I went to a job interview. Well, in any other profession it would be a job interview. They'd want to get to know you. What you've done. Your accomplishments. Big wins for other businesses. But when you're in marketing, sometimes they just want to pick your brain. Get your ideas.
It took me a long time to realize I didn't have to give up my ideas for free. I bet there are some marketing people that still haven't figured that out. Like that lady that interviewed after me.
This place kept going back, over and over, to "what would you do to market our business?"
"That's a perfectly fine question - one that I can't answer."
"Why can't you answer it?"
"I don't have enough information about your business"
"What does that mean?"
"The last time I worked on salary for a business I was asked to be an employee on Dec. 16th. I actually started on January 12th.
I walked in with 13 pages of notes.
We need to do this, this, this, that and the other."
"Okay, that's great and all, but what are you going to do for us?"
"I HAVE NO IDEA, but I'm certain the next lady will give you all her ideas, you will take them, and use them like they were yours."
Okay, I didn't exactly say it like that - but that was the gist.
Then they asked me again what I would do.
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Marketing is not an overnight thing. Sure there are some overnight successes, and sometimes you can get lucky and just through something out that works. But to really do well, you need to know the business.
"What's the most popular item? What's the least popular? Why the disparity? What's the profit margin on both and if it's the least popular, do you intend to keep that item or remove it altogether? What are the pain points in the business? What hours are busier than others? What's the demographic make up of your customers? Where do they come from?"
There are a million questions a marketing person needs to ask in order to even think about coming up with a solid plan.
Marketing is about spending money to make money. How can you help a business make more money? By getting to know them. You really have to ask a lot of questions and get to know the business before you do anything.
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The Redneck Yacht Club was something I studied for almost an entire month before I came in with a plan.
I read the financials. I read the past press. I read what people were saying. I read the emails. I read everything. And I talked to people, all the time.
I needed to know a lot before I could know anything.
"It's an expensive place to open. To operate. There's liability issues. But there are other opportunities. We should transform into a media company."
It was perfect for our demographic. (More on that in another post)
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It's not easy telling someone, "No. I won't answer that." - but you have to do it.
I get paid to tell people ideas. Execute those ideas. I can't be giving them away.
OH but wait.
I do, on occasion, send them for free.
When I'm not asked how I would help or what I would do, I love sending blind emails and offering ideas.
I'll study the business online. What they're doing right, what they're doing wrong, and what they could do better. And I'll offer 5-7 ideas, "Here, take these, they may help you."
Some are very general. Some are very in-depth.
A few days after that "interview" I sent an email.
"Thanks for having me. Nice to meet you all. Here are 5 very general ideas for your business."
Maybe they'll use them.
They should.
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