The Right Hand Blade of Doom For Marketing

Posted by on Apr 14, 2009 in Marketing | 20 comments

There’s a fun drill we do in the martial arts that I first learned from master instructor Bud Malmstrom. Given that you have so many choices, so many options, so many techniques, it can be tough to excel at something, especially in a system like mine which has an absurd number of exercises, drills, patterns, and skills to learn.

Slackershot: right hand blade of doomBud’s drill goes something like this: for this drill, your attacker will do whatever they want. You as the defender are only permitted to use your footwork for evasion and your right hand in a shuto (hand blade/hand sword) form to protect yourself.

The goal, of course, is to develop mental flexibility and agility.

How many different ways can I use this one technique, this one form?
How unconventional can I be with a very limited toolset?
How, under limiting conditions, can I still win?

Think about this in marketing terms. How many different marketing books do you have on your book shelf? How many different tools – SEO, direct mail, cold calling, advertisements, pay per click, email, autoresponders, landing pages, billboards, transit ads, television, radio, podcasting, Twitter, and so on – do you have at your disposal? How competent are you in the use of any one of those tools?

Try this the next time you’re thinking about your marketing efforts. If you were limited to just one tool under very tight circumstances, how well could you use that tool? If you work for the kind of company that has multiple products and product lines, find the red headed stepchild in that line and practice your marketing tool skills on it. See how fast you can make that left handed smoke shifting widget’s sales grow through only the use of podcasting or only the use of email marketing. Test yourself out as a marketer and see which tools are sharpest in your toolbox!

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  • http://www.geeklawblog.com Lihsa

    That's funny–I was issued a similar challenge by my boss yesterday!

    This is going to be a true test of my skills as a markerter.

  • http://www.geeklawblog.com Lihsa

    That's funny–I was issued a similar challenge by my boss yesterday!

    This is going to be a true test of my skills as a markerter.

  • http://www.geeklawblog.com Lihsa

    That's funny–I was issued a similar challenge by my boss yesterday!

    This is going to be a true test of my skills as a markerter.

  • http://www.geeklawblog.com Lihsa

    That's funny–I was issued a similar challenge by my boss yesterday!

    This is going to be a true test of my skills as a markerter.

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuartfoster

    This is definitely an interesting strategy that I am definitely going to have to try out. Currently, because of a limited resources I'm approaching everything with the “if it's for free, it's for me” attitude.

    Once I have a bit more backing muscle, I'd love to try some old/new ways of thinking about marketing in order to best accomplish my objective. You do need to kick ass with all your weapons…I just have one purple at the moment though.

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuartfoster

    This is definitely an interesting strategy that I am definitely going to have to try out. Currently, because of a limited resources I'm approaching everything with the “if it's for free, it's for me” attitude.

    Once I have a bit more backing muscle, I'd love to try some old/new ways of thinking about marketing in order to best accomplish my objective. You do need to kick ass with all your weapons…I just have one purple at the moment though.

  • http://www.lonscohen.com obilon

    Great idea. It's a zen exercise for your marketing skills. I love the way it makes me think about one of the bottom of the bag tools and how I can use it in a new way that I never thought possible or probable before.

  • http://www.lonscohen.com obilon

    Great idea. It's a zen exercise for your marketing skills. I love the way it makes me think about one of the bottom of the bag tools and how I can use it in a new way that I never thought possible or probable before.

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuart Foster

    This is definitely an interesting strategy that I am definitely going to have to try out. Currently, because of a limited resources I’m approaching everything with the “if it’s for free, it’s for me” attitude.

    Once I have a bit more backing muscle, I’d love to try some old/new ways of thinking about marketing in order to best accomplish my objective. You do need to kick ass with all your weapons…I just have one purple at the moment though.

  • http://twitter.com/gundamwing4132 Jeff Tong

    Working on a similar project. Do you happen to have any case studies?

    Hopefully instead of trying all of my tools, I can learn from others' mistakes!

    = )

  • http://twitter.com/gundamwing4132 Jeff Tong

    Working on a similar project. Do you happen to have any case studies?

    Hopefully instead of trying all of my tools, I can learn from others' mistakes!

    = )

  • http://www.geeklawblog.com Lihsa

    That's funny–I was issued a similar challenge by my boss yesterday!

    This is going to be a true test of my skills as a markerter.

  • http://twitter.com/gundamwing4132 Jeff Tong

    I’m working on something similar, any tips on actual strategies and how to keep track of results?

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuart Foster

    This is definitely an interesting strategy that I am definitely going to have to try out. Currently, because of a limited resources I'm approaching everything with the “if it's for free, it's for me” attitude.

    Once I have a bit more backing muscle, I'd love to try some old/new ways of thinking about marketing in order to best accomplish my objective. You do need to kick ass with all your weapons…I just have one purple at the moment though.

  • http://www.lonscohen.com obilon

    Great idea. It's a zen exercise for your marketing skills. I love the way it makes me think about one of the bottom of the bag tools and how I can use it in a new way that I never thought possible or probable before.

  • http://twitter.com/gundamwing4132 Jeff Tong

    Working on a similar project. Do you happen to have any case studies?

    Hopefully instead of trying all of my tools, I can learn from others' mistakes!

    = )

  • http://www.businessx.info/marketing/maestro-marketing-one/ BusinessX

    I have a post I call the Maestro Method that actually advocates mastering one method of marketing before moving on to another. It stems from hearing people complain that they tried X and it didn’t work. What they mean is they spent money on something and it didn’t bring a great windfall. The reality is they didn’t spend the time or effort learning how to work the marketing. Every style has it learning curve and sadly no one is going to do it for us.

  • http://infoproservices.com/ business

    Usually, the older generation tends to look at the younger generations and decide that the society as they know it cannot continue to exist because of the lifestyles and attitudes which they see manifested every day.

  • http://infoproservices.com/ business

    Usually, the older generation tends to look at the younger generations and decide that the society as they know it cannot continue to exist because of the lifestyles and attitudes which they see manifested every day.

  • http://infoproservices.com/ business

    Usually, the older generation tends to look at the younger generations and decide that the society as they know it cannot continue to exist because of the lifestyles and attitudes which they see manifested every day.