What the Stonecutter Knows

Using the analogy of the stonecutter, Jay Levinson
describes how a hammer hits the stone again and again
and again. It is not the final blow that splits the rock,
and yet it can appear that way.

The real truth about marketing is that it is very much
like stonecutting. Your trade show booth may not do
the job. Your direct-mail letter won’t do it either. But
your booth plus your letter plus your telemarketing plus
your advertising presence plus your publicity plus your
time and your patience finally combine to get the job done.  

Your life will be filled with antacids and anxiety if you
expect your marketing, brilliant or otherwise, to produce
superb results instantly. But if you give your marketing
program – and having a program is paramount – the time
to penetrate and motivate, to persuade and create desire,
you will discover that it always works…
…But why is it that the overwhelming majority of marketing
fails? Because most marketing gets changed before it has
a chance to work. pp 3-4

The key is having a plan – a well-designed plan – and sticking
to it. In the world of fast cars, fast computers, and fast food,
we need to slow down and keep focused on the end result. The
result is a relationship wherein our clients trust us, our products,
and our interest in the solutions to their problems. That is why
“patient”, “consistent” and “persistent” are all part of a
guerrilla’s credo.

Of course, there is nothing WORSE than being patient, consistent
and persistent in your approach to your marketing if your approach
is wrong in the first place, or if you have no plan at all.  That means
you need to take the time to really consider what you want as a
result of your marketing. What action do you want your prospects
to take as a result of each strategy?

Guerrilla Marketing Golden Rules e-zine.