Is your marketing gaining momentum? You may not realize that you are drawing the attention of a few others.

[EntAM-marketingdistractions-lier the savvy sales guy.] There are numerous sales professionals that specialize in a variety of marketing products. Some of these offerings may be exactly what you need to move your marketing efforts forward. However, many will miss the mark.

As your company’s message gains clarity and gets noticed, sales people will see that you recognize the value of marketing and begin to compete for your attention (and your budget). The downside of choosing the wrong platform is that you exhaust valuable resources and lose focus on the things that truly make a difference.

Marketing Consultants tend to spot ‘the Pitch’ from a distance and can quickly evaluate if something is truly an added value or unnecessary accessory. Here are a couple of things to be cautious of:

1. Flashy gadgets and cartoon effects.
The newest widgets and app can seem very cool, making it all too tempting to purchase the latest, greatest whiz-damn creation. Before you buy, ask yourself: Does it relate to your product? Does it serve a function?

Be careful that you are not getting caught up in a fad. Some of these novelties can make you appear amateurish and distract from what you are trying to communicate to your audience. This is especially true when you are offering a professional service.

2. The FREE report card.
A free analysis seems like a smart choice, right? In some cases, it is. While there are genuine professionals out there, we often see this offer used as a passive-aggressive opening to pick apart what your current service provider is doing wrong. Nothing wrong with that, right? That depends

An effective marketing analysis requires understanding your overall business objectives, budget, and a basis of knowledge about your industry. Any report card should consider the sum and the parts of your situation, history, budgets and resources, and how each platform synchronizes with others to work most effectively.

A quality assurance check is always a good thing, but be sure that the assessment isn’t one-sided and compares apples to apples.

3. The ‘I have the secret sauce’ promise.
Unfortunately, this promise is all too common. Here is the truth: there is no secret sauce or golden egg. Top rankings in search engines cannot be achieved overnight. You know that building your business takes time and resources. It is a multifaceted project. This also holds true for your marketing as well.

The best way to avoid these three pitfalls is to have a marketing plan. Marketing plans are not set in stone but will certainly help you keep perspective and focus on your end game.

Jackie Awve Marketing can help create a complete marketing program or with the vendor selection process so that you can be sure that you are getting what you need and what you think are buying.