Direct Marketing News

When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was “Married with Children.”

Ever Sunday night, my dad, my brother and I would plop down on the couch and watch the Bundy clan go through their white trash ballet. It was TV for the rest of us-the folks who didn’t fit the Cosby mold and who couldn’t even fathom why those “Family Ties” were so damned strong.

“Married” was smart in its utter idiocy. And Ed O’Neil, as washed up football player and shoe salesman Al Bundy, taught me more about the sales game than any five books on the subject.

Because you see, Al Bundy was a *bad* salesman. He hectored his customers, insulted them to their faces and got horrible shivers every time he had to help a less-than-svelte lady try on a new pair of pumps.

But Al still managed to keep his family in ramen noodles and beer.

Why?

Because Al Bundy Sold *Women’s* Shoes.

And because Al Bundy knew what 90% of marketers out there don’t know. Al Bundy knew that he was *not* his target market.

And odds are, neither are you.

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“But *I* Don’t Like That. “
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Good copy-and good marketing in general-is ego-less.

Now, I’m not saying you personally have to be some sort of detached zen master.

But when you’re putting together your marketing, writing up your sales letter or preparing an email blast (or even if you’re paying someone to do it for you), you’ve got to remember that what you personally like and what you’d personally respond to is about as important as what color socks Neil Armstrong wore on the moon.

Because you are not your target market any more than Al Bundy was an overweight woman in the Chicago burbs.

“But Chris, I’m not a washed-up 40-year-old ex-high-school-football star selling women’s shoes! I’m a yogi selling yoga stuff! I’m a hip 30 year old massage therapist selling to hip 30 year olds! I’m a tech executive selling to technology companies! I AM My target market! Aren’t I?”

Eh. You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But even if you fit the demographic (and demographics aren’t worth much in my opinion) or psychographic profile of your target to a key, you still aren’t them.

Why?

Because you know too much. You know too much about the product. You know too much about all the hard work you’ve done building your business.

And because as a business owner or a marketer your ego is right there in the middle of your head second guessing every decision you make and encouraging you to put out marketing materials that you think *should* work as opposed to what *does* work. And when you’ve got that kind of attitude rolling around in your head-when you let your ego drive the bus-you’re heading for a time-consuming and costly business breakdown.

So here’s your prescription:

Next time you’re planning a campaign, writing a marketing piece or just looking over a design or some copy an outside vendor put together for, I want you to close your eyes right there at your desk, take a deep meditative breath and say “Al Bundy Sold Women’s Shoes.” Repeat it to yourself over and over like a mantra. Let it sink in deep.

Then think about your actual target market. Paint a picture of them in your head. Get it sharp, from the way they stand, to the worries bouncing around their brains to that little scar on their left cheek.

And then-and only then, after your ego has been sent to its room without any supper-can you get to work.

Chris “Mr. Moneyfingers” Haddad is a strategic marketing consultant and direct response copywriter in Seattle, WA. He spends his days helping his clients make ridiculous amounts of money with well chosen words and his nights out on the dance floor looking for love. You can learn more at http://www.moneyfingersinc.com

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