Put on Your Marketing hat

As I write this column, it is two weeks after the Super Bowl. These days, the Super Bowl isn’t just a football game to decide the NFL championship. It has become a spectacle of big dollars — not only in the expenses forked out for flashy pre-game festivities and half time shows, but also with the commercials that appear during breaks in play.

And those marketing tools we know as commercials tend to make an impression on many of us. I know many people who were touched by the Dodge Ram commercial that had a recording of Paul Harvey reading “So God created a farmer.” Others reacted negatively to the GoDaddy.com commercial where a chubby nerdy kid was French kissing a gorgeous super model.

Those and other ads definitely made impressions with those of us who watched the Super Bowl. Good or bad, those impressions tend to stick with us.

Appearance and attitude are the first part of how we put on our marketing hats and market ourselves and our company. Good or bad, people make judgments about us based on those impressions.

It all starts with the job interview. How we dress and how we present ourselves influences how the interviewers perceive us. If we dress professionally and present ourselves in a positive and professional manner, we will likely make it past the first round of interviews. If we choose to show up looking unkempt and speaking negatively about our last employer, we will likely be dismissed without a second chance, even we were the best candidate for the job.

Our actions and words leave impressions with those we interact with. Whether at the office or at a trade show or IA seminar, we need to be on our “A” game. Although we may not hold the title of “marketing manager,” our actions and words influence how others perceive us and our company. We are marketing ourselves and our company whether we realize it or not!

I have heard many of my peers complain about the lack of respect we as maintenance professionals receive. Unfortunately, we are often the victims of the actions and words of some within our ranks.

Let’s face it — we didn’t get into aviation maintenance because we wanted to eventually be on the cover of GQ. But why not foster a culture at work where we dress and act professionally? We could very well be the best maintenance shop in the area. Why not act and present ourselves accordingly?

Don’t get me wrong, attire and attitude are important. But if they are not backed up by knowledge and technical expertise, they are meaningless. Sure, someone may get their foot in the door because they were dressed appropriately and interviewed well. But if they don’t have the knowledge or expertise to perform their job, they won’t last long in the new job.

We also need to realize that how we dress needs to be appropriate with the environment we are working in. We don’t want to be in dress slacks, an oxford shirt and sports coat when replacing a leaking fuel cell on a King Air. But should we really wear jeans and T-shirts when visiting customers or attending industry events?

Attire and attitude are only part of marketing ourselves and our company. In order to effectively market ourselves or our company we need to know and understand our customers so that the products or services we offer fit them well and sell themselves. It’s not about spending all our time trying to sell our products or services by telling people how great they are. It’s about spending time to truly know our customers. If we understand their needs, and have a product or service that meets those needs, the sale will happen.

A good example of understanding customers is Rudy Alberth. His company, Alberth Aviation, has many aviation maintenance products. Rudy markets those products in trade magazines like D.O.M. But his “marketing” efforts start long before an ad runs. Rudy takes the time to talk to DOMs and mechanics on a regular basis. He visits their hangars and spends a lot of time with them so he can understand problems they are having. He then invents products to solve those problems. I have often seen a new product he designed and thought, “Why didn’t I think of that!”

There are many people like Rudy out there. They don’t just make products or develop services and try to pitch them to the masses. They listen to the masses and create the products and services they need and want.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and market yourself and your company!

Thanks for reading.

 Joe Escobar