Stirring The Pot: Keeping Marketing Constant In Thought And Constant In Action Submitted by Sandy Lawrence, Perceptive Marketing 281-807-1300 / SandyLawrence@PerceptiveMarketing.com / www.PerceptiveMarketing.com Written by Lauron Sonnier, Sonnier Marketing & Communications, Inc. 713-341-9341, lauron@sonniermarketing.com, www.sonniermarketing.com To be effective, marketing must be constant in thought and constant in action. Most people understand the concept, but practicing it is another story. We all know we need to embrace marketing, but somehow we just can’t seem to achieve or maintain momentum. We know what to do, but not how to do it. We have a plan, but don’t know where to start. We get tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed, so nothing happens—or nothing happens often enough or consistently enough. There are tons of starts and stops, but no real results. Sound familiar? The bottom line is that nothing happens until there’s motion. I call that magical, life-giving motion in business “stirring the pot.” Of course I’m a Cajun from Louisiana which means I tend to put everything in terms of food. However, it is universal law that everything exists either in a state of circulation or congestion. In business, congestion is most quickly attained by ignoring your marketing. Do that and you’ll find yourself with a constricted flow of new business, recurring business, and referring business. I learned the concept of “stirring the pot” growing up watching my mother cook many wonderful Cajun dishes—all starting with a base of flour and water called a roux. The roux would have to be stirred for what felt like endless hours (in actuality only about 45 minutes). Then, somehow magically, with a lot more stirring, an incredible gumbo would evolve. Whether in gumbo or in business, when we don’t stir the pot, all of the good stuff sinks to the bottom and we get the junk that floats to the top, or walks in the door. With a little motion, all of the components, some large and some small, start melding and working together to create a new product with a consistency and flavor so wonderful that tasters beg for more and even tell their friends why they need some, too. When that happens, you know you’ve achieved a great gumbo—and big-time marketing success. We all have many pots that need constant stirring--prospects, customers, vendors, associates, influencers, and others. Even we ourselves can be a “pot” to make sure we’re keeping marketing top of our mind and priority list. The first step to making marketing work is to make marketing happen, and like most tasks, it’s the first step that’s the hardest. Here are a few tips to help you get and keep your marketing stirring: 1. Constantly ask, “What is the marketing opportunity here?” Businesses miss hundreds of marketing opportunities every day. Keep asking that question and opportunities will present themselves loud and clear. 2. Have a working marketing plan that is visible to everyone in the business. Out of sight, out of mind. 3. Make marketing a company event and common topic of conversation. Don’t overwhelm yourself with all the work. Get staff members of all levels involved in your marketing planning and execution. Discuss updates in weekly staff meetings and monthly company meetings. 4. Celebrate all marketing successes large and small. 5. Commit to doing at least one thing every day to move your marketing forward. 6. Make marketing practical. Integrate it into the day-to-day running of the business. Marketing must be as natural as issuing invoices and doing payroll. 7. Stop waiting for items or conditions to be perfect. Don’t make excuses and don’t get caught up in perfection. Get closure and get things out there working for you. 8. Establish systems that make marketing automatic so that it gets done while you’re chasing fires. 9. Remind yourself that your marketing is doing good work even when you don’t see or know it. Any and all stirring is serving you in some way. 10. Remind yourself of “what’s in it for you” to maintain your marketing in both good times and bad. 11. Be patient. Give your marketing time to work so you can see results and will be motivated to keep it moving. 12. Just keep stirring! About Our Guest: Lauron Sonnier is a marketing author, speaker, trainer, advisor and business owner of Sonnier Marketing & Communications, Inc. (Houston, TX). She is author of 365 Ways to Stir the Pot and Put Marketing Into Action, a daily marketing guide, and the forthcoming Think Like a Marketer: What It Really Takes to Stand Out from the Crowd, the Clutter, and the Competition (July 2009, Career Press). Her practical approach to marketing has achieved great success for her clients and has been featured on HoustonPBS and in a variety of publications. She speaks to companies and audiences throughout the country teaching them how to stand out, stir the pot, and put marketing into action. And, as a Cajun from Louisiana, she couldn’t talk if you tied her hands. About Our Show Expert: Perceptive Marketing president, Sandy Lawrence, is the driving force behind the company. She is a marketing and promotions executive with over 20 years experience at some of the largest and most well-known corporations in the US, such as Digital Equipment and HP/Compaq. Sandy recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of her clients and develops programs that help highlight their benefits for their customers. Her assistance results in increased business growth, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Sandy is a "people person" who works passionately and single-mindedly to take her client's message to the world. Her marketing skills and wealth of knowledge are now available to anyone who needs the competitive edge that only a truly perceptive marketing expert can give.