We've talked about what makes a guerrilla marketing plan last
week. today let's talk about the personality traits of a
guerrilla marketer. And rest assured that you do not need to be
born with these traits. You can learn them. As one of my
favorite motivational writers of all time, Napoleon Hill, said:
"There are no limitations to the mind except those we
acknowledge...Both poverty and riches are the offspring of
thought."
A side bar here: If you do not spend a little time every week,
if not every day, doing some sort of motivational "reading,"
then let me suggest that you start. Your subconscious mind is so
inundated with "garbage" every day, you need to put some good
stuff in to counteract the negative. Like they say, "Garbage in,
garbage out." You cannot be a great guerrilla marketer if you
only spout the same garbage that you soak up subconsciously
The first and most important trait of a guerrilla marketer is
patience. As many of you probably know and have had repeated at
you many times, your prospects will not buy on the first visit
or first contact. To be a great marketer, you must be patient
with your prospects.
There are a number of studies on this subject. One of the most
interesting says that for every three times your prospect sees
your message, they only actually pay attention two of those
three times.
Patience is tied in very closely with the second personality
trait you must develop: commitment. You must make a commitment
to your prospects and customers. You must get involved with
them. They come first! Their dreams must be your dreams! You
must help them realize those dreams!
You must make a commitment to your marketing plan, no matter
what your family, friends, employees tell you, no matter how
bored you are with the daily routine of carrying out your
marketing plan, stick with it. Be committed! Be patient! There
can't be one without the other.
The reason most people fail on the Internet - or in any business
- is a lack of commitment and a lack of patience!
But that patience and commitment must be matched by a strong
imagination. Not just imaginative copy writing or imaginative
web design, but you must be imaginative in everything you do.
For instance, Jay Conrad Levinson, the man who developed
guerrilla marketing into a true marketing system, tells the
story of a guerrilla marketer who mailed a letter requiring 32
cents postage. He put 11 stamps on that letter: one 6 cent
stamp, three 4 cent stamps, a 3 cent stamp, and 6 two cent
stamps. No postage meter or Stamps.com for him! Which letter
would you open first? The metered one or the one with the eleven
stamps on it?
This imagination must include the ability to be flexible and
"convenient." What I mean by that is, although you are committed
to your strategy, you must be flexible in your tactics and the
weapons you choose. A great guerrilla marketer is not locked in
on how he implements his marketing strategy. Nor can she be
locked in on how she handles her prospects and customers. Be
flexible! Make it as convenient as you can for your prospects to
do business with you! Make exceptions! Break the rules! The
prospect comes first always!
In order to do that, you must have sensitivity. You must be
sensitive to what your prospect needs. Read between the lines.
You must be sensitive to what your competition is doing. Another
one of Jay's great stories involves a guerrilla furniture store
owner in a shopping mall. The stores to either side of him had
big clearance sales going on. Each store had a huge banner over
their respective entrances touting their sales. The guerrilla
put a sign over his door that simply said, "Enter Here."
Another side bar: Your sensitivity should not be limited just to
your prospects, customers, and competitors. Expand your
sensitivity to include your communities and the economy.
Economic trends will help you determine which tactics and
weapons will be most effective. And sensitivity to your
communities will help your identity as someone who is committed
and involved. Some time I will do an article about the marketing
benefits that resulted from my commitment to the whole Spam
issue!!
The next two characteristics of a guerrilla marketer go hand
-in-hand. They are ego strength and aggressiveness. Ego
strength is not egotism. Rather it is the quiet confidence that
comes from knowing who you are really and living that self -
having an identity rather than an image. It is this ego strength
that makes commitment possible.
The aggressiveness of a guerrilla is not the stereotype
used-car salesman aggressiveness. Rather it is the
aggressiveness that makes a marketer do the extra-ordinary to
get and keep customers. It is the giving of more value than any
of your competitors. It is the willingness to "go the extra
mile" for your prospect. It is following up with your customers
regularly, offering them more and more value - more and more
reasons to stay loyal to you!
This aggressiveness is best used in combination with the next
characteristic, which we've hinted at already. A guerrilla has
generosity. There is a testimonial on our web site that one of
you sent to me which says, "Thank you for your time and
generosity." It means we went beyond normal expectations and
gave value beyond what the monetary compensation demanded.
Testimonials like that are what keeps us going day to day!!!
The next to last trait is my personal favorite. Don't ever
believe the old saw that "you can't teach an old dog new
tricks." To be a great guerrilla marketer you have to be engaged
in constant learning, especially on the Internet, where things
change so rapidly. I'm 52 years old, have several degrees, but
these last six months have been more of an learning experience
than all eight years I spent in college and graduate school.
Just writing these articles has been an education. Never stop
learning.
The last characteristic is probably the hardest for most of us.
I know it is for me. As a guerrilla marketer, you must take
action. All of the above characteristics are useless if you do
not put them in action. Not only do you have to "talk the talk,"
you must "walk the walk."
One final note: a great guerrilla marketer is not necessarily
born. She can be self-made! Do an honest self-analysis. Which of
these characteristics are your strong points? Which are the weak
points? Concentrate on improving those that need work. You can
be a great guerrilla. You just need to take action.
If you need any help or morale boosting or advice, feel free to
write me at mailto:john@3r-marketing.com. My in box is always
open to you!
About the Author
John Botscharow is editor of the Web Guerrilla Journal and the R
Market Daily. He is also one of the partners in 3 R Marketing.
Visit them at http://www.3r-marketing.com and subscribe to one
or more of their marketing newsletters.