How would you like to add some rocket fuel to your sales in 2016? Imagine if it were possible to do this without working harder and with less stress. If you are like most, you love the idea, but you’re not sure exactly how to pull it off. The answer is simpler than one would expect, and it doesn’t require reengineering your entire company or hiring any additional staff.
Regardless of how 2015 went for your company, there is always room for improvement, and there have been many opportunities that you knowingly — or more likely unknowingly — missed out on.
What do I mean by “unknowingly”? While at the NAILBA and NAFA conferences this year, I spoke with a few marketing officers from very large companies who told me that “everyone” knew who they were. Yet even though the majority of agents and advisors have seen their company’s name before, the name isn’t top of mind. Furthermore, advisors likely have no idea what that company stands for and why they should take action to get in touch.
Contrary to popular belief, your company is not top of mind unless it has planted itself there and created relevancy on a consistent basis. You can’t expect producers to know who you are unless, of course, you have told them. Unfortunately, telling them once or twice just isn’t enough.
Consistency is one of the industry’s greatest Achilles’ heels. The business is littered with here-today-and-gone-tomorrow marketing organizations and carriers that can’t seem to get their act together to tell their story over and over. If you want people to really and truly know who you are, you have to virtually beat them over the head every way you can.
As we enter 2016, a year that some feel could be one of the hardest on record, it’s more important than ever that you are planning to succeed. I’ve talked a lot over the years about creating and implementing successful marketing plans. That’s because the “plan” is your rocket fuel; it’s your secret ingredient for remaining top of mind on a consistent basis and blasting past your competition.
It all comes back to consistency. When you have the right marketing plan, you can design it with an optimized balance. You don’t want a top-heavy year in which you experience a surge of marketing in January and then you fall off everyone’s radar. Whatever you plan in January, you need to do something of the same nature and scale in February, and again in March and so on. Just like launching a rocket, you can’t have a big burst in the beginning and then expect to merely drift into outer space. You need a steady, consistent (and powerful) burn. You need to have the full year roughly planned out so that you can pace yourself and not burn out.
Now, you’re probably wondering exactly what should go into this marketing plan that you’re going to consistently implement throughout the year. Well, you’ve got to give it everything you’ve got. If you want stellar results, you’re not going to get them with that little jug of fuel for a moped. I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of times not to skimp on your marketing, and I sincerely hope you’re not one of those who ignores that advice, thinking you can get big results on the cheap. Remember, your advertising and marketing is an “investment,” not an expense, and as you do with your own personal investing, you need to have a rock-solid plan.
Your starting point for your 2016 plan should be a review of 2015. What worked, and what didn’t? Were the failures due to inconsistencies, like campaigns that changed course midstream or “one-off” ads? Fix the inconsistencies and see what you are missing. What tactic to reach your target audience did you not use in 2015? How can you be relevant throughout the year? Remember to design a plan that you know will keep you top of mind throughout the year and into 2017. As you do this, it’ll suddenly become clear what you knowingly and unknowingly missed out on last year.
Finally, what can you simply do more? It’s not rocket science; it’s simple math. If you want to double your results, double your marketing. If you want to increase your results exponentially, then make sure to send your message out in multiple directions — 360 degrees. The right kind of rocket-fueled consistency and coverage will get you recognized and remembered.
Shoot for THIS Star
A great way to keep that fire burning is to think of Elvis Presley. During Elvis’ lifetime, he released dozens of albums, but his aggressive media exposure didn’t stop when he reached superstar status, and it certainly didn’t stop when he died.
The market has been hit with around 90 additional albums since his death, with three new compilations out just this year. Talk about ongoing momentum! Add to this the merchandise, tourist destinations, parodies, fanaticism and a whole subculture of impersonators, and you’ve got the perfect example of a 360-degree approach.
And that’s why there’s barely an American alive today who doesn’t know who Elvis is and what makes him a legend.
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