What message are you really conveying

Using my credit card at a gas station pump, I never even went into the store. But while filling my gas tank, I saw advertisements around the pump for coffee, giant cold drinks and cigarettes - - and those were just the ads on the pumps. I never even looked at the promotional, changeable sign they have by the store, or at the store itself. Sometimes the electronic gas pump even sends me extra messages about hot dog or beverage specials that I should take advantage of - - after all, they must reason, I'm buying gasoline there, so buying a hot dog is the next logical step.

Now, I don’t smoke or drink coffee, but like most everyone else, I have at least purchased snacks at gas station convenience marts, especially while on the road. In fact, it is comforting knowing that it is so easy to find a cold drink on a hot day, or some crackers to munch on while I’m still a couple hundred miles from home.

But from a marketing perspective, here’s the message: we are not a gas station, we are everything you need. Hit you screaming over the head with blaring messages. Buy this. Buy that. Surely there must be something else I can do for you, because I can do everything. Everything!

This is a marketing tactic many P.I.s take: surely there must be many things I can do for you. And it is okay, especially given trying times when every piece of potential business must be seized.

But here's the point. You need to be aware that you are implementing this type of marketing of your services. You must be aware that this is your image. It should not result as an accident of, “Oh, Gee, maybe I can sell them something else.” Because when you knowingly implement this type of marketing, then you can coordinate your effforts and try to make everything work as a package.

Your marketing efforts may be high-brow, knowing that people will want to be associated with you because of your expertise in a particular type of investigation, or they may be a constant screaming at everyone that you can do it all, or you may be somewhere in between. But you can't be all of these at the same time. Furthermore, you shouldn't be any of these unless and until you develop a written plan and make specific choices about the image you want to convey. 

(By the way, you will find a template for developing your marketing plan at the start of my new e-book, PR for PI's "PR for PIs: 73 Powerful Tips for Effective PI Marketing" begins by discussing the basics of developing a written marketing plan, and even includes a sample/template which you can adapt for your own use. From there you'll discover 73 tactics you can implement to grow your business.


This new e-book costs just $6.75. That's right, for about the price of a combo meal at a fast-food restaurant, you can have dozens of insightful tips written specifically for PIs from a guy who is actually in the marketing communications business. (That's me.) You can develop your marketing mindset and grow your investigative business, using dozens of ideas in this brand new e-book.  (Yes, you can order via Paypal to my email address of mackowiakcom@aol.com. Although if you want to send your $6.75 as a check or cash through the mail go ahead…but you will still receive the e-book via email. If you need me to send you an invoice for this through Paypal, let me know.)

If you struggle to know what you should do, invest $6.75 in your business and expand your marketing mindset and order my new e-book, "PR for PIs: 73 Powerful Tips for Effective PI Marketing."

You can send your cash or $6.75 check payable to Mackowiak Communications to
Mackowiak Communications
755 Bronx Drive
Toledo, Ohio 43609
You can also order through Paypal to my email mackowiakcom@aol.com I can send you an electronic invoice if necessary.

When you order, be sure to include your email address, because the e-book .pdf will be emailed to you.