What I Learned About Marketing From Our Newborn

As a new dad, I've got a lot to learn. 

As business owners and professionals, we also have a lot to learn.

Today's lesson hit me as I was trying to let my wife get some sleep.  I brought our 8-week-old daughter downstairs and spent some time playing with her, then tried to put her down for a nap.  She would have none of it.  She wanted to spend time with me NOW.  Not later.  She could care less how much work I had to get done...her message was LOUD and clear.  Spend time with me.  Pay attention to me.  Love me.

She's right.  Your customers are also right.  And here are the lessons in marketing I learned from an 8-week-old.

 

Pay Attention To Me Now

The average attention span for adults watching online video is 9 seconds.  That's how long you have to capture their attention.  The average attention span for goldfish is 10 seconds.  We have a shorter attention span than goldfish, and if you don't capture people quickly and then pay attention to THEM immediately, then you've lost.  How does this apply to your follow-up process?  If someone expresses an interest to do business with you, how quickly do you respond to their needs?  How are you interacting with them on social media RIGHT NOW?  How are you serving their needs RIGHT NOW?

I'm Hungry

Consumers are hungry for knowledge.  They're hungry for education.  They're hungry for value.  They're hungry for a high level of engagement.  Are you feeding them?  Are you using social media to engage your customers in the way that they want to be engaged...or are you trying to force feed them nothing but your sales pitch?  

I'm a big fan of info-tainment.  Entertain me but educate me at the same time.  Whether you're doing a walk-around video of a house you're trying to sell me or showing me why your wine is better than the competition...I want to enjoy the experience while I'm learning.

I'm Tired

Sometimes your customers are shopping at night.  Sometimes they're just exhausted by shopping around with companies that don't ask them to take action.  Either way, the message here is clear.  Provide a clear, easy-to-answer call to action and make it as easy for customers to do business with you as possible...even if they're half asleep.  

I Want To Be Held

You can't just tell a baby it's time to calm down and she listens.  Trust me, I've tried.  You need to hold her.  Cuddle her.  You need to provide a relaxing and nurturing experience.  You need to hold her hand and help her make that transition into the next topic.

I Want To Trust You

Trust isn't given.  It's earned.  You earn that trust through creating an experience where that baby knows if something is wrong, you'll be there.  You'll provide anything and everything she needs to make sure that she's safe and happy.  Your customer WANTS to trust you.  Help them to.  You can begin to establish that level of trust with your customer before you've ever even met them.  Create videos for your business about who you are and how you operate - again, making them fun and entertaining.  Engage them on social media by working whatever platform they may be on - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc.

I Scare Easily

When I cough, our daughter gets startled.  She throws her hands up in the air if she's asleep and then slowly lowers them down, gently putting her guard back down.  Your customers scare easily as well.  If you get too close too soon, you may turn them off.  If you start asking personal questions that are just a little too personal, or start texting them just a little too often, or ask them for the sale a little too soon, you risk scaring them off.

Make Me Smile

Dating.  Babies.  Business.  It's all the same here.  Make them smile and they're yours.  Create a close personal connection with them and help them to feel good about the decision to be with you.  People no longer want to just buy a product or a service, they want it to be an experience.  They want to enjoy it.  They want to leave smiling and feeling good.  Are you making this happen for your customers?

I Want You To Know What I Need

I'm crying and I don't know why.  Do I need a nap, a snack or a diaper?  That's up to YOU to find out.  Just as a baby expects you to figure out what she needs, so does your customer.  That's part of the reason they are coming to you.  Do your homework and be able to sell them on the value of whatever it is that you're proposing.  You're not just selling a product or a service, you're selling a solution.  I'm not always going to give you enough info to know exactly what I need - I expect you to figure it out.

I'll Fake You Out

Sometimes you think it's the diaper.  Then you get down there and realize it's dry as a desert and now the baby is laughing at you.  Faked you out.  Sometimes you'll try and feed her and she'll start pushing you away.  Gotcha, mom.

Can't the same thing be said for your customer?

How many times have you had THIS thought?  "But...she SAID she wanted a house with a garage."  "But...I thought he wanted a car that had leather."  "But...she said she wanted a light, crisp wine."

Your customer WILL fake you out sometimes.  But as I mentioned previously, it's up to you to figure out what they need.

I Like Music

The only way to calm our screaming baby sometimes is music.  "Turn Down For What", specifically.  That's right, Lil Jon rocks the hell out of that cradle and she loves it.  I'll bet you never would have imagined this sweet little angel making that her jam.  

Create an experience for your customer.  Know that sometimes what you THINK they like isn't going to be what they REALLY like.  Ask questions.  Try stuff out.  You may be surprised to find that the 65-year-old grandmother you've been talking to is working Facebook and Twitter like nobody's business.

Sometimes, I'm Full of Crap

"I can't afford that."  "I'm not here to buy today, I'm just here to look."  

Sometimes - many times, actually - our customers are like a newborn.  They are absolutely and entirely filled with crap.  What's the trick?  Being able to tell WHEN they are full of crap.  Nothing calls a baby's crying bluff like a fresh diaper.  Get to the cause of the problem and fix it.  But you can't fix it if you don't recognize that there is a problem to begin with.

Mom Knows Best

I hate the fact that my wife is usually right.  And when it comes to the baby, that statement couldn't be more accurate. 

She knows how to quiet her down EVERY TIME.  She knows what the baby needs EVERY TIME.  She's patient.  She's loving.  She's kind.  She's nurturing.  She's everything I hope to be in a parent and more.

On a side note, she's also the one you should be targeting with those ads for baby stuff.  And house stuff.  And all stuff in general.

Because mom knows best. 

Everything You Thought You Knew Was Wrong

I thought life was all about me.  And about my wife.  And about having a nice home and a great job.

I thought that shushing a baby would put her right to sleep.

I thought I couldn't possibly manage on fewer than five hours of sleep.

Everything I thought I knew was entirely wrong.

You THINK you know where your customer is and what they're doing.  You THINK you know what types of advertising will hit them.  I mean, it's always been television, radio and newspaper...so it will always be that, right?

You're pretty sure you know what to do with social media.

But guess what?  When it comes to marketing during this digital revolution, a lot of what we thought we knew was entirely wrong.

Start marketing in the year we are actually doing business in.  And learn the lessons of the newborn.  Nurture.  Love.  And don't forget to change the diaper.  

 

 

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Kyle Reyes is the President and Creative Director of The Silent Partner Marketing, New England's #1 Marketing Agency. We're a boutique marketing firm focused on helping businesses grow in an age of exploding technology. You can find him on Google+, Facebook and Twitter. He's the Chuck Norris of marketing. It's outrageous - we know. That's kind of the point. Outrageous marketing - extraordinary results. And yes - he wants to connect with you on LinkedIn, so send him a request!