Body Slam Marketing™
Pinning the Competition Before they Pin You
By Brian Norris

I grew up watching professional wrestling. As a little boy, I would wake-up especially early on Saturday mornings, rush through my chores and head for a comfortable spot in front of the television screen to watch wrestling with my younger brothers.

Before I knew it the magic had already begun.

The battles had commenced—precisely where they had ended the prior week. World Champion Bob Backland defended his belt against Jimmy Superfly Snuka. The Fabulous Freebirds duked it out against the Funk Brothers. Hulk Hogan defended America as he locked The Iron Sheik into an inescapable figure-four leg-lock, forcing a quick submission. Andre the Giant got body slammed by the evil Big John Stud. These guys had style; they ruled the wrestling world. I (and every other eight year old kid) knew their music, their signature moves. And I couldn't wait to see if the good guys would prevail all over their evil foes.

Two decades later, the Saturday (and Sunday, Monday, Wednesday...) wrestling wars continue, bigger, louder and badder than ever. And you know what? Some of the world is still watching. In fact, as of this writing seven of the highest shows are wrestling shows – producing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for networks, advertisers, sponsors and wrestling organizations. 

As for me, this starry-eyed kid learned more than how to apply the sleeper hold on my brothers or perform a Flying-Suplex off the living room couch. Rather, I learned the ultimate secrets to marketing and positioning. There's a lot we can learn from these head-buttin', leg lockin', Spandex wearin', mega-rich wrestlers. I call it Body Slam Marketing™. In fact, I've perfected, implemented and now share these strategies to audiences and clients across the continent. 

Body Slam Marketing™ needs to be embraced and practiced by everyone. Why? Because regardless of who you are or what you do, you're in the business of selling and marketing something – yourself, your products, your services, your expertise, your ideas and concepts. Body Slam Marketing™ is applicable whether you're:
 

• Working to gain visibility for your business or association
• Running a one-person marketing department or one of the world's largest companies
• Introducing new programs or policies within your organization
• Eager to rise above your competition 
• Hoping to be more than an also-ran and want to ascend to the ranks of well-paid celebrity and expert

Here then, are the basics of Body Slam Marketing...

From this point on, you are a wrestler. You're on the good side, which means you play fair and are at all times ethical. You can be innovative without cheating. You compete to win and to relentlessly improve your products or services and provide extraordinary value. At the same time, you are a performer, an educator, a professional who realizes that life goes on—even after the three-count.

Most of all, you – and as an extension of you, your organization – are the stars of the show. You give your clients everything you've promised (and a few unexpected bonuses). They in turn gladly give you their adoration, loyalty, trust and hefty sums of money. But remember, unless you constantly find ways to be innovative, seek out ways to dismantle mediocrity and grow beyond your current comfort level, your success will be shorted lived. Fans will forget you if you let them.

The next thing to consider before you can master the art of Body Slam Marketing is this...Any sane person over the age of 12 knows that the wrestling we see on TV is entirely scripted.

In fact, many wrestlers belong to the actors guilds and unions. The winners are predetermined. The moves are meticulously choreographed. The dialogue and scenes are written months in advance. Product releases and Pay Per Views are timed to perfectly coincide with each other. Everything is staged and pre-planned.

Planning is the number one law of Body Slam Marketing. Planning affords you the foresight to knowing that when you ascend the top turnbuckle to render your opponent unconscious, you know where he or she will fall. Planning also lets you know if you're serving the right markets in the right ways. What's your plan?

Now you're ready for the specifics:

1. Get a theme song.

When you hear the theme music from the original Rocky, what image comes to mind? Chances are you see a determined fighter climbing those steps in Philadelphia, the symbolic yet arduous journey to success and triumph. In wrestling, the same principle applies. Even before the fighter shows his head, the music begins to play.

Music sets the psychological expectation that something mammoth is about to happen. It does the hard work for you by creating the emotional energy that is conducive to making a great first impression. Music also creates a unique identity that no one else can successfully replicate.

What's your theme song? How does it sound? Does it have words or is it just a series a pulsing rhythms that inspire and encourage your audience? Allow music to facilitate your marketing and you'll have already overcome half of the battle!

2. You need a signature move.

There are hundreds of ways to pin your opponent. None, however, will ever be as good as the move you take the time to develop and perfect on your own. A signature move can be anything. A story you share that lets your buyers know who you are and what you are really all about. An offer that defines your product or service. What can you do to be creative? In marketing, we must create the desire to purchase or invest. How do you go about being unforgettable? Answer these questions and you'll have that signature move that buyers will clamor to experience every time you're in their presence. 

Don't just follow the pack. Be willing to take a risk and invest the time to be original. That doesn't mean you should shave your head and sell all your belongings so that you can join the aliens coming to carry you home. Rather, make your approach an asset to the client. Then do it so well that if anyone tries to steal your move the whole world will know it!  

3.  Make it look effortless.

As wrestlers move across the ring, fly off the ropes onto the cement floor, or get caught in a match-ending chokehold, they make it look so effortless. Sure they sweat. Sometimes they even seem to bleed. What you don't see, though are the hours, weeks and months that go into making their acts look like the real thing. We don't know how many matches these superstars performed in BEFORE they ever made it to prime time television. 

The lesson here is practice. Keep doing it over and over and over until you've got your message down cold. Get intimate with your product or service. Learn every technique available to market it and position it to the buyer. 

• Do you know the questions that clients are going to ask you?
• Do know what the most attractive benefits and ultimate benefits are?
• Can you spot the difference between a feature, benefit and value oriented pitch?

Answer these right now or do the research to make them seem obvious.

Then, make it easy to put the product in your buyers' hands. Do the homework to determine how your buyers prefer to purchase. Accept credit cards. Offer payment/installment plans. Offer early registration discounts. Get a toll-free number. Let your buyers reach you via fax and web site.Above all, make buying a pleasure!

4. Wrestlers with the most applause usually win. 

It's a fact. Nine out of ten times the audience determines the fate of fighters in the ring. Promoters are watching to see how the fans respond to every story line, every dialogue, every event that transpires before, during and after the main event. They understand the power of perception.

In the realm of marketing and perception, reality is meaningless. Your goal in marketing your products must be to manage your buyers perception. If your stuff is perceived as useful, life-enhancing, money-saving and valuable, buyers will clamor for it—Even if your product is garbage!

The caveat here though is this: If it is truly worthless, you erode your future earnings and have to spend ten times as much to reach new audiences who haven't bought from you. Conversely, once you educate buyers on the benefits of a good product or service and then carefully sculpt a positive perception (and can deliver the goods consistently), fame and fortune are yours. 

Deliver the goods, as promised. Then add something unexpected. If the crowd isn't applauding, you won't be in business too long. You don't have to misrepresent yourself or be something you're not. You must, however, deliver your services in a way that gets buyers to see life through your eyes. Have you ever had to ask a favor of someone you disliked (hated)? How does that experience compare with working with a colleague who you respect, admire and appreciate? Someone who is on your side from the very beginning? Getting  people on your side makes all the difference.

5. Beware the Annihilators.

Often, your real opponents are not other individuals or other physical competitors. Instead, your worst enemies are the ones you can't see. The ones without names. I call them them the Annihilators, a vicious group of wrestlers who exist to rob you of your success. Be ever vigilant against:

Terri Time Strangler- He tries to rob you of the one thing that you can never regain – your time. Put a value on what you do and the time you spend doing it. What is your time worth? $500 an hour? $20,000 a week? $2,000,000 a year? When you allow yourself to inundated with trivial tasks, commitments made out of guilt, phone calls that are unwarranted, etc, you allows hours, days and weeks to slip by without any financial or philanthropic benefits. So beware because the strangler is always lurking in the shadows.

Nancy Nay Sayer- Nancy is beautiful and cunning. She, however, insists that whatever you say you're going to do is outright crazy, impossible, ineffective, or not "how its always been done". Body Slam Marketing involves taking calculated risks. Plan your strategy, test it on paper or live via sampling. But believe in your concepts and innovations. There is no perfect time to do anything!

Moe Mediocre- Moe Mediocre will do anything to make you feel content with your current marketing efforts. He tries to convince to rest on your laurel, to depend on your past to determine you future. Champions refuse to settle for number two or three. The moment you stop pushing yourself to become better at what you do, your competitors will seize the opportunity and run off with your buyers. Moe Mediocre is dangerous!

Salacious Stu, the Wasteful Spender- This guy focuses on separating you from your hard earned income. Sometimes, the scam comes in the form of a phone call. Other times it's a piece of snail mail or your e-mail. The common denominator is someone on the other side making promises and guarantees that are totally bogus.

Always remember that aside from taxes and death, NOTHING is guaranteed! Be sure your marketing dollars are being spent on the right things, things that result in long-term value and measurable results. Also don't buy something that doesn't fit. Congruency is critical to building a powerful image. If an offer sounds too good to be true it usually is. So when cornered by Salacious Stu, the Wasteful Spender, give him a swift kick and lock up your purse strings!

Are you ready?

Are you ready to enter the marketing thunderdome and kick butt? Do you know who you are and what makes your products or services compelling enough to survive the daily steel cage matches of life and the grueling torture of constant public scrutiny. What's your plan? How will you evolve to to stay ahead of the newer, younger, more nimble entries into the marketplace?

Begin by re-reading this article. If you still need some coaching or training to make your sales and marketing stronger, call me. Use the power of Body Slam Marketing to become a champion in your industry, to yourself and for those people who need you most, your family.

Brian Norris helps growing companies to sell more, lead better and stay positive. He provides ultra-premium training and coaching in the areas of marketing, management and motivation so that his clients can increase sales, retain top customers and employees and deliver world-class service without sacrificing profits. Brian is also author of the Creative Marketing Manual. Get more information at www.BrianNorris.com or by calling Brian at 414-899-1905. Email him at info@briannorris.com.

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