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Imagine you are on a hunting trip. You find
yourself standing in the middle of a field with your gun
in hand. Without a marketing strategy, you'll be
shooting at every critter that runs by.
Your marketing strategy will help you decide whether
you should be shooting at squirrels or deer. Not only
will your marketing strategy help you define your
target, but it will help you hit that target when you raise
your gun to your shoulder to take aim.
If you're hunting bears, then Monument Circle in
Indianapolis is not going to provide a lot of opportunity
for you to bag your desired trophy.
In addition to picking the right spot to hunt,
you need to pick your weapon based upon the game
you're hunting. The same goes for your ammunition.
The bullets that effectively kills a rabbit or squirrel is
just going to annoy a rhinoceros. Conversely, the
ammunition that drops a rhino is going to obliterate
smaller game.
If you have never shot a rifle before, then you
should know that the sight on a rifle will determine
whether you hit your target. If the sight is out of
alignment, even though you have the target lined up
with your sight, you will not hit the target. You will,
instead, end up shooting above, below or to either the
left or right of your target. Even if your shooting
mechanics are flawless, a rifle with a sight that is out
of alignment will prevent you from hitting your target.
When your marketing strategy combines the rifle with
the properly aligned sight, you will find your shooting
accuracy will improve dramatically.
Four Steps of Creating Powerful Marketing
Strategies
STEP ONE - Research, research
research
This is where you find out what you do not
know. The more you know, the better your marketing
strategy will be.
Leave no stone unturned as you define:
* Your customers
Age, income, education, marital statues, religious
preferences, comfort level with technology, where they
live, where they work, what they drive.
You just cannot know enough about your customers.
* Your competitors
Who are they? Are they only in your industry? What is
their USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? Why do their
customers choose them?
You may be surprised to discover your
competition is not another business after all.
Consider the car wash chain that discovered their
biggest competitor was their own customer! Instead of
looking to annihilate the other car wash facilities, this
chain began focusing their marketing efforts on
educating their customers on the benefits to bringing
their car to them instead of washing their cars at
home. Sales increased significantly once this chain
realized where to point their marketing strategy.
Another often overlooked "competitor" is the ever
present "Do nothing". Doing nothing is always an
option. Frequently, it's the service professional's
strongest competitor. Never underestimate the power
of doing nothing.
STEP TWO - Determine the problems your
customer has and the solutions you offer.
Everyone has problems. Marketing is merely
the act of bringing your solutions before the people
who need it most and are ready, willing and able to
pay for it.
Once you know everything about your customer, you
already know the solutions he or she is seeking.
STEP THREE - Determine the emotional
triggers that will ignite your sales.
The act of buying is a complex and emotional
decision. The reason your customer is making a
purchase is not always readily apparent. While you
may be selling candles, your customers may be
buying:
Emergency lighting
Aroma therapy
Ambiance
Find out why your customers are buying and you will
be on your way to marketing success.
STEP FOUR - Creating a strategy that results
in breakthrough performance for your marketing
efforts
Now it is time to take the information
gathered in the first three steps to create a precise
marketing strategy for your business or product.
Following these four steps is the foundation
for creating a precise marketing strategy that will
break through to your best clients and customers.
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