Green, trees, and (construction) marketing

We are media sponsors for The Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC)'s Shifting Into the Mainstream National Summit in Toronto June 11-12.

Seth Godin has taken a pot-shot of ill-conceived "Green" marketing campaigns -- that is, businesses claim to be 'Green' but are they walking the walk they are talking? "Green" of course is taking on increasing significance within the construction community as LEED certification and claims of environmentally sensitive and sustainable construction are now virtually essential elements of most marketing claims within the industry.

But turning action into substance, Seth rightly points out, requires quantification -- and you had better be sure of your numbers before speaking too loudly.

So, how have we handled the Green issue? We made arrangements with Tree Canada to plant a tree for every ad in every issue of our publications -- then we called our printer to find how much newsprint we consume to produce them. And we learned that the arrangement with Tree Canada will result in planting 70 trees for every 11 we consume. (I realize our suppliers may be cutting down mature trees for pulp; and the new plantings will be seedlings, but still think the ratio is reasonable).

We've taken this alliance with Tree Canada a few steps further. Chase made arrangements for us to be media sponsors for the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) Shifting into the Mainstream National Summit in Toronto June 11-12. And we called Tree Canada and they are joining with us at our booth to promote the Tree Canada initiative to the construction community.

These initiatives, from a business perspective, are surprisingly inexpensive -- they help our brand, and we can track enough actual advertising sales from the process to more than cover our costs here.

I agree with Seth that if you wish to make environmental claims, you should validate them with concrete numbers. Right after we made arrangements with Tree Canada, we validated them with our printers. And we therefore have the right to claim that we are the first Canadian print publishers who truly produce more trees than we consume.

"Here, it's simple...."

From Seth Godin:

Here, it's simple:

You can contact just about anyone you want. The only rule is you need to contact them personally, with respect, and do it months before you need their help! Contact them about them, not about you. Engage. Contribute. Question. Pay attention. Read. Interact.

Then, when you've earned the right to attention and respect, months and months later, sure, ask. It takes a lot of time and effort, which is why volume isn't the answer for you, quality is.

That's a great way to get a job, promote a site, make a friend, spread the word or just be a human.

Yes; you can canvass, you can cold call, you can spam, you can 'play the numbers game' and you can sell. But there is a better way; it requires patience, thought, delivery, and service -- it focuses on the quality of your product/service and the quality of your relationships. Both forms of selling/marketing have their place in the continuum, but I will always advocate the giving/respectful approach is much better than the intruding, irritating and obnoxious "cold calling" model.

"Free" eh

This posting by Seth Godin, "May I have your attention please" is worth reading, but I'm not sure if you should go down the path and interpret it that the phrase"Free Estimates" is validated.

I don't think it is wise to spend hours preparing quotes, only for you to be one of several 'players' all being chosen on low price. This is asking for problems, and frustrations. "Free" here should be the general knowledge, insights, and ideas you can share with everyone -- and this is often provided in things like a blog, newsletter, or your website. Once you have the leads, and a track-record of satisfied clients, you can be paid for your work in setting up and estimating costs.

The rules of the game for Internet marketing

If you send out "e-blasts" you may end up in The Spamtrap. The person who invented this device grinds up all the spam he receives, and then sends out automatic notices to spam-watchdog sites; causing more problems for the spammers. To stay out of this pile, you need to monitor and watch promotional emails: I would use them sparingly, and only in conjunction with real value-added content and/or with highly targeted and specific lists.

This weekend, my leading sales representative asked me to send two"email blasts" to former advertisers of our publication, to encourage advertising in a couple of future special features. As I set to work to fulfill his request, suddenly, I realized that we were entering dangerous territory.

Yes, these are former and current clients, and they may be more receptive to marketing emails than conventional third-party clients. But I sensed we would not achieve our objectives -- blatant e-selling rather than sharing and giving invites spam complaints and doesn't generate much worthwhile business (with some notable and valid exceptions.) Especially dangerous, I thought, is the fact that we would be sending two promotional emails to roughly the same list, in short order. This is absolutely the opposite of the Permission Marketing advocated by Seth Godin and other new-era gurus.

I asked the sales representative to rephrase things; to suggest things we could give our clients without pushing them aggressively to advertise any more. He came up with some suggestions, which I will adapt and modify. The new "e blast" will be a gift; it will have valuable information and allow our clients to benefit from their previous relationship with us, whether or not they elect to advertise any more.

In fact, the more I study the new rules of the game, the more I am impressed with the simple principal that you only "sell" on the Internet by unconditional giving; if you do, and you thereby establish a positive relationship and brand, you'll get the order -- at your price.

These qualities, especially valid for bulk emails, also apply to blogs and websites, of course. My goal in writing this blog is to share insights and marketing ideas with you whether or not you respond, request a newsletter, or even have any interest in purchasing anything from us. Frankly, most readers are outside our current service areas, anyways, but we're happy to keep in touch -- especially as the business grows.

You might look at your own email and website strategies in this regard, as well. Of course, include your essential information; the website is a truly impressive 'e brochure' and it doesn't hurt to tell the audience how good you are -- sharing testimonials, excellent graphics and the like. But I think you'll gain an extra edge if you share useful insights and ideas with your viewers; your expertise, if you wish, without worrying about whether you are giving away your trade secrets. I think this advice should be sincere, open, and perhaps if you feel confident enough, you could defy some of your own industry conventions. Then, with your sharing, you can invite readers to respond, either directly or (more softly) for an e-newsletter which again should be soft on promotion and high on reader value.

Aha, but you noticed at the beginning of this entry, I referenced there are exceptions. Here is one we use in our own business. When we arrange a supplier-supported feature, and have a list of qualified potential clients, we'll fax and email the invitation to do business with us. Many people respond to one or another of the invitations; even though the communication is purely a selling message. Why does this work? First, the message is highly specific and relevant -- it is to a modest list, tied to a specific project and existing relationships. We aren't doing an 'e blast' here -- we are emailing to a very focused group. Secondly, we only send the e-letter where there is a valid and relevant relationship already established and clearly defined.

P.S. If you would like me to review/critique your proposed emails or websites, please email me at buckshon@constructionnrgroup.com. Unless you give permission, the observations will be confidential -- but if we agree publicity is worthwhile, I'll post the relevant story on this blog.

The last impression

Aha, look at this blog entry by marketing guru Seth Godin.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/01/the-last-intera.html

Here is evidence that how you leave a job is probably more important from a marketing perspective than how you get it.

Why I wont buy . . .

Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae (review by Copyblogger) is an intriguing bit of writing -- the 'hook' sends you in a direction the opposite of what you would expect; taking you right back to the ringing endorsement. But the concepts here are really important in the current marketing environment. New media and resources are effective at marketing and selling new types of things ; they could well be a waste of time if you are hoping to get results selling 'old stuff'.

The hidden part of marketing

An important challenge/opportunity in marketing is standing out from the crowd. Sometimes the language is "What is your unique selling proposition?" -- but this belies the issue, to some extent. Some say you need to "break through the clutter" to get your marketing message out there, but do you?
So, why is it that, when you go to meetings of your local home builders' association, you can sit with successful contractors who say their biggest problem isn't finding enough work -- it is scheduling things so that clients who must wait months for service aren't too frustrated by the process.
Or, when you meet a successful local general contractor, their marketing materials are, well, out of the stone age. Worse, because of their apparent lack of marketing sophistication, they appear to be suckers for marketing 'garbage' -- overpriced advertising in "police journals", trashy pseudo charity telemarketing solicitations, and the like. (Of course, even better, these suckers have money -- and retained earnings -- to suck because their overall businesses are so successful.)
One answer -- and a good one from a marketers' perspective -- is these contractors have a great brand. They are so in tune with their market that it responds favourably, with powerful word-of-mouth recommendations, and an abundance of business. (As I noted earlier, you could argue these businesses simply need to look at pricing and operating systems -- if they get these parts right, as well, they can grow to huge enterprises or, if they wish to remain small, become even more profitable for their owners.)
So, does "standing out from the crowd" simply mean doing your work so well, and to such high quality, that your clients -- knowing all the crap and risks out there -- simply must have more? Maybe.
But what if you chose to evolve this quality standard into your employee/sub-contracting recruiting process, developed your marketing resources effectively using inexpensive services or truly high quality consultants, and build sustainable operating/management systems so you can liberate yourself from day-to-day headaches; instead doing the work you enjoy while having plenty of vacation and personal time?
Then, follow this strategy:
Read one of Michael Gerber's E-Myth books, and read it again. Just don't rush to sign up for any of his expensive programs. I'm not convinced they are of great value. His concepts are -- but he is so into systematization that he must use junior employees for the work. You will get McDonalds-type food/service from his organization -- it is "edible" but you can do better.
Review the free resources out there, looking at the marketing/entrepreneurial style of Seth Godin. This is the "give without worrying about receiving" philosophy; setting the stage for Permission Marketing.
Join relevant industry associations and participate in their chapter activities. This may be SMPS, your local home builders' association, or affiliated professional group. Look especially to the associations that link you closely to your existing client base.
Contract with a good consultant to help you. When we get our website redesigned (I'm using high quality but not overpriced local consultants for this) you might wish to use some of the ones I will recommend in a new permalink section -- and no, the recommended consultants won't be paying me for the recommendations! Alternatively, find a general local business consultant who you can work with. The challenge in choosing a consultant is to be sure that you are getting value -- not easy, there are a lot of BS artists out there! Finding a good consultant is much like finding a great general contractor or renovator -- you know you have it when you see the results! And that will be the topic for another column.