Sun Tze was a Chinese military general who wrote the definitive text on military conflict in 600 BC. The book is still required reading at
The principles set forth by Sun Tzu can be seen in practice in military conflicts throughout history. Dwight Eisenhower employed Sun Tze’s use of deception to make D-Day a success.
Robert E. Lee, perhaps the most skilled military tactician in American history, lost the Battle of Gettysburg because he failed to follow one of Sun Tzu’s basic principles. So what does all of this ancient history have to do with marketing?
Marketing and Warfare
There are many similarities between marketing and warfare, though marketing eliminates the guns, grapeshot and lethal war axes, thankfully.
Both marketing and warfare involve competition between two groups or entities that seek the same objective.
Both marketing and warfare involve control of space. In warfare, the space is usually land. In marketing, it’s the retailers’ service areas – areas to conquer and dominate, beating the competition and holding your position in the marketplace when a competitor moves in one town over.
That’s why I recommend every hearing aid retailer read The Art of War by Sun Tze. Just change the word “war” for “marketing” to learn to employ effective tactics that you can apply in growing your business.
Here are just a few examples of what I’ve learned reading and re-reading this tome. And by applying these tactics to marketing to marketing my hearing aid stores, I’ve built numerous successful businesses over the years using advice from a Chinese general written 2600 years ago.
The winning general knows what’s required for victory, then attacks. The losing general attacks, then seeks victory.
The Art of War, Sun Tze
Translation? In marketing, you must know what’s required for success before launching any type of marketing strategy or campaign. You must gather information and develop a plan based on your understanding of what’s required for success within your marketing arena.
Those retail outlet owners who launch a campaign and then seek victory have no plan in place. They market without understanding what’s required for success. And so, their marketing and promotion dollars are frittered away as the business owner looks for signs of success (victory).
Learn this lesson and apply it in all of your marketing efforts. Know what it will take to succeed before you launch (attack).
Use the resources of others to your advantage.
The Art of War, Sun Tze
This is the basis of guerrilla warfare, so successful in numerous battles and conflicts during the 20th century.
There are numerous resources available to you. These resources “belong” to someone else but you can use them to benefit your hearing aid business and, of course, more people within your community.
For example, when a local community group sponsors a health fair for seniors in your community, participation will improve your business and, at the same time, the quality of life for those individuals you identify as having hearing loss. You use the health fair as a forum to present your store’s contribution to the health and welfare of the neighborhood.
If you employ on-line marketing, and you most certainly should, you employ the assets of numerous websites – Linkedin, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, social bookmarking sites like Digg, Reddit and Stumbleupon. You can create numerous blogs. All of these on-line strategies are (1) free advertising and (2) employ the assets of others to your advantage – legally!
The fact is, these networking websites want you to take advantage of them so get on board and launch a guerrilla marketing campaign using the assets of others.
The winning general must think like a cobra.
The Art of War, Sun Tze
When attacked, cobras are quick, nimble and agile. When the head is attacked, the tail twists around and joins in the attack. One part of the cobra protects another.
Translated into marketing terms? Your marketing must be flexible, like a cobra. It must be adaptable. You must move quickly and with agility with your marketing, changing it all the time to suit current market conditions.
Like the cobra, all of your marketing efforts should work in synch, creating a more powerful impact.
And you must never take your eyes off the competition. Follow their every move. How are they advertising? What marketing tactics do they employ? Learn from the tactics of the competition. React to it quickly.
For example, if the new hearing aid retailer in town starts running local spots on cable, call the cable company and counter those ads with a campaign of your own. Learn from the competition by staying focused on the competition.
“The Art of War” by Sun Tze should be required reading for every small hearing aid practitioner – the one making the marketing decisions. The book is made up of 13 chapters, each focusing on a particular aspect of warfare.
Read it. Then apply the principles this military genius puts forth in your marketing.
These are time-tested strategies that work whether you’re fighting a major military battle or fighting to maintain market share within your sales territory.
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