by Lynn Wittenburg – August 2013
I got this headline “Market Like a Rock Star” in an email after I read the book Radical Marketing. They were trying to sell me a book about the Grateful Dead. No sale, but it caught my attention.
What if I really did market like a rock star? What would that look like? Here are four ways I’ve come up with so far. Feel free to tweet more to the list (@lynnwitt) or comment below.
1. Rock stars have larger than life personalities.
Most rock stars (think Ozzy & cats, Bon Jovi & hair, Madonna & sex) have VERY large personalities. Some trait or characteristic they exploit to the fullest becomes their trademark.
We can do that in sales & marketing. Figure out the one thing you can hang your hat on and roll it out big time. Go with the largest “personality” your company has. For you personally, what one thing do you want customers and colleagues to know you by? Don’t hope they catch it. Make it central to who you are and what you communicate.
2. Rock stars are considered crazy.
You hear about it all the time. Rock stars are nuts. Troubled. Deemed crazy. And in this case, usually they are. 
But in marketing, we can be crazy in a good way. We can dare to do things that people deem unconventional. I watched an old video of Steve Jobs. The commercial at the end of the video is what sticks with me. Look at people like Jobs that the world called “crazy” and look at what they accomplished because they didn’t listen to the World.
3. Rock stars love what they do.
In Radical Marketing, the Grateful Dead talk about their passion for their music. They grew bigger than life but it was always about making music.
Do you love what you do in sales & marketing? Because if you don’t love it, how can you expect your customers to love it. Passion is contagious.
4. Rock stars dress the part.
When it comes to attire, rock stars GO BIG or GO HOME! When you are a rock star your “outfit” is as much of your personality as you are.
I attended an Aerosmith concert and Led Zeppelin opened for them. Those dudes STILL have the outfits, the beards and the long hair long long after they hit 60 years old.
When it comes to marketing your product, what is the packaging? How are you presenting it? Are you putting your best foot forward and giving your audience something to remember you by?
What about you?
Well, that’s it. I don’t want to be a ROCK STAR but I’d like to market like one. If you’re going to be a rock star in sales & marketing, what other tips do you suggest? Click the tweet button below and let me know (@lynnwitt)!
Photo cover thanks to KennySun. Led Zeppelin picture thanks to Jonathan Bayer.