What Today’s Job Coaching Entrepreneurs Can Learn from the Good Old Days: (Success Leaves Clues)

Churchill said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”? I say, “Those who learn from history and then add their own special twist, are doomed to succeed.”

Introduction

In my day, it was DOS, floppy disks, big fat bulky computer monitors, brick-sized mobile phones, and dial-up modems that connected us to the Internet, while destroying our eardrums.? Everything was different, especially marketing. ?Actually, the marketing and promotional methods were different, but the strategies behind the methods are the same today as they were back in the late eighties and early nineties.? ?So, let’s travel back in time and review four Good-Old-Days marketing methods, and the success strategies behind them, that you can use to advance your business and profession.

1)????? The Yellow Pages

Don’t laugh, it wasn’t as easy as you might think.? First, credit wasn’t as accessible then as it is today, and in the early 1990’s, a full page Yellow Pages ad cost $90,000 a year to be in multiple phone books. ?A half page ad would have set you back almost $50,000; a quarter page about $25,000.? And you had to sign a contract and personally guarantee the full year’s contract price, no matter what. ?

Second, since it was by far, the most effective method of marketing, anyone who provided resume and career coaching services was in the Yellow Pages.? Successful practitioners had to stand out and clearly identify their target audiences to strategically provide the ‘what’s-in-it-for-me’ messages. It was ridiculously competitive.

What we can learn from the Yellow Pages

Today it’s ridiculously more competitive than ever, with a gazillion more voices vying for attention.? ?But there are three strategies we used to successfully compete in the Yellow Pages that you must optimize today:? 1) Your selling messages must be delivered rapidly, 2) Your selling messages must provoke massive emotion to influence action, and 3) Those messages must be consistently communicated across all channels.?

Whatever method you use to sell and promote your products and services, one strategy that failed in the 1980’s and 1990’s, remains a failing strategy today.? And that is, depending on “free.”? Business growth and success ?requires an investment of money.? Social media rarely propels success without capital investment.? Today thankfully, you don’t have to spend $50,000 or more a year to market yourself.? But nothing invested brings little in return.? Invest in methods and strategies that will ultimately invest in your ROI.

2)????? Bundling: How many copies would you like?

Flo would have been proud, because back in the early 1990’s, we were already bundling.? “For the $125 deluxe package, you get a resume, cover letter, and 25 copies of your resume.? Extra copies are $5.00 per 25 copies; $15 if you want our custom paper.”

Most people didn’t have laser printers back then and printing companies were expensive.? In the early 1990’s, resume writing companies emerged offering job seekers a valuable alternative – professional looking resumes provided by resume professionals.? And in 1992, specialty resume paper emerged to make the documents more exciting.? In fact, two specialty resume paper companies were highly active members of PARW(CC).? When job seekers received their resumes on this truly different paper stock (well-received by employers), they were beyond excited and eager to show them around.

What we can learn from providing hard copies

Simple… bring excitement into the process.? That’s what the paper stock did.? There were dozens of ‘professional’ colors and variations to choose from; it added sizzle to the substance.? It brought a degree of job seeker self-confidence never seen or experienced before in our profession.? For the first time, job seekers believed in, and were proud of the product they were selling – themselves.? In whatever manner this is achieved today, inspiring positive engagement will be the heartbeat of your professional future.

And when you bundle, keep in mind that bundling doesn’t always mean bundling for instantaneous financial gain.? Rather, bundling free and valuable extras, and delivering more in value than customers expect, is the easiest, fastest, and most professional way to enhance and expand your brand, increase sales, and improve your income.

3)????? Local newspapers and media

Like pay phones, local newspapers do exist today.? But 30+ years ago, they were in almost every household on a consistent daily/weekly basis.? And they were read cover-to-cover.? Advertising in local newspapers was another highly effective method of advertising.? And those who advertised regularly, often got free advertisements or significantly reduced rates.? And free articles!? Actually in the 1990’s, most successful resume writers and career coaches had close ties throughout their local media. Radio talk show hosts were always looking for good material and people to interview.?

One of the ironies I see today when people build their businesses, is that they seek global prospects via online and social media, yet job seekers directly across the street don’t know of them.? Hey, if you have the money, connections, and desire, you can dominate the world.? But until then, why not dominate your backyard?

What we can learn from local newspapers and media

The strategy is to take full advantage of the media by consistently sending out compelling press releases promoting your services and products.? And the strategy is still free! In the old days, there was just radio, newspapers, and TV.? But today, there are podcasts, net radio programs, online web shows, etc., and without question, talk show hosts are always looking for new material.? It’s easy to send out press releases every few weeks to all your local media venues, as well as targeted national/international media outlets (Beware – it’s also easy not to).?

If you have a unique or valuable twist to share with the media’s audience, this is free marketing.? Personally, this is how I dominated my market.? I sent our press releases dependably every two weeks and was always in the local media and on national programs, like Good Morning America. Today, there are virtually unlimited tiny-to-mega media venues that are just waiting for you and your special messages about what you do to positively impact the media’s audience.

4)????? In-person presentations

Public speaking and the art of engaging and influencing an audience was an important skill back in the early 1990’s. ?Live performances, not video.? When I first started out, my coach said, “Mr. Block, if you want to dominate your market, you have to be out there giving as many free presentations as possible, because when people see how important your messages are and how well you present them, they’ll actually want to pay you in the future.? But you first have to learn how to present well and that takes lots of practice.” ?

I would be willing to bet that in the first five years I was in business, I did more free presentations than I’ve done paid ones in my 30-year career.? And you might be surprised at the venues I first began practicing at. ?Bus stops were my favorite at first because no one would walk out on me and miss their bus.? I had to keep it short and powerful because who knew when the bus would show up.? And I had to change up my material because the same people often showed up at the same bus stop, and my goal was to captivate them. Nothing beats a live performance (that’s why you might consider attending THRIVE 2024).

What we can learn from in-person presentations

The strategy is to master the art of communicating so well, you’d get a standing ovation at a bus stop.? I am still a very firm believer in doing live, local presentations as a key marketing and growth strategy.? There’s nothing like a live audience and their energy.? Yet, today’s technology allows for the next best thing – live performance on Zoom / video.? (But this, I contend, is much more challenging because audience feedback - energy - is often missing).? But the strategy remains the same: engage the audience, no matter what methods are used.? Better yet, blow em’ away and wow them!

Summary

All professionals climbing the mountain of success, can gain valuable information from past (maybe outdated) marketing processes. Compare the process of traveling by horse and buggy on narrow dirt roads to the process of traveling today in cars and trucks on super highways. ?The methods are different but the core strategies remain the same: finding better ways to drive mindfully (defensively), arrive on time, and arrive safely and enjoyably.? And Google ads is a drastically different marketing process than the Yellow Pages.? But both attempt to optimize the strategy of communicating powerful emotional messages to inspire favorable outcomes… like greater sales, new clients, higher incomes, rapid employment… and enriched quality of lives.?

Success is simple.? Learn from history, then add your own special twist.