Marketing With the Scientific Method

The scientific approach could help you with your marketing.

"Are you crazy? Marketing and science are two different things!"

You'd be surprised. You'll see what I mean when you read below.

Knowing this could mean the difference between knowing what you are doing and feeling around in the dark -- in whatever your endeavour.

Many people say "test, test, test."

I prefer to say, "experiment, experiment, experiment." Here's why.

I'm just using the lingo I'm more familiar with.

The scientific method is

Make a hypothesis
Do an EXPERIMENT to TEST that hypothesis
If necessary, refine your hypothesis and TEST it again....

For example, in physics....

HYPOTHESIS.... Einstein said that gravity is due to space-time curvature.... A consequence of this (if it is true) is red-shift -- that is, if light goes UP against a gravitational field, the light will become "redder," that is the frequency will become lower -- this is known as "red-shift"....

EXPERIMENT.... This was tested by Pound and Rebka in 1960. They sent a photons ("particles" of light) from the ground up to their detection device at the top of a tower. To detect red-shift, they used an extremely sensitive method called the Mossbauer effect.

RESULT.... In this case the hypothesis was confirmed -- they directly saw the red-shift which occurred just from a photon working against the earth's gravity as it traveled up alongside the tower towards their detector.

Now.... See how this can apply to marketing?

HYPOTHESIS.... People will buy hand-made chairs over the internet if I provide some great photos of my chairs, along with positive testimonials.

EXPERIMENT.... Try it out. Set up the web site and get some traffic going.

RESULT.... Well, you'd have to try it to find out, but I do believe I've seen a successful web site for (pretty expensive) rough-hewn hand-made chairs.

I think where marketing may differ from straight scientific experimenting in the physical sciences is that experiments in marketing are more complicated. Human beings are quite complicated, and many things can change. There can be many factors in the success or failure of a marketing experiment.

What might work and be "hot" one year may be ice cold the next. So, I think finding the "universal truths" in marketing could be more difficult -- since you may have thought you found a universal truth, only to find that society has changed and your "universal truth" no longer works.

Ben Suarez, in his book "7 Steps to Freedom II," talks about four elements of a successful remote marketing campaign.... PPPM -- Product, Prospect, Promotion, and Media. His theory is that you've got to have all four right for it to work.... This is a great theory -- probably the best I've seen, which is based on Ben Suarez's own scientific marketing experiments.

One thing which has surprised me is that there are quite a few of us "scientific types" out here, doing our own experiments....

There are also many people who I think of as "scientific types," even though they don't have any formal scientific training that I know of. You don't need scientific training to make it work!

This is an interesting place to be. :)

Best wishes,

Dien Rice

(Ph.D. in Physics)

Actually what and how you put it ...is still testing testing. I only have an MBA but I know a little psychics and statistics (hope I spelled these words right) (because you have a few degrees does not make me and a lot of other people great spellers).

Actual there are so many things that go into testing.

And there are four things that a business needs:

Find a hugh market
Find the product for it.
Get a great sales system in place.
Have backends and backends and backends.

Actually the greatest business secrets has been available since coins were first used in Asia Minor. "Find a need and fill it"

Ray Kroc, Getty, Trump, N. Hill, Tony Robbins.. I could go on and on with this.

I did like your article....




http://www.somuch.com/renegade

Hi Joe,

I'm glad you liked the article! :)

Below, I have some further thoughts.... is it possible to have TOO MUCH education to succeed?

> Actual there are so many things that go into
> testing.

I agree with you....

> And there are four things that a business
> needs:

> Find a hugh market
> Find the product for it.
> Get a great sales system in place.
> Have backends and backends and backends.

> Actually the greatest business secrets has
> been available since coins were first used
> in Asia Minor. "Find a need and fill
> it"

> Ray Kroc, Getty, Trump, N. Hill, Tony
> Robbins.. I could go on and on with this.

Thanks Joe for sharing some of your wisdom here.... You've said some very true things....

Here's another thought....

I think you can be TOO educated to succeed....

That might sound crazy also, but not really (I think)....

It can become a problem of EGO....

I think once your ego becomes a bit too giant-sized, it can become a turn-off....

And that's a problem. I've encountered this in academia.... Some academics might hate me saying this, but some academics have giant-sized egos....

But I don't think it's limited to academics....

That's why I love the stories of the little kids, selling you flowers, "Grit" newspaper, or chocolate bars (for charity) going door-to-door.... I did a *little* bit of this growing up (not very much though)....

Many of these kids succeed (or they wouldn't persist). I'm sure the "cuteness" factor is part of it.... Persistance must be a big part. But also, a kid is non-threatening.... People feel comfortable talking to a kid....

I think that also maybe why so many women are very successful in sales (according to what I've read), perhaps even more successful than guys.... Women may seem a lot less threatening than guys are, to both men and women.... It may help when you are trying to make people comfortable with you....

But once you're a bit over-educated.... beware. :) People sometimes feel a bit intimidated.... I've encountered this at parties when I was still an university academic, once people asked me what I did for a living....

Anyway, this is just a theory of mine.... I haven't truly tested it yet. Any thoughts? I could be completely wrong....

Thanks for your wonderful seeds of wisdom, Joe....

Best wishes,

Dien

Hi Dien!

*Sigh* Pull on the heart strings whenever I can discuss my favorite renaissance man, Leonardo Da Vinci. After studying him, and strolling around an art museum, I saw what it meant to combine the "ART" with the "SCIENCE as you suggest in your discussion of.....

"Marketing and science are two different things!"

Developing the Balance between two seemingly opposite sides equals incredible magnificence. I guess mathematically that would look like this

Marketing + Science = Magnificence

> Knowing this could mean the difference
> between knowing what you are doing and
> feeling around in the dark -- in whatever
> your endeavour.

I agree wholeheartedly. How can you even know if there is a huge market to fill without first having a hypothesis?

I was chatting today with a new entrepreneurial friend of mine. He designs all sorts of technical stuff, today he was working on his design contract with NASA. (I am so blessed to be in relationship with some fascinating people). I threw out a *top secret product idea* that I have, and in a matter of about a half hour, we had further refined my product AND he has offered to purchase the initial materials AND do some gratis design work for me.

I hypothesized in regards to the product and the market, and now we will do some experimenting. If it does not take, we will tweak and adjust and, well, watch the boards for a terrifically successful product coming soon from 5passions!

> Einstein ....

***Another fantastic not just scientist but philosopher as well. Go to any quote search site on the internet and do a search for EINSTEIN. Prepare to be amazed, this man was CERTAINLY whole brained!

>this is an interesting place to be!

That is it, Dien! Thank you very much!

With Purpose and Passion,

JULIE


My place, 5Passions

Hi Julie!

Wow.... Great message.... I thought you shared some great wisdom here.... :) Leonardo, Einstein.... and I also read your ebook! I'll share with you what I thought... but first about Leonardo!

> *Sigh* Pull on the heart strings whenever I
> can discuss my favorite renaissance man,
> Leonardo Da Vinci. After studying him, and
> strolling around an art museum, I saw what
> it meant to combine the "ART" with
> the "SCIENCE as you suggest in your
> discussion of.....

Leonardo da Vinci is quite fascinating!

I remember looking through his books as a teenager, and at his incredible designs -- his parachute, his version of a "helicopter", and all his other amazing ideas....

And his art is incredible! I'm a big fan of the Renaissance painters.... They were great artists then.

Call me square, but I ho-hummed over Andy Warhol's rows of Campbell soup cans.... I guess I'm more of a "traditionalist".... :)

> "Marketing and science are two
> different things!"

> Developing the Balance between two seemingly
> opposite sides equals incredible
> magnificence. I guess mathematically that
> would look like this

> Marketing + Science = Magnificence

Wow.... that looks like a very useful equation.... :)

> I was chatting today with a new
> entrepreneurial friend of mine. He designs
> all sorts of technical stuff, today he was
> working on his design contract with NASA. (I
> am so blessed to be in relationship with
> some fascinating people).

You're right he does sound fascinating.... Though Julie with a fascinating web site like you have, I'm not surprised other fascinating people are also attracted to it.... :)

> I threw out a *top
> secret product idea* that I have, and in a
> matter of about a half hour, we had further
> refined my product AND he has offered to
> purchase the initial materials AND do some
> gratis design work for me.

> I hypothesized in regards to the product and
> the market, and now we will do some
> experimenting. If it does not take, we will
> tweak and adjust and, well, watch the boards
> for a terrifically successful product coming
> soon from 5passions!

Sounds like things are happening!

We can all learn from this....

I believe there must be a balance between secrecy and openness when it comes to your *top secret* ideas.... I think you can be too secretive, and you can also be too open....

Sometimes, like your story shows us, you need to get feedback on your ideas and thoughts, from those who know what they are talking about. That's valuable information -- it's a type of market research.

Even just asking your friends for their opinions is a basic type of market research. It could give you some useful information....

But if you tell the whole world, you may have given it all away. And if you tell nobody -- you may not see any problems with your ideas until it's too late....

Julie, it seems like you have everything balanced very well.... :) Thank you for sharing your story with us.... :)

> ***Another fantastic not just scientist but
> philosopher as well. Go to any quote search
> site on the internet and do a search for
> EINSTEIN. Prepare to be amazed, this man was
> CERTAINLY whole brained!

I agree, Julie! I've read a lot of Einstein's essays published in the book "Ideas and Opinions"....

Julie.... I also read through your free ebook. After reading it, I felt there's so much I want to say, so much I could relate to.... :)

Your free ebook was very very inspiring.... Many people need to read it.... especially those who are feeling directionless, or who are having difficulties in their lives....

And we were talking about facing your fears -- and Julie, your story was one of the best stories I've read about that....!

There much much more to say... but I will save it for email (and spare everyone else my boring stories.... :)

Thanks Julie!

Dien


Check out Julie's web site....

Dien: Here is why I believe your are right.
Of course you’re right. I will give you several examples why I believe this.

I think in the late 1800s or early 1900s the head of the Patent office resigned because he thought we had invented all the things possible.

Many times businesses went to newspapers and other advertisers that should have known business and advertisement. These businesses asked for unused space and the advertiser could keep a large % of the gross. The advertisers said no they could not make money that way. But why would you want to advertise in that media if you could not get sales.

When I was in graduate school I asked professors in different fields thought related fields. One was a mathematic teacher and the other taught TQM. We were studying inventory in both classes. I asked the mathematic teacher if we should do just in time inventory or keep inventories. He said keep inventories. The other professor in TQM advises to do just in time inventory. Who was right? I had to make my own decision.

Yes, education gets in the way when anyone refuses to learn or have an open mind.

JJT




http://www.somuch.com/renegade

Joe,

I completely agree... An OPEN MIND is the key to learning.

I may have a pretty advanced degree... but I am still a student. I plan to be a student until the day I die.

I NEVER want to stop learning....

Learning for me is fun. I'm incredibly curious.... I love the Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel on TV. I guess that must say something.

Just the other day I saw a documentary on the MOA -- a HUGE bird in New Zealand, which is now extinct. It used to be hunted by this GIANT EAGLE -- the largest eagle that ever existed. It is sad that these animals are now extinct -- but still, finding out about them is exciting.

And another documentary, I saw one on Sperm whales and how they hunt giant squid. They attached a camera to a sperm whale while it was going on a giant squid hunt, many thousands of feet below the ocean surface. The camera had its own light, we so we could still see in that pitch darkness so far beneath the ocean waves.... Well, the Sperm whales didn't find any giant squids on this dive, but it was exciting to go on the journey nevertheless.

But that's going off on another topic.... I should start a new board where I can talk about sperm whales, giant squids, moas and giant eagles.... :)

I agree.... But I don't want all my education to hold me back....

That's partly why I've also been writing about the perspective of children. It's part of my attempts to go back to the time BEFORE I had all this learnin', I think there's a lot of benefits in going back to those times of innocence and naivite....

It's not always good to be naive, but it's good to go back to the times before it was drilled into you what you CAN'T do.

You could do ANYTHING.... Many of us (including me) could benefit from having MORE of that attitude!

Thank you Joe!

By the way, Joe is the guy to see if you want to know how to reduce your taxes.... From talking to my friends, a lot of people are not aware of the sort of tax deductions they can get if they knew how to set things up right. Joe's the man to see....

Check out his web page at http://www.somuch.com/renegade/

Thanks :)

Dien