The Number One Marketing Challenge Of Companies (No Matter The Size)

Patrick McFadden

Recently, I’ve been getting asked, “what main challenge do I see companies wrestle with when it comes to marketing?”

I can say without hesitation that the number one marketing challenge of companies has to do with testing and measuring and adapting to the things that generate revenue, get sales and get cash — and making that consistent.

This is why I challenge business owners and organizations to think and approach marketing in a different way for better results , starting with discovering which segment of their customers they should really focus on to create a stronger business and then how to improve their messaging and lastly their reporting.

Shiny Object Marketing

From experience a lot of business owners and organizations get stuck in the shiny object (tactical) marketing. It’s especially hard with digital marketing. It’s not like the days of old when customers and prospects called when they wanted to buy. You just wrote it down on a note pad.

Now there are hundreds of different tools from emails, social media, websites, blogs, etc. It’s really hard for business owners and organizations to keep track of all of this. I mean every year, there’s a different tactic marketing experts say they have to add to their marketing toolkit.

So there’s a lot of shiny object distraction that keeps businesses from building a better marketing foundation for growth.

The Hidden Power of Mastering Marketing Fundamentals

From the leadership and management side of things, there needs to be a commitment back to the basic marketing principles. Too often, I’ve witness business owners and organizations quickly jump ahead to the new shiny thing, the tactical idea of the week, failing to get good enough at the important thing, first.

Even Targets new CEO Brian Cornell has publicly announced why his organization is taking a back-to-basics  approach in order to ignite growth. [ Video ]

In my observation of the marketplace, the most successful business owners and organizations tackle this marketing challenge by spending time today learning and relearning basic marketing principles and finding ways to apply them today in the realm of a specific marketing initiatives.

 

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.

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