Marketing Information

If You Do No Other Preparation


Far too often we see small businesses rush into doing things without planning and preparing. Unfortunately, marketing is a great case in point. Many small businesses set up shop and then hurry to get a brochure made up, develop a web site, and get out and start networking without much planning or preparation. And then they wonder why their results are so poor.


Maybe it's for lack of knowing where to start. I'm not sure. But, if you do nothing else from a preparation standpoint for your marketing, I suggest you spend some time thinking about your best clients. Your best clients aren't simply the ones who pay the most money, but also the ones you enjoy working with the most. Spend some time to create a profile.


1. Define Your Target. How do you describe your target market in terms of demographics and psychographics? Demographics are the basic facts like the kind of industry they're in, size of company, revenues, geographic location, etc. If your target is individuals, then it means income levels, age, gender, education, etc. Psychographics deal more with things like the style, philosophy, and characteristics of your targets.


2. What's The Problem? What are the problems, issues, challenges, or predicaments you're trying to help your target customers and prospects with? Every product or service is designed to address some sort of issue or challenge for your client. What is your target market dealing with and what's the potential impact of not being able to address those problems?


3. What Do They Get From Working With You? What are the solutions you provide? What benefits do you offer? What results do you produce? Note that this isn't "what you do" or a list of services you provide, but what your clients actually get from you.


4. What's It Like Working With Them? What is it about working with your best clients that makes them your best clients? What is the relationship like? How do things work? What is it that you're able to uniquely do for them that makes it a great working relationship?


You'll be amazed at what it can mean for your business when you spend some time preparing a profile of who your best clients (and potential clients) are. If you know exactly who your potential clients are, then you can more effectively focus on them in your marketing efforts. But just as importantly, by clearly identifying who you work with, your potential clients will be able to identify themselves (and reveal themselves to you). Now that you've defined your best clients, do your current marketing efforts really reach these folks and others like them?

(c) - Kevin Dervin, KPD Marketing

About the Author:

Kevin Dervin is focused on helping small businesses that are ready to grow, but struggle with how to consistently attract more clients. Visit http://www.proven-small-business-marketing-solutions.com for more great marketing information you can put to use in growing your business today.

Find Kevin's Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow.


MORE RESOURCES:

SpectrumDNA, Inc. Taps Seth Levenson to Lead Product Marketing
MarketWatch - 13 hours ago
Mr. Levenson will lead the strategic sales and product marketing activities for the company's properties and strengthen the strategic leadership team ...


KENIC embarks on aggressive .ke marketing campaign
NetworkWorld.com, MA - 19 hours ago
KENIC has formed a joint marketing team comprised of registrars and other technical experts that are interested in the growth of .ke, said Vincent Ngundi, ...


Media Learner Inc. and Professional Marketing International ...
PR Web (press release), WA - 3 hours ago
Media Learner, Inc. and Professional Marketing International (PMI) announced an agreement to form a strategic partnership, which will enable both companies ...


Washington Post

Souvenir Sales as Obama Campaign Marketing Tactic?
FOXNews - Aug 28, 2008
by Cristina Corbin Those looking to purchase souvenirs from the Democratic National Convention in Denver Thursday night may have needed to offer up more ...
Video: Obama Accepts Nomination Before Crowd of 84,000 AssociatedPress
Obama acceptance speech: An eye witness report Ynetnews
all 958 news articles


ABC News

Search Marketing & The US Presidental Race: Case Study: Sarah Palin
Search Engine Land, CT - 17 hours ago
After reading yesterday how savvy both US presidential campaigns seem to think they are about search marketing, I decided I'm going to take a closer look at ...
Video: Street Team '08 Exclusive: Palin on Campaign AssociatedPress
'Paparazzi-Proof' Condo: Pure Privacy or Marketing Ploy? ABC News
McCain names Palin as vice presidential running mate Alaskajournal.com
The Public Record
all 6,266 news articles


Homestead Hills Welcomes New Healthcare Marketing Director
PR.com (press release), NY - 3 hours ago
... South Carolina developed by Senior Living Communities, is pleased to introduce Julie Senn as the new Director of Healthcare Marketing. ...


Washington Post

Politics mirroring business strategic internet marketing
Business Feet, UK - 21 hours ago
Internet marketing strategies that have been used in business for some time are now being played out in the political arena, as the American presidential ...
Video: Obama Compares McCain To Bush CBS
all 2,147 news articles


Chamber members learn about marketing strategies
South Carolina Now, South Carolina - 14 hours ago
Woods said bartering or trading services is good for networking, but added that the best marketing tip “is to put your business out there. ...


Apple (AAPL) iPhone problems undermine AT&T (T) marketing
BloggingStocks - 13 hours ago
The new Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) 3G iPhone is becoming more popular for all the wrong reasons. It drops calls and has trouble connecting to some cell carrier's ...


Marketing A Boon For Ncaa Teams
National Post, Canada - 22 hours ago
"They do a wonderful job marketing their sport and because of that there's a great deal more money involved in the sport from TV contracts to charging more ...

Marketing - Google News

Good Credit Loans | home | site map | School Bus Clothing | Florida Pool Heating
© 2006