Marketing Is What You Do

Patrick McFadden • June 10, 2013

Yesterday, while attending an event I had the opportunity to catch up with some friends and chat for a little bit. While chatting and talking it up, one of my friends mention having a buddy who does great photography but sucks at marketing and his business has been slowing down and really on life support.

As the conversation continued I then proceeded to explain, “how marketing isn’t that hard” but before I could finish my friend said something so wise. She said,  “Patrick you know marketing because you do marketing.” 

You know marketing because you do marketing!  As soon as she said it I thought what a great marketing principle. I always say, “that marketing is action and action leads to profits.” It’s what you do more than anything.

Here are 4 ways for you to start doing marketing:

  1. Start a Blog.  You can start blogging immediately – there is no risk, no downside and you can set up a blog site in about 20 minutes.   It’s a completely safe method going into detail about your expertise and the industry. Don’t blog just for the sake of blogging – blog because you have content about your passion than you can’t contain.
  2. Prepare a 10, 15 and 20 minute speech around your topic.  This can launch your business quickly.  If you speak and people are interested they will approach you about working together.  Make sure you always have a one-page handout with contact information.
  3. Help other people achieve their goals.   Networking is always important when it’s real and a useless distraction when it’s fake. You’ll make it real because your goal is to find 3-5 people every month and do the only networking that matters , which  is helping other people achieve their goals, doing it reliably and repeatedly, so that over time those same people have an interest in helping you achieve your goals.
  4. Add your own unique marketing tool here.  You know your business, industry, customers needs and wants more than me. You should know how to satisfy those and how to reach them. You can use Twitter, start your own magazine, or use entertaining photos in your presentations.

There are thousands of ways to market your business. I encourage you to find at least 3 or 4 and do those with excellence and consistency. Without doing marketing and developing the proper mindset it’s very clear you will not experience any increase or success in business – regardless of the excellence of what you have to share with the world.

Question: What could you do this week to bring to life the principle that marketing is doing?

Why Facebook Ads Fail for Remodelers (And What to Do Instead)

By Patrick McFadden • April 18, 2025
Understanding platform intent, sales cycles, and what actually works in high-ticket home services

Forget “Perfect Workspaces.” Customers Want Perfect Installation Days — Here’s What Happened When One Furniture Installation Company Got That Right

By Patrick McFadden • March 31, 2025
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.

From Trends to Tactics: How Our Marketing Firm Helps Medical Staffing Agencies Win in Changing Markets

By Patrick McFadden • March 8, 2025
Most marketing firms talk about tactics. We help our clients see the bigger picture.
More Posts