It’s difficult to recall those cold January nights of a few months ago when we’re enjoying the temperatures and the flowers that the month of May has sent our way. Yet, I can easily recall a very cold January night when the heat pump, at a house we own, broke. There were cute little babies in our midst and we needed heat. It was not a “Sweet Virginia Breeze,” but a cold, cold night.
Fortunately, I have a client (Thanks Bower Heating & Air Conditioning!) that was available to make an evening service call. They found our heat pump in the crawl space and quickly identified the problem. The motor was broken. Unfortunately, 18-year-old heat pump motors don’t loosen easily. Aaron visited his truck and returned with just the right tool. I know I should have asked him the name of it, just in case I ever needed to own one.
When he returned, he said, “this tool is the only way I’m able to loosen those screws.” The message was clear – you have to have the right tools to get the job done. Aaron went on to say, “this tool was one of the first ones I got when I started in the heating and cooling repair business.” He made it clear there was no way to get at that motor without this exact tool. Which got me to thinking.
Now, I am not particularly handy when it comes to fixing things. That work always baffles and intimidates me.
Yet, when it comes to marketing and advertising, I know the tools are different, but the approach is actually the same. There are plenty of tools at our disposal at any given time, and we have to know when and how to use them to fix our clients’ problems. We utilize them in five key areas: marketing, advertising, digital, branding, and communications. Sometimes we use the tools to create a strong internet presence. Other times for a powerful TV campaign, an impactful PR strategy, or an internal branding approach.
No one solution fixes all problems any more than you’d take just one tool to a cold nighttime call in January. Furthermore, that 5-star Bower guy knew exactly which tool to pull from his toolbox that would get the heat back into the house with those two sweet babies. I knew to call them. They knew what to do. And I didn’t need to own that mystical “motor-taker-offer tool” myself, after all.
You’re running your business and it’s not necessary for you to understand how to apply those five critical tools we use in our business. It’s the same as when I reached out to Bower . . . you just have to know who to call.
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