What Makes Marketing Work
What Makes Marketing Work
In my marketing blueprint there are eight steps to successfully generating productive, response driven marketing results.
1. MINDSET
Marketing is a mindset. A mindset based on your own integrity and belief in your service. When someone asks you what you do for a living, instead of telling them you’re a drycleaner, retailer or particular service, begin to think in terms of being a “problem solver.” Say something like, “I help people who enjoy quality clothing keep their clothes looking and lasting longer.” Or incorporate this problem solving mentality into your advertising messages.
Don’t use jargon or technical terms. Just speak in terms of solving your target market’s problems. Stress benefits, not features and show your customers you value results, not hype.
2. POSITIONING YOURSELF IN THE MARKETPLACE
You must finally decide, are you a full service dry cleaner or a discount dry cleaner. Either way your store, inside and out must reflect this decision. Your personnel, advertising and quality must reflect this positioning statement.
Here’s a 5 point checklist to help you decide if you’re reaching the right market. Ask yourself.
1. Do they have the money?
2. Will they’ll pay a premium for better service and quality if necessary?
3. Where is the competition weak in my trading area?
4. Which influential people or companies in my community can I service that will give me credibility and great references?
5. How can I make sure my prospects know they need what we offer?
3. BUILDING PERCEPTIONS
If you asked your best, most trusted customer, and I encourage you to do this.
“What is it that makes your company so good?”
“What do you value about the way your company gets the job done?”
“What do you value about the way your company treats you?”
What makes marketing work is perception. There is very little difference in dry goods and restaurants that sell the same type of food, offer the same services and deliver on their promises. To do marketing right you have to consistently build a perception in the mind of the consumer about what makes you different.
Is it that you’re more trustworthy than your competition? More knowledgeable about difficult technologies? Does your plant have more modern resources or respond quicker to customer’s requests?
What innovative marketing ideas have you implemented recently? Do you have the capacity to service large corporate clients, hotels or specific niches?
4. WRITING A WINNING MARKETING MESSAGE
When you sit down to craft a persuasive results oriented marketing message, keep your problem solving mindset and target market in mind and think about what is the reason people need you, specifically to solve their dry cleaning problems. How do you know you’ve written the right message? When your prospect reads your message and says, “That’s Me!”
For example, to position yourself as the “tough stain remover” a headline like this would command immediate attention, don’t you think? “ Are you constantly switching services or retailers (be more specific) because of being ignored?” See the difference?
Use the benefit of your service from your client’s point of view. Ask yourself, what is the problem most of my customers face? How can my unique talents, resources, people and services best meet and solve these challenges?
This is why non-intrusive marketing vehicles like newsletters, e-zines and community based sponsorships are so persuasive and powerful. You can deliver this message in the form of articles, samples, case studies and educational materials in a way that your customers and prospects will appreciate.
As you craft your marketing message make sure to incorporate the winning AIDA formula. Get the attention with a problem solving headline that makes them say “That’s’ Me! Grab their interest next by telling them why you’re different and what your service can do that others cannot or will not. Sweeten the deal by attracting desire. Whet their appetitive with an offer so enticing they cannot possibly refuse. Then top it off with a sincere call to action. What should they do now to begin to build a loyal relationship with you? Subscribe to your ezine or newsletter, visit your store for a special in store offer, sign up for pick up and delivery.
_____________
What Makes Marketing Work - To learn more about this author, visit Allan Katz's Website.
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Many small businesses have a natural aversion to marketing. That’s understandable because marketing can be intimidating if you don’t know what makes marketing work.
In my marketing blueprint there are eight steps to successfully generating productive, response driven marketing results.
1. MINDSET
Marketing is a mindset. A mindset based on your own integrity and belief in your service. When someone asks you what you do for a living, instead of telling them you’re a drycleaner, retailer or particular service, begin to think in terms of being a “problem solver.” Say something like, “I help people who enjoy quality clothing keep their clothes looking and lasting longer.” Or incorporate this problem solving mentality into your advertising messages.
Don’t use jargon or technical terms. Just speak in terms of solving your target market’s problems. Stress benefits, not features and show your customers you value results, not hype.
2. POSITIONING YOURSELF IN THE MARKETPLACE
You must finally decide, are you a full service dry cleaner or a discount dry cleaner. Either way your store, inside and out must reflect this decision. Your personnel, advertising and quality must reflect this positioning statement.
Here’s a 5 point checklist to help you decide if you’re reaching the right market. Ask yourself.
1. Do they have the money?
2. Will they’ll pay a premium for better service and quality if necessary?
3. Where is the competition weak in my trading area?
4. Which influential people or companies in my community can I service that will give me credibility and great references?
5. How can I make sure my prospects know they need what we offer?
3. BUILDING PERCEPTIONS
If you asked your best, most trusted customer, and I encourage you to do this.
“What is it that makes your company so good?”
“What do you value about the way your company gets the job done?”
“What do you value about the way your company treats you?”
What makes marketing work is perception. There is very little difference in dry goods and restaurants that sell the same type of food, offer the same services and deliver on their promises. To do marketing right you have to consistently build a perception in the mind of the consumer about what makes you different.
Is it that you’re more trustworthy than your competition? More knowledgeable about difficult technologies? Does your plant have more modern resources or respond quicker to customer’s requests?
What innovative marketing ideas have you implemented recently? Do you have the capacity to service large corporate clients, hotels or specific niches?
4. WRITING A WINNING MARKETING MESSAGE
When you sit down to craft a persuasive results oriented marketing message, keep your problem solving mindset and target market in mind and think about what is the reason people need you, specifically to solve their dry cleaning problems. How do you know you’ve written the right message? When your prospect reads your message and says, “That’s Me!”
For example, to position yourself as the “tough stain remover” a headline like this would command immediate attention, don’t you think? “ Are you constantly switching services or retailers (be more specific) because of being ignored?” See the difference?
Use the benefit of your service from your client’s point of view. Ask yourself, what is the problem most of my customers face? How can my unique talents, resources, people and services best meet and solve these challenges?
This is why non-intrusive marketing vehicles like newsletters, e-zines and community based sponsorships are so persuasive and powerful. You can deliver this message in the form of articles, samples, case studies and educational materials in a way that your customers and prospects will appreciate.
As you craft your marketing message make sure to incorporate the winning AIDA formula. Get the attention with a problem solving headline that makes them say “That’s’ Me! Grab their interest next by telling them why you’re different and what your service can do that others cannot or will not. Sweeten the deal by attracting desire. Whet their appetitive with an offer so enticing they cannot possibly refuse. Then top it off with a sincere call to action. What should they do now to begin to build a loyal relationship with you? Subscribe to your ezine or newsletter, visit your store for a special in store offer, sign up for pick up and delivery.
_____________
What Makes Marketing Work - To learn more about this author, visit Allan Katz's Website.
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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