Since at one time I considered becoming  a history teacher when I started college, it  probably comes as no surprise that I enjoy learning and researching lessons from the past to help solve challenges today. And I’m often drawn to the work of the sales and marketing masters.

After a recent conversation with a client in which I heard comments about my first “Mind Capture” book, I decided to pull an original copy off my bookshelf and reread it for a quick brush-up.

When I came to chapter 16 titled, Complacency Equals Death, I drew a parallel as to why many people are often seeing lackluster results with their marketing efforts. They either expect one form of lead generation to do all the work or they often subscribe to the ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ school of marketing. It’s time for a stern wake up call to realize the market place has changed immensely the last 12 months. The ‘same old, same old way’ of doing business, and in particular marketing, is not going to cut it.

By implementing these three easy steps you’ll ensure that your marketing doesn’t become stale, predictable, boring and deadly to your businesses bottom line:

#1. Use multiple media. It’s a foolish assumption to think that your customers are exactly the same. Many respond to different forms of media based on preference and ease. Some customers respond best to e-mail, while others rarely do. Some read direct mail, while others set it off to the side after a quick glance. Some go online for news, while others read the newspaper. With the continued fragmentation of media and shortened attention spans (Twitter anyone?) you must use a mix of online and offline marketing messages to get your customer’s or prospect’s fleeting time and attention.

A woman who heads a local nonprofit chastised me recently by e-mail for advocating the use of post card mailings. The short version of her e-mail was that I was way off base to suggest that people use direct mail as a part of their marketing mix. She then went on to state that they dropped their direct mail and are up 40 percent largely because they use only e-mail marketing. Great for her, but here’s the danger and foolishness in her thinking.

I bet you the biggest steak in Texas that many people aren’t reading her e-mails or e-letters. She’s not getting 100 percent open rates. And while things may look good initially, I worry for her. The old adage ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ is exactly what she’s subscribing to with her rationale, and sadly, many businesses and nonprofits are doing the same thing.

Many of my direct clients (including my own company) are doing more direct mailings than ever. Why? They work. When done properly, we can own the mailbox when competitors are either skipping it all together or doing poorly written, untargeted and sloppy mailings.

#2. Have fun with your marketing. Most marketing is lifeless, stale and boring. Millions of dollars are spent each day in this country alone on messages that are never seen or even remembered. It’s such a shame. I’m baffled as to the amount of junk disguised as marketing that still hits my inbox, mailbox and magazines and newspapers that I read. Building brand with pretty ads, slogans and pictures might be OK if you’re IBM and have a huge ad budget, but it’s a foolish and dangerous strategy for small and mid-sized businesses to even consider.

One of my favorite techniques for having fun with marketing is using ‘grabber’ or lumpy direct mailings with key prospects and top customers. While it may seem old school, they work even better because they get opened, remembered and acted upon. They are often a welcome change to the crowded e-mail inboxes most of us battle to manage and keep up with every day.

In addition, another reason to weave fun into your marketing is that in today’s current economy people are attracted to people that have fun and put a smile on their face. People will talk about it to their friends, family and business associates because it’s not only refreshing and different, but it’s also totally different from most boring businesses that are trying too hard to blend in and play it safe with their messages.

#3. Seek out joint ventures with other businesses. This is essential to do when things are tightening up, and winning new customers is getting more and more expensive to do. It’s better to share resources, goodwill and customer lists with non-competing firms to save time and money. To go it alone is foolish. By sharing information, lists, mailing costs, distribution channels and endorsements, both parties gain significant benefit along with the customers.

A good starting point for identifying possible joint venture partners is to look at key suppliers, or firms to which you’re currently referring lots of business. If you’re helping them, it’s almost certain they’d be open to discuss ways to enhance the relationship more and build revenues for both of you quicker, especially if it lowers the acquisition costs of getting new business.

Tony Rubleski is a bestselling author and currently the president of Mind Capture Group based in Spring Lake, MI. For more information and resources