It’s 2019, which means no one asks their friends or neighbors for recommendations anymore. If you need a service, you search for it online. You ask Siri. You ask Alexa. You ask Google, and Google gives you a list of recommendations. But how does Google generate such a list? Continue reading “Google Reviews: It’s OK to Ask”
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Skip the Gimmicks. Go After Sales: A Relationship Case Study
The Partner
Godby Heating Plumbing Electrical is a service company in the HVAC and home maintenance industry. Godby has served commercial business owners and residential homeowners in the Indianapolis metro area for decades. Hatchet has been partnering with Godby since 2015.
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On Process
Before I started Hatchet, I worked as an in-house marketing specialist for a company without a marketing process. Wing it, wince, repeat: that’s how we treated each campaign. As a consequence, we had to convince ourselves that our bad ideas weren’t that bad. Unsurprisingly, we executed those ideas poorly and blew a lot of our money. Continue reading “On Process”
Regain Control of Your Marketing Campaign: A Relationship Case Study
The Partner
Established in 2011, Chimney & Masonry Outfitters is a chimney and masonry restoration company that serves homeowners, contractors and commercial clients. The company provides services to maintain the full-functionality of chimneys, including sweeps and inspections. They also restore, repair, design and install masonry work of any kind. The CMO mission is to create an experience that exceeds all expectations for everyone involved. Located in the Meridian Kessler neighborhood, the company operates within Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Hatchet has been partnering with CMO since 2015.
Continue reading “Regain Control of Your Marketing Campaign: A Relationship Case Study”
How to Derail a Marketing Pitch
I had a sales meeting with a prospect last week. As things were winding down, the prospect told me that he was evaluating another firm the following day. He would be in touch with me after that. Instinctively, I entered post-sell mode. I told him exactly what he could expect to hear from this other firm and what fixes they would offer. Continue reading “How to Derail a Marketing Pitch”
Align Your Marketing Strategy With Sales Goals: A Relationship Case Study
The Partner
Mainstay Manufacturing began with the founding of Fab2Order, a metal fabrication company, in 2000. Fab2Order’s growth led to the conception of an affiliate production machining company, Machine2Order. In 2018, the two organizations were formally merged into one organization: Mainstay Manufacturing. The company serves small to medium-sized business organizations and makes industrial components to customer specifications. Located in Brownsburg, Mainstay seeks to fill the metal component demands of Midwest manufacturers in Indiana and surrounding states. Hatchet has been partnering with Mainstay since 2014.
Continue reading “Align Your Marketing Strategy With Sales Goals: A Relationship Case Study”
On Messaging
In order to market and sell your business’ product or service, you have to be able to communicate with precision and efficiency. Presenting your customers with a concrete message, one that snags attention with pain points and underscores the necessity for your product or service, is vital. If you have a business, you have a message—even if your message hasn’t been translated into concrete language yet.
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On Vision
In our recent blog post, we argued that good marketing brings clarity to your business. However, it’s impossible to gain clarity if your business’ vision is murky—or only exists within your mind. Before you can gain momentum, you have to put your business’ vision into concrete language. And for this to happen, all the leaders of your business have to be brought on board. Vision is something built; this means both the owner and leadership need to contribute and be heard.
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Your business’ problem isn’t its website, SEO, or social media strategy. It’s a clarity issue.
All of Hatchet’s partnerships begin with a kickoff meeting. We use this meeting to poke holes in the new partner’s existing sales and marketing processes. This helps us locate the root problem that marketing needs to solve. It’s standard, and it’s indispensable. However, business owners often feel responsible for limited growth and hide the real problems with bullshit responses. If you say your business’ problem is simply the fact that you aren’t making more money, then you’re concealing the truth. Falling behind a major competitor is a problem. Generating new business in a fluctuating market is a problem. Marketing to the wrong level of clients is a problem. Asking an array of directive questions helps these real issues rise to the surface.
Continue reading “Your business’ problem isn’t its website, SEO, or social media strategy. It’s a clarity issue.”
Your content matters. That’s why you shouldn’t write it.
We begin with a portrait of Francis, a copywriter. He doesn’t wear pants to work. No, those are trousers. There’s a full inch of exposed sock above his worn oxfords. That’s the difference. Francis doesn’t talk much. He chews gum instead. If he does amble into a conversation, he spouts apothegms and wild anecdotes. He sure can craft a compelling story. That one about his best friend, the vibraphone mechanic? Phew. You learn something new each day. Francis brings his MacBook to work in a weathered typewriter case. Smith Corona. So, he’s the literary type. He’s married, or isn’t married, or is. It doesn’t matter.
Continue reading “Your content matters. That’s why you shouldn’t write it.”