From the President: On Marketing Ethics, Electrical Danger, and Electrical Data Collection

First, I just wish to make you aware that we are continuing the MDMH News Monthly eMag, it just appears that I have more to say than just one time a month. Especially when there are issues that I find particularly disturbing. Besides, I have more resources to delegate to, leaving me more time to do my favorite hobby – write – as well as continue the scheduled projects we have in place. And for those who think I spend days and days writing because I have nothing else to do… this whole newsletter took 3 hours to write starting at 8am this morning, including editing and posting the editorial on the blog.

Over the years I have battled continuously in dealing with marketing ethical issues. Personally, I do my best to provide the truth as I see it, or understand it, as a great many do. I do my best to follow the rules and present items in their best light while providing the appropriate disclosure as I believe that the initial purchase is only the beginning of the sale (‘You Can’t Teach A Kid To Ride A Bike in a Seminar’ by David Sandler). While in my previous positions, I had first been involved in the sales and marketing processes for motor repair, US Dept of Energy programs, university programs, and then the full sales and marketing process for an instrument vendor. I studied the different methods applied as written and I would deliberately put myself into being sold or marketed to in order to study how those methods are applied. It also opened my eyes to what people say, how they say it, how they reference things, how they mislead, and how they outright lie.

The general assumption of many sales and marketing techniques is to ‘direct the audience into doing what you want them to do,’ and in many cases the common sales techniques are sleazy and scary. Let’s just say that the email money scams, and a few others, are not that far off from what some reputable companies now do through either making mis-statements (PC for lying) or, worse, providing only the upside and carefully leaving out any problems up front. The idea has to do with the concept of just getting the sale – basically goals presented to the sales and marketing force – and leaving customer service, which most likely is lacking, or engineering, or reps, or consultants, to clean up the mess and ‘make things work.’

I am going to address this in detail in next week’s eMag. Let’s just say I don’t just write about stuff, but I have warned a few companies that I would be addressing this issue and gave them several weeks to correct their marketing. None did. Apparently, as I was told, nobody will pay attention. The rest just did not follow through.

Personally, from the journalist and writing standpoint, my job is to inform and investigate, from my consulting hat, I aggressively protect my clients. In a few cases, I am approached with the necessary funding to evaluate industry claims by competitors or equipment users. In those cases, I can get very deep into an issue and fully flesh out my resources to determine the rot.

In all, what bothers me is that the concept of ‘do no harm’ seems to be lacking and the self-justification of some of these people…. Let’s just say that I have a hard time sleeping if I am late on something I have promised – it really bothers me. I just can’t comprehend how someone can live with themselves when they do some of the things they do to ‘make the sale’ or ‘fill the funnel.’ Maybe it is how they are brought up, maybe it is what they are being taught in school, maybe society is broken and that the concept of a code of ethics just doesn’t exist.

One of the issues I am particularly concerned about has to do with claims based upon electrical safety. Just like ‘being green,’ ‘energy,’ and ‘arc flash,’ when the buzz words appear that have meaning, they are immediately snapped up by marketing folks. Next thing you know, everything is ‘green,’ or ‘energy efficient,’ or ‘arc flash rated,’ without any justification, certification, or standard to go by. Even better, just like a whole lot of companies that are claiming ‘green’ or ‘energy efficient’ consulting or services expertise, I wonder where most of them were while those of us actually doing the work through the nineties were putting together the information that is now being bastardized! The number of fly-by-night marketing schemes by even some of the largest companies has been amazing!

Also, the danger that they are putting us or our co-workers in as part of the mad dash to out-market their competitors. Electricity and electrical systems are not anything to fool around with. Yet, there are claims out there concerning products and applications that put you in immediate danger while you are led to believe that you are perfectly safe through misleading claims. Whenever there is an emphasis on how something relates to a standard - too much emphasis - remember the saying, “the lady does protest too much.” The marketing sleaze are hoping that you take their word for it and do not actually read the standards.

At first I thought: hmmmm…. Are people that gullible? Then I went ahead during one investigation and realized the cost of purchasing the associated standards with just one issue. Ouch! (I am now willing to take donations for such research!) The claims by some that reference standards, even though they even have voting representation on those standards, tend to be incorrect. Some of the stuff is outright blatant!

I have even received a few ‘threats’ about addressing this issue. The good news is that I am a card-carrying journalist and that provides me significant protection. It is amazing to what level the dishonest will go to.

In terms of marketing, this editorial is the teaser for next week’s Motor Diagnostics and Motor Health News eMag in which I am going to address some of the issues related to devices provided for electrical data collection and a few other technologies that are presented by some in a misleading way. Here is what is going to happen between now and then, for a few of you, as I have been through this more than once:

1. A few companies will go out of their way to say that the editorial will not be about them. Listen carefully and keep an eye on these guys;
2. A few will say nasty things about myself, my company, or my associates. I am probably not even talking about them, but their conscience is bothering them. Take a new look at the business you are doing with them and/or the products that you have bought from them or are considering;
3. Many will become very quiet, waiting to see what happens next week. Good for them. Even better, some might even make changes to how they present. They know that there are a great many people that read this because of feedback they receive.

For me, let’s just say I don’t take threats very well.

In the editorial next week, not only will we discuss this particular issue as it relates to electrical systems, and will actually relate to all systems, I am going to discuss how you can take steps to prevent being put in a position by a marketing or sales staff, regardless of who they are. You will have the ammunition to protect yourself, your company, and even the company trying to sell you their product or service.

Sincerely,
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
President, SUCCESS by DESIGN®