OR, WHY DOESN'T OUR MARKETING WORK ANYMORE?

This is not about what types of marketing to do, or the '20 rules for a perfect website', or anything too deep or specialised.   What I am talking about are the three relentless trends I see disrupting all marketing strategies.

1. People are Busy, with less time than ever before

Everyone has less time available, they're busier than ever.   The result is that customers withdraw from a lot of activities that used to bring them into contact with vendors/professional services/suppliers/etc.   They are less keen to 'discuss their needs', or attend meetings with us to see if there could be something useful to come out.

A few years ago, networking events (Chamber of Commerce, etc.) sometimes resulted in an encounter with a few interested people, perhaps not resulting in business right away, but worth a follow-up or two.   It's rarely worth attending these meetings anymore; no time.   (We also know from research it may need to be nine contacts now to get noticed; so certainly no time).

Offering these early discussion meetings, to these prospects, is less effective as a marketing approach.   All the technology supposed to save us time has resulted in us 'working in, not on' the business.

2. People are Resistant, even Resentful, of being 'sold to'

Customers don't want to be pushed, rushed, or manipulated.   A salesperson who tries to control the sale process is likely to find that is a sure way to lose the sale.

It means that cold calling and advertising that interrupts the customers and pushes the sale are both hard work and less effective.

Customers are in control of how they decide and buy, thank you to the internet, and that experience of control over the online buying process has made them expect it everywhere.   Sellers who interrupt and manipulate find out pretty quickly those techniques just don't work anymore.   Then, the only strategy left to them is price, which is hard if you have expensive rent and overheads.. For instance, look at Harvey Norman running almost continuous sales at low prices, to compete against Kogan, who is wholly online.

3. There is so much more Choice Available

More the visibility of choice, it's so easy to find what's available, what to ask for, price, terms, be reassured by testimonials, etc.

Perhaps only 20 years ago it was often a leap of faith to commit to a purchase, where you mainly relied on reputation or references.   Then, guarantees became so vital, offering to fix the product or project until the customer was completely satisfied, or even to refund in full.   It wasn't the creation of customer loyalty so much, but more that the other purchase options available then seemed far more risky to the buyer.

In many ways it is not about doing a good job, because that is expected by the customer, has made 'good work' even a basic commodity, and this is now not nearly enough to guarantee a sale.

These three forces , no time available, resistance to the sale process, and decreased loyalty, are major disruptions (like uber and taxis, amazon and retail, etc).   On the face of it they look like big risks for the vendor.

But, they're also a huge opportunity too.   Look at the marketing strategies of competitors, or the industry you are in, it's likely they're probably ineffective.   That means if you can show how you are differentiated from your competitors and why customers should do business with you (emphasize the benefits and outcomes, not the features), identifying the strategies necessary to reach these prospects is not that difficult.