What Marketing Agencies Don't Want You to Know

You are doing all kinds of marketing tactics, and it doesn't seem to work, at least not enough to make it worth it.

When was the last time you fell for that flashy commercial running insanely long at 11:30pm? I do! It was over 10 years ago, when those infomercials got me and I spent over one thousand dollars for the "stellar elliptical machine" or something like that. The day came when the elliptical machine of my dreams arrived home and I started putting it together by myself. I made sure to follow the instructions one by one - after all, I am a checklist type of person- so trust me when I say I checked ALL of the instructions. Two days later I was there, ready to use my brand new cardio machine. I couldn't be more excited! It meant a lot to me in those days. After buying a car, it was my second most precious investment. So I started to pedal and maneuver with the handles. It was smooth, perhaps too smooth for a workout? I didn't dwell on that thought. I continued going for the next 30 minutes and then I heard a clicking noise.

Something somewhere clicked in a very weird way and the clicking noise was there to stay. It took me $1000 dollars, 3 day wait and 2 days putting it together, and just about 30 minutes to break it. Frustrated? Infuriated? Dang right I was! I was pretty upset. I felt scammed. I was sold the "best elliptical machine in the market" and it broke with a 125-pound person on the first 30 minutes. My reaction: I used all my consumer rights to get that thing returned and get my money back.

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Why Your $3,000 Ad Budget Generated Zero Sales

That feeling of being sold a promise that breaks in 30 minutes? That's exactly how business owners feel when their $3,000 ad budget generates zero sales.

I remember the first time someone told me they paid $3k+ to have 30 seconds on TV Shopping and in return they got zero sales from that. Unlike me, the network was not going to give any money back. After all, "they also took a risk on you" or so they say.

I've built three tech companies and two consulting companies and worked with dozens of business owners from different industries. I get it! The frustrations that come from testing different things to try to grow their businesses and getting not that much in return.

The one thing I hear business owners tell me over and over is: "I've already tried" and almost exhaling they continue... "I've tried doing google ads".."I tried paying influencers".. "I've tried posting on social media".. "I'm even paying someone to do posts and we get something here and there but nothing really worth it"..

You can extend this to "paying for the news classifieds", "magazine paywalls", you name it! These business owners really have tried all of these things.

Most seasoned business owners I've talked to have tried to do multiple things to grow their business. I remember one of them telling me: "We hired a social media service, they post daily on Facebook and Instagram, but it didn't translate to sales"

It is no wonder many business owners stop trying altogether and decide to focus on their current customer base.

The typical agency promise is clear, right? “Just do this ONE THING!” I can almost picture a wizard with his wand and his eyes wide open while telling them this to convince them.

That's the problem right there. There is no "do this one thing" and the customers will come.

When things don't work and you made a sizeable investment, the same feeling I had when my cardio machine broke is the same feeling I've heard that business owners experienced when these marketing agencies or independent contractors delivered a work that did not pay off. They tell themselves "it doesn't work".

If you resonate with these words, it's not all lost. In fact, this is desired! Why? Because you have precious experience and you already understand what doesn't work. Good business mentors will tell you: ok, now you understand where not to go!

After years of watching this pattern, I discovered what actually works: Shared-risk→ Shared-reward partnerships. Whenever we engage with a new potential partner, I always address this upfront. This generates incentives for both parties to make it work.

When it comes to marketing strategy and tactics, there is no one-size fits all. You don’t know WHAT will work UNTIL you test it. And before we start testing, you need to make sure your operations (systems, processes, people) are ready for it.

For example, before spending on ads, we helped one partner company fix their checkout process - it was taking 7 clicks to buy. Once simplified to 3 clicks, the same ad spend generated three times more sales. If you've been selling directly from a physical store and you want to develop your e-commerce sales but the site is confusing, there's no clarity on what you are offering, or the shipping terms are bogus, your site is not ready for it.

So that's the first point to address. You can spend $2,000 dollars a month on ads with a perfectly produced ad by the best marketers you could afford AND YET if your website is not ready to convert. This money will go straight to the drain.

What happens with most marketing agencies out there is they sit with you and they give you the "thing you asked for", but they never commit to making it work. If the people who sold me the cardio equipment told me: "we're going to set it up for you, you can test it and if there are any issues, we are here" - I would have kept the machine more likely and recommended their product to friends.

After watching dozens of businesses get burned (and burning some of my own money on that elliptical), I've noticed something: The best partnerships all have one thing in common - aligned incentives.

Think about it. Your doctor gets paid whether you get healthy or not. But your personal trainer? If you don't see results, you stop showing up. Guess who pushes harder for your success?

The marketing world is full of "doctors" - agencies that bill monthly regardless of your results. They'll send pretty reports, host quarterly calls, and cash your checks whether your revenue grows or shrinks.

As a founder myself, I make sure that every partner we engage with knows that they are working with people who go shoulder to shoulder in the battle. Making sure that the testing phase results in the artillery we're going to deploy next, showing results not just assets. THAT gets trust.

It's not so much about what, than it is about who you do it with.

Working with a partner who is committed to your success is a game changer for your business.

Once you have identified this potential partner, don't be afraid to dig deeper. Ask them directly: How they are holding to their commitment? Do they have skin in the game? Ask yourself this: Are these people committed to my success? These questions will reveal great insights about the people you are talking to. A closed, transactional contract where they deliver an asset and disappear is a major red flag. Run the other way. 🏃‍♀️

What's your elliptical machine story? Reply and tell me about the marketing tactic that broke your heart (and wallet). Sometimes knowing we're not alone in these hard lessons makes the journey feel less scary.

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