Working with myopic businesses.

I'm not one to stereotype people but I will categorize some individual business owners as being myopic, limited and stubborn in perception when it comes to advertising. Over many years working with all types of businesses, in my experience there are  individuals who are not ideal at taking marketing advice. Whether it's the Jehovah complex or a know it all attitude some of these folk have such strong preconceived notions about how they should advertise vs how people search or find their type or business. Introducing a proven strategy  is like convincing a child that vegetables are good for them. Some of these individuals will assume their own advice for advertising rather than from an advertising consultant who has seen  the results of poor and good judgement in action.


There are numerous outcomes to poor advertising decisions including wasting money, thinking that advertising doesn't work, misleading customers, leaving an inaccurate impression or the worst scenario going out of business.The professionals  who work with the right marketing mix, budget and message unequivocally reap the rewards. Yes, "Word Of Mouth" is a powerful form of advertising however using major media vehicles will compound your "Word Of Mouth" effectiveness and brand awareness exponentially over time.

Recently I had a conversation with a prospective client who happens to be a family lawyer. We started chatting about how people find her types of services on-line and she immediately said she doesn't have time for people with mobile devices and that people don't go on the internet to find her even though she has a website and deems it force ably necessary to have one. I had 2 ways to handle this. The first way is to let her know that there are many lawyers reaping the rewards of on-line marketing and that I could provide her with examples and case studies. The 2nd approach is to fire this client by exiting the conversation politely and moving on. I decided to do both. Ultimately if I can provide information which this person will  take to mind and heart there is a small chance that she may see the light. If a business does not value your opinion and it takes so much convincing in the first place, this is a tell tale sign this individual may have unrealistic expectations and will be high maintenance in the long run. Case closed.