The buzz around marketing is big. This is no breaking news, of course. But it’s necessary to resurface this cold, hard truth from time to time – because many claims that are made (by marketers) are so lofty and unrealistic, that it makes my jaw drop every time I see them.
Just scroll through the average LinkedIn feed – and you’ll know what I mean.
Especially if you’re in the B2B sales space.
No wonder phrases like “what my divorce taught me about B2B sales” is now a laughing stock amongst those who clearly see through the inauthenticity.
This is just one example, though. Combine this with the intricate presentations many pitch to their clients, and it makes you existentially question all your life choices.
Okay, maybe I’m being a tad hyperbolical here. But jokes aside, many brands already know what they need to do, to thrive.
In other words –
Many brands underestimate themselves, thinking that having someone external advise them on what they need to do to increase brand awareness or sales is the best way forward. In fact, they already know what’s best – sometimes it’s a simple lack of confidence that gets in the way.
Either this, or the fact that the right thing to do, isn’t exactly easy. Or straightforward. Or one to yield quick results.
Doing the right thing will help your conscience chill – like this dog. Image credits: @imarulmoli on Instagram.
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But what is the alternative? A Ponzi-esque growth scheme that sounds ‘disruptive’ from the outside, but bears no substance once the proverbial dust settles?
Think about it:
An ad campaign that promises leads – but only receives a bunch of dubious bots.
Or, obsessively producing mass content just to ‘look active’, or to gather impressions for artificially bloating a quarterly report.
Do any of these sound familiar? That’s because many businesses just jump on the hype bandwagon – simply because everyone else is doing it. Not because it’s valuable for their customers, or their bottom line.
Here’s the thing – either you already know what your brand needs, or you don’t. So let’s figure out what you need to do in each case scenario.
At this point, the solution is clear – DO WHAT YOUR BRAND TRULY NEEDS! Even if it’s the harder path to take, and seeing results takes time. Growth, and fast growth, that too, matter – but not at the expense of short-term gains that could sabotage long-term value for your business.
And no, you don’t need to obsess over what everyone else is doing, as well as doing what needs to be done in large quantities. Quality still wins over quantity, after all.
So start small. Let your teams adjust to the fluctuations and uncertainties that come with a new initiative. Once they acclimatise and some data is available from a first cut, rinse and repeat. Increase output with time, as you get better, through trial and error.
For example, if you know that improving customer service requires thorough one-on-one training for your agents to make appropriate judgements based on context and past insights, do not backflip and deploy an AI agent instead – simply because ‘everyone says so’. Or, because you think reducing your human workforce can also reduce costs as you aim to improve service standards.
Instead, do the right thing and coach your agents the old-fashioned way, to understand customers’ quandaries with context in mind, and deliver solutions that directly address their concerns.
After all, you know that’s the right thing to do. It’s been in your conscience throughout. So why shy away from it?
The other alternative is, well, brands really don’t know what’s best for them. They know what they sell, they know how they deliver value, they even know who their ideal customers are. But they don’t know how to make a mark. How to turn heads that at least get them some attention, let alone sales.
At a time like this, getting help is totally justified. But it is just as important to objectively analyse the advice you’re receiving.
As goes the old adage – if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
So don’t be afraid to challenge your consultants; if they make claims that sound lofty, ask them how practical it all is. If they guarantee an X amount of leads in Y number of days, ask them how they aim to achieve that.
Authenticity will distinguish itself from the noise.
Often, the right thing to do is the hard thing to do. Marketing, brand awareness and CX are no exception to this rule.
So do the right thing, starting today.
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