Sales and Marketing with Bill Doerr15 Second "Speed Read"
Marketing is an essential business discipline that can be academic or practical. Unless you're a university professor, the practical approach is probably better. Once you go practical, there are seven (7) keys to marketing effectively.
Last month we identified and discussed three (3) of them. This month, we'll finish them up.
The 7 Keys of Marketing Success, Part 2 of 2
Key #4: Build Trust Through Useful Information
John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing founder, defines, Marketing as "the process of helping people who need your services to know, like and trust you."
So marketing effectively means that whenever someone in your target market needs the benefits you offer, you will:
- come to mind (know),
- be positioned favorably relative to your competitors (like), and
- there will be little or no reluctance to use you (trust).
However, UNLIKE a product, a service is intangible. Prospects really won't know what they're buying -- the results your services will produce -- until some time has passed after hiring you.
So the "next best thing" to an actual result is for a prospect to learn that you know how to get the results someone wants or needs. In effect, you want to demonstrate your expertise at generating results. Do that and you are a "safe bet" to use (hire) to generate them, aren't you? Yes!
OK, how? Provide information that reveals your problem-solving insights! Unlike marketing materials that are focused on you and your business, create materials that are focused on what your prospects want to know. "Are you a low-risk provider to use?" Special reports, problem-solving checklists, online calculators, etc. are all client-centered ways to communicate your expertise and convince someone that you are a "preferred" provider of your services. In short, that you can be trusted.
Jeffrey Cohen, President of Imageworks, a Vernon, CT web design firm, runs an ad in the local business journal.
This ad attracts response from self-qualifying prospects for his services.
By being their "friend in the business" of web design, Jeffrey is addressing his prospects' concern about trust. Take a lesson from Jeffrey. It will work for your business, too!
Point:
Use educational information to promote your expertise. It will attract interest and differentiate you, favorably, from others in your field.
Key #5: Use The Three Amigos
No, not Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short. I'm referring to:
1) Advertising,
2) Public Relations, and
3) Referrals.
If you need to raise awareness, advertising and PR work quite well.
Ultimately, the best marketing is based on others endorsement of your business and services. That requires being an outstanding manager of the "experience" your prospects, clients and centers-of-influence have with you and your business. Great management produces an exquisite experience for your clients. Exquisite experiences, delivered consistently, makes you remark-able. And when that happens, referrals and word-of-mouth happen naturally, predictably and extensively.
But none of these "3 Amigos" can be done effectively, over time, if you do not PLAN to do them.
Point:
Regardless of how you choose to use advertising, PR and referrals to promote awareness of your business and attract response from qualified prospects, have a PLAN to do so.
Key #6: Automate and Dominate
Modern media is digital and largely online. Anything that is so computer-centric can be over-used and may turn people off. Modern media can do that because it's so easy to automate your marketing communications with key people for your business.
That may mean you use a form on your website to identify people who really care to hear from you, auto-responders to build and maintain a respectful (but, regular!) presence with them, and you create a profile on social networks such as Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Biznik and others.
Regardless of what you choose to do, there are now more ways to keep-in-touch and stay-in-mind with your prospects, clients and centers-of-influence than ever before. Learn what your options are, where/how your market members want to hear from you and do it as often as you can, respectfully, of course.
Point:
Use the "tools" of modern media to keep in touch and stay in mind with your prospects, clients and centers-of-influence. It will simplify your life and make you a more effective marketer, as well.
Key #7: Use a Marketing Calendar
Years ago I received a "Ziggy" card. On the cover, in outer space, was Ziggy with his arms outstretched and the word "TIME." Inside the card it read, ". . . is God's way of keeping everything from happening all at once." In terms of quantum mechanics, that's actually a very accurate insight!
In business, your marketing calendar makes sure key marketing activities do, in fact, happen, as your plan requires. That's huge.
Your marketing calendar forces you to think strategically as well as tactically. It considers an entire year of marketing activities -- not just one day, week or month. It answers the who/what/when/how issues that you must address to invite response from your target market, build bridges with media contacts (PR), and foster word-of-mouth and referrals for your business.
Point:
Use a calendar to coordinate your marketing activities. Leaving nothing to chance increases the odds of marketing effectively.
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Bill Doerr is CCO of SellMore Marketing. He helps professionals and other service providers to market their problem-solving expertise simply, effectively and affordably. You can reach him at www.sellmoremarketing.com, or by phone at 860-798-6964.
For more information, please visit Bill's TNNW Bio.
Bill Doerr is CCO of SellMore Marketing. He helps professionals and other service providers to market their problem-solving expertise simply, effectively and affordably. You can reach him at www.sellmoremarketing.com, or by phone at 860-798-6964.
For more information, please visit Bill's TNNW Bio.
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