12 Traits You Need To Market Like A Guerrilla

Written by Regina Floyd on Oct 4, 2011 9:03 pm

Local Online Marketing Solutions is about helping local business get found online. We do that by using Local Guerrilla Marketing based on strategies taught by Mr. Jay Conrad Levinson, father of Guerrilla Marketing. We are also about helping people build business, training them how to do it, and supporting them as they learn and grow. Part of the training is a weekly training call with the CEO of the company. During a most recent weekly call, I had the pleasure of hearing Jay Conrad Levinson speak and answer questions from Local Guerrilla Marketing Consultants. If you have never heard of Guerrilla Marketing, then you really need to check out Jay’s books, especially his newest book:

During the training call, Jay talked about Guerrilla Marketing and explained the difference between those that succeed in business and marketing and those that don’t. The ones that succeed are people that are marketing like guerrillas and they have 12 common traits. These are the 12 personality traits he shared with us and I would like to share them with you. Please note the following is based on my note taking during a training call and I really encourage you to buy and read the book(s) for a more thorough review of this material.

1. Patience is first characteristic of Guerrilla Marketer. Jay explained that a marketing message must “penetrate” a person’s mind 9 times before they will act on that message. Unfortunately, the average person abandons their marketing campaign right when the momentum has just picked up. Marketing is a matter of momentum. It starts out slowly and picks up momentum. Before your abandon your marketing strategy, consider if you have penetrated your prospects at mind at least 9 times. (have you put your message in front of them enough)

2. Imagination – perceiving reality as reality really is. (doesn’t mean thinking up clever headlines). People that market with imagination find ways to do the same old thing but do it differently than everyone else. Mr. Levinson gave an excellent example using Direct Response marketing: Everyone is used to seeing an envelope with one $.44 stamp on it, but people have not often seen a letter with 14 stamps (worth $.44) on it . Which one do you think they are going to open because it looks so different than what they normally see?

3. Sensitivity – Sensitive people are sensitive to whats happening in their market, their industry. They are sensitive to their competition and what they are doing right now. They are also sensitive to what is on the prospects mind right now – today.

4. Ego Strength – Strong Ego - They stand up to people and their advice. They know that sometimes people that love you the most give you the worst marketing advice………………people closest to you might be the first ones to get bored with your marketing and they may suggest you change it. Ego strength means you thank them for their suggestions and appreciate their caring, but you stay focused on your strategy.

5. Aggressiveness – successful marketers are Driven. The average business invests about 4% of gross revenues in marketing and successful marketing guerrillas don’t think that is enough. Marketing Guerrillas are investing in marketing and they look for all the various marketing weapons and activate them. They are also aggressive in their use of media.

6. Fast to Embrace Change – This era is different from the last era – every decade changes- successful marketers embrace change but don’t do it just because it is new and different but embrace the changes they must make. They only make changes they know are good for business and only if it is an improvement.

7. Generosity - Successful marketing guerrillas are more about Giving. They know it is an information age and they realize the chance to educate their market about how to exceed at their goals. Marketing like a guerrilla is your chance to educate people. These people are always looking for ways to give to others but they don’t give things away with the idea of getting business…they give it away because of generosity in their heart.

8. Energetic - never do what they can delegate and they have energy.

9. Constant Learners – They are like Seagulls on a constant quest for food - Seagulls are always looking for food, find the food, swoop down, eat food and get their fill, and fly up to look for food again. Marketing Guerrillas know they always need to learn one thing after another and it never stops.

10. People People – They like people, are fascinated with people and know that everyone has a story and they are fascinated with those stores. Guerrilla marketers master the art of listening and they know how to ask fascinating questions.

11. Maintain Focus – Marketing Guerrillas don’t get sidetracked and distracted. They get into habit of excellence by maintaining their focus.

12. Take Action – marketing is not a spectator sport and marketing guerrillas know they must take action, and they do it.

Again, for a more thorough review of this material, I encourage you to check out Guerrilla Marketing and Jay Conrad Levinson’s most recent book, The Best of Guerrilla Marketing–Guerrilla Marketing Remix”

If you have enjoyed what you’ve read and you want to know how you to can be a part of something BIG, then contact me today!

I would be happy to discuss how you can improve your marketing strategies for your business, or show you how you can help others by sharing Local Guerrilla Marketing strategies by providing Online Marketing Solutions like: Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing, Mobile Marketing, and Local Search Profile.

To Your Success,