[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I'm super excited to have Vicki McCullough share her insights and wisdom here on the Ripple Blog. Vicki spoke to my 8 Minute Ripple community back in September and to say she was a hit would be an understatement. Vicki is a big supporter of mine and of the Ripple Community and I am honored she'd share some words of wisdom with us.

FYI, if you want to meet Vicki, she'll be at this month's 8 Minute Ripple happening on October 31, 2014. Come join us!

Though I’ve known about

Ripple

and Rippling and Steve Harper for some time, I only recently joined the

Ripple Meetup

So I was excited and quite honored when around mid-summer this year Steve offered me the opportunity to speak to the group. On September 26, I shared with other Ripplers my take on “Myths, Misperceptions, and Lies re: Marketing.” The idea grew out of the many incorrect and sometimes scary comments and attributions about marketing I’d heard over the years. Full disclosure and bona fides here…I am a marketing consultant with real knowledge and some professional bias on the topic. I wanted to share my observations, thoughts, and some anecdotes. No hard science, as I explained to the group. Plus, conversations about Ripplers’ experiences and insights were welcome.  

Here are the myths, misperceptions, and lies we covered:

• I have lots (or some or plenty) of business now….so I don’t need to do any marketing.

• Marketing is all about social media! Right? So I better sign up with Twitter and Facebook and Yelp and…

• Print is dead.

• Marketing is evil.

• Consumers have little or no role in marketing; we are at the mercy of corporations.

The group and I had a great conversation (of course….that’s what Ripplers do!). After the Meetup, my conversation continued with fellow Rippler, Drew Bixby. Drew presented a different point of view* as to why people might think marketing is evil. He made his case….giving me the Cliff Notes version of his thoughts, quoting some recent research, and addressing my questions. It’s an intriguing topic and stayed with me long after our discussion.

Actually, Drew’s comments so challenged me much that I initiated an email exchange with him and did a little online research. I’m still not at all sure I understand the details of his perspective or that I agree or disagree. For me, there has been great value in the discussion and exchange of ideas, in learning something new, and certainly in becoming better acquainted with Drew.

And THAT is the beauty of truly engaging with people. Beyond the introduction, beyond swapping business cards, beyond the email blast. None of these are inherently bad activities, but how much more might we gain if we invested in a deeper level of engagement?

I encourage you to give it a try. Step outside the box, interact, connect, and build a relationship. As the saying goes, “Ripple on, my friend!”

* Drew’s hypothesis has to do with the conscious mind and what it does (or does not do). In this case, why do we think marketing is evil? The specifics are more involved than I can present here…. they certainly are worthy of a conversation with Drew. Hmmm….is that my conscious mind excusing my lack of comprehension? I wonder if Drew could explain that?!

Vicki R. McCullough

Sequitur Marketing, LLC