Whenever I hear the term "inbound marketing", I think of my dad. He was applying the basic Inbound principles to sell AAA insurance long before they became the buzz around the marketing world. And the more I look back, the more brilliant I think he was in his approach to selling and guiding people through the insurance process.
He’d say things like, “Well, if a person were smart, they could do this or they could…”
The prospect would then picture themselves as that “smart person” and how they could achieve their goals. He never was one of those slimy salespeople putting high pressure on you to buy now.
Rather, he positioned himself as a wealth insightful and thoughtful information when you had questions about insurance. He understood intuitively how to be a guide and expert in his field.
What lessons can we learn from my dad when it comes to inbound marketing and positioning your business or brand as an expert?
Attracting Customers & Getting Leads
In the past, leads were generated through direct mail.
I remember multiple times my dad would send out direct mailings with a reply card enclosed in a white envelope. My brother and I often sit at the round old claw-foot oak table, helping him stuff envelopes. One person stuffing, the unlucky person licking the envelopes, and then someone putting a stamp on it.
If prospects were interested in being contacted, they would send the card back, and then Dad would follow up in the evenings via phone. Sometimes they were just after the free atlas, but most were qualified leads.
Dad’s Lesson
Today, we can apply Dad’s “attract” principles by creating videos, blogging, and sharing tips on social media that provide value to our customers, meet their needs, and not turn them off by being overly pushy. Or we can keep it old school and send a postcard to potential new customers.
Engaging & Sharing Your Expertise
Once Dad had a prospect on the phone or in for an office visit, he could share his knowledge and find the right product for them. He knew the insurance products he was selling backward and forward.
This was key to finding a solution that met his customers' needs. Dad was also honest about any shortcomings of the product or service, which helped him build trust over time. I remember him leaning back in his blue, cushioned chair (probably a hand-me-down from my mom), talking to a client on an ivory corded office phone, joking and laughing with his clients, his big, booming laugh filling the room.
Dad’s Lesson
Don't be a sleezy salesman. Be the guy who answers their questions in an open and honest way. Your product or service might not always be the right fit and that's okay. Someday, when your customer needs your help or they're ready to make a purchase, they'll be back because they trust you to be a straight shooter.
Delighting the Customer: Show You Care
Dad was organized and would keep a paper desktop calendar with notes scribbled on it in his cursive script to make sure he followed up and connected with his leads at the right time to get them any additional information. He provided helpful and authentic support, answering any questions or concerns they had and showed them he cared and valued their time.
Dad’s Lesson
Following up is key. Most businesses don't. You'd be surprised.
Follow up with leads via email, phone, or even text nowadays.
Utilize email and marketing automation to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time. For example, send a thank-you for signing up for your newsletter with a follow-up email that provides additional content for your lead to explore. Then, tailor the content to where they're in the buyer’s journey, whether that's the awareness, consideration, or decision stage, and meet them where they are.
If you're a log home mainteance contractor you could also send a reminder to get maintenance done from year to year depending on your customers needs.
My dad didn’t call it “marketing,” but he was doing it long before I knew what marketing even was. From stuffing envelopes at the kitchen table to answering client calls and guiding them through different insurance options, he intuitively practiced the core principles of marketing—attract, engage, and delight.
Looking back, I realize now how much of my own marketing philosophy stems from watching my dad conduct business with care, consistency, and a genuine desire to help people. Whether you're a contractor, a consultant, or a creative professional, the lessons still hold true: be helpful, be honest, and follow up with sincerity. Because at the end of the day, good marketing isn’t about jargon and flashy tactics—it’s about building trust one thoughtful interaction at a time.
Do you need help designing marketing that grabs your customers' attention and engages them?
Give us a holler and schedule a complimentary 30-minute Discovery call, we’d love to help you reach your customers and sell more products.