Reading Time: 5 Minutes
Our latest interview is with Damion Viney, Accountant and Business Owner at Co-Accounting based in South London. A few years’ ago, Damion recruited a junior marketer who joined and completed a Watertight programme, working closely with Damion. He talks to Rachael, our MD. Interview by Rachael Wheatley, Watertight Business Thinking.
Rachael Wheatley: Hello Damion. Thank you for joining me today. Let’s start with my first question: how did Watertight change your approach to marketing?
Damion Viney: It broadened my view of what marketing is. Previously, I thought about it mostly in terms of attracting new business. That was one of the key messages from Watertight: marketing is about the entirety of your system, it supports the whole life cycle of a client. The other thing that really sticks in my mind is the idea of being very clear that you need a marketing budget – and a plan to go with it. I’ve never really seen somebody put that into a book!
Rachael Wheatley: What influence do you think it had on you personally?
Damion Viney: It confirmed a lot. That was one of the nice things about it. It’s good to have what you’re doing reaffirmed as well as learning new things. So, Watertight describes the stages of a customer’s journey and we could see that we weren’t doing too badly. That was encouraging. It also gave me a really good grounding and a way of thinking about marketing holistically so I could advise other people. It was definitely a new string to my bow, if you like.
Rachael Wheatley: You mean, as in your interactions with your clients’ businesses?
Damion Viney: Yes, because we often step into the role of business coach. If I could wave a magic wand over our clients, the thing that I’d get them to all do is to focus more on marketing.
Rachael Wheatley: That implies that what you see is that marketing wasn’t a siloed activity but actually was very much linked to how businesses grow and develop.
Damion Viney: Yes, that’s right.
Rachael Wheatley: What resonated most from the book and the methodology?
Damion Viney: As well as what I’ve mentioned before, there were other bits I really liked, such as the Logic Sandwich. The Touchpoint Leak® Assessment has been really useful, too. Using that to score our marketing, mapping out where we were good and where there are gaps. You can return to it time and again and find something new to do each time.
Rachael Wheatley: How have you applied the thinking? Certainly from what you’ve said, you’ve used the Logic Sandwich® framework to build your messaging. Any other framework or tools that you’ve practically applied?
Damion Viney: There were certainly things we did out of the programme we did with you. One big change we made was how we encouraged client loyalty. We started sending people a welcome gift on them joining us. We send people a business birthday card now, on the anniversary of them incorporating. We now do a service review with clients and we get feedback before signing them up to our services for another year.
I think for a lot of accountants that might be a token exercise, but for us it’s important. It’s a good example of not taking your existing clients for granted. We want to get the feedback and learn from it.
Rachael Wheatley: And I guess, I hope, that means they are happy to sign up for another year because of how they are treated. It reassures them about doing so. There are lots of accountants, as you say, that don’t do those reviews or get the feedback. I’m sure a lot of people stick with their accountants because it seems a bit of a pain in the neck to move. If it seemed easier to do, I’m sure they’d move because many accountants are just not that proactive. They aren’t in contact from one year to the next, apart from doing their annual accounts.
Damion Viney: And I think there are also hidden costs as well because when people aren’t happy, they find a way to take it out on you, even if they don’t move!
Rachael Wheatley: So, what challenges or problems do you think Watertight helps to solve?
Damion Viney: It provides a really good framework to cover all the marketing bases. It is a huge topic and there are lots of different books about different aspects. Where Watertight Marketing stands apart is because it takes a holistic approach. That’s where it really wins because it feels as though there’s nothing left out of it.
Rachael Wheatley: What do you feel it’s equipped either you or the business to do that you weren’t able to do before?
Damion Viney: I think it’s important to look at what you’re doing holistically. That was the main thing it’s helped us to do. Rather than being random about our marketing, we had an overview and developed a plan. There are still things to do. I look at the customer journey that people go on with us and I can still see places where we’re stronger and where we need to improve.
Rachael Wheatley: Yes, marketing is for life, not just for Christmas! It’s ever-evolving.
Damion Viney: I should read the book again! You come to it with fresh eyes every time you read it, I think. And because you’re that much further on in your own marketing journey, you’ll see different things in it. The other thing to mention is that this year we’ve taken on somebody who’s involved in business development for the first time. I was able to hand the book to her and say, this is our approach to marketing. I wanted us to be on the same page. She really likes the book.
Rachael Wheatley: Why would you recommend Watertight to others?
Damion Viney: The book is easy to read, it’s clear, it’s digestible, and has great insights. It’s very well pitched to small business owners, somebody who doesn’t really know what marketing is or should be or do. You’ll get a lot from it if you haven’t had any kind of training and is a great starting point.
Rachael Wheatley: It’s interesting you say that because we get that a lot from small business owners like yourself. Equally, we have experienced marketers who are fans. Different people get different things from it.
Damion Viney: That’s true, I think it’s cleverly written to appeal to different audiences.
Rachael Wheatley: Anything else to add about Watertight’s effect or impact?
Damion Viney: I’ve been on various briefings from a sales training organisation. They were brilliant and there were some bits in there which really chimed, I think, with Watertight’s approach. Whereas some marketing approaches seem to stand alone, Watertight’s dovetails well the sales.
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