Common mistakes in marketing

David Maister is a consultant who has the ability to get to the heart of an issue in plain language.

So his recent interview in BRW on the state of Australian professional services firms is worth reading.

One quote on marketing:

What you need to do if you want to improve at marketing is to actually do something for the other person. Demonstrate your ability to help by actually helping.

When I go into firms to evaluate their marketing materials, what I look for is whether they are actually offering the prospective client an idea or a suggestion or a piece of analysis that they have never seen before. What is really surprising is how often it is not there. Prostitute marketing, or “once you start paying I’ll show you something”, is really ineffective. What a lot of firms have to learn is that the best way to market themselves is by doing and not by telling. 

If you'd like to read, hear or see more go to his website.