Do we really know what makes our business tick?

This for me is one of the key questions which we need to answer – what really drives our business? Lest we forget, business is based on people. It is all about relationships and one-on-one conversation – how do we as supplier best understand, interpret and meet the needs of you, our “consumer” now and in the future. Yet a great deal of what I saw and what I am seeing increasingly in the marketplace is a constant and ever increasing supply of software products to automate the customer interface.

I can remember Marketing 1.01 and the expression that customers are individuals and will express themselves as such in their buying behaviour as long as they have the money and the choice to be able to do so. I have long been convinced in the school of hard knocks and by observation of successful businesses over many years that those businesses which cultivate and maintain rich and meaningful dialogue with their customers are the ones which have prospered in the long run. And yet we are confronted with a plethora of “Customer relationship” software solutions purporting to automate a large portion of the customer relationship interface.

I am sure that there is a role for these and that, utilised effectively, they can help to reduce costs and increase effectiveness. The key is not to be seduced into thinking that they can in any shape, way or form, take the place of real customer intimacy – the type of relationships that take time to build but which become the foundation stones of enduringly successful businesses.

And we cannot even begin to think about the implementation of the CRM software systems which may automate much or even parts of the customer interface UNLESS we understand very clearly what makes our business tick. We need to be sure of what connects our brand DNA  to our customers. We need to stand back and think once again that customers are individuals, are unique and each holds a unique relationship with our business. Threaten that, and you threaten the core of your brand. Lose sight of it in the excitement and mystique of fancy new software and you run the real risk of undermining the real core of your business’ existence – the special nature of the personal relationships which you have with your key customers – and that is step one on the slippery slope to oblivion!

So by all means look for software that will ENABLE – that will give you savings, better and faster information and a broader base of communication. But never ever lose sight of the fact that your customers see their relationship with you as an intensely personal and individual one – between living organisms not databases

Business Marketing Plan

There are always a number of critical success factors that you need to take into account when developing a business marketing plan.

First, you need to assess what your desired outcome is. What’s your business objective, what are the milestones on which you’ll determine whether the marketing’s been effective, or not effective? If you clearly define, up front, what you would like marketing to do for you, you are better positioned to manage the business marketing planning implementation and therefore are more likely to stay on track.

Second, you need to take a good look at the macro environment within which you trade. Is there anything happening that could affect your ability to maintain sales or pick up additional sales? For example is there a strong chance that a change in legislation could significantly impact your ability to run your business effectively. How is the current economic crunch going to affect the spending habits of your existing/potential customers? You need to look at all the macro issues to ensure you are not caught unawares with a side on swipe that capsizes your marketing and business needs.

Third, clearly define who you are targeting. What makes a good customer for you? A lot of business marketing plans define “everyone” as their target market, but this clearly cannot be the case, it’s just lazy strategy development. Challenge yourself, and your team. Describe the type of people that have problems you can provide the solution to. What is the problem? Who are the people? Where do they live? What do they read etc? Really focus your brainstorming and drill it down until you get into the minds and hearts of the type of people that are ideal customers for you. Focus in this area will ensure the rest of your marketing plan will be based on a solid foundation. Lack of focus in defining your primary target market will mean a business marketing plan that is wishy-washy, unstructured and ineffective.

Last but not least, decide what you want to tell those people about you, your products or your services that will make them sit up and take note. For example what are the benefits of people using your products/services in order to solve their problem? What makes you an essential product/service?
People only buy products and services because they have a need (real or perceived) that needs satisfying. The job of your business marketing plan is to determine what that need is and then work with your team to deliver the solutions to those needs profitably!

If you’d like to develop an effective business marketing plan follow the link now.

Cleaning Up Messy Business

If your business is in a mess, and your thoughts are in a mess then everything is perfectly aligned! Do you agree?

Whether we like it or not our businesses are a direct mirror of what our thoughts have created and if our minds are currently bouncing all over the place then more likely than not so are our staff. And, who feels that first … the customer!

Now, more than ever, you need to develop a business strategy to assist you in gathering your thoughts and preparing a plan of action that allows you to think through the options twice, and act once. This will enable you to step into your business on a daily basis displaying confident leadership that will have your staff and customers wanting to support you. After all, everyone likes to follow a confident leader.

You can start developing a clear plan of action today by developing a business strategy that will enable you to begin where you are, right now, no matter what your circumstances but will ensure you don’t stay in the same situation in the months ahead.

First though you have to get your mind right. You have to really want to change how you think and what you do. No-one can do that for you.

Don’t let fear, worry or anxiety freeze your future. Develop a business strategy now and you’ll see the difference in how you feel, how you act and what results you get.

Why wait?

Conducting Market Research

Market research is one of the best ways to find out information, factual or perceptual, from existing or potential customers, about your product or service offering.

However many small business owners don’t employ market research methodologies because they find them too academic and perceive them to have no relevance in their small business.

Essentially any time you ask a potential or existing customer a question you are conducting market research and the only thing you need to do is to structure questions and collate the information in order for it to have more value in your small business.

The best researchers you have are probably sitting not far from you right now! That’s right your staff are the best researchers you’ve got and they’re really cost effective too because you don’t have to pay them any more than you already are.

Why not take a few minutes right now and develop three questions your staff can ask every person they come into contact with in the next week and ask them to note down the answer. That way you can assess the responses and use market research to assist you in making those critical business decisions that are currently weighing on your mind at the moment.

If you can’t think of anything else why not try these three questions:
a) What do you like most about dealing with us?
b) What do you like least about dealing with us?
c) If we could change one thing that would make it easier to do business with us, what would that one thing be?

As with any market research the most important thing is to remember to ask the right people or your responses won’t be valid and, as mentioned above, to collate the responses into some meaningful format so that you can use the responses to assist you in making future business decision.

Getting to know what really matters to existing or potential customers is the key to successful business so once you’ve completed the cycle once go back and hone your questions and then the following week pose three different questions.

It’s lots of fun and you’ll be amazed, your customers will tell you exactly what you need to do to keep them happy, you don’t need to guess!

Marketing Tools

While a plethora of marketing tools are available to small business owners the most important marketing tool any small business owner needs is a marketing plan.

Without a plan you are literally operating blind with no notion of what is effective or non effective in terms of achieving your objectives.

However within the marketing plan the focus on marketing tools is there not just because the actual tools are a collection of activities you can do to get your message across to your target market. They are the only way you can connect with people in order to encourage them to buy your product or service.

Within the marketing plan framework people tend to refer to 11 Marketing Tools. These are; Direct Marketing; Internet, Public Relations, Advertising, Sales Promotion; Sponsorship; Exhibitions/Events; Promotional Items; Personal Selling; Social Responsibility and lastly Internal Marketing.

As you will know some of these have hefty price tags and some of them cost very little to implement. The trick for effectively using any marketing tool is to select the one that enables you to control your message and get it to your primary target market most cost effectively.

Which ones do you employ? Are there other options you should be investigating?

Remember, whichever marketing tool you use you need to ensure your message is worth hearing, is truthful, encourage people to act, and contains the critical contact information necessary for people to connect with you.