Success is not gained
by one big overwhelming thing, but by a succession of small, consistent,
regular efforts.
There are many key
areas of marketing for which one could write numerous tips, but to narrow it
down, I would have to put them under the following categories:
·
Image
·
Planning
and Organization
·
Activity
Businesses find they
have a problem defining Marketing and separating it from Sales. Actually you can’t separate them. They are a continuum. If you have a business, you have to ask for
the order…eventually. That’s sales.
Image
This all encompassing
title includes what your company stands for, and bores right down to your
belief system. If you don’t believe in
what you are selling, you can’t sell it with any integrity, and people won’t
believe in you either, nor will they buy from you.
1.
Have
a Vision, and a Mission, and write them down.
2.
Be
able to articulate why you are in business and what you want to achieve.
3.
Have
a clear, concise and consistent message so people will know exactly what you
are selling and your brand is readily identifiable.
4.
Protect
your brand.
Planning
and Organization
There is one very
good reason to have a plan and that is so you don’t get caught up in the
details of your business, and miss opportunities. Your plan is your roadmap.
1.
Have
a Business Plan including a Marketing Plan and a Financial Plan.
2.
Work
your plan. Give it a chance to work for
you. Use a ‘parking lot’ for
opportunities that come at you out of left field, and re-visit them when you
review your plan.
3.
Use
a Marketing Planner notebook. You need
to have one place for all your ideas and the information. It’s a good tool for keeping everything
together.
Activity
It’s activity that
will put you where your customer can trip over you.
1.
Define
your target market.
2.
Know
your customers’ hot buttons (so you can solve their problems).
3.
Where
do your customers live-work-play? That’s
where you can connect with them.
4.
It’s
a numbers game. Know your ratios.
Finally
Don’t try to do everything:
you don’t know how, and there are only
24 hours in a day. Do what you do
best and delegate the rest.
