How does this happen?  Each day business people are bombarded with all kinds of marketing tools, tactics, programs, special offers from vendors selling various marketing tools.  (Not to mention getting slammed from the everyday necessities of running a business…)  As a result, too many companies throw together their marketing strategy as if they were wandering aimlessly through the aisles at the supermarket – throwing miscellaneous food items into their shopping cart without any idea what recipe they want to prepare. 

As a result, they can’t possibly cook a decent meal because you don’t have the right ingredients.  And what happens when this same concept occurs with your marketing?  The message is lost.  You have inconsistency.  A hodge-podge.  Confusing or conflicting messages. 

To put it simply, most small businesses don’t develop their USP, or unique selling proposition.  Their differentiator.  The very thing that allows them to stand out from their competition.  And even if a business does produce a workable USP, they don’t necessarily talk about it in all their hodpe-podge marketing mediums. 

When I confront clients about this problem, I usually get a response similar to the title of this entry, one of my favorite John Belushi movie quotes.  My clients, and most business owners, truly believe they are on message.  And that everybody in their organization, and/or all mediums used in their marketing are on message too. 

At the end of the day, your marketing is supposed to help you be memorable.  It is supposed to make it easy for a customer to purchase from you.  To achieve this, you must: 

1. Have a clear and memorable Unique Selling Proposition.
2. Consistently convey that USP in ALL your marketing.
3. Have everyone in your organization singing the same tune.

When you think about it, achieving those three things, (thus, your marketing) is pretty simple.  Unfortunately, most small business people complicate it.  Using a line I often tell my political candidates, you must “STAY ON MESSAGE!”