I’m a big fan of “Whodunit” movies and TV shows. I can sit through reruns of one of these mysteries even though I know who’s done it. What’s the connection with industrial marketing and why Sherlock Holmes? Humor me; I’ll connect the dots in a bit.
For industrial companies, all marketing mysteries revolve around one thing – the need to generate more high quality leads that turn into sales opportunities. That is the starting point of all my conversations with manufacturers and industrial companies.
There have even been times when some people have taken the time to write several paragraphs describing their marketing issues while filling out my online form. In return, I was expected to provide instant answers to solve their lead generation problems. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.
Why is that? Because what these people have described, is only the pain or the symptom that they are experiencing. I need to discover the underlying problems and issues with their industrial marketing programs (or lack of it) in order to propose a solution.
This is where Sherlock Holmes comes in. This fictional detective created by author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is known as the “consulting detective” and is famous for his astute logical reasoning, and his use of forensic science skills to solve difficult cases. [From Wikipedia]
As a “marketing engineer,” I am called upon to play a similar role when a new client engages me. It is my job to ask the tough questions in order to peel back the layers until I can discover the core of the problem. Without this kind of a detailed assessment, it would be pure guesswork on my part even if I recommended tried and tested marketing tactics. I’m sure you would want to eliminate false starts and reduce your risks whenever possible.
A professional marketing consultant will take the time to discover and analyze your particular lead generation problem rather than implementing marketing tactics that may seem obvious at first but not necessarily right for you or your target audience. Someone with experience and the expertise in industrial marketing can shorten the ramp up time instead of learning at your expense.
It typically takes me about 20 hours to complete an in-depth review, analysis and to come up with actionable recommendations. There is a cost for this service but avoiding it can lead to countless hours or days of frustrations on your end and spending your money on marketing that produces poor results. You really get what you pay for in this case.
That’s my take on consultative sleuthing before implementing any industrial marketing tactic. Let me know yours by leaving a comment.
Industrial Marketing Today is an integral part of Tiecas, Inc., a Houston-based industrial marketing agency. We’ve been in business since 1987, serving the marketing needs of manufacturers, distributors, and engineering companies from various industries.