boys play Little League for twenty-plus years has taught me a lot, but mainly about the instructive power inherent in making mistakes.

We have an opportunity to learn from them. We can learn something about ourselves and about our business when we make mistakes.

I've made plenty, trust me.
But each one has served to move me forward toward a more productive at-bat the next time I was due up at the plate.

Look for The Spotlight! next Wednesday and we'll get started playing Marketing Ball!

Thanks for reading,
Barry
P.S. As always, you can shoot me a response, a criticism, even a compliment ;-) here: Barry@BarryMorris.com