“The More You Know The Less You’ll Grow.”
That’s the “Data Proven Truth” offered by Doug Hall in his classic book, MEANINGFUL MARKETING: 100 Data-Proven Truths And 402 Practical Ideas For Selling More With Less Effort.
(Bias Alert: I’m in that book, offering a testimonial to Doug’s marketing brilliance. I meant every word.)
Quoting from the book:
“Research has shown that the more we think we know about something, the less likely we are to learn when someone tries to teach us.
“This finding comes from three studies of the impact of prior knowledge on learning. In each study, adults were shown information on various new product concepts and then tested on what they had just been told.
“The research found that consumers with the least prior knowledge of the category gave the most accurate answers. Consumers with greater prior knowledge assumed that they already knew about the product category and thus didn’t need to focus or concentrate on learning the information presented….
“….Those who feel that they already understand sales and marketing are less likely to open their minds to learning. Instead of seeking ways to apply the truths, they…process the learning in a shallow fashion. They debate and disprove truths that don’t align with their beliefs or established ways of doing things.”
Let me quickly add that the above doesn’t apply to people who truly are expert at radio advertising; it applies to people who think they already know everything.
The most accomplished people in any field know there still is more to know.
Remember, one key difference between an amateur and a professional is the professional never stops learning.
Those know-it-all screaming-commercial car dealers (for example)? Strictly amateurs.
They could make so much more money with their advertising if only they didn’t already know everything.
