Tim's Thursday Thoughts

I really admire Peter Drucker because he said big things simply.

In this case, knowing your customer is usually easier said than done. It takes hard work and continuous listening to what your customers are saying from all these available sources.

Today, with the explosion of social media options and other communication channels, customers have more ways to communicate and find out information. These sources can provide powerful insights or lead you to the wrong conclusion. 

Chico Marx once said "who you gonna trust? Me or your own eyes?" 

Don't believe just one source. Data is in many forms and you must trust the source to make reasonable decisions based on the data you have available. If your data is not representative, fullof duplicate or incomplete records, reliant on only one source of social media, then you will not likely be able to make the correct business decisions going forward. Knowing your customer first is the most important step to performance improvement.

So I made scorpion pie. 

Yesterday is no different from any other day if you don't know how well your marketing works.  Wasting money unknowingly is like eating the worst pie in history.  The aftertaste might sting for awhile. 

A marketing audit lets you see exactly what's happening in every room. The aim of this understanding is to bring you clarity and confidence in your marketing activities. 

You have a choice.

Rest easy knowing your money is well spent or get ready to chow down on lousy scorpion pie. I will help you squash lousy marketing. 

Improve your argument. My wife said this because I have been known to raise my voice once in a while (sorry boys). This is a great lesson for leaders and the messaging companies use. If yelling is the only way you think people will hear you, you are wrong. People will tune out your message very quickly. Impactful speech and writing is needed. Say it out loud and listen for yourself. Honestly, would you listen and act on the message? If not, rewrite it. Or ask someone for assistance (I know a guy).