WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!
This is the gist of the brilliant book, UNTAMED, by Glennon Doyle. This applies to parenting (context of her book) AND manufacturing.
Because, as you know, all roads lead back to marketing for manufacturers in my world. So, keep reading. This is the MEMO you won’t want to miss.
Midway through the book, Doyle reflects on the changes in motherhood over the last three generations. I literally LOL’d!! Truth bombs a droppin’ like… 💣💣💣
The gist of this is “MEMO TO NEW MOTHERS IN (year here)”, as they get ready to take their baby home from the hospital.
You know what’s coming next right?!
5-4-3-2-1…
Because all roads lead back to marketing, here’s my spin and the glaring changes and opportunities that manufacturers face(d) and how you can choose to adapt. Or not. 😉
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MARKETING MEMO TO NEW MANUFACTURER IN 1950
You put every cent you have into this new baby. You’re making something that didn’t exist before and you’re solving a problem for someone specific.
There’s no manual for how to sell it.
You have little to no competition. Just pick up the phone, tell everyone you know, hop in your truck and meet with people one on one. It will sell itself. What is marketing?!
MARKETING MEMO TO NEW MANUFACTURER IN 1990
You put every cent you have into this new baby. You’re making something that didn’t exist before and you’re solving a problem for someone specific.
There’s no perfect manual for how to sell these things.
You have quite a few competitors. Craft a wordy mission statement and a business plan. Pick up the phone, tell everyone you know, hop on a plane and meet with people one on one. Consider putting a web page on that internet thingy. Sales is your focus. Marketing is nice to have but not necessary.
MARKETING MEMO TO NEW MANUFACTURER IN 2021
You put every cent you have into this new baby. You’re making something that others are making too and most days you feel like a commodity. Trying to sell to everyone.
There are lots of “manuals and consultants” available to help you sell it, but it’s hard to know which to follow and who to trust. There’s SO MUCH now! Overwhelm, party of one.
You have global competition now. Strip down that mission statement and make it something that aligns with your customer’s hero state. Create a marketing plan that aligns with and supports your sales team.
Focus on outcome versus output. Rid your website of the WE-WE Syndrome and give your audience what THEY’RE hungry for.
Adapt your marketing at the speed of culture and be where your audience is AND where the next generation will be. Marketing is an investment, like insurance and equipment.
Market on behalf of and FOR your customers instead of AT them. Serve before you sell.
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING
As my colleague (and hero) Darrin Mitchell says, “Manufacturing is hard. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.”
Right?!
You’re doing this really hard thing. Competing on a global scale in a sea of competitors.
You have unlimited marketing opportunities, no matter what size your budget is. Your website is working 365/24/7. Even while you and your salespeople are sleeping. Social media is free and video no longer requires a high cost of production value.
So, why is it still a struggle to be the industry leader?
To eclipse your competition.
To be sought after versus seeking.
To prove that your marketing dollars are paying you dividends.
THE DIFFERENCE
You’re most likely suffering from Commodity Confusion Disorder (CCD). Acting like a commodity versus a specialty brand. Sure, you make something that others make too. It’s not necessarily sexy or exciting, but that’s not what attracts people to buy from you. They don’t buy what you sell, they buy why you sell it.
👉🏼 Uncover your unfair advantage. Your difference. Why you do what you do and how you solve that particular problem for a very specific someone. Then build a brand around that.
HERO
Stop WE-WE-ing all over the place and flip the script. Make your customer the hero of your story. Change your story. They’re the hero, not you.
👉🏼 Replace most of the WE’s with YOU across every customer touchpoint. In print. Online. In face-to-face conversations. Guide them to their hero state. They will follow you.
VANILLA SUCKS
Don’t get me wrong…vanilla tastes pretty good, but it’s not unique, exciting or memorable. Peruse manufacturer’s websites and you’ll find a whole lot of vanilla.
These brands are suffering from Non-Personality Disorder (NPD). They’re not telling a unique story. They look like everyone else. They talk like everyone else. They sell what everyone else in their category sells. They’re not unique, exciting, or memorable.
👉🏼 Instead, choose to be Caramel Drizzled Delight with Moroccan Chocolate Sprinkles on top. Share a compelling story. Lead with a unique value proposition. Define your voice and turn up the volume. Make it so they never forget how you made them feel.
HOLISTIC STRATEGY
Stop marketing like it’s 1990. Long, wordy mission statements that no one can remember and a complicated strategy and fragmented effort are so ten years ago.
Talk to your customers. Find out what they think TODAY. How they’re challenged. Where they spend their time. What excites them.
👉🏼 Then craft a connected strategy and deliverables that are made to support your sales team and reflect your customer back to themselves. Your values plus their values equal SHARED values. ❤️
SPEED
The days of overthinking, over-meeting, and well, taking too damn long to decide on messaging, change your messaging, or try something new are OVER!
👉🏼 Adapt at the speed of culture. Focus more on outcome than output. Quality engagement versus a million likes. And keep it fluid. Measure and adapt as needed. Try something new before you’re ‘ready.’
Trusted brands are unique, vocal, and memorable.
🔥 TAKEAWAY: Have fun. It’s the journey, not the destination.
Get back in touch with why you started doing this in the first place. And, remember you’re a badass and you can do hard things!