Walker's Legacy Profiles recognize unique women of color in business who embody the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire. In this installment, meet Sherron Washington, CEO of The P3 Solution.
Sherron Washington is the CEO of The P3 Solution, an innovative marketing communications firm located in Washington DC and hailed for its uncommon, yet simple strategy, design and social media marketing solutions for small to medium business enterprises, non-profits, associations and entrepreneurs. Sherron is affectionately known as "The Marketing Whisperer" for her uncanny ability to help clients adopt simple marketing and communications techniques that help them market their businesses at a high-level and leverage their platforms more effectively.
Walker's Legacy caught up with Sherron to learn about her new book, "The Oops Moment: Eliminating Marketing Mistakes, Mishaps and Missteps" and to explore all things marcomm.
Your book is laser-focused on marketing mistakes, mishaps and missteps that marketers and business owners can avoid. What inspired you to showcase these particular challenges?
My inspiration came from observing common marketing frustrations that my clients experienced. Because I have also experienced a few, I could relate to the pain of trying to skillfully navigate constant changes in the marketplace (including new strategies and new platforms), and the inevitability of making the occasional blunder or two. I created this book to provide simple solutions to help businesses avoid those all-too-common "oops moments" in marketing.
The book provides 35 real-world marketing scenarios from small businesses, large corporations, associations, and entrepreneurs. Each scenario examines a problem and then offers simple solutions that help businesses make better decisions by avoiding common pitfalls in marketing.
What's one marketing faux pas that you've made and how did you rectify it?
Where do I begin? I have made tons of mistakes throughout the years. For example, when I first started my company 12 years ago, I was so excited about beginning my new journey as a business owner that I completed the entire process, including what to name it, (P3 Solutions) within a matter of days! I broke my own rules – I didn't conduct any relevant research and I didn't consult with any industry professionals for advice during the process.
Needless to say, a few weeks later, I realized where I went wrong. A friend advised that, in an attempt to search Google to forward a referral to me, they could not determine which "P3 Solutions" to select in the search results. Shortly thereafter, I realized there was another company within 10 miles of me – under the same name – practically offering the same business services! Because I had already invested in the name and the website, I could only rectify the mistake by altering the name to (The P3 Solution, sans the "s"). I decided to take full ownership of the brand by promoting it as much as possible and distinguishing my unique value in the marketplace.
How will current marketing trends be impacted by the strategies in your book?
I anticipate that businesses will leverage the book's targeted strategies to jettison ineffective marketing strategies and produce more useful outcomes for their businesses in the long run.
What are your top three tips for helping someone simplify their marketing efforts?
Whether you are just starting a business or you have a new product or service offering you'd like to share, make sure you research its parameters thoroughly before you press play and propel it into the marketplace.
Talk with a seasoned professional about where you should start before you jump straight into the marketing process. They can provide needed direction that can end up saving you significant headaches and heartache.
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your empire. Create one marketing plan and focus on a single goal at a time. Having laser-like focus and seamless execution will help to positively impact your positioning, promote brand appeal, and increase your bottom line.
How can our readers reach you to learn more great marketing tips?