by admin | Jan 21, 2011 | Blog, Strategy
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Is there anything more important than understanding the customer?
The ability of the entrepreneur to put themselves into the shoes of their customers or prospects and to see the world from their perspective is probably the single most important characteristics of successful business people.
Some marketers call it “marketing by walking around” and many sales professional often refer to the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus quote “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
Being a keen student of human behavior, observing, listening, and asking questions is the key.
Here are some of the most important questions you should be asking:
- Who are the current customers?
- Who are your desired customers?
- What do they really want / expect?
- What dot they THINK? Rational Benefits
- What do they FEEL? Emotional Benefits
- How do they ACT? What is the BUYING PROCESS? What people SAY is often very different to what people DO!
- Why do customers buy from you?
- Why do they buy from your competitors?
The next entry will provide you with just about every conceivable reason of why people actually buy!
by admin | Jan 21, 2011 | Blog
It is then no surprise that CPA Australia estimates that one in three new small businesses in Australia fail in their first year of operation, two out of four by the end of the second year, and three out of four by the fifth year. Just approximately 8% of small businesses succeed beyond five years. These statistics are similar across many of the western economies.
by admin | Jan 21, 2011 | Blog, Strategy
Marketing communications are an ongoing process, similar to designing and building a house.
It is then important to maintain and build the value of your marketing properties and prevent this value being depreciated through neglect of infrastructure or promotional activity by competitors.
Firstly the structure must be designed correctly, beginning with the foundations that will support any future building.
Unfortunately, many businesses do the equivalent of trying to put a roof on a house with no foundations or walls by asking marketers to jump straight into execution and promotion. And many marketing suppliers oblige them!
By demanding that marketing people produce a Website, Advertisement, Brochure, etc. before the business has answers to strategic questions and clear plans for long term communication, inevitably always ends up wasting time and money.
To get the best return on the marketing investment, time needs to be dedicated to answer the questions that assist in building a solid foundation for the marketing of the business. By starting at the bottom and working up, the business building process will be shorter, less painful and more profitable.
by admin | Jan 20, 2011 | Blog, Strategy
Brand recognition alone is useless. Today every plumber has a brand and a slogan on the side of his truck. The world is drowning in brands and slogans
Robert Bloom author and ex – Chairman of Publicis Worldwide
Although we are not there yet in either the USA or Australia, the sentiment is right – recognition alone is not enough!
Virtually every category of consumer product and service is now crowded and in some cases overcrowded with brands. However this is not the case in for most of the small and medium enterprise categories and this presents a tremendous opportunity for those that can create a brand identity that connects with their target audience.
by admin | Jan 20, 2011 | Blog, Promotion
How do you differentiate your product or service when there is little or no difference?
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