Then the budget discussions started.  It was a reasonable 5% of annual gross sales, but he was not sure he could sustain it if results did not roll in.

You’d think we’d be disheartened with all our toys taken away, but we are used to this conversation.  It happens more times than you’d think. And we know that in order to change minds we have to be understanding; to listen and move the conversation from a confining “Yes” or “No” to “What if?….”

The success came over three months of measuring our efforts.

Measurement tells you not just if something worked or didn’t, but also how to make it better, simpler, and reduce costs.  In each meeting we presented a dashboard showing how things were progressing. We were able to show how email is working for them (40% of their clients click through to read more about umbrella insurance!) and how direct mail can engage and bring in leads (using humor and a unique phone number and URL we proved that 8 leads came from the direct mail.  These 8 leads closed and payed for the direct mail and 4 additional mailings).  We learned that digital ads do nothing for them and print ads in local papers reaped the greatest reward.

The owner went from being absolute about what worked and what didn’t to being a partner – helping refine and evolve marketing. He also confided in us that our monthly marketing meetings are the most effective business-building meetings he has. He feels he knows what’s going on and sees his team engaged.  He now wants to use a dashboard to create conversations about customer service and customer satisfaction.

When you move from Yes/No to What if?…, you open yourself to increased opportunity and rewards.

What have you recently dismissed out of hand that you might want to reconsider?