Marketing Lesson From The Beatles

    As part of their marketing plan, many of our clients do public seminars. Occasionally, out of a set of three seminars, one will have a very light registration, say, one or two attendees. In those circumstances our clients will often ask, "Should we just cancel?" And I always respond with a resounding "NO!".
    There are several reasons. First, you just never know who those one or two people might be, or how motivated they are. One of our clients once had a seminar with only five attendees. All five signed up and became clients, generating immediate fees of about $25,000. Another of our clients had a business planning seminar scheduled and only one person registered. At my urging, the client (and his partner) went to the seminar (grumbling). The one attendee turned out to be a CPA who represented 20 contruction firms. It became a huge account for my clients.
    There's an old sports saying, "you always dress for the game." And that is what I believe. You will never be able to guess which event, or which person, will turn out to be extraordinary. The only way to make sure you don't miss out is to be absolutely consistent, to always dress for the game, and always make your best effort, no matter how unlikely the prospects.
    Recently, I read The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz. One of the stories that struck me was that of Dick Rowe, the head of A&R (sort of the chief talent scout) for Decca Records.

In 1962, Rowe was being hounded by Brian Epstein, whose family owned a string of record stores in the north of England, to give an audition to a group he was managing. Not wanting to offend a good customer, Rowe had his minions give the Beatles an audition. He wasn't impressed by the tape, but to cover himself, he decided to go to Liverpool and hear the band and....well, I'll let Bob Spitz tell the story:

 

  Without telling anyone, Rowe took the train to Liverpool on Saturday, February 3, with the intention of catching the band at the Cavern. His objective was simple: he'd get a good look at this group, without any buildup or hype. That way, no one would be able to claim that Decca hadn't jumped through hoops for Epstein.
    It was "pissing with rain" when he arrived in Liverpool, the city besieged by a typical winter storm, the kind whose blustery winds and rawness bit through every stitch of one's clothing deep into the skin. Rowe's mood was as foul as the weather by the time he stepped out in front of the Cavern. One glance at the scene churned up further shudders of indignation. Mathew Street was straight out of Dickens: remote, squalid, creepy. The entrance to the Cavern was packed with kids forcing their way like animals into the tiny club. Standing alone in the dark, shivering in the downpour, Rowe smoked a cigarette and weighed his options. "You couldn't get in, and what with the rain outside, I was getting drenched," he recalled. "I thought, 'Oh sod it,'and I walked away."
    Thus, Rowe let the most popular band in history slip through his fingers.

Comments

[Jonathan Kranz]

Good advice and a great story.

If (in reality, when) you get a low turnout, do you recommend modifying the program to make it more intimate, in a way that would be difficult in a large group?

When I face a small crowd, I acknowledge the fact and tell the attendees that, with fewer people present, we're going to be able to go more deeply into the material. Then I invite them to contribute frequently with questions, comments and examples. What's lost in quantity is often made up in quality.

[Mark Merenda]

Jonathan, that's EXACTLY what I tell my clients. Turn lemons into lemonade. "Wow, this great! Usually we have 40 people. Now we'll get a chance to really get to know each other and answer all your questions."

[Mike thomas]

Mark,

I echo your comments about small numbers at seminars. I have found that most times I have small numbers, I have great response. Thanks for your continued wise insights.

A grateful disciple,

Mike Thomas