How Marketers Can Optimize Testing & Reap the Rewards

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You’ve been doom-scrolling through social media far too often lately, and somewhere along the way, between silently refereeing hollow-earth arguments and signing petitions to bring back Knight Rider, you added an edgy internet joke into your lexicon.

Later, your manager gives a speech, and it just falls out of your mouth — but she cracks up. You’re instantly her new favorite.

Filled with confidence, you try it on your CEO a couple of days later… and she fires you on the spot. You tested it, and it worked; how could everything go so wrong?

Today’s guest, Tim Parkin, President at Parkin Consulting, says this is a trap most marketers fall into when it comes to testing. Without understanding why something works, they fail to absorb the deeper insights from testing that can truly transform their business.

In this episode, he shares:

  • How to go beyond simple A/B testing
  • Why most marketers get testing wrong
  • How to set yourself up for testing success

What do magic tricks and the scientific method have to do with marketing? Let’s dive in.

“If you are not testing at all, then you are on a steep decline, and your competition is going to be skyrocketing ahead of you.”

Tim Parkin, President at Parkin Consulting

Prestidigitation

As a kid, Tim was obsessed with performing sleight of hand. Jaw-dropping, seemingly impossible card tricks are his specialty today.

Perfecting your conjuring skills takes practice, determination, and the confidence that you can make something out of nothing. It’s similar to developing software.

A sought-after speaker and author, Tim boosts national marketing teams to the stratosphere with a chef’s blend of behavioral psychology and development methodology.

“Testing is a matter of compound growth, just like investing…”

Tim Parkin, President at Parkin Consulting

Neuroscience and results

Learning what works, what doesn’t, and why, is how we evolve and adapt. Experimentation is the foundation stone of the scientific method we’ve been using since Ancient Greece.

Tim became fascinated with the neuroscience behind successful magic tricks and how it influences testing, software development, and marketing.

A common saying in the data world is “garbage in, garbage out.” You’ve got to ensure your team is leveraging the right data — or they’ll be committing the grave sin of wasting both time and money.

Tim emphasizes the importance of persistence. Don’t lose momentum. You’ll develop a priceless understanding of your customers, have more confidence, and get those massive wins.

“Until you test it, you don’t know if there’s something better out there — and I guarantee you there is something better out there.”

Tim Parkin, President at Parkin Consulting

Desirable outcomes

Tim points out that many marketers believe they have to strictly follow marketing best practices. That’s how you get stuck in the status quo and fall behind.

You can’t find vastly more effective options without experimentation and analysis. The ultimate outcome of any test is the actionable knowledge you gain. Incrementally improving your results leads to more opportunities to pursue.

What’s the best way to get Tim’s attention? Personalization is a hot buzzword, but “having a personality, I think, is a lost art in today’s world.”

Now that you know more about magic tricks and marketing, are you ready to learn how to hone your business’s competitive edge or use data to prevent revenue leaks? Check out the full list of episodes: The B2B Revenue Executive Experience.

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