OK, this is where I give away the farm. Marketing your products and services is not something that only large companies with legions of staff can do. The fact is, if you get just a few basic things right, the principles of marketing can work for you.
1. Have a process. Marketing is really just a process. It goes something like this:
a. Identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis). Be honest here. This is not a place to fool yourself.
b. Focus on the questions that have no answers- (a gap analysis) - I.e., not sure what your customer's buying criteria is? That’s a gap. Don't know what the typical growth rate in your industry for your type of company? Gap. Not sure what your competitors are doing to steal your customers? Big gap. Figure out what you don't know and prioritize.
c. Close the gaps. Ask customers, do research, spy on competitors, search the 'net. If this isn't your thing or you don't think you can be objective, bring in someone who can - but get the honest to goodness, no holds barred answers.
d. Strategize. Most business people think strategy is the result of some brilliant flash of inspiration. The reality is not quite as dramatic. If you've followed the process, what you should do, how you should do it, what you should say and to whom will emerge from the data you collected. The answers will be obvious to everyone.
e. Just do it. I always think of that Rozeram commercial with the beaver, Abe Lincoln and the deep sea diver. The main character is a guy who can't sleep and the beaver says "So not doing anything about HASN'T worked?" You would be surprised how many of my clients have great strategies but simply cannot execute. Granted, execution is hard but it's the whole point.
2. Don't make assumptions. Sure you know your business. Sure your clients love you. Of course no competitors even come close to your earth shattering superiority. If you have not engaged in empirical study and analysis of your customers, competitors and industry you are operating on assumptions. With luck, most of your assumptions should be correct. It's the incorrect ones that transform a great business idea into a dangerous gamble. And if you want to gamble, go to Las Vegas where you know you will lose. When it comes to business, however, I prefer to minimize risk.
3. Don't confuse marketing with advertising. Advertising is the result of marketing. It is one way to get the message out. Marketing, on the other hand, is the process you can use to arrive at the correct message. The message that jumps up, slaps your prospect in the face and compels him/her to contact you and buy. (Hint: the right message is never a list of features.)
4. Don't confuse features with benefits. OK, I'll give you a break on this one. This ain't easy. Of course if business was easy, we'd all be sipping overpriced wine on our private jets while laughing all the way to the bank. Playing "feature poker" is a losing game. Competitors will always meet and surpass your features and customers don't care about features as much as you do. Figure out what specific problems your product or service solves or prevents. Now you're on the trolley.
5. Learn how to sell. Can your sales people sit down and write out their sales process? Does it resemble a logical, systematic methodology that moves suspects to qualified prospect to buying decision? Does your process put you firmly in control of the sale? If not, all the marketing in the world won't help you. (Unless you invent a cure for cancer.)
So there it is. Now you don't need me.
