I was listening to a Verge Podcast, “Version History: The Harmony Universal Remote.” Now, you may or may not remember them from the early 2000s. It was supposed to replace the tray of remotes on your coffee table for your home audio system. I had that problem, owning a receiver, TV, CD player, DVD player, VHS tape, and a cassette player.

The problem was that each unit was controlled via an IR (infrared) remote, and the remotes had to have a clear line of sight to each unit. The Harmony remote would allow you to program codes for each device and, supposedly, control the whole home entertainment system from one place.

I was one of those who spent the $200 to try to solve that problem. The real problem is that it never really lived up to the hype. It would often turn on some devices while turning off others. Then you would have to manually turn everything off and try again.

It was a solution in search of a problem, but it created more problems than it solved.

Harmony Marketing

The Harmony remote was the common man’s solution, while Crestron (another remote company that could actually solve the problem) cost thousands of dollars. It really would work, but who could afford that? Only rich people with dedicated media rooms.

Marketing is very similar in that it often involves a series of remote-control services. You have a website, email, marketing, social media posting, video system management, a CRM, and more. Each is important, yet not all are used at the same time in the same way, which can mean paying for separate tools to work with each platform. Some who try to be the Harmony remote often fall short.

Tools like HubSpot or Salesforce are the Crestrons of the marketing industry, but they are insanely expensive for the average business and typically not as effective as individual tools for each messaging platform. The main problem (even with AI help) is that each social media platform, video platform, CRM, and email program has different specs for image sizes, text formatting, and other nuances, such as vertical and horizontal video posting.

Then there are APIs and tools like Zapier that claim to connect all your remote services, but rarely live up to the hype about ease of synchronization, given all the work it takes to make them function as intended.

But all of this is a solution in search of a problem.

Solving the Problem… IS the Problem.

What often happens is that we spend too much time on the technical solutions. Take my own stack as an example of how deep the rabbit hole goes:

• WordPress for Website
• Perplexity for AI Writing & Research
• Adobe for Graphics Creation & Stock Photos
• Planable for Social Posting
• Flodesk for Email Marketing
• Nimble for CRM
• Zoom for Meetings
• Acuity for Scheduling
• Fathem for Meeting Recording & Transcription
• and more

What is often overlooked is that while each of those does its job, none can synthesize our collective knowledge and experience into the messaging about the problem we solve for the client and how we communicate it.

Yes, AI can perform the vast majority of the tasks above, but it can’t have a one-on-one conversation with the people we’re trying to help. And it shows.

Companies are now starting to add employees again and slowing AI spending that was supposed to replace them at a lower cost. Why? People are better at turning a client’s perceived problem into a solution.

So while many think that AI is the solution for marketing — it is fast, easy, and less expensive in some cases — the truth is it creates a problem in communicating the right solution to your clients’ concerns.

Defining the Problem

Marketing is best served up as a different message to a different audience. Nonprofits often have 3-4 main audiences: constituents (those they serve), volunteers (people who donate time), donors (people who donate money), and advocates (people who support and spread the word about the organization).

Often, they lack the people and resources to serve 3-4 audiences, so they try to create messaging that reaches all at the same time, diluting the emotional connection that inspires each.

Each message and platform has its own personality. Taking the same message and trying to spray-and-pray often has the same diluting effect. The same is true for your own business. Each group in your business funnel has different problems:

• Current Clients – need to know that you are listening to them and sharing your thought leadership with their unique challenges in mind.
• Past Clients – need to be nudged in case someone has left the company, or has explored cheaper options.
• Prospects – just need to know the breadth and depth of your services and solutions.

That can be broken down as well. Say some clients need service, while others need supplies. It does not mean they may not need both, but chances are, most clients lean towards some options rather than all. The more you can segment and specialize your messages, the better the chances of results.

You can send global messages to all sometimes, but the bulk of communication should focus on past needs and purchases.

Defining the Data

This is where the CRM and Email marketing meet. CRMs can tag clients with specific details. Those tags can help you export each to a different list or, in some email programs, tag them within the program itself.

The key is to keep that data up to date. That goes across all contacts in your CRM. It also includes any contact your company has with prospects. The better you define, the easier it is to segment and serve up content that directly meets their needs at this moment in time.

The CRM can also be used to track and add connections of clients, past and present, and prospects on LinkedIn. The best thing you can do is have your sales staff connect with their account contacts. Then you can distribute content through your team’s personal profiles and leverage those personal relationships for even more messaging juice.

By having current and usable data, the solution finally finds the problem — reaching the right people with the right message at exactly the right moment.

Closing Thought

The Harmony remote was sold to Logitech and discontinued in 2021. Its promise was never fulfilled, but it was the best (imperfect) option for people looking for a solution to that specific problem.

Social media had the promise of delivering your content to the right audience, but algorithms and a focus on ads over access diminished that promise of being social.

All-in-one or API solutions often disappoint when it comes to solving the one-size-fits-all promise of the marketing tool panacea.

Nothing can outperform a one-on-one conversation via text, phone, or Zoom. It’s that personal touch that requires time, human interaction, and consistency to reap results.

It can feel as clunky as having a remote for each device, but still today, if you have multiple sources for your in-home entertainment, it’s best to keep all those buttons handy.

If you intend to increase your sales in the AI age, you have to press the right emotional buttons with the right people at the right time for action.

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Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.