“RESPECTFULLY COMPETITIVE” - In the world of consumer outreach, both words matter… 🙏

 I am a martial artist. And for many years in my youth, I was an active, competing martial artist...

This was before UFC, or MMA, before there was any kind of "profession" associated with it...where we'd be fighting in random high school gymnasiums on a weekend, or in a hotel lobby, against other schools, or groups of locals, or something of the sort... :-)

As a competitive martial artist, my SINGLE BIGGEST WEAKNESS was that, deep down, I simply did not want to hurt anyone...physically, or emotionally, or other...

And as such, I would tend to try and do JUST ENOUGH to win, and no more...if I knew I was winning by decision, I'd let it go there, no need to hurt anyone…

Whereas others who were equally trained, and equally matched, and who DID have that innate, primal, "killer instinct", would ALWAYS PREVAIL - they didn't have the same internal guard rails and limitations as I did...they were born "different"...

Now, don't get me wrong - I was (and am) an excellent martial artist - I was (and am) a great learner; I was (and am) a great practitioner; I was (and am) a great student; I was (and am) a great training partner; I was (and am) a great TEACHER...I am as much a martial artist, as anyone else out there…

BUT, perhaps, just not the world's most natural FIGHTER… :-)

WELL...

Lately we've been meeting folks in the marketplace who have CERTAINLY been receiving the message loud and clear when it comes to RESPECTING their consumers...

They dial very conservatively - once or twice per day, no more...branded numbers only...real time, relevant opt-ins only, from reputable sites only...they stop calling after 30 days, just because...you know, all good stuff...

But, they're calling on SHARED leads...

And lately, we've had to counsel some of them to actually be MORE aggressive - or "less passive", as you will - which is an INCREDIBLE change from how our conversations used to go, where we were constantly scolding customers for being TOO AGGRESSIVE, now things seem to be tipping the other way in some cases...

WHICH, like the lack of desire to HURT someone, is NORMALLY a GOOD thing...

BUT, when you're IN A FIGHT, that same trait is, indeed, a weakness...

That same trait, IN A FIGHT, will make sure you LOSE to your more aggressive opponent...

AND, in a SHARED LEAD model, make no mistake about it, you ARE in a fight, and you DO have opponents...and the trait of being TOO RESPECTFUL WILL ensure you LOSE to the one who is more aggressive, all other things being equal...I don't like it, I wish it were different, but, it is what it is...

If you call them ONCE today, and someone else calls them TWICE today, the latter one has double the chances of earning the business...that's the math…implementing a consumer outreach strategy that is "respectfully COMPETITIVE", that is CREATIVE, that is RELEVANT, is an absolute must…

Whereas leaving it up to a single call, or a "coin toss" as you will, out of "respect to your consumer", is, unfortunately, in a SHARED LEAD model, a sure fire way to lose...

NOW, let's be clear - whether it be consumer outreach, or a martial arts competition, there are RULES...and OFFICIALS...and so your strategy MUST be in line with those, of course...

But outside of that, the gloves must come off...

You must be the most PREPARED fighter, the most WELL-TRAINED fighter, the most CONDITIONED fighter, the most TALENTED fighter, the SMARTEST fighter, and, ON TOP OF ALL THAT, you MUST have the killer instinct...

IF, and only if, of course, you are in a fight... ;-)

EXCLUSIVE leads - different than shared - generated through search, or organic / first party through your company's website, or any other of a myriad of channels, are FAR LESS impacted by ANY of this...those leads are YOURS, and YOURS alone (in theory)... 

But with SHARED LEADS, sold to 2+ companies at once - it's a FIGHT for that sale...a FIGHT for that vote...a FIGHT for that donation...a FIGHT for that policy....a FIGHT for that student...a FIGHT for that mortgage...and on and on and on...

See, at some point in my martial arts journey, I came to terms with who I was, and what I was good at...and what came natural, and what didn't...and I learned my role, and my talents, and I figured out enough about myself to understand that I am better off training and teaching and practicing, but perhaps not necessarily FIGHTING...perhaps others in my group, classmates or students, were better at that part than me...

And this is an important thing to learn about oneself, as it truly underlies the entire notion of "self defense" - conduct yourself properly, to take advantage of your strengths, and remediate your weaknesses...recognize others nearby with killer instincts, and make smart decisions accordingly...it's what ensures optimal decision making, and in some cases, it's what ensures survival...

Similarly, when engaging in consumer outreach, YOU MUST KNOW WHO YOU ARE...AND BE COMFORTABLE WITH IT…

ARE YOU A NATURAL FIGHTER? IN YOUR SOUL? OR ARE YOU NOT?

Build a culture, and a marketing strategy, and a media buy, and a team, that supports WHO YOU ARE...that will be successful, BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE...

AND, if you are not a natural FIGHTER - basically, if OUR TEAM isn't the annoying one HOLDING YOU BACK - perhaps entering into the shared lead marketplace - perhaps getting into fights on a daily basis! - is NOT the right thing to do? 

Because, mark my words, if you don't NATURALLY have the killer instinct, the LAST THING you want is to be in a fight with someone who DOES... :-)

In martial arts, this fight can mean the difference between life and death. In consumer outreach, it can be the difference between making a whole lot of money, or losing a whole lot of money...

So, if you’re going to fight, FIGHT TO WIN…“once a day” is a cadence, but it is NOT an outreach strategy…

Too passive is a real thing. Too aggressive is a real thing. 

At outboundIQ we call it the “Goldilocks Config” - not too hot, not too cold…just right, is where we like it… :-)

Just something to think about, I guess...