I hate talking about this topic because it always sounds like I’m saying “Everyone else is a rip off artist except us…” but we see clients getting taken to the cleaners the same way over and over again.
It’s nuts. The marketing industry is off the rails. (Of course there are tons of great consultants and agencies but at the same time it seems we only hear about the terrible ones.)
I found a great article I break down in the podcast that confirms what we’ve been talking about here – but from the client’s view.
I’ve been checking out various on-line presentations and webinars on marketing topics. I’m amazed at how superficial they are – some are outright sales pitches disguised as webinars. (We are doing a the opposite – a substantive webinar called The CEO’s Guide To Marketing in a Recession – no fluff – more info in the comments.
Everybody acts like they are over-caffeinated and they say a lot of words but mostly about themselves and how awesome the world will be when they do uh…something. That’s the part I’m never clear on.
Some hammer you with a few complicated graphs and slides adding some substance but most seem to be what is commonly called “fluff” for lack of a better term.
They talk a lot about the “why” you should do something but conveniently leave out the “how” – which is what people want.
I read an article from the client’s perspective about getting “ripped off” by a consultant who offered a free webinar which was really a hard sell in disguise. California lawyer Laura Loomer wrote the article in 2018 which she entitled “How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off by a “Consultant” (sic).
It’s a long, broad brushing, bitter article but I think it paints a good picture of how people perceive the marketing industry and how easy it is to get scammed.
In this podcast, we take a look at the article and Laura’s unfortunate journey and break it down as a learning exercise.