How does a marketer use the Simplest Marketing Plan?

In today’s episode, Florian Schleicher, Marketing Advisor & Strategist, shares how he has used the 3 tools in the Simplest Marketing Plan – content marketing, strategic networking and targeted outreach – to achieve more growth than he imagined possible, all in less than a year.

When I asked Florian for a baby step to follow in his path, he said, "Never stop learning." He suggested you identify something you think is missing in your creative business, whether a topic or a skill or a role, find a book or a course or a coach who can help.

In fact, here's what Florian said about the coaching we did together:

 

If you like what you hear, be sure to join me on Cyber Monday, November 27 at 1-2 PM ET to find out all about the Simplest Marketing Plan for 2024. Sign up here.

Listen to the podcast here (and below)

 

Read the complete transcript of Marketing Mentor Podcast #487 with Florian Schleicher

ilise benun

Hi there. This is ilise benun, your Marketing Mentor, and this is the podcast for you if, and only if, you are ready to leave the feast or famine syndrome behind. And I mean for good.

One of the things I love most about the work I do with creative professionals is that I get to see their creativity in action.

I've designed the Simplest Marketing Plan framework with a lot of a wiggle room, so you can bring your own creativity to the business side of your business, which means everyone who uses this framework gets to make it their own.

So in today's episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, I talked with Florian Schleicher, a marketing advisor and strategist, about how, when he decided to invest in his business by working with me, in one year he has used these three simple tools—content marketing, strategic networking, and targeted outreach—to achieve more than he imagined possible so quickly. Because, as I keep saying, “Marketing works when you put in the effort; when you do it.” So, listen and learn.

Hello Florian. Welcome to the podcast.

Florian Schleicher

I'm so happy to be talking with you again, ilise. Thanks for having me.

ilise benun

Of course. Please introduce yourself.

Florian Schleicher

So my name is Florian Schleicher. I'm a marketing strategist focused on sustainable growth. And before starting my own marketing studio, I worked for three big brands: McDonald's, Greenpeace, and the food waste initiative: Too Good To Go.

And now, with my marketing studio, FutureS, I help companies, big and small, with their strategy when it's no longer working. And I do this with coaching, workshop[s], and the Simple and Sustainable Marketing Academy.

ilise benun

Beautiful. And how long have you been in business as a solo?

Florian Schleicher

Yeah, so as a solopreneur, I am just celebrating my two-year anniversary in a month.

ilise benun

Congratulations.

Florian Schleicher

So yeah, that's going to be a big step for me.

ilise benun

And you have an accent—your English is excellent, but you do have an accent—so tell us where you are, and actually maybe also how marketing might be different where you are.

Florian Schleicher

Yeah, sure. So I'm from Austria. I live in Vienna in the middle of Europe and I totally understand that I have an accent. But yeah.

So I've been working in marketing for the past 15 years, and what I observed, also, working with a lot of big brands, is that there are certain areas in the world where marketing is a little bit different.

There is for sure the European area that is fairly similar to the US area, too. And then there's of course Asia, South America, the Pacific and Africa.

So, what I think is different compared to the US and Europe is that in Europe, people are not that keen on being the first doing something. So that's very interesting.

When I worked at Too Good To Go, for example, and it was a startup, so at the very beginning, we had to convince stores, supermarkets, to join in on food waste. And the challenge was no supermarket and no partner wanted to be first in Europe. Everybody wants to be the second one using something when it's already established. And I think that's a big difference compared to the US, where it's good to be first in the world; also culturally, it's more okay to fail, also.

ilise benun

And are your clients mostly, then, in Europe or elsewhere?

Florian Schleicher

Yeah, so at the moment I'm super proud working with a lot of international brands and entrepreneurs. My focus is of course Europe because that's where I know most people and where I've built my career. But I also now have two entrepreneurs from the US. So that's what I'm doing right now.

ilise benun

And you came to me last year and we worked together on your own marketing and I shared with you the tools from the Simplest Marketing Plan.

And you, I think I would say, unlike most of my clients, literally just took it and ran with it in a way that I have never seen before—which is why I wanted to invite you onto the podcast.

So would you talk about ...? I'll just say what those tools are for people who don't know, and then maybe you can share a little bit how you're using them and how it's going.

So the first tool is high-quality content marketing.

The second tool is strategic networking—in person and in real life, if possible, and in real time.

And the third tool is targeted outreach.

So I think you're doing all three of those. I'm curious how you have made them your own and how you integrate them into your business.

Florian Schleicher

Yeah, sure. And I'm so happy we started working, I think it was like 10 months ago, because back then I had a challenge.

The first year was perfect. I had so much progress; worked with a lot of brands. And then beginning of 2023, I felt like I was missing out on something. The market got a little bit more complicated and I struggled, as a lot of entrepreneurs probably do. And what you mentioned also was this feast-and-famine culture.

ilise benun

Right.

Florian Schleicher

And it seemed that I was heading towards a famine phase and I was a little bit frightened about this. And I saw two options.

So option one was keeping the money that I have saved, also close, to be safe for a famine phase.

Or to reinvest it and try to learn something new from an experienced mentor—which you turned out to be. And I was super happy doing that because, right now it's beginning of winter 2023, my business has never been growing better. I feel super confident about the next phases and I've learned so much. So let's dive into those three things that you mentioned.

And so first was the high-quality content, if I remember correctly.

ilise benun

Yup.

Florian Schleicher

So I started writing a newsletter, I think now almost a year ago, and it gained some traction, and when we began working with each other, I already had the newsletter. It was going great back then; I think I had 500 followers, readers; that was great.

And what you suggested was to reuse elements of the newsletter for different channels.

So I reused-repurposed them on LinkedIn, also. I used them in my presentations.

But the biggest change that I did was—and that was a recommendation from you—to start a podcast.

So the recording we're now doing is a crossover episode. You publish it on your podcast; I'm going to publish it on mine.

And starting the podcast, I also mentioned to you: “Where do I get the time to do that from?” Because it takes a lot of time to start this thing, to come up with the questions. You have to prepare. You have to reach out to people. Maybe you have to do the post-production. Maybe you can outsource it.

And I still remember you telling me, “How often do you write a newsletter?”

And back then it was a weekly newsletter. So I changed to only every-other-week newsletter. And in the new time that I gained from that, I did the podcast.

And a podcast was hugely beneficial, also, for a more targeted outreach—which I think is the third thing you mentioned from the Simple[st] Marketing Plan—because it enabled me to get into contact with a lot of very interesting people.

And it's always different knocking on somebody's door and saying, “Hey, do you want to have a chat with me? I'm this marketing strategist guy.”

Most of people would say, “Yeah, I don't have time for that.”

But knocking on people's doors and saying, “Hey, I really like what you're doing with your brand and with your marketing and your strategy. Do you want to talk about that on my podcast?”

So that was very good to get into contact with people. Obviously, you still need to do the work. But it also enabled ... it showed to other people that I can do more than just write a newsletter—because at the end of the day, people need to be aware of who this person is.

And you and I ... like, I reached out to you because I heard you speaking on another person's podcast, on Jenny Blake's podcast “Free Time. “

So I think in the coaching business, which we are both in, it's very important to get a feeling on how this person really is. And that's a good way to show off with podcasts.

ilise benun

And I totally agree with you. I love the idea of a podcast as the nexus of the three tools, basically. They all come together because what you produce is high-quality content. When you reach out to someone and say: “Hey, you want to be on my show?,” no one would say, “no” to that, basically.

And it's a networking opportunity, because even if nothing else comes out of the conversation, you get to know another person who might be a prospect, might be a referral source. So that actually just brings me to: who are the people you invite to be on your podcast?

Florian Schleicher

So my main area is marketing strategy and sustainability. So the people I invite are marketing managers, heads of brands, heads of strategy from corporations, maybe startups, maybe some small businesses, who have a track record of doing great stuff with their marketing.

ilise benun

So actually, let me just interrupt you there. So do you see them as prospects or do you see them as, I dunno, colleagues, who are doing great things with their marketing and you might think: Well, why would they need me?

Florian Schleicher

Honestly, I invite them because I would like to chat with them, because I really like learning from other people. And those are ... the people that I invite, I want to learn how they run their business, how they run their organization, what they do with their marketing strategy, and how they approach the topic of sustainability.

So it's not so much about that they could be prospects for me, but when you're a solopreneur, when you run your own business, it's also a little bit lonely from time to time. And exchanging thoughts with other thoughts leaders, that's really inspiring for me. And I don't keep track on who then joins in as a client or who just becomes a person that I enjoy having a cup of coffee with. But it's a way to build a relationship with other experts, for me.

ilise benun

One thing I love about that, Florian, is that it seems like the lines are very blurry in your mind, and in your network—which I think is a good thing. Often, we think blurry lines are not great. But I think people compartmentalize a little too much. Like, oh, this is a prospect, and this is a referral source, and this is a client.

But it sounds like everyone in your network kind of maybe goes back and forth between these things, or at least has the opportunity or the potential to. So, someone who's a guest on your podcast could become a client or could join your academy—which we'll talk about, or could pass your name along, and you're not keeping track of who's doing what. You are just trusting that the system works, the strategy and the process works. Is that accurate?

Florian Schleicher

Exactly. And I don't remember where I read this quote, or maybe I heard it from somewhere, but there is this quote of: “You can't compete with someone having fun.”

So what I strive with my newsletter—where I currently have more than a thousand subscribers, or with my podcast or also on LinkedIn ... I want to produce content that I would enjoy if I would see it somewhere else or listen to it somewhere else. So I'm having fun while I'm doing this. And I think the success rate, so far, it shows that that strategy is also working.

ilise benun

And so when you say “the success rate,” what are you referring to, there?

Let's talk about results. And I think you haven't really talked too much yet about strategic networking, also. So just integrate that. How do you do your networking? I know you're out there a lot, presenting and attending events, and so how does that all fit in?

Florian Schleicher

Yeah, so important note: I'm an introvert.

ilise benun

No. That's not possible, Florian.

Florian Schleicher

So yes, I think it's possible because what I really enjoy is intimate conversations, like the one we're having right now. One-on-one conversations. Maybe one-on-two conversations. But whenever there's a big crowd, I feel drained afterwards. I'm so low on energy.

So I'm really not good at going to big networking events and then standing in the middle of the crowd. I don't know what to do with myself there. And I'm not the kind of person who then approaches other people.

So what I do is, I'm very selective on the events that I'm going to. And I've made this rule for myself that I only go to events if I'm invited to speak there or if there is an opportunity to speak there.

So that doesn't necessarily mean that I have to be on a stage or have to be part of the discussion on the stage. But maybe there's a very interesting small-circle event where I could get into contact with people by just asking questions, raising a hand during the conversations on stage and joining in.

So what I really need in order to feel comfortable at a networking event is the opportunity of having a say in what's being discussed.

ilise benun

So, the topic, the substance of the meeting, is important to you.

Florian Schleicher

I want to contribute to it in any way. And use it, also, of course, to position myself.

So I had this fall, I think, I already had six speaking engagements. And it was great because, even if it's just a 10-minute presentation, people come up to you afterwards and say, “Hey, let's have a chat.”

And it's the same as with the podcast. Whenever somebody approaches me, I don't think: Okay, this could be a great new client.

I'm just interested. I'm curious, okay, what's going to happen if I keep talking to that person? If I reach out to that person a month later? What can happen from these serendipitous events?

ilise benun

I love that. It's related to something I've been saying a lot lately about enjoying surprises—that we have to shift our mindset to one of: What could happen? Let's see what happens if I do this.

As opposed to: Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I have no idea what's going to happen and I'm terrified.

Right? Like, that's a choice.

Florian Schleicher

And I think if you approach things with the mindset of: I'm curious what will happen if I do this?, then you can very much be surprised by it in a good way.

And also, I also do tests that then fail—and it's also okay.

I think it's important to define how much energy you put into something new if you're curious about what's going to happen. And then if it works, okay, put some more energy into it. And if it doesn't work, it's a data point. It shows you something was not successful and you can learn from it.

ilise benun

So let's come back, then, to success, because I asked you several questions all at once; one of them was about success. And failure—which you've mentioned. People always love to hear examples of failure, something that failed. So maybe you can give us a success and a failure.

Florian Schleicher

Yeah. So let's start with the failure.

ilise benun

All right.

Florian Schleicher

So the failure was, end of last year, end of 2022, I read a lot about courses and academy formats and learning journeys where an experienced coach offers some kind of a course for people to learn from. So I thought: Okay, that's a great business model. I think I would like to do something [like] that myself.

So, I started something, and what I did was I offered a two-month course which had a two-hour-every-week session. I planned to have a small circle of four to six founders or marketing leaders there. And it had a very high-ticket price.

So the ticket entry price was above 1000 euros or dollars. And I pushed it through my newsletter. I pushed it on LinkedIn. I told a lot of people about it. I got a lot of positive feedback. And in the end, nobody booked it.

ilise benun

Nobody.

Florian Schleicher

Nobody. So I was frustrated, but I also thought: Okay, there's something in there and I don't yet understand why it did not work, because I still think that the program was great and it had a lot of potential, but something wasn't right.

So then I started reading, back then, a book by Dorie Clark. I think I mentioned it to you in one of the first sessions, where she also said she's also a strategist and advisor, and she also launched a course format. And also at her first course, nobody signed up. And I felt really happy reading that. Not because, not because ...

ilise benun

Schadenfreude. Don’t they call that “schadenfreude”?

Florian Schleicher

Not because of schadenfreude. But, I was relieved. I was relieved, okay, that this super-successful person that I admire, she also had it tough when she started.

And so I thought: Okay, I'll come back to this learning format, maybe in a couple of months. I'm not going to push it because it was a disappointment.

So yeah, that was a failure.

ilise benun

And that happened before we started working together, if I remember correctly.

Florian Schleicher

Yes, exactly. That was in December-January, last year.

So then we started working together, and we focused a lot, first, on the content part, on the outreach part, on the networking part. I learned a lot about structuring my business also, because still, like after working for 15 years as an employee, and I was a very professional employee, but at the beginning, I was not a professional entrepreneur.

ilise benun

Exactly. It's a mindset. You have to, really, learn it.

Florian Schleicher

Yes. And then, I think it was in one of the last two sessions, I explained the example of this failed course format to you. And I asked you: “Okay, any recommendations what I could change to run another test?”

And you explained how your Simplest Marketing Plan works.

And so I thought: Okay, that sounds really interesting. I think there's definitely something in there, like success rates also show that it's working for you.

And so I then got back to the drawing board. I striked out a lot of things that I had in the first course format, and I thought: Okay, let's make it really simple, because I loved what you're doing with the Simplest Marketing Plan.

And then I thought: Okay, what's my business about? It's about marketing. It's about sustainability. It's also about I want to help people to make simple decisions, because strategies—they sound super complicated because a lot of people don't understand what ‘strategy’ really means.

I thought: Okay, maybe I can call it “The Simple and Sustainable Marketing Academy.”

And I started this test in July or August this year and currently we're in the first batch. I have 32 participants in there.

I lowered the price point drastically. So the entry ticket is now at about 100 euros or 100 dollars.

And that's a super great success story, because it failed first and then I changed a lot of things. I also thought: Okay. Who's my target audience for that, really, and what's the problem of my target audience? And for a lot of founders or young marketing managers, it's that they don't have a lot of budget for their learning.

So lowering the price point and downscaling the academy format really was what made it so successful now. And I'm currently in the process of starting the promotion for the next batch, which [is] going to be starting in February next year in 2024, and I already have some people who have pre-signed up for that. So yeah, I'm very happy about that.

ilise benun

And I'm curious, how are you improving it for the next round? Are there specific things you're going to do differently? Or things that just didn't work out that you're going to leave out?

Florian Schleicher

So a couple of things—and I think that's great as an entrepreneur, because you can just look at what worked and what didn't work, and just run another test.

So for the first run, there were two ticket categories. There was a basic category with the four presentations, so one each month, and a coworking Slack community.

And then there was the pro version, the “personal version” as I called it, where there also were two ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions for the smaller group and an individual one-on-one 60-minute session with me.

And so a lot of people book both packages. But I thought: Okay, maybe there could be something in the middle. Because being now in the process with the group, I see that those ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions in a small-group settings are really helpful for people because they get in a more intimate setting with me.

Again, I enjoy more intimate settings because of my introversion. And people get together as a group and they also figure out: Hey, I can learn something from that person.

And I think that's really beneficial for everybody. So there will be now a mid-tier where there’s an additional ‘Ask Me Anything’ session.

And also I wanted to upgrade the “personal,” the pro version. And so next time, I'll have an external guest speaker there, because I'm talking about strategy, and then this expert, he's going to be talking about how to really use marketing in the digital channels.

And I'm not big into operational stuff. I'm really big on this high-level-picture strategy stuff. So I think that's a very good added value to have somebody else also in there who can give a different perspective and show people what else is there.

And also, it's good because it's a networking opportunity, again. So this guest speaker, he's also going to promote the pro version, of course. So it enables me to reach an additional target audience that I might be not able yet to reach.

So those are some of the things that I'm going to change for the second round.

ilise benun

That sounds great. And how is your one-on-one coaching business going?

Florian Schleicher

Yeah, so that's really awesome. I started with this, actually, because one of my previous employees back at Too Good To Go, when I announced that I'm going to start my own business, she said, “What I loved most, working with you, Florian, was our one-on-one sessions.”

I always put a lot of emphasis on enabling my team to do their best job. And I just love working with people, helping them to solve problems and guiding them. So that's why I integrated it into my business, now, this coaching part.

And how it works now, I send out a questionnaire, people sign up, then they choose a package of their liking. And what I really like is getting in touch with so many different kinds of people. I am sure you can relate to that because I'm working with heads of marketing, there. I'm also working with founders. I'm working with consultants, there, from B2B to B2C to SaaS companies. So there's a broad range. And that's really what makes me curious—learning from all those different aspects, because at the end, in a mentoring or in a coaching format, you always benefit from each other's perspectives. So I also take a lot away from those.

ilise benun

And listening to that, what you just said, someone might say, “But then, don't you have a niche?”

And I know that you do, and you've mentioned it, but it may not have hit as a niche. So would you describe how you perceive your niche?

Florian Schleicher

My niche is definitely sustainability marketing strategies. Because there are a lot of marketing experts out there; really good ones. There are a lot of strategists out there. But not a lot of people have a proven track record in sustainability.

So having worked for Greenpeace and Too Good To Go, and now I also work for a lot of sustainable companies or companies with sustainability projects, that's my niche.

And that was also one of the things that you told me at the very beginning, when we looked at my homepage, I can still remember ... and you were saying, “I don't get that ‘sustainability’ part. It's written in some words, but it's not really that in the forefront of things.”

And so everything that I do now has this sustainability angle in it. And that's also why it's called “The Simple and Sustainable Marketing Academy,” because I think it's very important to differentiate and to go into a niche, otherwise you're just swimming in a very big pool.

ilise benun

Yes. Excellent. All right, a couple more questions for you. First of all, I'm going to ask you the baby step questions. And it's kind of broad, but of all the things that we've been talking about and that you have shared, can you think of a baby step that listeners can take to move in the direction that you have gone?

Florian Schleicher

So I think what's really important, if you have your own business and if you want to advance, is to never stop learning. And what my suggestion would be:

Find something that you think is missing at the moment. Whether it's a topic, whether it's a know-how in a specific area. Maybe you're missing somebody you can talk to or you can learn from. And just see what's out there. Maybe there's a good book on it. Maybe there's a course on it. Maybe there's somebody who can teach you something about that.

And coming back to what I said at the beginning: Being an entrepreneur sometimes is lonely or you can feel alone. So reach out to people who you know and who maybe know something about the thing you want to learn.

ilise benun

And actually, that seems also related, too. I didn't quite realize this, actually, until you said it today, which is that you were trying to decide ... you saw famine coming ahead in 2023, and you could either protect your savings and hope you can ride out on it, or invest or reinvest in your business by working with me. And you decided the latter. You took that risk. And it seems to have paid off. So I don't know, can you say any more about what it took to take that risk?

Florian Schleicher

I think it has something to do with being optimistic about the future and having a growth mindset. Because at the end of the day, our businesses live from the energy that we put into it.

And the other day, I was listening to a very old interview by Jeff Bezos where he was on Jay Leno's show, back then. And Jay Leno was asking: “I don't understand the business model of Amazon. You're so big and you're still not having any profits at all.”

And Jeff Bezos said, “Yeah, that's because we are reinvesting everything that we're gaining.”

And looking at Amazon now, it's a highly profitable company. So it definitely paid off. And I think it's definitely a risk, reinvesting. But if we don't take risks, how can we learn? Like, the first moment a baby tries to walk, it's also at risk of falling. And probably it's going to fall a couple of times. But in the end, it's important to do those steps and it can work.

But the thing that's very important, I think, is—and you mentioned it at the beginning—a coach can only help so much, and you have to do the steps yourself.

Like, you could have told me: “Okay, start a podcast, downscale your newsletter, or maybe start an academy format.”

If I didn't use those recommendations, then, I think it doesn't make that much sense. And that's why I am also a big fan of giving my clients exercises to do in between sessions. And you're doing the same thing. I know, because it gives a sense of accountability and it helps our clients to make progress.

ilise benun

And it's really the only way to learn, in my opinion.

Florian Schleicher

Absolutely.

ilise benun

I can tell you what to do, but unless you start to implement it and experiment with it, you're not going to learn.

Florian Schleicher

Yeah, absolutely.

ilise benun

Awesome. Alright, three other questions for you, Florian.

Florian Schleicher

Yes.

ilise benun

What is “good marketing” for you, in three words?

Florian Schleicher

So, I always ask this question [of] my guests. So I had fun preparing for it and actually it was super easy. So for me, good marketing has to be sustainable, strategic and simple.

ilise benun

Um-hmm. Sustainable, strategic and simple.

And you've got some alliteration there, which I always love.

Awesome. Alright. And what is the future of marketing?

Florian Schleicher

So I'm very much focused on sustainability because I believe that marketing has a superpower. The superpower of manipulation, or getting people to buy something, to do something.

And I think we can use that superpower for something good. To tell new stories. To take companies, as well as customers, to a sustainable future. And I think that's the role of marketing and I hope that we can shift into that direction.

ilise benun

And actually, that reminds me of my answer to the next question, which I'll give before I ask it.

Florian Schleicher

Please.

ilise benun

Because there's a book called “Nudge” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, if I remember correctly. And they talk about how marketing and other things are nudges that can be used for good or ill. And I agree with you that that's a choice, as well.

Florian Schleicher

Absolutely. And I've read that book. I really much enjoyed it because it shows you the psychological tricks that brands pull, and that can be used for bad things or for good things.

ilise benun

Exactly. Alright, so what book have you read, recently, that you want to recommend?

Florian Schleicher

So, I'm currently looking at my bookshelf and it's getting bigger and bigger.

ilise benun

Good.

Florian Schleicher

So I really had a hard time focusing on my own question and giving a straight answer. So I want to recommend two books. So first is “How to Be Strategic,” by Fred Pelard, because I really enjoyed the models that he's sharing and how to use them for a strategic-planning process. And the second one is “Obsessed,” by Emily Heyward, about how to build brands that everyone loves.

ilise benun

I've never heard of either of those books, so they're now on my list.

Florian Schleicher

Great.

ilise benun

Awesome. Well, anything else you want to say before we wrap up?

Florian Schleicher

I had a really great time talking with you again, ilise, because I very much enjoyed the whole learning journey that we both have been on and all the things that I've learned from you. So thank you very much for this exchange again. And yeah, I look forward to our next conversation already.

ilise benun

Absolutely. Me too. And so tell the people where they can find you online, Florian.

Florian Schleicher

Yes. So they can just type in “FTRS minus [symbol] studio dot com” (ftrs-studio.com) and that's where people can find all about me, my business, my newsletter, my podcast, and so many more things.

ilise benun

Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing what you've learned and I also can't wait for the next time.

Florian Schleicher

Yes. See you.

ilise benun

Bye.

Florian's baby step is to never stop learning. And I, of course, agree. He's suggesting you find something that you think is missing, whether it's a topic or a skill or a role in your business. And then see if you can find a book or a course or a coach, and get the help you need.

So if you want to build a thriving business on your own terms, the first step is to sign up for my Quick Tips at marketing-mentortips.com. And then once you're on the site, you'll find lots more resources, including my Simplest Marketing Plan. So enjoy and I'll see you next time.