DISQUS

Duct Tape Marketing: Teaching Business Behavior

  • Joseph T. Dager · 6 months ago
    I remember from my military experience with the 82nd. I was young NCO and the question was asked in a staff meeting: "Who knows anything about cold weather survival?" I was amazed at how many experts we had on that subject in North Carolina. The next response was Joe, you will be giving the class on August 12th. Standing in front of 100 people has a way of making you do your homework.

    In my business, I have much decided the same thing. If I want to offer something as a service, my prospects should be able to see me using it, teaching and more importantly being successful with it.

    Reminds me of a point someone made with me on presentations: Professional prepare, Amateurs wing it!
  • aboutpeople · 6 months ago
    As always, a great insight.

    We've been implementing that strategy to financial advisors for about ten years. Most recently, we learned that many advisors wanted to start doing seminars - the same boring financial seminars everyone and their dog had been doing for years. The lack of imagination boggles the mind. We pleaded with them to do something different - teach your prospects how to select you. Teach them something like, "How to avoid Bernie Madoff!"

    It's a simple idea that gives the audience a criteria by which to select the financial advisor.

    Michael Lovas
  • Dr WRight · 6 months ago
    This makes a lot of sense! I never thought about it like this before
    Dr. Letitia Wright
    The Wright Place TV Show
    http://wrightplacetv.com
    www.twitter.com/drwright1
  • Susan Kuhn Frost · 6 months ago
    John, you are so right, and as usual, you said it better and with more expansiveness and authority than anyone else.

    I can tell you how well this works, because I built a six-figure income stream for an SBA-funded business center by applying this principle to our training programs. At the time I left that job, we were one of the only government-funded entrepreneurship program in my city that made money on training. It's a golden intersection point that meets the needs of customers and potential clients, and the right intermediary institution can make it a profit center as well.
  • Stephanie Valentine · 6 months ago
    John...a very interesting approach and challenge. It's hard enough for most business owners to learn what you talk about ... teaching it is a whole new frontier. But a good one. Thanks for throwing down the gauntlet. You're a good example to follow as your certainly practice what you preach. Your ebook on Social Media for Small Business is concise and comforting for the small business owner who is pressed for resources.
  • shannon · 6 months ago
    These are good pointers and don't only apply to business.

    shannon
    aioposters
  • Justin · 6 months ago
    Great thoughts on educating others and yourself at the same time in order to benefit your business.
  • chickass123@gmail.com · 6 months ago
    its nice to read the teaching business behavior, it will help the persons who wants to have a small business.


    small business
  • Jeff Garrison · 6 months ago
    Along the same lines about teaching clients, don't assume that they know how they should interact with you. Especially as a consultant, they need to be respecfully taught. List those client assumptions and behaviors that diminish the value you are providing and develop a structured conversation to have at the beginning of each new engagement.
  • Mike Lucas · 6 months ago
    Found your blog while searching for a business plan template. I like it!
  • WestCoastVinyl · 6 months ago
    This is similar to being an effective leader. One quality that an effective leader is action. They just don't talk about it, they do it, this is lead by example. Whether you are the CEO or the canvaser, it is the things that you do that creates that positive image and making money of course. This will really shine!
  • IncreaseSalesCoach · 6 months ago
    Yes, this is an example of using Pavlov's conditioned reflex to produce the outcomes you desire. And a great use of it at that.

    One of the big mistakes people in sales make is they unknowingly use Pavlov's conditioned reflex concept to their disadvantage. People have been conditioned to respond to sales and marketing through past experience. When you follow the "mold" so to speak rather than producing desired outcomes you actually trigger resistance by triggering their defenses.

    Once you trigger the other person's defenses you have to work very hard just to get back to neutral and even harder to get them to become open to your ideas.