Communication: Cut The Bull
Every year, I've been to conferences, workshops and lectures that sometimes left me feeling more confused about the subject. I'm talking marketing, sales, brands and service. Simple definitions are often replaced by complex explanations and, in my view, the trick is to make the complex simple.
In any communication, the only thing that matters - the only thing - is that the recipient understands what you are saying. If they don't, your words are like soft white fluffy clouds. They look good but quickly distort, unravel and fade away. There are 4 topics close to all we do (and you too) They are marketing, sales, service and brands but how well do you understand them? How well can you express them and how well can you communicate them? I hope these 4 definitions that we have honed over the years help. But first, a little George Bernard Shaw wisdom;
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place"
Four Simple Definitions
Marketing
There are so many definitions of marketing that it's easy to get confused. Take the regular title on many business cards 'Sales & Marketing Manager'. Straight off, it's the wrong way around. It should be 'Marketing & Sales Manager'. Marketing precedes sales. More importantly, people easily confuse the two and that leads to a simple question that is almost always tangled. The question is this; "What's the purpose of marketing?"
"The purpose of marketing is to create the desire to buy"
Sales
People understand sales and selling much more. However, wordsmiths have mastered the art of confusing this into sound bites like 'delighting our customers at every turn'
Again, cutting through the bull, the goal is not to sound good, the goal is for people to understand.
"The purpose of selling is to convert the desire into a commercial transaction where goods or services are exchanged for money"
Brands
If 1 & 2 above are relatively straightforward, ask a group of people to define a brand. Now, you'll see the confusion, the text book quotes and the real lack of understanding. Again, to make sure people we work with really understand what a brand means, we have developed our message into this;
"A brand is what you think and feel about a company when you are not there"
Service
This is a word that has as many branches, twigs and leaves as a giant oak tree. They all start in the same place but the understanding quickly scatters. Yes, of course, everything people will say will be a part of that tree but don't confuse that with being the tree. The important question, yet again, is do they understand what we mean by service?
"Great service is all about making your customers life easier"
We hope our definitions will help you in your quest to develop your people, performance and business. Our website has lots and lots of articles that you are welcome to copy and share but please always credit our work if you use it. After all, wisdom is for sharing
