Marketing: Are we ok, or do we need help?

[chrisjhon1980]

I'm not in the industry,,I have not been able to provide a solution

 

[Julieofthesea]

When I say ego-driven I mean the things that we do to enforce our own identity. Thank you to drrich2 for the carefully worded post explaining this.

Another example of ego-driven behavior would be posting photo of yourself in your new drysuit. Or say, if you were in the military, you post something supporting the troops. These behaviors enhance our identity and tell the world who we are. We all do it. It’s not an insult.

I guess if cerich thought that I was an outsider, pushing my business and insulting the tribe it might explain the finger-wagging.

It looks like Chris and I have the same background. A dive shop owner and then an industry rep, then onto starting our own business. We have the same large network of LDS-owner customers. The same protective passion for our tribe.

It’s true I’m not on SB everyday, but I do realize everything I post online reflects back onto my personal and business reputation.

I wonder what an outsider would think of our industry from reading this thread.

 

[mjrob]

When I say ego-driven I mean the things that we do to enforce our own identity. Thank you to drrich2 for the carefully worded post explaining this.

Another example of ego-driven behavior would be posting photo of yourself in your new drysuit. Or say, if you were in the military, you post something supporting the troops. These behaviors enhance our identity and tell the world who we are. We all do it. It’s not an insult.

I guess if cerich thought that I was an outsider, pushing my business and insulting the tribe it might explain the finger-wagging.

It looks like Chris and I have the same background. A dive shop owner and then an industry rep, then onto starting our own business. We have the same large network of LDS-owner customers. The same protective passion for our tribe.

It’s true I’m not on SB everyday, but I do realize everything I post online reflects back onto my personal and business reputation.

I wonder what an outsider would think of our industry from reading this thread.

Hehehe. Good question, Julie. I shudder to think what they'd think...but I think I know.

And, for those of you who haven't taken a look (I finally just did), there is some pretty good information on her site that may well help you better understand your customers (and yourselves) and how to better communicate with those customers. Although I appreciate the "old salts"--and rest assured I mean that in the most positive way--who want to come in, reminisce, tell tales, make up lies, etc., there are some folks who want to do research with tools available to them, come in, try on what they think they want, make a purchase and get back to their jobs, kids, the next stop on their list, etc. It's good to be able to serve them in any way they choose because, after all, they pay the bills...right?

Anyway, for some thoughtful, helpful and FREE information that may help you be better at your business, I do recommend you take a look at Julie's site and take advantage of the content she offers up FOR NO CHARGE there.

Mark

Disclaimer: I couldn't pick Julie out of a lineup or Facebook. I don't know her at all, have no affiliation whatsoever with her or her company and, in fact, may or may not agree with some of her thinking. But she does provide information that I think is helpful...at an excellent rate.

 

[tech_diver]

I’ve found that you can categorize dive shops (and actually all small entrepreneurial operations) roughly two ways. One entrepreneur brings their ideas and approaches to business and has no interest in learning from anyone else (you’ll never change them.) The other entrepreneur researches all ideas and approaches to their business before they start (they’re already ahead of the curve.) I think there is a small group in the middle that is open to change and looking for ideas.
Telling someone that their approach to business could be better is like telling someone their lovemaking could be better. It’s so personal that they usually don’t want to hear it and won’t believe it.

One thing about some of the negativity in this particular thread…
I think there is always a little cynicism from old school guys on anything new just because we have seen so much come and go. I have to admit that I’m a little guilty of it as well every time someone announces, “a fully redundant, completely computerized, fail-safe, trimix rebreather that will change the diving world, retailing for under $3000.” I want to be polite because maybe this IS the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for. But I just can’t help posting a snarky, “sure dude, whatever.”

 

[mjrob]

You been talkin' to my wife?!

Seriously, this industry is so far behind the curve it's almost unbelievable. Go ahead, I'm already ducking.

Thankfully, there's a LOT of opportunity. I did just get a notice that "our industry association" is having still another roundtable to brainstorm ideas about how to increase sales. Problem is, they're still really just looking at the choir. They need to turn around and notice all the other folks out in the pews. Who knows, some of 'em might be singers.

 

[cerich]

it is my belief that the roundtables are simply to keep the peasants from revolting...they have NOTHING to do with the stated objective. If they did some conclusions and ideas would have come out of the last 4 years of them at BTS, Our World and Scuba Show.

You been talkin' to my wife?!

Seriously, this industry is so far behind the curve it's almost unbelievable. Go ahead, I'm already ducking.

Thankfully, there's a LOT of opportunity. I did just get a notice that "our industry association" is having still another roundtable to brainstorm ideas about how to increase sales. Problem is, they're still really just looking at the choir. They need to turn around and notice all the other folks out in the pews. Who knows, some of 'em might be singers.

 

[The Chairman]

I'm going to agree with Julie: Scuba diving is an ego driven sport. I like that. It should make our job to promote the sport even easier. Moreover, the higher you get, the more ego is involved.

 

[Julieofthesea]

Seriously, this industry is so far behind the curve it's almost unbelievable. Go ahead, I'm already ducking.

 

[RJP]

I'm going to agree with Julie: Scuba diving is an ego driven sport. I like that. It should make our job to promote the sport even easier. Moreover, the higher you get, the more ego is involved.

Everything is EGO driven. From buying a car that touts "the relentless pursuit of perfection" to "choosy mother's choose Jiff" to wanting to appear to "just do it" to the ability to "have it your way."

Everything you do, say, think, and yes BUY, says something about you. Often to others, but always to you.

If you think that's not true... think again.

In blind taste tests, people consistently prefer Pepsi over Coke. Yet when both beverages are labeled, Coke wins every time. Ten years or so ago researchers at Baylor College of Medicine did a study to understand why. Researchers performed MRI scans on volunteers while they drank both Pepsi and Coke. Sure enough, when people drank samples of both Pepsi and Coke, without being told which was which, they preferred Pepsi. And the MRI scans showed that the Pepsi caused greater activity in the part of the brain that registers pleasure.

But when the volunteers knew which one they were tasting - and knew that the researchers knew what they were tasting - they stated that they preferred Coke. During that taste test, the part of the brain that lit up on the MRI was the area associated with memories of self and self-esteeem

To me the most interesting thing was that the "self-esteem" centers were most highly activated when the volunteers knew that the researchers knew they were drinking Coke. Obviously the volunteers felt - somehwere in their brain - that the researchers would think more highly of people who drank/liked Coke than those who drank/liked Pepsi.

As a former colleague used to say "If you think you're buying something that 'doesn't say anything about you' you've chosen to buy something that 'says nothing' and that really says something about you."

 

[tech_diver]

I’ve been to many marketing seminars, roundtables and discussions in the industry and learned a lot. But I think this thread is a good example of a virtual round table that is just as valuable. We have people from every segment of the industry from boat captains to new divers chiming in. It is exactly the kind of resource that a savvy business owner might benefit from. Even after all my years, I still learn. I think the willingness to let go of ego might be a key in a developing a successful business plan. Appealing to ego might be a successful marketing plan.


Oh btw, I do understand the point of the coke/pepsi example and there is truth in it. However, we can’t lose sight of consumers like me, a lifetime junk-food connoisseur. You can put a half dozen unlabeled colas in front of me and I will identify them all by taste. Nobody can fool me by putting a pepsi label on a coke (I can also do this with a lot of whiskeys but I probably shouldn’t brag about that). Selling cola to me will be a different effort than selling a cola to someone who is new to soda pop.


There seems to be a tension between selling to specific individuals through personal interaction versus selling to the masses versus social media. Also, there is a similar tension between marketing scuba to new divers versus marketing scuba to those already certified. I guess it speaks to a basic rule of selling, "Know your customer."