While at a recent social media seminar, one of our participants raised her hand and said the following, “I think marketing is a scary word.” She elaborated by saying that marketing seemed too ambiguous and vague to her, so she wasn’t even sure what it meant. It was then that I fully realized the undeniable truth she illuminated ~ there are probably many professionals in the small business community who feel the same way as her.
We should never assume that everyone we speak with is familiar with our industry lingo or words, or even understands exactly what we do. Granted, on a very high level, most would know the basics like:
- A Realtor helps people buy and sell homes.
- An Insurance Agent helps to protect individuals from loss and damage to their possessions.
- A CPA ensures a business’ financial affairs are in order.
However, in all these cases do we really know or understand all aspects of their profession and the terms used in their daily business transactions? Probably not.
In response to the seminar attendee’s comment about marketing being a scary word, Ernie Dimalanta, Founder of Out-&-Out Marketing and Sr. Marketing Consultant at Dimalanta Design Group, said these words:
“Marketing is all about it. You know instantly when you walk into a restaurant or store if it has it. That is marketing. Marketing creates how a person feels about it, or senses it, or sees it. Marketing delivers a product or service so that the target audience experiences it.”
It was then that the attendee’s eyes lit up and she smiled. She understood, with clarity, the essence and power of marketing. And, that it wasn’t a scary word after all.
Keep it simple.