Marketing: What You Really Need Vs. What You Think You Want

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Marketing: What You Really Need Vs. What You Think You Want

Marketing: What You Really Need Vs. What You Think You Want (20 views)

Clients approach me all the time saying, “Tell me what I need to do to market my services.” I ask, “What do you mean?” They say, “Tell me how to blog/podcast/what to say on my website,” (fill in your own specific here). That’s when I know they lack the one thing without which they’ll never really make it.

It’s easy to hung up on details. Marketing advice often makes it even more enticing, promising you phenomenal results if you only do X. The “X” changes every few weeks and usually says more about the person who wrote the advice than what you really need to dod. Since advice is ever-present and ever-changing, for anyone trying to keep up it always feels like marketing is a big overwhelming thing that can never be fully tackled. In this dread, they are both right and wrong.

Marketing methods ARE endless. You can spend a lifetime learning about them, implementing them, collecting data as to their efficacy and tweaking your results. For the service professional (not the professional marketer) it is not necessary to learn them all. So the good news is, while marketing information is endless, your grasp of it need not be complete.

What you really DO need is marketing confidence. It is a key ingredient without which your marketing will fail. Of the over 700 people that signed up for a recent series of teleclasses I did on the subject, nearly every one either during the classes or via e-mail told me the same thing: “I am very confident in life but when it comes time to marketing, I get uncertain and afraid.” In short, they lack marketing confidence. It’s different that regular, “garden-variety” confidence. But what to do to build it up?

The methods I had participants employ were simple and gave results right away.

1. Get serious about what your REAL goals are.

9 times out of 10, your goals are not what you think they are. Going after artificial goals will wreak havoc on your marketing confidence (and, hence, your results) because you’ll never have the steam to keep on going until you get them. If you’re going after goals that don’t make you jump out of bed in the morning and enthusiastically cheer, “Time to get to work on those goals!” (and I’m only half kidding there) then you’re not working on your real goals.

2. Do it, don’t think about doing it.

Probably the most critical thing you can do to build your marketing confidence is DO things. So many service professionals get into paralysis by what they consider the overwhelming job of marketing. That’s when the marketing research overdrive response kicks in. You figure if you just gather enough information, you’ll feel they have a grasp on marketing. Actually, the opposite is true. The more you research, the more overwhelmed you become. The only way to alleviate the overwhelm is to start trying things out and experiencing the results to understand not just what works, but what works for you.

3. Give to get.

Too often in marketing a professional practice, we measure success in terms of results. Results are critical, of course, but in a high-trust exchange, such as happens when you sell a high-ticket service, very often the prospect will not buy on first contact. If you walk away after an initial “no,” or “sorry, not interested,” you are walking away from great opportunities. The practice of giving to get, wherein you demonstrate your expertise by giving people either free or low-fee access to it, is a great way to start building a reputation.

4. Build mastery in your craft. It takes being good to know you’re good.

Very often I hear from clients, “I fee like, ‘Who am I to be charging those high fees?’” Often they want a pep talk when they ask that. Instead, I ask them, “What would it take for you to know without a doubt that you MUST be charging that?” Too often we want to coddle ourselves and others when we don’t feel “good enough.” But in order to really build your marketing confidence, you must be excellent at what you do. So what’s that going to take? How must you hone your skills, what training must you attend, how many people must you work with until you know you’re excellent without any hesitation? Once you know the answer to that, set out a path to accomplish it.

5. Be continuously challenged.

Piggybacking on #4, it helps to get out of your comfort zone at every opportunity. You’ve heard the old metaphor about building muscles with increasingly heavier weights. If you want to be a highly sought-after professional, respected in your field, you need to push yourself all the time. What’s it going to take?

6. Research. Then do it your way.

People seem to have an insatiable urge to “just do a little more research.” While this is great, very often it’s detrimental, as I explained above. So if you must research, please know this. Everyone who gives you marketing advice is telling you only PART of the information. The part they can’t possibly tell you is how it’s going to work for you. So understand that when you read about the great new method you MUST try, or how you won’t be able to make it until you try X, know that may not apply to you. The sooner you take ownership of your practice and your marketing future, the happier and more successful you’ll be.



About the author:
©2005 Maria E. Andreu. Service business owners, coaches: increase your profits, get clients in less time!

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Integrating the art and science of marketing

Marketing has always been both an art and a science and, according to Kevin Lane Keller, it always will be. Professor Keller, the E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in the US, believes that the challenge for modern marketers is to enjoy that dichotomy, but also work to integrate the two strands into an approach he calls “holistic marketing.”...

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Ten Ways to Build and Market Your Business Image

Every action your company takes sends a marketing message and builds your brand -- use it to your advantage.


Building a business image is not something invented by a public relations firm: It’s a reflection of what you do and how you do it. Marketing means running a first-rate business and letting people know about it. Every action your company takes sends a marketing message.

When most people think about letting the world know about their business, they imagine a clever ad. But advertising is one of the most expensive and least effective forms of marketing. After all, why broadcast your message to many uninterested members of the public, when you can address people who have a demonstrated interest in what you do, merely by creating a strong referral system?

To begin learning how to market your business effectively, check out this list of tactics.

1. Make it look good. Creating a solid, strong physical impression lends credibility to your business and invites customers in, whether you have a store front, a brochure, or a website. You’ll want to suit your look to the type of business you have. An accountant’s office should be well-organized and tastefully decorated with business furniture. A dog groomer might choose a whimsical design with bright colors and fun murals on the wall.

2. Create a website. A simple website is relatively inexpensive and can work wonders in terms of drawing people to your business or telling them more about who you are and what you do. Be sure to create a professional look and feel, one that suits your business, and take care to optimize your site for search engines.

3. Create straightforward, easy-to-understand pricing. You’d be surprised how many businesses use a complicated pricing structure -- and try to hide their prices from their customers. Streamline your pricing and make it clear, especially if you run a service business. Exactly how much can your customers expect to pay for which services? A pricing menu is often a good idea.

4. Encourage personal recommendations. The single best way to get new customers is through personal recommendations. Why? Because almost nothing is as powerful as an endorsement from a friend or relative (and because it’s free). Or you can consider rewarding customers for referrals. For example, a hairdresser might give a client who has referred a friend half off her next cut.

5. Maintain good employee relations. The people who work for you can be strong assets to your marketing strategy. Employees who love their jobs and believe in your business will not only display/wear/use your merchandise or services, they will also recommend you to their friends and families. Treat them right, and they could be the foundation of your personal recommendations web.

6. Use the press. It always helps to get a little PR -- and you don’t need to hire an expensive firm to do it. If you can come up with a newsworthy angle on your business (for instance, your grand opening, your "story," what you offer that’s different), you can write a simple press release and send it to local publications.

7. Do a referral exchange. If there's a related business you find yourself referring clients to, or have a business referring clients to you, set up an exchange. Place brochures or cards at the other business’s office (or store), and display their marketing materials in your place of business. Examples of successful referral exchanges are those between chiropractors and massage therapists, dentists and orthodontists, and financial planners and tax preparers.

8. List creatively and widely. Unlike advertising, listing your business is usually low-cost or free, and it’s a great way to draw people to your business. Make sure to list in the obvious places, such as the Yellow Pages and Chamber of Commerce, and find some not-so-obvious places to list as well. For example, does your city have a website where parents make referrals about services for their children? Does a nonprofit organization in your area have a listing of businesses with good environmental and social practices? Get on as many lists as you can.

9. Maintain a customer database. A customer who used your business once will likely use it again (assuming that the customer had a good experience). Keeping an existing customer database to mail or email promotions to is much less expensive than acquiring a new one. Maintain a database with your customers' contact information, and ask customers whether they’d like to be on your mailing list to receive special offers. A direct mail campaign is much more successful when targeted to existing customers who have opted in to the mailing list.

10. Make a marketing plan. Draw up a marketing plan. A formal plan should outline your mission, and include an analysis of your market and your competitors, your marketing objectives, and marketing ideas: How do you intend to market your business? Will you use a referral program? A website? Issue press releases? Also, outline your marketing budget, set specific performance goals, and determine how and when you’ll meet them. Check back regularly to track your progress.

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What is marketing?

Marketing is the means by which your business identifies, anticipates and then satisfies customer demand. If carried out effectively it will not only ensure that your business is seen and heard but will give the business flexibility to adapt to changing customer demands and a changing business environment.

Businesses that really succeed are those where the owner has a vision for the firm and is dedicated to seeing it through. A marketing plan will help achieve focus and establish the vision.

Marketing will help you understand who your potential customers are, place and price the product compared to the competition and also position the company in the market place. It will also help identify future opportunities for self-promotion.

Though there are established guidelines to follow, marketing is more of an art than a science and is a difficult skill to develop. But in terms of successful impact on the future commercial effectiveness of the business, it is worth cultivating. It can offer improved returns and profitability and a greater understanding of realistic business development opportunities.

One of the major problems for startups when considering marketing is quantifying in advance the expected result for a given spend.

But consider Microsoft. While your ambitions may be more modest than that of Bill Gates his company's domination of the software industry is a testament to the power of successful marketing.

Gates targeted potential rivals by undercutting bitter rival, Apple Computers, and at the same time launching a sustained marketing blitz. Today he is the richest man in the world and the PC dominates the home computer market. Industry observers attribute Microsoft's success as much to its marketing as Apple's lack of it.

"Don't confuse sales with marketing. "

The first step

Don't confuse sales with marketing. It is a common enough mistake for any small business to lump sales together with marketing under the perception that the two disciplines are different heads of the same beast. This is because tactics can overlap. However, they are not the same.

The mission of sales is to increase turnover through a number of tricks such as margin reductions, discounts, two for the price of one, special offers and so on. The mission of marketing is to identify the market, build the company and promote the product.

Marketing, which attempts to embrace the two areas is a complex, expensive and resource intensive activity. In the long run it is far more productive to have a dedicated marketing manager or assign the task to a marketing team.

Marketing on a low budget

David Robertson, chief executive of Bibby financial Services has come up with some easy and cost-effective ways for owners and managers to achieve marketing on a budget

For many smaller businesses, marketing can be a major headache. On one hand, it is needed to build customer awareness and boost sales but on the other, it can cost a lot of money - something that most small firms have only in short supply.

There are many business owners and managers who wrongly think that marketing is just another word for advertising and that anybody can do it. Nothing could be further from the truth. However, sound marketing is essential if a small business is going to succeed.

David Robertson, chief executive of Bibby Financial Services has devised the following top tips to help small
firms market their business successfully without it costing the Earth.

1. Go back to basics - think about what you actually want to achieve and define your objectives clearly. Make sure you target the right people in the right way to maximise results. It is imperative to focus on your
customers and really assess their needs in order to ensure that your product or service satisfies their requirements.

2. Get listed - consider placing your business in a directory, such as the Yellow Pages, local business directories such as the Chamber of Commerce or local web directories. It may seem obvious, but with a one-off payment each year you can target anyone who is directly looking for your products or services. Be clever about what you say about yourself, however. Look at existing listings to see what is effective and eye-catching.

3. DIY PR - PR is a great way of getting free publicity. Just because you can't afford a full service PR agency doesn't mean you have to avoid it altogether. Write your own press releases in the manner of a news story and
send it to your local papers and business magazines, whose contact details can often be found on their websites.

4. Be creative - creative services do not have to cost a fortune. Agencies that specialise in working with small businesses can be found in directories such as Yellow Pages and are often more flexible, as well as being cheaper, than larger agencies. In order to reduce the outlay even further, try sharing costs and creative ideas with other local firms you don't compete with who are in a similar situation. In addition, don't forget that many
publications will help you create the advert you place with them. Simply supply them with a logo and the wording you have drafted and they will often design it for you at no extra cost.

5. Improve your website - constructing a website can cost as little as a few hundred pounds but is a vital marketing tool. Customers now expect to see a website as much as they do a brochure, so if you don't have one, get one! However, a bad or out of date website is as bad as none at all, as it leaves your customers confused and frustrated.

6. Keep in touch - newsletters and emails are a very effective way of reminding your customers of your presence, as well as giving you the chance to promote new products or impart news about the company. However, be aware of recent changes to 'spamming' laws and only contact those by email who have specifically given you permission.

7. Encourage word of mouth - offer your existing customers incentives to recommend you to others. Send out a referral form with each delivery or invoice, making it as easy as possible for your customers to do so. Including testimonials from existing customers on your website and business literature will also improve the way new customers view you.

8. Try something new - the Internet is a fantastic resource for marketing, but due to its size you have to make your business stand out. Try using a pay-per-click service on a search engine. Each click can cost as little as a few pence, but targets those looking specifically for what you have to offer, making a negligible cost really worthwhile.

9. Show off - Trade exhibitions not only provide an ideal place to meet your customers and potential clients face to face, but you can also check out the competition. Looking at what works and what doesn't for others can help you avoid making expensive mistakes yourself.

10. Learn from your past - try to analyse which marketing tools were effective and which were unsuccessful and ask yourself why, in order to refine and improve next year's marketing strategy.

David Robertson adds: "With an increasing number of marketing mediums available, from traditional direct mail and telemarketing to online presence, creating a comprehensive but cost-effective strategy can be difficult. However, marketing is vital for companies wanting to boost their brand profile and improve their market position. The opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate the basic objectives of a company's marketing should not be ignored, as complacency will only result in lost business. You don't have to spend a fortune, but it could cost your business far more by avoiding marketing altogether."


source:www.mybusiness.co.uk

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Low cost marketing strategy

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to come up with a good business marketing strategy, and it needn’t cost that much either.

At its simplest, a marketing strategy is all about improving your chances of making sales – usually by making more potential purchasers aware of your products or services, or by making them aware of its desirable qualities (perhaps including its price).

In any case it makes sense to optimise your budget. Given the choice between big-bang and little-but-often, good business marketing is less about getting big bangs and more about producing smaller amounts very regularly.

The impact of your marketing will also be improved greatly if you can use multiple channels.

Prospects in particular are more likely to become buyers if they read about your business in their newspaper, see your ads, find your website, enter your competition, take home a brochure, hear you speak at a seminar, and learn what a great company you are from a third party.

So you should spread your activity. You should also maintain the momentum: Business marketing is a long-term activity.

You don’t however need to spend big; most of the ideas in your marketing strategy are likely to involve moderate costs.

But it will require quite a lot of time and effort from you on a regular basis.

Most (but not all) take advantage of the fact that you have a computer and an internet connection.

Do public relations. The editorial content in newspapers and magazines carries a lot more weight with readers than the advertising.

Send out regular press releases, try to identify individual journalists to cultivate, offer your services to publications as an expert commentator, propose that you’ll write a free series of useful (and short) articles, sponsor newsworthy local events.

Letters to the editor are a surprisingly powerful marketing tool, though its effectiveness may take time to become effective. If you have a local market, you probably read the same local newspaper as your target audience – and both of you probably read the letters page.

React to news items with letters to the editor: comment on new government policies and legislation, local issues (traffic and the environment are good candidates for a business’s viewpoint). Your letter can apply a spin that reflects your business’s concerns, and make sure your business’s name is part of your signature.

Build a mailing list. Collecting the names is the hard part, so give your prospects a reason for them to provide you with their name and address – competitions, an emailed newsletter, the promise of advance information and discounts, maybe even a loyalty card. Work at keeping your list accurate and up to date.

Try to get hold of email addresses as well as (or even in preference to) landmail contact details: email is cheaper and more versatile than postage, and it can be integrated more efficiently with other aspects of your marketing – notably your website.

If your database of names has been gathered in the normal course of business, you might not have to register under the Data Protection Act. This is a complicated area, however, and you should check the situation with the Information Commissioner (www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk).

Once you have your list, use it. Concentrate on customers more than prospects: they will be more valuable to you, both for repeat business and because they’ll act as a reference.

So be personal. Remember birthdays and anniversaries. Say "thank you” when they buy (if only by email). Offer them the chance to comment and criticise. Give them special offers not available to anyone else. Make sure they know that your Christmas ‘thank you’ gift is going to a selected few, and they’re in the group.

Ask them to check out new products or services: they appreciate being treated as special, and the risk is lower because they're more likely to buy. Look at their past purchase history if possible, and tailor special promotions to them.

Find out whether they prefer Christian names or a more formal mode of address, and make sure all your mailings and other communications use the appropriate salutation.


Money-off coupons can be a good way to bump up sales volume, but they can also send a message about your business. It could be customer care (distribute them to favoured clients only) but coupons work better as a value-for-money flag. Distribute coupons in print advertising (cut here), by direct mail, by hand (on the street corner? At trade shows?), and even by email or on the web --“quote this reference to get your discount”. You can also include ‘next purchase’ coupons with customer orders.

Because the selling point is (usually) price, the coupon itself can be a simple quick-n-dirty production in terms of design and print.


Postcards are cheap and easy to produce, especially if you use colour on one side only. They can be mailed to prospects and stacked in help-yourself dispensers. And you can use them for a variety of marketing messages – see our new product, gasp at our new prices or our short-term cut-price promotion, enter the competition or the free prize draw (and get two entries if you give us a friend’s name and address).

A reply-paid licence makes it simple for someone to return the card; these are easy and economical to set up with the Post Office.

Run competitions. People love them, even if someone else is the winner. They are an excellent way to garner mailing list names while sending branding messages: the kind of contest your run implies the kind of company you are. Contests can also make for good PR, especially if there’s a fun element that will attract media coverage.
Give them something for free. People like to get gifts, even if they have to pay a premium price for a more expensive item to qualify for the freebie - a free makeup purse with purchases, wine and fruit in your room if you book the weekend break, a CD of business tips with every seminar booking, a pizza with every DVD film rented.

The aim here is both to boost sales and to tell the world that you’re a generous, value-conscious supplier. It also improves your competitive sell, since it becomes more difficult to compare like with like.

Start a loyalty programme. The customer gets a good deal, you get a keen customer (and their contact details). A simple approach is to give customers a card that is marked after each purchase and results in a free or reduced-price offering after a specified number of regular-priced purchases.

Easier to operate is a loyalty card scheme where regular customers get a discount on purchases on presentation of the card.

source:www.startups.co.uk.