“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” ~Robert Frost
Imagine for a moment that you’re the ideal client for your business.
You’ve done all the research, asked all the right questions, and now you’re seeking the proper solution. You’re eager to connect with the right company that will swoop in and solve all your problems.
But wait, you’re faced with two choices. You’re staring down two roads that both seem to lead you to your destination.
How do you choose which road to take? Which one will be the most enjoyable? What will the business need to do to beat out the competition and welcome you down their road?
Let’s look to early twentieth century poet, Robert Frost, for answers about our marketing roads.
1. Your marketing position - “Two roads diverged in a wood…”
You have to show up if you’re going to be an option for your prospect.
How easy is it for your target customer to find your “road?” Do you have clear and proper signage making it easy for them to identify you as not only a road to take but the best one?
Your inbound marketing roads must have signs along the way of your clients’ travel. This means first knowing where your ideal clients already are; bey they on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or elsewhere.
Be certain your road exists among the options by paving it where it will be seen.
Then you have to make it obvious which pains and problems you solve for your clients. If you don’t make it clear, they aren’t going to guess for you or find you. This leads us to the next point.
2. Your marketing clarity - “And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;”
Not all roads are created equal. Sure, you’ve made it clear that, yes, there is a road of solutions that leads to your business. Now you have to make sure it’s paved, clear of obstruction and straight.
Do potholes abound on your road? That is, will clients wince when they hit the potholes that ARE your poor design, lousy copy, or kludge of a shopping cart and sales process?
What about the obstructive undergrowth along your twisty, turny road to solution? Are you making sure that you are the clear road to take without the over-hype, sleaze, spam or other distractions that crowd your message?
Work hard to make sure that your customers will sigh in relief when they see your direct calls to action and upfront disclosure about exactly what you do and how you will benefit them.
3. Your marketing experience - “…that has made all the difference”
The experience of traveling along your company’s road is of vital importance. Anyone can charge for a service and deliver. But how many of us, as marketers and small business owners, are making positive lasting impressions?
Your customer wants to be romanced and they want to sing your praises. Remember the last time you worked with a company that blew all your expectations out of the water? Do you also recall how quickly you spread the word about their service?
BE that product and/or service provider that makes evangelists out of your customers. Get into situation mastery mode and take action today to improve the areas along your road that enhance your overall experience.
Your Turn
Make it clear that you are the best choice for your customers. Be confident in their ability to find you because you’ve researched where they travel (online and offline) and paved a clear road ahead of them.
Now, in the spirit of Robert Frost: when your customer looks back on their experience with you, will you or your company be the road that “made all the difference?”
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
About the Author: Jon Alford writes about starting your own business and growing it online. He also offers one-on-one mentoring and website development at JonAlford.com. He’s also our first guest poster, and has been mentioned multiple times on our Best of the Web series. Follow him on Twitter.
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
First of all, thank you to the team at Firepole Marketing for allowing me to share my content with
the audience here. I genuinely hope you find it useful.
So, let the conversation begin! What do the roads of your marketing say and are you working to
enhance the overall experience between customers and your business?
Jon, Peter and I want to thank you for this fantastic post. It’s great to have you on our blog! And, FYI, your post has attracted more traffic than anything we’ve published but the Kawasaki interview post.
Hi Gents – thank you again for allowing me the opportunity. It’s been a pleasure and I’m quite happy to see that a few new faces popped up over here.
Jon
Lovely analogy. The post obviously could have been even longer. What is the grassy road that wanted wear? What is that low hanging marketing fruit? Thank you
Matt,
So true. I suppose I left myself room for another post
But thank you and you just made me stop to think about where I could have gone with the grassy road. Care to take a crack at it??
Mmmm… sounds like a challenge… Matt, do you have some ideas?
Frost always described this poem as “very, very tricky.” I take him at his word. So this is just one interpretation of the infinite possible.
1st stanza Frost describes where he finds himself – out walking in the woods and comes to two roads. He looks down each one as far as he can manage. Both seem attractive and he would like to try out both but doubts that is possible. So he keeps on looking. ———- broadly speaking there are two paths of marketing conventional and unconventional. Both look attractive for various reasons. Plenty of testimonials and examples on either side to make the choice impossible. You can choose one but inevitably you can only walk one path at a time. Do conventional well and it can pay off in spades. Ditto for unconventional. But once you make that choice you can’t be longing for the other path because then you are not walking the path you chose with full attention anymore.
2nd stanza Frost looks down one path “to where it bent in the undergrowth,” but then chooses to take the other path, because it seemed to have less traffic than the first. But then he goes on to say that they actually were actually “really about the same.” In considering it he reveals that he doesn’t really know which is less traveled. So they are not exactly that same but only “about the same.” ————–it is easy to say “take the road less travelled. Market on a fresh and untrammeled road” but Frost isn’t saying that. There is value in both paths. But you do need to choose. We may make justifications about the path that we choose but ultimately we need to choose.
3rd stanza reflects more on the potential difference between the two roads. Frost notices that the leaves were both freshly fallen on them both and had not been walked on. Then he claims that maybe he would come back and also walk the first one some other time, but he doubted he would be able to, because in life one thing leads to another and time is fleeting. ————–In as much as each marketing campaign has a life of its own this is true. You can’t walk both roads at the same time. In terms of marketing it seems that this is the point just before you choose the path…you must steel yourself to stick to your guns. Not sure. This one is less marketing-y and more philosophically Frost?
4th Stanza holds the key to the trickiness of the poem:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The poem stands in present. Frost is saying that he will recount and tell of this moment in the distant future In terms of marketing it possible to say that Frost is advocating non-conformity because we take the word “difference” to mean a positive difference. But there is nothing that Frost writes to suggests that this difference signals a positive outcome. He can’t offer such information, because he has not lived the “difference” yet.
Further trickiness comes with the word “sigh.” By taking “difference” to mean a positive difference, it is easy to conjure the idea a sigh of nostalgic relief; however, a sigh can also mean regret or disappointment or shame. There is the “oh, dear” kind of sigh, but also the “what a relief” kind of sigh. Which one is it?
If it is the relief sigh, then the difference means Frost is glad he took the road he did even if he doesn’t know if it the more or less travelled one; if it is the regret sigh, then the difference would not be good, and Frost would be sighing in regret. But the plain fact is that the poem does not identify the nature of that sigh. Frost doesn’t even know it either because that sigh and his evaluation of the difference his potential choice are still in the future. It is a truism that any choice an indiviual make is going to make “all the difference” in how our future turns out.
So Frost’s marketing advice is consider both paths deeply. Notice what you can. Evaluate any differences you can manage and then – choose. Do it fully and see where it leads.
Fantastic interpretation(s) here, Matt. I’m impressed and happy to see Frost’s work in yet a new light. Thank you. Of course I’ve interpreted it based on experiences familiar to me; roads traveled by me and others I’ve observed, and insight I feel we can extract from the work (in today’s terms).
But they are based on my thoughts.
What’s so fascinating about this is how, although the piece and its underlying thoughts didn’t originate with us, we can all find profound meaning in it relative to our own lives. It doesn’t make it right or wrong, just a choice to try to understand the ideas and carry them with you.
I like what you said here,
“But once you make that choice you can’t be longing for the other path because then you are not walking the path you chose with full attention anymore.”
Full attention. Focus. That’s how to live and market; with direction and conviction. Embrace the path you choose.
Thanks and really amazing input, my friend.
Jon
Awesome post. I align particularly with finding where the heck people are at, and ensuring you they have a clear path to you. I’m in the process of learning the best ways to do that as we speak!
You’re right, they do want to uptalk you. Everyone is looking for you to be the hero. Great point. Awesome article Jon!
Ryan,
I appreciate that, thank you. Whatever you do, don’t be discouraged. The way technology is evolving, finding the outposts where you’ll find your clients is like hitting a moving target.
We can’t be everywhere but we can place ourselves in front of customers where it makes most sense (for them and us). Then the fun begins as we develop our skills mastering the use of these select mediums of engagement.
Jon
I agree – and there’s a really special feeling of excitement when you hit on to the methods that work, and start seeing them catch – it’s like watching paper ignite when set to match!
The main point I pulled from this article is to not send your customers “off-road”.
Keep them on track and focus on getting them want they want from your company.
Yup – it’s all about focus.
Right, on Caleb. Let’s keep them from going off-road and hold their hand. BE the provider who holds them by the hand on a direct path to their desired outcome. As few bumps and potholes as possible.
Jon, great post!
“Do you also recall how quickly you spread the word about their service?”: This is the most powerful marketing there is – word of mouth marketing. I think that if you can put yourself into this position as a company, where the customers are rushing in through doors and windows, you are obviously doing something right
I used to go to the same barbershop for 12 years. I was first referred to this barbershop by friends and I spread the word to my family. I guess the reason why I picked this particular barbershop was because the quality of work was excellent and prices were inexpensive enough.
Hi Timo!
Great to see you here. I agree, positive word of mouth advertising works wonders. It’s true we gravitate toward what’s familiar but we continue in orbit around that product or service because there’s a connection. There’s a story of experience.
There have been more than a few times I’ve found that I could be paying less by way of a competing service but I’m too happy with my current provider. Have you experienced that?
Hi Jon!
I tried to think if I had experiences like that in the past, but I couldn’t come up with any. But, I understand that feeling you are referring to – being too comfortable to something existing, even if there may be a better alternatives around the corner.
Jon, I love the analogy you’ve used to get the point across. I love this style of writing as it’s very engaging
I will definitely see Frost’s quote in a completely different light now! 
Hi Kesha,
Good to see you over here. Thanks for the compliments and I’m glad to have inspired you today.
Hi Kesha, welcome to Firepole Marketing! We look forward to seeing you around here again.
Jon, aloha. Using the Robert Frost quote as you have is brilliant! Since we are all on journeys to our destination, your road analogy is perfect.
If people follow the advice in your post, they can spare clients/customers from a few of the potholes of life enabling them to enjoy a smooth ride.
Thx so much for a great read. Aloha. Janet
Janet,
Wow, you honor me – thank you! A smooth ride is ideal and yet so many of our fellow businesspeople don’t quite get it. Even our own systems, I’m certain, would benefit from a closer look to remove the “undergrowth” and barriers to new business.
Happy trails, Janet, see you soon.
HI Jon, what a great post. You are absolutely right in aiming to lead your customers down a clear path to you! It is of utmost importance to position yourself where you can be found, as well as a leader to solve their problems.
Its funny, once you tweak everything and start getting found by the right people, it seems to gather momentum… sometimes its just getting there that taken a few swings!
I got a lot out of your post and loved the analogies.
Thanks for a thoughtful post!
Jayne
Jayne,
Thank you. Yes, I was JUST thinking that this morning. For all the newbies out there: it just takes persistence. In the beginning, you’ll be pushing and clawing and fighting to get eyes on your offering (free content or other). Just give it time because soon enough you find that all the hard work will finally result in your project gaining momentum on its own.
But don’t ever stop pushing, even if things seem to be happening effortlessly
Effortlessly, huh? Let those be our problems, right?
Hi Jon,
Great analogy. Love the points, you’ve made. I think providing high quality work at reasonable rates is the best thing to make you are the best choice.
Anyways, Thanks for sharing this great post. Just retweeted & submitted your post to Blokube.com
Have a great day!
~Dev
Devesh,
Sweet! I certainly appreciate you helping me spread the message (and I’m sure the team here does too). Quality is definitely a priority and then we have to effectively showcase it!
Thanks for sharing your insight.
We very much appreciate it, Dev. Thanks for sharing and helping us spread the word!
Hey Jon,
Happy to see this is a guest post of yours. Danny, this is my frirt visit and I’m a follower of Jon’s.
Well, everyone before me has said it all. Great analogy and excellent points. I also love the Robert Frost quote.
I guess from my own experience as an affiliate markter and someone who has their own product, I wanted to be different. I wanted to be approachable and be there to help others. I make myself accessible so if anyone has any questions or problems I’ll be there for them. I have found this to be extremely important when building a customer base and also for presenting to your prospects exactly who you are.
As always, great post Jon and I’ll be back to visit again Danny.
Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, welcome to Firepole Marketing. We’re thrilled to see you hear, and look forward to seeing you again.
Hi Adrienne!
I appreciate your kindness. You do a fantastic job of being personable and friendly. People warm right up to you because you just tell it like it is. You also openly share your journey (with proof of stats) which adds to your credibility. Thank you for sharing your time and insight over here.
Jon
Hi Jon,
Super analogy here.
The positive lasting impression you note creates the experience. We have to take the road ourselves by stepping into our prospect’s and client’s shoes. When we know how they feel we can best serve them.
Thanks for sharing!
RB
Hey Ryan – well said. If we can place ourselves in their shoes and feel what they feel or speak how they speak then that’s the golden ticket.
I appreciate you coming over to comment from Facebook.
Jon
Hey Jon,
Powerful post. Loved the analogy. In this competitive world of business, it’s imperative to stand out from the crowd and provide outstanding service. It’s all about making a difference in people’s lives.
Thanks for sharing your insights.
All the best,
Mavis
Mavis,
Outstanding service: something to strive for and so sweet when it’s attained. Even the “little guy” has the power to make a difference. See you again soon.
Hi Jon,
We definitely have to look at our opportunity or services offered from the way our customers would look at them, rather than from OUR point of view (placing ourselves in their shoes as Ryan commented).
By truly understanding our ideal clients, we can speak directly to them, using their language, touching theirs hearts and minds. We have to make sure we have access to them through clear communication channels.
Thanks for sharing this brilliant post.
- Rowena
Rowena,
Hi there and thanks for your insight. Yes, you and Ryan are right on the money: we have to get ourselves into character, so to speak. The more we can think as our ideal client, the closer we’ll be to meeting their needs.
I hope to see you around here more!
Hey Jon,
I like how you took a quote, broke it down and analysed it to use it as an analogy. I’ll share it to my facebook wall.
Take care!
Matt
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your appreciation and another big thanks for sharing this with your network. It really means a lot that you went the extra mile. I’ve seen you around so I’ll be sure to head over to your site soon.
Thank you Jon for your response. You are very welcome
Looking forward to reconnect soon.
Matt
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