The Blog
More Ways to Navigate the Blog
A Dose of Marketing Clarity
We have a back catalogue of over a decade of posts, almost all of which are still relevant and useful today.
Audio
PodBlog
For those that prefer to listen than to read
Key Concepts
By Framework
Find posts that relate to key frameworks
Touchpoint Leaks
By Leak
Find posts that relate to each of the Leaks
Masterclasses
Live Masterclasses
Put your questions directly to us in live sessions
Fancy a regular dose of marketing clarity by email?
The latest posts…
The questions to ask when interviewing a Marketing Manager
You can use the Watertight Marketing book to plan your activity, and decide on the tweaky ou need to your marketing leaks – but who will you get to do the work? We regularly support in recruiting marketers into their teams. In this post, Cheryl Crichton picks out here two favourite interview questions from amongst a handy list of things you could ask.
Marketing, sales and service – who does what, when?
In various forms, I get asked the difference between sales and marketing almost weekly. Underlying this question is the oft cited discontent between the disciplines, and a desire to get them working more harmoniously together. In answering this question, I have to also bring in service – because what we’re talking about here is supporting an end-to-end customer journey
Marketing and sales; playing nicely together
Getting marketing, sales (and service) to work together effectively is key to ensuring that customers have a consistent experience in their path to buying from you. To achieve this a business needs what we call ‘journey brain’ – that is, the ability to see and support someone through their whole journey from initial awareness to loyalty and advocacy. One of the questions that comes up (time and time again) related to this is… what’s sales and what’s marketing, and how do we get them to work together? So, let’s explore that…
Posts by Framework
Flow Foundations
What makes marketing work?
< Back to the Blog I often start workshops by offering to write up on the board in red or green pen. Red for something they hate about marketing, and green for something they love about marketing. Without fail there will be someone in the room that hates how hard...
Growth: Do you want lifetime value, margin or volume?
< Back to the Blog This post is also available over on our PodBlogI was chatting with one of our clients last week. This is a £20m+ b2b service provider. They have a core service that's low margin, but gives them a platform to sell add-on services that are high...
Why your direct competitors are often the least important
< Back to the Blog This post is also available over on our PodBlogIf I say 'competitors' to you, I'm willing to bet that you think of people that offer similar things to you. So, Burger King would be a competitor to McDonalds, and Pepsi a competitor to Coke......
Touchpoint Leaks™
How Inside Travel Group got their marketing stars aligned
← Back to Case Studies Inside Travel Group engaged Watertight Marketing to undertake a Marketing Team Alignment, Benchmark and Plan, and then have gone on to apply the results“The Watertight Marketing Team Alignment and Benchmark did two powerful jobs for us...
Josef Elliott: “Half of our customers didn’t know half the stuff we did”
← Back to Case Studies Josef Elliott, co-founder and MD of Oyster IMS, talks about how they've used Watertight Marketing to tweak their marketing operation and win more business at the Confidence & Clarity Conference 2018. Transcript: Steve Bustin: "Our first...
Why should you invest in marketing when sales are soaring anyway?
< Back to the Blog This post is also available over on our PodBlogMost of the businesses that we work with on a marketing transformation have a sales team. In fact, most have an excellent sales team on whom the growth to that point can be credited. Further to this,...
Logic Sandwich
The storage company that made room for new marketing ideas
← Back to Case Studies George Spence took a Practitioner Guided approach to working through the Chapter Companion Courses on the Watertight Webschool, and then retained the services of a Certified Practitioner to maintain the momentum. Client: George...
You can’t logic someone out of love
< Back to the Blog How many people do you think will be getting a Valentine card this year, who don't really deserve it? Looking beyond a person's failings could be said to be the very definition of love. And, this is one of the reasons why – as a business – having...
Does your content deserve a visual?
One my favourite books is ‘Information is Beautiful' by David McCandless. He powerfully demonstrates how the way you present information has a direct correlation to how much people engage with it. Whilst this isn’t a new idea, the content...
The Time Triangle
Get luckier… do more marketing
Have you ever noticed how when you ask people how they landed a big client, they’ll often say it was just luck that they were in the right place, at the right time. Ok, so sometimes luck plays a part… but you can be a whole lot luckier if you know where...
Why marketing is a load of old twaddle
Ok, that's the polite version of the headline. Feel free to make an internal translation on that last word. Because that's what people do all the time. What you say isn't always what people hear. They interpret your words with their own...
Why you should treat your customers like adult cats
I do love to take the opportunity to get a photo of my cat, Dylan, into a presentation. But, there is a serious point to make. A point that any cat 'owner' can relate to. <~ And, there's the thing, you never really 'own' a cat. Now, if...
Influencer Icecream
Should you be saying ‘No’ to new business?
< Back to the Blog This post is also available over on our PodBlogDoing the wrong kind of work is so damaging, I've included it as one of the Four Foundation Foundations in Watertight Marketing. Which means that learning when, and how, to say no to a potential new...
Is their team on your team?
This is the fourth in a series of posts looking at The Watertight Marketing Framework. Today, we’re looking at your audiences, i.e. who do you need to talk to. Buying decisions, particularly high-value or complex ones, are not made in...
What is Watertight Marketing?
All this week I'll be introducing the Watertight Marketing Framework - giving you the headlines on the key concepts explored in Part Two of the the book. Understanding how real people really buy things is central to getting your business onto...
Profit Purpose Matrix
8 signs that you need to get more strategic about marketing
< Back to the Blog This post is also available over on our PodBlogMany MDs and CEOs of ambitious growing businesses have told me, in a moment of candour, that they're not 100% sure they know enough about marketing to make sound decisions about it. If you suspect...
Should you be saying ‘No’ to new business?
< Back to the Blog This post is also available over on our PodBlogDoing the wrong kind of work is so damaging, I've included it as one of the Four Foundation Foundations in Watertight Marketing. Which means that learning when, and how, to say no to a potential new...
Posts by Touchpoint Leak™
The Touchpoint Leaks™ framework is introduced in Chapter 2 of the Watertight Marketing book. You can use this to create a Touchpoint Leak™ Traffic Light Report to find your focus Leak. Then please use Part Three of the book, and these posts to #tweakyourleaks
"The Touchpoint Leak™ Assessment is the best tool I have ever seen in helping someone organise their marketing priorities while taking in the whole picture. I’m going to be recommending it to all my customers - it’s a must."
Leak 1: Forgotten Customers
3 tips for customer retention marketing that any small business can achieve
< Back to the Blog Welcoming your new customers on board is a critical factor in the overall success of your small business marketing, and indeed of your business sustainability. Customer retention is often as important a marketing task as customer acquisition.As...
Leak 2: Poor On-Boarding
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Leak 3: No Emotional Connection
What do your visuals say about you?
I've just come off a coaching call with a client, we're working on stemming Leak #3: No emotional connection and we got to talking about their visuals. There are two areas I ask clients to look at when considering their company's visual identity - the concept and the...
How to bring some personality to your blog
This is the third in a series of five blogs on blogging this week. A business blog is one of the simplest ways of overcoming Leak #7 (Information Overload) of the Thirteen Touchpoint Leaks. It acts as invitation information and a stepping stone between...
Leak 4: No Gateway
Is your content formatted for how your customers’ brains are wired?
< Back to the Blog Yesterday, I zoomed in on the power of visual content in your mix of materials. Today, I want to zoom back out to give you a way of planning a mix of content in different formats to ensure that you grab the attention of people who might be...
The only 5 things you should be doing in social media
< Back to the Blog Social media marketing can seem like a bit of a minefield. It can also seem like there’s a dizzying amount to learn before you can even get started. But, it really breaks down into four activities and one core skill – which are common across...
How to incorporate a Gateway Product to win more business
Getting from general awareness to a new paying customer is a stepped journey in most business settings. Indeed, for many it’s a delicate dance akin to an intricate Quickstep. One of the most important stepping stones is the one that sees a...
Leak 5: No Critical Approval
How to overcome the third party veto in a complex sale
< Back to the Blog Following a strategy workshop that I ran with Watertight Marketing Certified Practitioner, Joshua Morse, there was some disagreement. Going through the Touchpoint Leak™ Assessment, Joshua rated – Leak 5: No Critical Approval – as Red, whilst the...
How many people have an opinion?
I blogged on Monday about how your business builds up its Commercial Karma through the way it conducts itself with every person it encounters. I often use this phrase, and people seem to like it, but perhaps don't take it as seriously as they could. I'd...
Leak 6: No Proof
Why are referred customers worth more?
You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again... referrals are the very best way to win new customers. Referred customers are cheaper to win. They convert more quickly. And, they spend more. In my book, Watertight Marketing, referrals comes...
Leak 7: Information Overload
Business blogs – the good, the great and the gratuitous
All this week, I’ll be blogging about blogging – sharing tips, hints and musings on how to make a blog the hub of your new business operation. A business blog is one of the simplest ways of overcoming Leak #7 (Information Overload) of the Thirteen...
Six internal business benefits of blogging
All this week, I'll be blogging about blogging - sharing tips, hints and musings on how to make a blog the hub of your new business operation. A business blog is one of the simplest ways of overcoming Leak #7 (Information Overload) of the Thirteen...
Leak 8: How (format)
Does your content deserve a visual?
One my favourite books is ‘Information is Beautiful' by David McCandless. He powerfully demonstrates how the way you present information has a direct correlation to how much people engage with it. Whilst this isn’t a new idea, the content...
Leak 9: Where (channel)
Understanding the Awareness Equation
I’m often found telling businesses that they’ll never find a marketing silver bullet, or a magic formula to sales success. But, there’s one exception, and that’s The Awareness Equation. Applying it to your marketing is extremely powerful. It is the secret...
Leak 10: When (timing)
Is your content formatted for how your customers’ brains are wired?
< Back to the Blog Yesterday, I zoomed in on the power of visual content in your mix of materials. Today, I want to zoom back out to give you a way of planning a mix of content in different formats to ensure that you grab the attention of people who might be...
The only 5 things you should be doing in social media
< Back to the Blog Social media marketing can seem like a bit of a minefield. It can also seem like there’s a dizzying amount to learn before you can even get started. But, it really breaks down into four activities and one core skill – which are common across...
Get luckier… do more marketing
Have you ever noticed how when you ask people how they landed a big client, they’ll often say it was just luck that they were in the right place, at the right time. Ok, so sometimes luck plays a part… but you can be a whole lot luckier if you know where...
Leak 11: Who (Influencers)
How to overcome the third party veto in a complex sale
< Back to the Blog Following a strategy workshop that I ran with Watertight Marketing Certified Practitioner, Joshua Morse, there was some disagreement. Going through the Touchpoint Leak™ Assessment, Joshua rated – Leak 5: No Critical Approval – as Red, whilst the...
How many people have an opinion?
I blogged on Monday about how your business builds up its Commercial Karma through the way it conducts itself with every person it encounters. I often use this phrase, and people seem to like it, but perhaps don't take it as seriously as they could. I'd...
Leak 12: What
The 3 Cs of What you do – clarity, consistency and context
At a recent client workshop we worked on a key issue that people knew of them, but for something they now only do a little of. The mental filing in the collective minds of the market was out of date. Certified Practitioner, Peter Baynes, joined...
How to make your company name and strap line work hard for your business
There are lots of ways to name a business, or a product. And, the addition of a strap line can take the name a little further. From nonsensical words, like Google, to highly descriptive names, like Compare the Market - there are just so many...
Should you be saying ‘No’ to new business?
< Back to the Blog This post is also available over on our PodBlogDoing the wrong kind of work is so damaging, I've included it as one of the Four Foundation Foundations in Watertight Marketing. Which means that learning when, and how, to say no to a potential new...
Leak 13: No Emotional Impact
Three ways to pay (not what you think!)
< Back to the Blog I'm not talking about PayPal or invoices here, I'm talking about what people exchange with you in return for value at different stages of a buying decision. If you can crack this, your marketing will almost always deliver for you. As someone goes...
Is your content formatted for how your customers’ brains are wired?
< Back to the Blog Yesterday, I zoomed in on the power of visual content in your mix of materials. Today, I want to zoom back out to give you a way of planning a mix of content in different formats to ensure that you grab the attention of people who might be...
The only 5 things you should be doing in social media
< Back to the Blog Social media marketing can seem like a bit of a minefield. It can also seem like there’s a dizzying amount to learn before you can even get started. But, it really breaks down into four activities and one core skill – which are common across...