It's Not Just About The Money
Laura, one of my friends, mentors, and colleagues, suggested I write about something that recently put a very large, very angry bee in my bonnet.
Those who know me know that a pet peeve of mine are companies that try to be everything to everyone. I 've written about it, gotten on my soapbox, and if I could, I'd pass out pamphlets door-to-door on why you shouldn't do it. Perhaps because Jennifer and I have made a living at being very niched and targeted, we take it personally when others out there run around half-assing their businesses because they are spread too thinly in everything they do.
However, this latest incident upset me more than usual because the underlying message sent to me was, "Oh, what you do is so EASY, we can just handle it and make money off it."
This begs one point to be discussed before I go any further. A few months ago a client complained about the cost of their website's development component. Until I sat down and saw how websites are designed and built, I hadn't the faintest idea of what was involved, how complicated it could be, or what kind of expertise and knowledge it took to built a really good site. The client got their bill and said, "How hard can this be? It's just a simple website!" It wasn't.
My point being, things that look simple can be deceptive. Especially for those of us who sell intangible things, like marketing, simplicity can be our downfall. I'm going to say it more for my benefit than anyone else's: marketing is not easy, or simple. We study it, live it, breathe it, and work with it. Just because there is no blueprint for our end product doesn't mean it's easy and that anyone can do it.
So here's what happened. Someone else in the business community has worked with us on a marketing program in the past. Their clients needed a particular service we sell - they didn't know how to do it - and we helped them out. They saw the end-result we produced, not the steps that went into producing that result. I got a call from one of the owners last week to give me the heads up that they had decided to start selling this service directly. In essence, they were cutting us out of the loop, stopping any referrals, and keeping this revenue stream for themselves.
I stayed calm, wished them the best of luck with their endeavor, and hung up the phone.
This has happened to us in the past, with other companies like this one, with this particular service. Like I said, the vehicle we use for the service is deceptively simple. A monkey could push the buttons to take care of it. What isn't easy is the strategy. Knowing what questions to ask, how to structure this campaign, how to implement it, make it good, deciding on tone, the look and feel, and how often - these are the intangibles that all happen before the button is pushed. And without fail, every company who thinks this is so easy and has thought the revenue was easy pickins for them has failed miserably. One company was not only fired from providing this service - they were fired from their whole account. Is it worth it?
We ask ourselves when meeting with a client for the first time, can we provide the very best service? Do we have the knowledge and tools to help them in the way they need it? If the answer is no, or even maybe not, we walk. Reputations are hard to build and harder to maintain. I'm not saying everyone has loved us but we have made a commitment to staying true to what we do best. Unfortunately, not everyone else feels that way.
After my phone call, I could smell the bridge between myself and that company smoking and starting to burn. I was sad about that. But I also wanted, more than anything, to stand on the side of I-95 with a poster simply stating: "Businesspeople: There is Enough Business For All of Us." It's not just about the money - it's about doing what's best for your clients.
And note to our newest competitor: watch out. We're really good at what we do.
Those who know me know that a pet peeve of mine are companies that try to be everything to everyone. I 've written about it, gotten on my soapbox, and if I could, I'd pass out pamphlets door-to-door on why you shouldn't do it. Perhaps because Jennifer and I have made a living at being very niched and targeted, we take it personally when others out there run around half-assing their businesses because they are spread too thinly in everything they do.
However, this latest incident upset me more than usual because the underlying message sent to me was, "Oh, what you do is so EASY, we can just handle it and make money off it."
This begs one point to be discussed before I go any further. A few months ago a client complained about the cost of their website's development component. Until I sat down and saw how websites are designed and built, I hadn't the faintest idea of what was involved, how complicated it could be, or what kind of expertise and knowledge it took to built a really good site. The client got their bill and said, "How hard can this be? It's just a simple website!" It wasn't.
My point being, things that look simple can be deceptive. Especially for those of us who sell intangible things, like marketing, simplicity can be our downfall. I'm going to say it more for my benefit than anyone else's: marketing is not easy, or simple. We study it, live it, breathe it, and work with it. Just because there is no blueprint for our end product doesn't mean it's easy and that anyone can do it.
So here's what happened. Someone else in the business community has worked with us on a marketing program in the past. Their clients needed a particular service we sell - they didn't know how to do it - and we helped them out. They saw the end-result we produced, not the steps that went into producing that result. I got a call from one of the owners last week to give me the heads up that they had decided to start selling this service directly. In essence, they were cutting us out of the loop, stopping any referrals, and keeping this revenue stream for themselves.
I stayed calm, wished them the best of luck with their endeavor, and hung up the phone.
This has happened to us in the past, with other companies like this one, with this particular service. Like I said, the vehicle we use for the service is deceptively simple. A monkey could push the buttons to take care of it. What isn't easy is the strategy. Knowing what questions to ask, how to structure this campaign, how to implement it, make it good, deciding on tone, the look and feel, and how often - these are the intangibles that all happen before the button is pushed. And without fail, every company who thinks this is so easy and has thought the revenue was easy pickins for them has failed miserably. One company was not only fired from providing this service - they were fired from their whole account. Is it worth it?
We ask ourselves when meeting with a client for the first time, can we provide the very best service? Do we have the knowledge and tools to help them in the way they need it? If the answer is no, or even maybe not, we walk. Reputations are hard to build and harder to maintain. I'm not saying everyone has loved us but we have made a commitment to staying true to what we do best. Unfortunately, not everyone else feels that way.
After my phone call, I could smell the bridge between myself and that company smoking and starting to burn. I was sad about that. But I also wanted, more than anything, to stand on the side of I-95 with a poster simply stating: "Businesspeople: There is Enough Business For All of Us." It's not just about the money - it's about doing what's best for your clients.
And note to our newest competitor: watch out. We're really good at what we do.
posted by Right Angle Consulting at
3:40 PM
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