Dude Checks Gas Leak With Match

I ran across an article the other day about a dumb dude in Michigan who smelled gas coming from his newly installed water heater. He checked for the leak by lighting a match.

He shoulda died, but he got off easy…

…with singed eyebrows.

Mixing fire and gas leak — that wasn’t his first mistake. 

Installing the gas heater himself — THAT was his first mistake.

Soon after the installation, he smelled that funky odor…

…which really isn’t how gas naturally smells.

The odor is an additive designed to warn people to…you know…NOT light a match.

As soon as that odor hit Dumb Dude’s nose, he had a few options:

Option 1: Call a qualified expert to check for the leak and fix it.

Option 2: Check for the leak himself by choosing tools that won’t result in death and destruction.

Option 3: Check the leak with a match.

Options 1 and 2 have pros and cons.

Option 3? All cons.

A match is simply the wrong tool for the job.

Grab a flashlight.

Then…after realizing that you have no idea why the heater is leaking (and that it’s unsafe for you to attempt a fix), go for option 1 and call an expert.

So it goes with marketing.

I know, you’re not going to set your hair on fire, and you’re certainly not going to blow up, if you misstep while marketing.

But your marketing can backfire if you choose the wrong tools for the job.

For example, email is great for keeping prospects and customers interested and closing sales. But if you send tons of email to people who have never met you (aka SPAM), you can tick people off, generate tons of complaints, damage your brand, and undermine your marketing program. There are better tools to help you make your first connection with leads.

Social media is great for building a following and increasing engagement, but not as great at closing sales.

And just like fixing a water heater, fixing your marketing sometimes is easier and safer if you engage a qualified expert to help you.

Sure, you have to pay the expert. But if you choose the wrong tools or misuse the right ones for your marketing, you waste your precious time (which isn’t free) and you miss opportunities to grow your business.

That’s dangerous for your business. Do it too much, and your business may (figuratively) blow up in your face which could (literally) make your head hurt.