I’m a huge fan of Mafia lore. I’ve always been fascinated with such a powerful force that made considerable economic, political, and social impact. It’s not that I like the Mafia itself, but I can become completely engrossed in mafia movies. I’ve probably watched every movie ever created on the subject, including all three versions of The Godfather, Casino, Mobsters, and many more.
Through watching these films, I’ve learned a lot about how they do things and organize their business, so I’ve decided to take a business approach with the mafia mentality.
Cohesiveness.
That’s the most important part of my game plan. I intend to run my entire organization in a systematic way with sturdy defenses and a well-thought-out attack strategy, allowing me to accomplish my objectives efficiently.
Throughout its history, the mafia has been known to operate with a militaristic mentality and use war-based strategies. In its own right, the organization considers itself a family.
The organization has a hierarchy with high-ranking members implementing major decisions that other members must follow. The boss, also called don, sits at the top of that pile. He’s responsible for setting policies, keeping everyone in line, and maintaining order within the family.
As you can assume, I’m the don of my organization. Just below the don is the underboss, who’s essentially the executive officer of a mafia family. Next would be the consigliere (Italian for counselor), who serves as the advisor and provides viable solutions and impartial advice. Both of those roles would go to Marianna, as she helps ensure the organization meets its objectives and goals. Frank would be my capos (short for caporegimes); he leads teams of soldiers and associates. My virtual team would be my army or soldiers.
All of us work together for one main goal—to grow and maintain the family or business.
If you’re familiar with how the Mafia works, you probably know that they’re usually at war with other families, organizations, and even the police and government. In such a competitive environment, the first critical objective is to protect your base, which is your house and family.
How exactly do you protect your organization? Well, you take inventory. You must identify the tools and weapons you have at your disposal to fight and win the war. It’s not just about putting up a good fight. It’s about WINNING.
You have to protect your livelihood against all known threats, because it provides you the means to feed your family. Running your organization successfully is how you take care of your loved ones.
So that’s how it works. I must protect my business first and foremost. In this scenario, my weapons are my products. These include everything I ever created, including my existing products, old ones, the new items I’m developing, and everything in between.
Creating an inventory of my products helps me understand where I stand. What do I have and don’t have? What steps should I take next? I will focus on the number of products I have. But it’s more about KNOWING my inventory and its power.
The next thing to do is determine how to secure my walls. In this case, the walls are my residual income. No matter what happens outside the walls, it’s essential to keep the house safe and secure. If the walls are strong enough, your family will survive through the war even without weapons. That means your residual income is enough to sustain your family’s needs despite setbacks.
So, I have to look at the types of residual income I have. Can I cover my organization’s expenses with my existing residual income? Do I have sufficient finances for my organization to stand robustly despite challenging circumstances such as a product launch failure, etc.?
One thing you can do to strengthen your walls is build tough outer defenses. In my case, my exterior defenses are my lead generation strategies. I will make sure these strategies are dependable and effective to protect my residual income. With enough lead generation methods attracting new leads daily, my residual income remains adequate and sustainable.
Setting up your defenses is the safest way to maintain what you have. It provides security and keeps stress levels at a minimum, letting you focus on things that matter. You can better focus on running your business when your finances are reliable.
Another thing I learned from my mafia enthusiasm is that you can’t just rely on your defenses. You should go on the offensive and attack just as much as you defend to keep on winning.
Working on my attack strategy means focusing on my advertising strategies. Which products do I promote, and when do I market them? When and how do I launch these items? I will figure out the best offensive strategies, from list building to email promotions.
With a strong offense strategy, you’re already ahead. Identify your most effective advertising tactics. What works best in gaining quality leads? You can leverage social media, email marketing, and other digital marketing strategies to gain a consistent stream of leads and boost sales.
Personally, webinars work best for me as my nuclear strategy, which serves as my primary attack strategy for all of my products. They are a cost-effective means to enhance brand awareness. Plus, they help you build yourself as an authority figure in your industry. Webinars simultaneously generate leads and sales, making them the perfect advertising strategy.
Email newsletters, Facebook ads, online business listings, and all other digital marketing methods serve as my satellite strategies that support my nuclear strategy.
As I cultivate this overall Mafia marketing strategy, I see it as a puzzle containing different integral pieces. Each defensive and offensive strategy must be approached with the mafia mentality. All puzzle pieces should interweave cohesively to build, grow, and protect the main house.
When I make one general marketing plan, I first create multiple, smaller marketing plans to complete the overall plan. Every product will have its own distinct strategy, with my underboss, capos, and army all working together to make it a success.
This compelling mafia mentality requires the ability to step back and take a hard look at everything I have built over the years. I must have the strength to make difficult decisions, when necessary, especially when it comes to vital changes.
I admit it can be hard for me to embrace change, but I need to have that mob boss mentality to keep moving forward rather than stagnate. I should be cutthroat with my products and practices and never get complacent when things are easy.
That’s how the mafia mentality works. Are you willing to embrace this Mafia marketing strategy and be a competent boss of your own business? Are you already implementing some of this? I would love to hear your thoughts on how this can affect your business!
