Yesterday a marketing director told me this revealing story…
“Did I ever tell you about my talk to the marketing team at LexisNexis, in about 2013?
I was nervous because the person who invited me was fired just before I gave the talk. He wanted me to teach them about PR because he was struggling to get them to understand it.
His firing rather suggested that they weren’t going to be open to my speech. To try to get them on side, I kicked off by asking them if they had seen Drayton Bird’s direct mail campaign, which, as I recall, brought in seven figures.
Not a single member of the marketing team had seen or had any knowledge of the campaign.
Criminal, isn’t it?
Alex Singleton”
I replied:
“This is one of the many things that differentiates marketing from a real profession. No record of, interest in let alone study of precedent.
People are only aware of a few famous examples – say Ogilvy’s Rolls-Royce ad or perhaps “They laughed when I sat down at the piano”. But few actually learn why those were so good.
And the water is further muddied by the horde of hucksters who encourage the idea that study is not needed because they have a magic wand that does it all for you.”
Why am I telling you this?
Because rarely has it been more profitable to be professional than now.
That’s because competition has rarely been as low, for two reasons:
1. Many firms have just given up.
2. But results on facebook etc. are very good.
But after the present nightmare you and I are in for rough ride.
The professionals will thrive. The amateurs will fail.
Magic wands will not help you.
Only professionalism will.
I have now thrived through good times and bad for 60 years.
You are reading this because day after day I sit at a keyboard and write stuff that gets read, and gets replies.
How have I managed it?
You do not even risk your $1. If you aren’t 100% convinced that the knowledge I give you is priceless, I’ll return it.
Have you anything better to do than prepare yourself to thrive in the coming depression, while amateurs fail?
Do you think governments can keep throwing unlimited (if devalued) cash at everyone?
Do you think NOT being professional will work?
Get the first hour of AskDrayton here, now, this very minute – and arm yourself against the coming avalanche.
And if you’ve already got it, you know how helpful it is.
“Knowledge itself is power” – Sir Francis Bacon
Best,
Drayton
P.S. If you want to see the letter Alex was talking about, here it is.
