Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Competition that is right out front is pretty easy to identify. These are other service businesses that provide similar solutions to exactly the same challenges that we address with our clients. For better or worse, most businesses have developed tactics as part of their marketing plan to compete with them. Unfortunately, they often fail to redraw the lines...…
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Tags: action, best customers, challenges, commoditization, competition, competitive landscape, competitors, customer, customer needs, customers, de-motivation, doubt, fear, ideal customers, inaction, inefficiencies, issues, joy, low-barrier options, marketers, marketing plan, motivation, pricing, processes, profit, razor-thin margins, relationships, risk-reduced, ROI, scenarios, service businesses, services, small business, small business marketing, small business owner, solutions, staff, tactics, unbelief, uncovery
Posted in marketing
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Saturday, January 24th, 2009
If you manufacture computer screens... or coffee cups, step ladders... or any other product from feather dusters to construction equipment... it's pretty easy to figure out where your main competition is coming from. Service businesses, on the other hand, have additional challenges when it comes to marketing. We often find that we must compete with the very people that we want to have as customers... an unlikely occurrence in manufacturing or distribution…
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Tags: benefits, best customers, coaching, competition, competitors, customer, customer needs, delivering content, good enough, ideal customers, ideas, in-house, information, insights, marketers, marketing plan, monday morning, processes, relevance, risk-reduced, routines, service businesses, small business, small business marketing, solutions, status quo, value
Posted in marketing
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Monday, January 19th, 2009
Although cable television had been around for decades, the 1980's saw its entry into the mainstream. The attraction was two-fold. First, we now had 24 hour news and entertainment on scores of channels... No more National Anthem at 1 a.m. to announce the end of the broadcast day. Second, we were able to enjoy an entire movie or program without commercial interruption, all from the comfort of our own living rooms. And then something interesting…
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Tags: 24 hour entertainment, 24 hour news, 24 hour programming, advertising, cable television, commercial interruption, customer experience, customer needs, customers, emerging technologies, google, guarantee, ideal customers, infomercials, interactive technologies, interruption marketing, marketing strategy, mass advertising, online media, online research, online shopping, product pitches, small business, small business marketing, television advertising
Posted in marketing
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Sunday, January 18th, 2009
Recent studies show that most people now consider advertising during their favorite programming to be an interruption... which of course, it is. Whatever you are watching, or listening to, stops... it is interrupted... to bring you information about some product, service, or idea that the sponsor hopes you'll find more interesting than what you were doing two seconds earlier. And occasionally they're right... They happen to hit…
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Tags: advertising, best customers, cold calls, customer experience, customer needs, customers, delivering content, direct mail, ideal customers, interruption marketing, mass advertising, mass market, mass marketing, media old-new-no, message, new media, old media, pull marketing, push marketing, radio advertising, relationships, relevance, respect, sales, salespeople, small business, small business marketing, small business owner, television advertising, traditional media
Posted in marketing
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Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
For the third time in as many days, I was privy to a discussion between small business owners and marketers which revolved around the topic of 'positioning'. These conversations were typical of those at networking functions, beginning literally with "well, we like to position ourselves as such and such." That's nice. Next, they degenerated into the all-too-common litany of features and attributes which are typically important only to…
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Tags: advertising, before electricity, behavior, brand, branding, competitors, credit crunch, customer expectations, customer experience, customer needs, customers, emotion, features and benefits, focus, global competition, information, market, marketers, marketing professionals, marketing strategy, mass market, message, networking, new economy, new media, new rules, online research, position, positioning, research, small business, small business marketing, small business owner, thinking new, traditional media, what we say vs. what we do
Posted in marketing
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Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
I was asked the other day about our marketing plans as we launch our practice. Actually, the question revolved around the topic of new and emerging media, web-based marketing, and social networking. While these are powerful and developing tools to be sure, it appears that there are people who are only interested in having one tool, the latest tool, in their toolbox at any given time. I understand why some marketers are always looking for the latest... next...…
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Tags: ambition, branding, buyer's needs, communications, consultants, customer engagement, customer expectations, customer experience, customer needs, customers as marketers, emerging technologies, internet marketing, killer app, marketers, marketing plan, marketing strategy, media old-new-no, multi-channel, new media, old media, old ways - new ways, online media, referral business, referrals, relationships, reputation, rocket science, small business marketing, social media, social networking, status quo, tactics, traditional media, value, web-based marketing
Posted in marketing
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Sunday, January 4th, 2009
So, I'm watching a wildcard game last night between Indianapolis and San Diego, and suddenly something catches my attention. Now, I don't have a dog in this fight... or in any playoff game this year...so I was only interested in seeing quality football, regardless of the outcome. But what grabbed me wasn't on the field... what grabbed me was the content during a commercial break... for a car company, no less. Doesn't happen too often...…
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Tags: advertising, auto industry, customer, customer needs, emotion, game changer, ideas, marketers, marketing plan, marketing professionals, marketing strategy, risk - calculated, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small business owner, thinking new
Posted in marketing
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Sunday, December 28th, 2008
As we're out and about, going from store to store... the same two-sentence conversations are happening everywhere. The question is familiar to all of us, "Can I help you?"... as is the response, "No thanks... I'm just browsing." I recently noticed that I seem to be giving that answer more and more these days, but alas... I must now admit that it is not really true. You see, it may be just me, but the fact is that if I am…
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Tags: best customers, big boxes, big business, competition, competitive advantage, competitors, customer engagement, customer experience, customer needs, customer service, customers, employees as marketers, ideal customers, just browsing, leadership, marketers, new media, online media, online research, online shopping, point of sale, razor-thin margins, relationships, research, revolving door, salespeople, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, training
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Saturday, December 27th, 2008
Seasons are important. Many small businesses do half their annual volume during 'their' season, whenever that is, and however long it lasts. If you are involved in retailing... web-based or traditional, the last six weeks may have been your season. If you are an accountant, your season begins next month. Tourism, sports, construction, and recreation all have seasons, as do all of the businesses that support them. Even churches…
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Tags: advertising, buzz, customer experience, customer needs, customers, customers as marketers, employees as marketers, excellence, followers, following, ideal customers, leaders, leadership, loyalty, preparation, relationships, seasons, small business, small business marketing, suppliers as marketers, thought leadership, vision, whole team marketing, word of mouth
Posted in marketing
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Friday, December 26th, 2008
The lead story at every news break today was that Black Friday was back... this time for real as retailers braced for a flood of returns the day after Christmas. Talk about dedicated and loyal customers... and the stores' response? The airwaves were full of marketing messages... well, it was really just the same old message, repeated by everyone: WE'VE SLASHED PRICES EVEN FURTHER!!! TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 50% OFF! Wait... MAKE THAT…
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Tags: amazon, bail outs, best customers, black friday, christmas, competition, crowd avoidance, customer expectations, customer experience, customer needs, customers, differentiation, e-commerce, entrepreneurs, ideal customers, internet marketing, loyalty, marketing strategy, message, mob as customer, niche, online media, online shopping, pricing, problem solving, processes, relationships, small business, small business marketing, small business owner
Posted in marketing
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