I might have a problem, but idiotic marketing pisses me off.

There is a small gym that opened up around the corner from our house. It’s a mom and pop place, and they feature hardcore workouts. There’s nothing wrong with that, other than their location is most likely to attract stay-at-home Milton, GA moms who I’m not sure are looking for that type of experience. But let’s put that aside and assume they nailed what their target market wanted.

The big issue I have is with their marketing message. Their main form of marketing consists of placing small signs around town with “cute” little messages like, “I like to lift things,” and “Working out for an hour is only 4.2% of your day – No excuses!” Ugh, poke me in the eye with a stick.

None of their “clever” signs mention a benefit, outcome, or allude to a problem the people in their marketing might want to solve. They are missing the most fundamental elements of direct response marketing.

My guess is they think they are doing a good job, and can’t understand why their gym isn’t packed. I’d also bet my bottom dollar that these business owners didn’t read a single book on direct response marketing or selling 101.

These folks are probably excellent trainers. They more than likely can help people lose weight, get in shape, and improve their health. But my guess is that they won’t fulfill their mission because they’ll be out of business.

If they asked me, I’d tell them that it’s more important to be master marketers and master salespeople than it is to be great trainers. But my guess is that message would fall on deaf ears.

Have a great weekend.

Dave “Will They Ever Learn?” Dee

P.S. Do you want to make bushels of money? If your answer is yes, then the live webcast I’m doing next Thursday at noon ET, should be a “must attend” event. Details are coming next week.