In my last article I discussed the first four elements of what makes marketing work. They were mindset, positioning, building perceptions and crafting your message. This month I would like to complete the series with the following four elements.
SENDING OUT YOUR MESSAGES
Many small businesses think every person in their city or town is a prospect for their service. While this sounds like a great concept, it can be disastrous emotionally when you consider your expectations. If you expect 100% and only 5% become customers you may feel like you're not really accomplishing your goals.
So when you're sending out your messages, keep your target market in mind and hone in on those people who match your perfect customer profile. It is far better to send out a series of messages to fewer prospects than one message to everyone that falls on deaf ears.
The purpose of your marketing messages should be to grab the attention of the prospect. If your ad or direct mail pieces looks like every other small business in your area, you don't have a chance. If your store sign just says SMALL BUSINESS without a name, logo, tag line, color scheme, or something to set you apart, you're just wasting your time and hard earned money.
Marketing should be a consistent message generator to a highly targeted audience that attracts attention and breeds familiarity. This marketing process should deliver value in terms of educating the public about dry cleaning in general and about your service in particular. It should lead prospects by the hand, whet their appetites for more information and more contact with you and move them from a prospect to a customer.
Proven methods include building trust, what others say about you, what you stand for and say about yourself as a business owner. What contribution are you making to your own community? Which of your prospect's problems can you solve better than your competition? Why? Think about these questions and let them form the basis for your marketing plan for next year.
DELIVERING YOUR SERVICE WITH CARE Once you have your prospects attention and interest, the next step is to build desire. First they have to trust you know what you're talking about. They have to believe you walk your walk and talk your talk, that your service and quality is as you say it is. Sometimes this requires showing a prospect with a free trial or testimonial from a satisfied customer.
It is often said that your reputation as a company is determined by the value of your lowest paid employee. If that employee has a positive attitude, loves coming to work every day, loves what he or she is doing, this enthusiasm will spread like wildfire through the plant, the front counter and on to customers. But if the employee is negative, has a chip on their shoulder, looks at their job as a necessary evil, you've got a "turkey" on your hands and need to think about next Thanksgiving, if you get my drift.
I recently heard a national speaker talk about great customer service. She said to a crowd of credit union customer service people, "Don't be just employed, be employable." This is an attitude you, as the owner of your business need to foster in your people and they in turn will foster goodwill and positive word of mouth to your customers.
INFORMATION - FEEDING THE RELATIONSHIP We live in a world of information overload, yet people crave relationships, even with businesses. You have an opportunity with a new customer to deepen your relationship by providing a constant stream of informational resources. Use newsletters, emails, online newsletters, your website, brochures, articles, flyers and presentations to inform customers. Tell them about the environment, your equipment, your employees, how to do things only you know how to do. Tell them about your services, your products and what benefit they get from buying from you. Educate them on your industry in un-technical terms. Take advantage of the newsletter services in your industry and use them to your advantage - - outsmarting… not outspending the competition.
SYSTEMIZING YOUR MARKETING AND YOUR LIFE Finally, putting all of these elements together. Begin to formalize the approach you take to marketing. If you wait until a slowdown it may be too late. With a system and plan of action that works consistently for you, not against you, you’ll be ahead of the game.
Systemizing your marketing is merely putting a series of auto-pilot marketing tactics in place that work for you on a consistent basis in attracting new customers and building relationships with current ones. In the meantime your plant workers and front line staff have to be ready, willing and able to deliver your message of friendly enthusiastic service that is infectious and builds loyalty.
For more marketing strategies, tips, case studies and ideas visit Allan Katz's website at www.LoyaltyCoach.com and sign up for the popular e-zine "Remarkable Marketing Results."
What Makes Marketing Work Part II - To learn more about this author, visit Allan Katz's Website.
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Allan Katz
(Visit Allan's Website)
Allan J. Katz is the author of several
books on marketing including The Complete
Guide to Retail Loyalty Marketing, (loyaltycoach.com/completeguide.php
and the Ultimate Marketing System
for Dry Cleaners. www.cleanermarketingresults.com.
His ezine, “Remarkable Marketing Results,”
is read by over 3,500 subscribers each
month at LoyaltyCo
ach.com.
Allan is a "Certified Professional
Innovator TM with a keen insight into
identifying business opportunities using
strong creative intuition coupled with
practical, common sense thinking. His
unique blend of analytical idea generation
and excellent ability to identify the
needs and interests of others generates a
powerful bond with clients. therainmakersroundtable.com
He is former President of the Direct
Marketing Association of Memphis. He
presents seminars, workshops, lectures and
keynotes on loyalty marketing, problem
solving, idea generation and persuasive
communications.
He served as an adjunct professor at the
University of Memphis Continuing Education
Program on such topics as The Basics Of
Direct Marketing, How To Start A Mail
Order Business, Marketing Your Small
Business and Problem Solving.
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Loyaltyblog - For savvy small business people and entrepreneurs who want solid marketing advice on how to attract new customers and keep them loyal. I'm The Loyalty Coach and my mission in life is to help retailers and service companies attract more customers and keep them loyal through the use of proven marketing techniques & tactics I've perfected for my clients over the past 25 years.
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