Tough Talk: 12 Reasons to Market in 2012

By Darren Sextro, Vice President, Sales

1. If you’re not speaking to your current and — sometimes more importantly — future customers, you can bet someone else is. Maybe you or your company’s financial holders don’t believe in the marketing spend. The ominous truth is that at least a couple of your competitors don’t share that same philosophy, and they now control the conversation in your marketplace.

2. Consumer sentiment is on the upswing. (See the most recent numbers here.) As the economy improves, a robust marketing presence lets buyers know that you’re strong and you’re in business.

3. You spend all of that money on raw exhibit space, the furnishings and branding expenses for that exhibit space, the personnel to man that exhibit space … And you don’t spend a dime to drive traffic to that exhibit space? Really?

4. Marketing is a revenue-generator, not merely an expense. Marketing builds awareness and generates sales leads. Successful companies market to make money.

5. Roll your eyes all you want at the concept of “branding.” At a time when every mega-celebrity is a “brand,” it’s certainly an overused word. But that’s because it’s an effective concept. Buyers respond to brands that have self-awareness and communicate with consistent messaging. So take care not to mock what works. “A strong brand” may be a tired phrase, but it’s still a better result than “lack of awareness.”

6. Even in a down economy (and things are indeed improving according to the Federal Reserve’s recent economic snapshot.), you need to demonstrate that you haven’t thrown in the towel. Can’t afford to talk about your products and services in your marketplace? You need to figure out a way to change that, because the only message you’re sending is that you have nothing to talk about.

7. A corollary to No. 6: Buyers want to develop long-term relationships with strong companies. Common sense dictates that the silent wallflower is going to have a tough time competing with the company that speaks consistently to the marketplace. Tough economy? Sure, but you’re not going to survive by retreating.

8. “I don’t know who you are…I don’t know your company…what was it you wanted to sell me?” Beware this old guy. 

9. You joined your industry’s association to network and, ultimately you hoped, to sell something to its members. And the association delivered on that promise by creating multiple ways throughout the year for you to speak to that membership, both literally and through marketing platforms. Understand this: People who join associations have made an active decision to engage with others in the industry, including suppliers to that industry. Have you fully explored those relationships?

10. Call yourself a “word-of-mouth” success if you want, but unless I ask a whole bunch of people in your industry who you are and they answer with informed clarity, that’s the weakest of fallback positions. Everyone needs to market. Even Starbucks eventually started advertising!

11. Marketing is more than something to do “when we have the money for it.” Marketing is a necessary part of your business. If you don’t market, you’ll never “have the money for it.”

12. What’s YOUR 12th reason to market in 2012? Share your own “tough talk,” the very thing you’d like to say to the people in your organization who control the marketing purse strings.