Why Action?

There are dozens, likely hundreds, of digital and printed periodicals offering advice to marketing and sales professionals.  What makes the Agile’ newsletters and email blasts different?

Action.

Marketing Action and Sales Action – the difference is in the name. We don’t just give you advice or news, we give you simple, step-by-step ways to apply a technique and then to measure it’s effectiveness.  I feel that you should never perform a marketing task – especially if it involves spending money – without some way of measuring it’s effectiveness.

I had a client once (note the word “once”) who insisted on running a TV commercial.  His entire ad budget was $2,000.  This was in the years before cable & satellite had taken over medium, and the local Big 3 were the only game in town.  I realize the story takes place a long time back, but the point is still valid – hang in there with me.

The affiliate charged him a production fee, and then charged him to run the commercial.  I seem to remember the station being able to come in under budget by about $50, since he was paying cash.  I got a call from the guy, excitedly asking me to watch the commercial and let him know what I thought.  The first spot aired during his favorite show – a drama that came on at 9 PM.  He was able to afford running the spot about half a dozen times, total.  As I remember, he picked two overnights, two local news spots and a morning news to go along with his one shot at prime-time glory.

He called all his friends, and made all his employees watch it in the office on VHS (I told you this was a while back).

Honestly, the TV sales person who sold him the spot did a decent job writing the commercial.  It included “what we do,” contact info, and a weak call to action, all in 30 seconds.  And it had my client smiling out at his adoring soon-to-be-fans.

I asked him if it had drawn in any new customers.

“I’m not sure.”

“Do you ask new customers how they found you?”

“No.  Why should I?”

Like I said, his entire budget was shot.  No more newspaper ads, no more fliers in the mail – not that quarter.  I found out later that his sales numbers didn’t really suffer though.  Mainly because he tracked them only on a haphazard basis, so he really didn’t know if sales increased or decreased.

The results of his. . . experiment are still measurable, though.  And if you’re happy with the action and the results, I can’t argue.  It wouldn’t be my choice for a small- or even medium-sized business.

  • Bank account reduced by $2,000.
  • Happiness increased by seeing himself on TV during his favorite show.
  • Profit/Loss: even (on a cosmic scale)

Never do anything, never spend any money, when you can’t measure the effects.

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