Twenty years.

Twenty years ago I walked into a Radio Shack to return a new phone. I had the box; I had the receipt. What I didn’t have was the instruction booklet that came with it.

The young clerk immediately started to process the return. Then the manager came over, went through the box and pounced on me as soon as he realized that the instruction booklet was missing.

We argued for a while. For whatever reason, he seemed intent on teaching me some kind of lesson.

Why not just say, “Get out! I hate you…I hate everyone who knows you! I don’t want your business…no one here does!” Because that’s what fighting with me really said.

Either you’re going to make someone happy or you’re not. In this case, the manager didn’t. And I haven’t bought so much as a battery from Radio Shack since.

If you ever try to teach a customer a lesson, you’ll accomplish three things:

1. You’ll fail to teach the lesson
2. You’ll lose the customer
3. If that customer is anything like me, they’ll never forget the experience (or you).

So do great marketers.

The corporate version of the logline is known as the mission statement. And when you get the logline or the mission statement wrong, everything else falls apart.

Here’s what I mean:

It’s Saturday night. You and your friends decide to see a movie; you volunteer to read the choices while everyone else listens.

You read the logline for the first film, but no one understands what it’s about. So you start talking about everything else but the storyline – the director, the big-name star and the critic ratings. But it’s not enough.

“What else is playing?” someone asks. And just like that, everyone moves on.

A good logline pulls us in and promises to deliver more. Take the pitch for Pretty Woman as an example:

A businessman needs an escort for social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets…only to fall in love.

Does your mission statement hook people like that? Or does it sound like this:

XYZ Corporation is committed to being the world’s premier [industry] company. To that end, we must continuously achieve superior financial and operating results while adhering to the highest standards of business conduct. These unwavering expectations provide the foundation for our commitments to those with whom we interact.

This doesn’t say anything. What else is playing?

Get your mission statement right first, before your product or service exists. That’s what great screenwriters do, and with good reason. If the logline works, it’s easier to develop distinct characters, the story becomes more clearly defined and the writing itself becomes easier.

If you don’t have a mission statement, maybe you should rethink your entire business. 

The cycle normally goes like this: the new plumber arrives to diagnose a problem. He quotes a price, and promises that his solution is the best one. Then he completes the job, collects payment and goes on his way.

A short time later, the problem resurfaces – and the plumber disappears.

I’ve had so many bad experiences that I can’t help but assume that all plumbers in my area are unreliable. Note: before I get pounded with emails, please understand that I’m not suggesting that all plumbers are unreliable – that’s just been my experience.

Recently I found someone who I thought might change my perspective. He showed up on time, figured out the solution to a problem no one else could, and quoted a reasonable price. I couldn’t hide my surprise. “I’m different,” he explained. “I care about every customer, big and small.”

Then the northeast was hit with an unexpected October snowstorm – and he disappeared as well. He was bombarded with new business, and never showed up to do the work.

Companies that operate in markets with a history of spotty service should take note: you can claim that you’re better than the competition all you want. If people have been burned in the past, they can’t help but wait to get stuck (again) with a company that doesn’t care. So even if you’re the best plumber, attorney or consultant in the game, you’d better be prepared to prove it again and again before they start to believe your story.

“I need to think about it” is another way of saying “I’m not sure it’s worth it.” I’m not sure it’s worth the price, worth my time, or worth the risk.

When you hear these words, there are two options:

1. Tell a better story.
2. Have a more compelling product in the first place.

Yet even with all of this clutter, many marketers are still excessively wordy.

My philosophy is simple: if I keep posts short and to the point, it increases the likelihood that people will read them.

I bring this up because one day you may find yourself writing a letter or an email or web copy…and you’ll be tempted to insert words that do nothing but take up space.

Don’t do it.

In today’s world, people read short sentences. Not long ones.

At this distance, every runner must adapt to unexpected conditions…tired and tight muscles, cramping, changes in the weather…it’s not easy. Those who finish push through the pain and continue to run, one step at a time.

The experience reminded me that starting something new is hopeful, exciting…and easy. Finishing what you started is challenging and painful.

Sounds familiar, right?

Today I inadvertently changed the settings in my email client, and couldn’t identify senders until I opened each email – except for one. My friend writes distinctive subject lines, so I knew his instantly.

U2 and my friend have something in common: brand DNA.

Do you? What about your company? It’s not easy to obtain, but I think it’s worth the effort.

Are you ready?

Twenty times. Mostly e-mails, with a few voice mails thrown in for good measure.

Heck, before you know it I’ll start getting pharmaceutical solicitations by e-mail as well.

Whoops – too late.

If you’re ever tempted to send something without permission, stop for a minute. Then ask yourself a question: will this activity make my brand more valuable? 

Actually, you can. And you should – at least initially.

I agree that access to capital has certain advantages. You can hire more salespeople, open more stores, and buy more advertising (although a costly ad doesn’t necessarily translate into an effective one).

But before you rush to find investors, consider this: if your product or service isn’t appealing when you’re small, it’s not likely to sell better when you’re big.

Here are two examples:

• The 2012 presidential primaries are right around the corner. If a candidate’s speech doesn’t persuade a small audience, that same speech won’t magically influence the entire nation.
• J. Crew sends me a daily email offer (here’s why). If the email doesn’t work when they send it to a hundred people, will it do better when it goes out to a thousand?

If you think you need funding to grow, take a step back for a moment. Chances are your time is better spent improving what you do rather than how many places you do it.

No. 17 is one of the top design firms in New York City.

Exhibit 1: CAA’s website.

Exhibit 2: No. 17’s website.

Yep, that’s all they have…a single page.

Just a thought: if we decided to focus more on our business than our marketing “collateral,” what would happen?