Measure Twice, Cut Once
Ever heard the old saw (ooh bad pun) “measure twice, cut once”? The basic thrust is that if you measure the board properly and identify exactly where the saw is supposed to go, you won’t be cutting a second time. Sure, “eyeballing” can be faster if you’re a custom home builder with a great eye and are a little lucky, but more often than not most of us would benefit from a little planning.
Many years ago (pre-Internet for all intents and purposes) I was doing a little side marketing consulting with a pal. We signed a client who ran a construction business who wanted to increase his market share in the remodeling sector.
We met with him, identified his strengths, weaknesses, and competition, then advised him that his best course would be a humor-themed direct-mail campaign to demographic audiences and zip codes he wanted to reach. We counseled him that one mailer wouldn’t do, though.
“One really great mailer can do it!” he said. We advised him that even with a coupon or special deal on the mailer, it usually takes more than one mailer to get anyone’s attention. You had to consider too that even if every household read the mailer, only a fraction would be interested in doing any remodeling at that time. The mailer needed to make the company a “front of mind” consideration if/when remodeling was on the agenda for the homeowner.
The client also believed that we should get at least a 10 percent response. Well, the average for a successful campaign back then was between two and four percent. He looked at us like we each had three heads.
“Let us create a campaign for you–say eight to ten mailers over six months,” we said–conservative but potentially effective.
He relented and said okay, come back with your ideas. We presented a fun campaign that we thought would make his business stand out. Instead of hard hats and typical construction business clip art, we created a series of pieces that caught attention and built brand awareness.
A favorite was a large postcard mailer with a photo of two aspirin on one side and the headline: “Remodeling your kitchen shouldn’t be a headache.” On the flip side was information about the company and a free estimate offer. We were trying to position the client as a different kind of remodeling firm–one with a sense of humor and as the customer’s ally in remodeling efficiently and affordably.
The client hated it.
Long story short, we told him we just didn’t think he needed our help, as any direct mail company could print up a flyer for him. He relented and said he would try just one of the mailers.
Again, we reminded him that just one mailer wouldn’t scratch the surface. He said he had a set budget (very small) and that was what he wanted. Well, the mailer looked beautiful, was sent to about 6,000 homes, and predictably had about a 1% response rate that didn’t result in any new business.
The client said “I told you so,” and we mutually terminated the relationship.
Here’s where we slipped up as inexperienced consultants: we didn’t insist on planning properly. The client should have bought into a complete marketing plan–at the very least a campaign plan that involved a smart investment of money. A one-shot mailer was money down the drain for him because it didn’t have any follow up. There was no reinforcement of the brand message, so it was like shouting into the Grand Canyon. The echoes meant nothing. He ended up cutting twice, and we ended up with no client.
A bad experience, but all’s well that ends well: my buddy is now director of business development for a $3 billion company, I run my own PR and marketing consulting firm and that long-ago client is still in business.
I still occasionally have to work with my former client’s thinking today: many prospective clients don’t want to invest in a plan, they just want action. They want to eyeball the market and cut that board. When I tell them that a PR/Marketing Plan is essential, I often get a jaundiced eye and a remark about it being too expensive. Problem is, failing to plan your PR/marketing efforts is usually a lot more expensive.
One press release sent out into the void is just not the best use of your money. A concerted plan with a calendar of media-grabbing releases over a year’s time is. One ad is unlikely to create massive sales.
Measure twice. Cut once.
