Members of the Business Network of Southwest Florida gathered to hear CEO Lonny Kocina speak about the SAM 6® marketing process outlined in his best-selling book, “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing.” The CEO’s Guide to Marketing has been on Amazon’s best-seller list since it debuted in October 2017, and earned a prestigious Axiom Business Books Award.
I asked Lonny a few questions about this presentation and here’s what he had to say.
Who was is the Business Network of Southwest Florida and why were they interested in having you speak to their group?
“Every audience I speak to about The CEO’s Guide to Marketing wants to learn from experts who can help them improve their marketing. This was an unusually high-level networking group. They were all managers and C-level people.”
What makes your presentation different from other marketing experts?
“Most marketing experts today specialize in the rapidly changing digital space. I’m not sure how valuable that is to most audiences because it’s too complex, over their head, and will most likely be outdated in six months. It’s almost better to just leave that area to the folks who specialize in it.
“What I try to teach audiences is that they can make a lot of money by understanding an underling marketing process that doesn’t change. I teach them a step-by-step marketing process that is easy to comprehend and will also stand the test of time. I really believe my book is the most practical marketing book you will ever read. And what I teach will be just as useful 30 years from now as it is today. That’s because the CEO’s Guide to Marketing is based on the foundation of marketing, not fads or technology that change frequently. The six-step Strategically Aimed Marketing process—the system my book is based on—outlines the underlying structure of marketing. And as surprising as it may seem, most marketers, even most marketing experts, don’t know it.”
Can you give us a brief description of the process?
“When I give my presentation, I explain that the process is deceptively simple on its surface. The SAM 6 process goes like this: 1. Understand the concepts and principles of marketing. 2. Create what I call a Brand Playbook. 3. Determine which promotional mix channels will return the most bang for the buck. 4. Schedule promotions in a way that is similar to a syllabus 5. Control your creative team. 6. Make sure you have access to the right creative talent.
“Each of these steps is like the hood that covers the engine of a vehicle. It looks simple until you pop the hood.
“I liken the SAM 6 process to a child’s connect-the-dots drawing. Once I connect the dots in the SAM 6 process, people see marketing much more clearly. Each step builds on the one before it. As I’m speaking, I can see the expressions on the audience’s faces begin to change. With the explanation of each step, the picture of marketing becomes more clear in their minds. It’s fun to watch their facial expressions as they became more engaged and began to understand how the SAM 6 process will improve their marketing. Most have never have visualized marketing in this way before.”
You said your presentation was only a half hour. Can you actually teach them the process in that amount of time?
“Yes and no. I can give them a good overview of the SAM 6 process and they definitely pick up some good nuggets as I explain it. But everything I talk about is covered in detail in The CEO’s Guide to Marketing and they can get the Kindle version for a whopping nine dollars. One nugget everyone seems to like is when talking to them about step 2, which is developing a Brand Playbook, I explain the importance of brevity—like giving their submarkets names rather than expecting their creative staff to repeatedly read long, boring submarket descriptions.
“Most submarkets fall within a certain age range. Once you write the long version of each segment’s profile using variables such as demographics, geographics, benefits sought, usage rate, etc., just find the most popular baby names for that age group and name your submarket that. For example, if you find average age of your target submarket is 40, go back to 1978 and you will find that Jennifer and Michael were the most popular names.
“Just as hearing a friend’s name can immediately conjure up their persona, hearing a well-defined submarket’s name, in this case Jennifer and Michail, can have the same effect. Building profiles of your submarkets and naming them brings them to life and prevents you from always reading and rereading their description.”
Any parting thoughts about this particular presentation?
“I felt a connection to them. Networking groups are scrappy people. They aren’t sitting on their hands imagining customers will magically show up at their door. I like that. There’s a saying in business; you are either growing or dying. I like it that my SAM 6 process will help them grow.”
If you’re curious about how the SAM 6 process might improve your leads and sales, and unify your marketing team, invite Lonny to speak at your company or organization. His presentations are always interesting, and you will walk away with tips and ideas that you’ll be able to implement immediately.
