The three elements to Marketing Success are really simple… Visibility, Credibility and Profit. But they are not that simple to accomplish!
I have been listening to an audio by BNI Founder,Dr. Ivan Misner and he really explains this simple concept (as he should since it’s a hallmark of success in BNI and is called the VCP Process). I wanted to share my learnings with you. We’ll start with the visibility piece. First and foremost you have to be seen! My friend Scott Manning says, “he who shows up the most makes the most!”
A story that relates here… many years ago a senior manager with the company I worked for at the time talked to me and a group of my peers. During that talk he touted that he had 5 different phone numbers on his business card. That he had any was stark difference from most managers at that time. But his point was he was reachable… accessible which is very similar to visibility. How many ways do you have to be visible? Signs, weekly e-mails, newsletters, radio shows, personal visits, writing a blog or speaking to a group or two…how many? The visibility phase is important because it creates recognition and awareness.The question becomes, How many of the ways that you have to be visible do you use on a consistent basis? Something to think about!
Next is credibility which is doing what you say you’ll do and showing you know your stuff. We are all experts at something. Do we appreciate it and do we show it on a consistent basis? Dr. Misner says it this way, “Credibility grows when appointments are kept, promises are acted upon, facts are verified, services are rendered. The old saying that results speak louder than words is true.”
Finally as your business relationship reaches maturity you begin to see profitability. Again from Dr. Misner, “Is it mutually rewarding? Do both partners gain satisfaction from it? Does it maintain itself by providing benefits to both? If it doesn’t profit both partners to keep it going, it probably will not endure.”
One thing is for sure, if you short cut on the visibility, getting to know people or letting them know you, or even through the credibility, where you prove what you say either with your services or products, stages of the relationship you most likely will never reach the profitability factor. It all depends on what your goal is in the first place. Remember profitability is a two way street!
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