In a 2019 GQ article, author Sophia Benoit described “How to be a good Wingman.” Movies portray the Wingman assisting their friend in their pursuit of someone they find attractive. Wingman Direct Marketing (WMDM) favours the flight terminology that defines “Wingman” as a pilot who supports and protects the flight lead in potentially dangerous flying environments. To mirror the slang definition, the WMDM team assists in your pursuit of business objectives through keenly planned and executed marketing campaigns. WMDM uses ‘Wingmanning’ to have your back in business.
Benoit describes that those that go to a bar know that they will likely be approached. Drawing a parallel to this, consumers expect to get sold to. However, they visit certain websites and social media platforms to be entertained, educated, and informed. If the sales message is too strong, not on target or irrelevant, they will leave—fast.
We define ‘Wingmanning’ as the act of putting someone else’s objectives ahead of your own. This is the figurative and literal mission statement of all that we do at WMDM. It is true in aviation, true in the bar scene, and true in your business as well. Here are the article’s five tips for being a “Wingman” that we follow:
1. Be subtle.
Helping our clients succeed is all we do. We are not the star of the show—they are. In the article, it’s recommended that the Wingman keeps their head (stays sober) in the game, vigilantly reading the room. As a professional marketing crew, we utilize the tactics that make sense for our clients and avoid those that won’t have the desired impact.
2. Talk to everyone.
The most critical role of the Wingman is to be the introducer. Our Wingman flight crew assist our current clients by identifying and speaking with prospects. Each client we do Wingmanning for is unique. For some, we do nothing but direct mail. For others, we use various social media platforms, SEO and SEM, blogs, or promotional items. The medium is less relevant than the message and the overall strategy.
3. Know when to walk away.
In the bar scenario, Benoit suggests that the moment the Wingman senses the target is uninterested, the Wingman should make an excuse and walk away. As a Wingman partner for our clients, we spend a lot of pre-flight time in persona development, identifying the prospects who need and want what our client has to offer. Once defined, look-alikes will be researched and more easily targeted.
4. Don’t just talk up your buddy—present yourself well.
“The best thing you can do as a wingman is come off like a cool guy yourself, so that your friend seems equally cool in return.” We do the best job we can for our clients every single time. Our clients have put their marketing fate in our hands; a leap of faith that we take seriously. We thank every one of our clients for that trust and do everything in our power to live up to it.
5. Make friends with their friends.
As we demonstrate our value to our clients, they in turn share their experience about working with us to their peers. However, it’s not the primary reason we do what we do. We assist our clients with their relationship marketing such as testimonials, reviews and referrals.
Want us to be your Wingman?
Our team works together to develop meaningful, differentiated and authentic solutions for companies big and small. Our Wingmanning responsibility is not simply to come up with what’s cool. We strive to understand the reason behind our clients’ needs and deliver based on that. We’ve seen firsthand how a well-executed tactic can elevate a company from a commodity to a valued partner. We develop the tools and show you how to use them. As a Wingman, we got your back! Book a Wingman today.