What’s New in Marketing?

One company president asked me this question just before I was about to speak to a group of company presidents. He went on to tell me that this was the information he wanted.

I quickly told him technology and terminology were new – but the fundamentals remain the same. He looked at me sideways with a funny look.

Then it was my turn to speak to the group.

So, I told the group of company presidents that nothing was new in marketing. However, many of the fads might have made them forget the fundamentals – and they need to understand the fundamentals before they can use any of the tools.

The fundamentals that they heard from me were:

Success comes from using systems – not talent
Marketing is about sending messages
Be clear on your message before you send it
Be clear on who you are sending it to
Your prospects’ perception is more important than your intended message
People notice the discrepancies in your message
Total value is the sum of real value plus perceived value
Relationships are built on simple acts like thank-you’s
People are emotional beings and make emotional decisions

And yes, I did offer them examples and anecdotes of these fundamentals in action.

In the end I noticed that this message appeared new to them.

The same company president approached me after my presentation to tell me how much he got from my message.

Curious; sometimes new is old revisited.

George Torok
Power Marketing