Does Marketing mean Immoral

[randynavarro]

The other, recent thread about Consumer Reports and all kinds of boasting boiled me.

Marketing oneself (one's self?-where's Bonnie?) is tough business.

Marketing usually ends up being dishonest spin and a bunch of meaningless pap.

I'm not the best. There's always someone better.

I'm honest but that term gets so used and abused, I certainly scoff when I see that word.

Integrity is another over-used word.

I'm not the only choice, there's dozens more.

Sick of marketing. I ignore most of it.

[Les]

I agree with you Randy, but then again what could I learn from you (non-master inspector)?

[ozofprev]

Randy,

Let it go, Bro - you're ok!

Sure marketing is sleazy, but we all need to confer a level of confidence to potential clients - so humility blushes for a moment.

I find warranties to be particularly opportunistic - they feed on ignorance. They lead clients to believe x, y, and z are 'covered'. First, it's covered for a very short period, and the complaint must be submitted within that time. Then, the fine print shows coverage is limited to $abc. The fine print shows that y is not covered if it is over ten years old. The fine print says no water damage is covered. The fine print says it all. It's really pathetic, but caveat emptor, I guess.

Have a good weekend.

Some people just don't play well with others.

[Chris Bernhardt]

As far as I know I have never gotten a single client from any advertising I have bought or done in say 8.5 years and a few thousand inspections!

I can think of only one realtor that I won by cold calling and the only reason I got lucky with that one was that I was offering servicios en espanol at the time.

I am not saying that you can't build a business thru marketing efforts; it's just I never did.

With so many starving realtors out my way I can't imagine any marketing getting anywhere. My business grew mostly because I got referred to newbie realtors or realtors that had gotten pissed off at their HI, or their favorite HI retired, moved away or left the biz.

It's hard for me to imagine any of the realtors that I know falling for some HI boasting about all of his or her credentials when they already got one they are reasonably satisfied with. Clients on the other hand care more about credentials but still I find that they usually go with the first guy that answers his phone.

Chris, Oregon

[randynavarro]

Please don't mistake my grievances with the "woe is me!" syndrome.

I'm just trying to clarify in my mind why I dislike marketing so much.

I think its just becasue most of it ends up being sleazy and dishonest.

[ozofprev]

I don't think you'll get much argument over that.

[Scottpat]

The only marketing that I do outside of handing business cards to everyone I meet, is on my website and it is working very well for me. I'm sure I could have a larger market share if I got out and pounded the bushes for additional business, but I don't like knocking on doors asking for business. One very good inspector Bill Loden, is using TV ads with great success. He is in Huntsville, AL so I'm sure that his airtime cost are not what it would cost in lets say Chicago or Atlanta. Bill does not visit real estate offices for business, he goes about it in a different manner.

[kurt]

I've decided that marketing is not immoral.

I'm pretty sure Randy is immoral, though.

[Mike Lamb]

"The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away."

-Tom Waits

[randynavarro]

I'm pretty sure Randy is immoral, though.

I'm smiling.

[Jim Morrison]

This is the only HI bulletin board where people quote Tom Waits, and that's why I'll always come here, whether I'm in the business or not.

But to Randy's point:

People are moral or immoral, marketing is amoral. It's like sex, no? The act itself has no particular moral bent, it's the people involved and their intentions that color it one way, the other, or (in the saddest cases) not at all.

Marketing is just putting your story in front of potential consumers. Don't lose sight of that, apologize for it, or (especially in this market) stop doing it.

Step right up,

Jimmy

PS Who is this Gromicko character everyone is so riled up about?

[Les]

Jimmy,

Where else can you expect a Waits quote from a cartoonist!

[Bonnie Trenga]

Originally posted by randynavarro

Marketing oneself (one's self?-where's Bonnie?) is tough business.

Randy, my dear, I am here.

Oneself is a reflexive pronoun, as are herself, himself, etc. Therefore, "marketing oneself" is a correct phrase.

You can always e-mail me a question at curiouscase@hotmail.com or go to Ask the Sentence Sleuth here at TIJ.

As a copyeditor who sees many dreadful marketing pieces, I would say that one of the best ways of marketing yourself is ensuring your Web site and brochures--not to mention your reports--display error-free and clear English.