What 12 Years of NOT Skiing Taught Me About Marketing

I grew up snow skiing. Each winter, I spent more time on the mountain then I did in the classroom. There was nothing better than blazing a brand new trail in a fresh coat of powder (oh, that gives me the chills just thinking about it). 

But…

Life got busy and I got married, had kids, graduated college, got a “real job,” got older, went through a few more job changes, got a divorce, got remarried (going on 10 blissful years), had a few back surgeries, blah, blah, blah…and the next thing you know, something like 12 winters go by without ever strapping on the old wooden planks (actually they were pretty cool Rossignol’s).

But…

That all changed last week. Can I just tell you, it was AMAZING! Sunny, 20 degrees (felt like 80, okay maybe 50), no wind, and lots of fresh, white mana from Heaven. I was like a teenager back in high school again, shaking with excitement. It didn't feel strange or uncomfortable, it was like riding a bike.

But…

The bike had changed BIG TIME! Skis are a lot different today, they are much shorter and wider (parabolic shaped), and the back tips are now curved up so I can go backwards just as easily as I can go forward (hypothetically speaking).

But…

Some things didn’t change. I still had to bend my knees, stay balanced, lean forward, keep my skis parallel, shift my weight from side to side to help me turn and stop, and I still had to position myself correctly to get on and off the ski lift (a skill that many still struggle with, but it makes for some good laughs). The goal was still the same too- get from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the mountain without injuring yourself and keeping all your equipment intact (and in my case, trying to look like a cool, middle-aged guy with a GoPro strapped to his head).

And…

There’s the lesson: Just like ski equipment changes, so does our "marketing equipment." Technology changes, computers are faster, smartphones are the norm for 5 year olds, social norms are different (Millennials), and we now have more information and research on marketing at our fingertips than ever before.

And..

Some things don't change, like the goal of marketing. Yes, you might be using different tools, but you still need to define your target market, present them with a compelling message (usually a solution to a problem), build relationships of trust, get their information, nurture them along, convert them into customers, give them world-class service, and keep them happy (so they will buy more and refer others). 

And...

Sometimes the best marketing tool is not anything new or fancy. In fact, you might even call them old school. It's amazing what a simple phone call can do (and you don't even have to use a smartphone to do it), or a face-to-face visit, or maybe you just share a "valuable" piece of advice. If you’re feeling really nostalgic, you could even find a writing utensil (very old school) and do a handwritten card (crazy, I know).

You see it really comes down to this, often the hardest part to marketing is finding ways to simplify it! 

Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Square said it best,

“My goal is to simplify complexity.” 

Heck, I’ll simplify that that statement even more.

My goal is “simplexity!” 

Yes I did make up that word.

As you are reflecting on some New Year's resolutions for your business (and personal life), maybe instead of adding more resolutions, you could add less? That's what I'm going to do!

Enjoy your simplified New Year!

Brendan