I have to admit, I was curious. When I saw previews of a new show called "The Apprentice," it made me want to at least watch the premiere to see what was going on. Immediately, I was hooked. The whole idea of candidates - from all walks of life, not just college grads fresh from their commencement ceremonies - vying for a position in one of Donald Trump's organizations piqued my interest. What kept my interest were the real-life advertising lessons every business owner needs to be reminded of.
Take, for instance, one episode where the teams were challenged to create an ad campaign. I was, needless-to-say, on the edge of my seat for the entire show. One team immediately decided to phone the client and setup an appointment to find out about the product, the end user, and other aspects that would make a big difference in creating the campaign. (Smart move!)
The other team, however, said they didn't have time to talk with the client. They were running behind schedule. Meeting with the client - in their opinion - would just waste an hour or two that could have been spent on more important tasks. (Excuse me?)
What happened? First of all, my husband came charging into the living room asking, "Do you believe that? Even *I* know you have to talk to the customer first!" Yes, he had been listening to me after all.
In the end, the campaign from the team who did speak with the client won the challenge. Once the losing team arrived in the boardroom, the project leader, Jason (Mr. "We Don't Have Time To Talk With the Client"), really got it from all sides.
Donald Trump's assistants, George and Carolyn, made a point of bringing up the fact that the client was not contacted. Jason's own teammates made a point of bringing up that the client was never contacted. And Donald? To quote, Donald said, "That was a HUGE mistake? you're fired!"
This was fairly early in the show so you would have thought the other contestants would have learned from Jason's mistake. Not so. There was yet another episode where an Apprentice put what they wanted over what the client wanted/needed.
In this task, the teams were charged with selling Donald's new product, Trump Ice (bottled water). The winner was simply the team who sold the most in a given period of time. Nick, a salesman by trade, was immediately confident his team would win if they would just step aside and let him work his magic.
Ereka, the project manager for Nick's team, urged Nick to sit with her at the computer and research the market and the customer base for bottled water. Nick wouldn't even hear of it. To quote, "Telling me how to sell is like someone telling the Pope how to pray." So off went Nick using his same "high energy" sales pitch on every customer and focusing on what Nick wanted to sell - instead of finding the best benefits for the clients.
What happened? Nick flopped time and time again. A teammate (Bill) jumped in during one sales meeting and helped the client to understand the benefits of buying Trump Ice. Bill made the sale.
In the boardroom, George immediately noted his disappointment in how little the team seemed to know about their prospective customers. And Donald chimed in by saying he had no idea why Nick thought his sales skills were so great when he had no clue about the customers he was selling to. Ouch!
The bottom line? The team lost. Why? Because Nick was busy trying to sell what he wanted to sell, and in the way he wanted to sell it, with no regard for the customer whatsoever.
The moral of the story? Know your customers. They are the ones with the money. It doesn't matter what you like. If *they* aren't happy with your site, your copy, your graphics, your product, or your service? they'll abandon you cold.
When you're creating a business plan, when you're writing copy, when you're creating a website, or developing a brochure. It's not about you? it's all about them. If one of the richest and most profitable businessmen in the world tells you target market research is vital to success, you can bet it is a wise strategy to follow.
Karon Thackston ? 2004
About The Author
Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out Karon's latest e-report "How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)" at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.
As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours;... Read More
The choice of financing is an important determinant of whether... Read More
Now that you have invested your time, energy and money... Read More
On June 8, 2004, the world witnessed what no one... Read More
Is this you?You dreamed of owning your own business, doing... Read More
Bookkeeping?the "dreaded" word is something we all have to worry... Read More
1. Leadership Is Learned ? While many people appear to... Read More
Want your small business to flip instead of flop?! Statistically... Read More
What is the best time to expand a mobile car... Read More
Due to the over regulation in the Franchising Industry and... Read More
The Operations Plan is a critical component of any business... Read More
One of the first things you will need to set... Read More
If you are a franchisee of a large franchise system;... Read More
Deciding to start your own franchise is just one of... Read More
Sometimes when you run a business you feel as lonely... Read More
Anyone in business today realizes both the natural dependency on... Read More
If you're starting your own business or currently work for... Read More
Many years ago, I had warned the carwash industry of... Read More
We very much like what we see in Lubbock, TX... Read More
Hew Hampshire car wash market. Well we have visited every... Read More
With all the cabinet refacing business opportunities out there, you... Read More
In these days of insecurity and uncertain futures, the tendency... Read More
If you are the boss and you think your job... Read More
If you plan to upgrade your workshop into an Authorized... Read More
Habit: A consistent behavior you perform so frequently that it... Read More
Everyone loves a good story. Whether it's the story of... Read More
Disclosure laws in franchising are suppose to help the consumer.... Read More
As a solo entrepreneur or small business owner, one of... Read More
I frequently give presentations at small business gatherings, providing me... Read More
"What do you do?" It just might be one of... Read More
Having their own business is something many millions of people... Read More
$37.4 million funded from venture capital today. $86.4 million funded... Read More
A cluttered world of marketing communications diminishes the ordinary. The... Read More
I was floored! I couldn't believe what they were saying!... Read More
Free money! Receive up to $25,000 that never has to... Read More
Starting and growing a small business can be a daunting... Read More
It behooves every professional mobile auto detailer to stay up... Read More
Debt collection letters--an overview"Debt collection letter" in the singular may... Read More
Why do you need an account plan?When you first decide... Read More
Are you responsible for your results?What comes to mind when... Read More
Your business is making profits, but where is the cash?... Read More
Articles abound advising the business community how to properly screen... Read More
Recently one of my customers told me the chaos swirling... Read More
Whether you are an Entrepreneur or Business Professional there are... Read More
For the employees, payday is the brightest day; they finally... Read More
Do you sometimes find yourself just going "through the motions"... Read More
Success is the desire of everyman on the face of... Read More
Obtaining a business credit card enables the small business owner... Read More
The home-based business market, sometimes called the SOHO (small-office/home-office) market,... Read More
Lance Armstrong this week won an unprecedented 7th Tour de... Read More
Small Business |