Creative Marketing

Blackbird convention on my lawn. The feathered creatures followed the maintenance workers who spread the winter seed and winter fertilizer. Birds provide a valuable lesson for marketers. Go where the pickings are available. Go where the customers are located.

Lexus used this principle at the beginning of the economic downturn, nice way to say the beginning of the recession. Since customers were not coming into the showroom in sufficient numbers, a few creative Lexus dealers followed the blackbird method. These energetic salesmen took the fleet of cars to where the customers were located. What a novel concept – go to the customers. While other dealerships, domestic and international, were making another pot of coffee and boo-hooing the lack of business, Lexus became creative. Lexus took the fleet of cars to the country clubs, golf courses, and any other place they would expect affluent people to inhabit. They simply introduced themselves and asked if the people had ever test driven a Lexus. If the individual was interested in a test drive, and many were, then the opportunity presented itself to demonstrate the luxury features of a Lexus. Being a Lexus owner, myself, I know the impressiveness of that test drive.

Once the people settled into the cushy leather seats which wrapped around them like their favorite snuggly blanket, experienced the smooth “won’t spill a drop of your open coffee cup” ride, enjoyed the quadraphonic sound and all of the other delightful toys which come as features on a luxury automobile. After such a delightful experience, getting back in their old car (even though it was probably only a year or two old), the old car felt shabby in comparison. Lexus closed an amazingly high percentage of those test drives.

Once you are accustomed to luxury, stepping backwards becomes even more difficult. Everything is relative. If you are currently driving a basic car which is ten years old or older, driving a new car with even a few more features presents a pleasing experience. The point is that Lexus thought creatively and took their fleet to where the customers were located. If Mohammed is not coming to the mountain, then take the mountain to Mohammed.

The old Southern expression is “Do not expect fried chicken to fly in the window.” You must design and take action on your success plan. The blackbirds which infested my lawn came to the location of the seed. They did not expect the seed to be delivered to their nest.

Are you expecting customers to be deposited in your business or sales funnel or are you taking creative and massive action to attract customers to you?

Amazon called everyone into their offices at the beginning of the recession and said, “There is a big recession coming. Let’s miss it.” Like Lexus, Amazon took a carefully designed massive action plan and aggressively implemented that plan. Consequently when everyone else was whining about holiday sales being off last Christmas, Amazon sales were significantly higher.

So many salesmen and businesses sit back waiting for customers to come to them instead of using the Doobie Brothers approach and “Takin’ it to the Streets.” Be creative, go to where the customers are located and expect positive results.

Even a blackbird knows where the find the seeds. Find your own seeds of success.