Before I begin, I hope you will join me in a moment of gratitude for my friend and colleague Melissa Hochschild, who passed away suddenly on March 6. I had the pleasure of working with Melissa when she first moved here to be an account director at The Mandala Agency and again when she was the marketing director for Palmer Homes. Most recently, she served as vice president, communications/visitor services for The High Desert Museum. Her impact on this community as a marketing professional and a wonderful human being is immeasurable. Thanks, Mel.
Now, who can tell me the greatest marketing expert of all time? Dan Wieden, perhaps? Good guess. Bill Bernbach? Not quite. David Ogilvy? Wrong.
How about Jesus Christ? Think about it. Using nothing but word-of-mouth – no PR, no TV, no Facebook or Twitter – he had thousands of followers hanging on his every word. Even today, gazillions of people worldwide still worship him and make movies about him.
What made him such an exceptional communicator? He told stories. He knew that parables were the easiest way to get a message across to a mass audience. That’s why many years ago, in a book called, The Man Nobody Knows, advertising executive Bruce Barton referred to Jesus as a “super salesman” and claimed his parables were “the most powerful advertisements of all time.”
Marketing experts today preach about telling your story. It’s not enough to simply tell the audience who you are, what you offer, when you’re open and Where you’re located. These days, it’s all about the Why. Why you stand out from your competition. Why you’re in business. Why you do the things you do.
And don’t just say, to serve you, Central Oregon or it’s our passion. We know you have to put food on the table. So give us a good reason to “Like” you. The family tradition. The special training. The thing that makes you truly unique. Whether or not you hire a marketing expert like yours truly to develop your story, your customers will not only become fans, but ambassadors for your business.
One of my clients, Don Jacobson, had an amazing story. As an impetuous young man, he went hunting one afternoon in a remote place without telling anyone. He accidently shot himself and would’ve died if not for a miraculous series of events. The accident ended his career as a contractor. Yet he went on to publish a successful book called God Makes Lemonade that’s filled with similar stories of divine intervention and is inspiring people throughout the world.
Your story doesn’t have to be miraculous or the greatest ever told. It just has to be real. So let’s hear it. You’ll be surprised how many customers will think you can walk on water.
Cam Davis is the owner of Wordplay Creative Copy & Campaigns. You can read his story at www.camdavis.com. Cam is also a Co-Founder of Creative Bend, www.creativebend.com and Co-Organizer of the Bend WebCAM Conference, www.bendwebcam.com. You can reach him at cam@camdavis.com.
