Just about any marketing effort, compared to no marketing at all, is a step in the right direction. But that having been said, for marketing to be most effective it has to be part of a “bigger” picture, congruent with the goals of the organization and an integral part of any other sales efforts in the marketplace.
So, what’s next? We’ll address the first few steps here, with more to come in future posts.
First action item is to decide what you want to accomplish through your marketing efforts. You need a target, a goal, a purpose.
Once you have the goal defined, the next step is to devise your strategy on how to get there as well as the tactical steps necessary to meet your strategic objectives.
Next, be sure that you have a coherent and relevant message or value proposition to communicate. Here are a couple of key questions worth asking and taking the time to find the real answers to: What is it that makes you unique and/or valuable to the marketplace? Why would someone choose to do business with you instead of somebody else?
Once your value proposition is defined, proceed with the strategy on how to communicate it properly. Approach this from two angles.
The first way to communicate your value proposition, and one most commonly discussed, is through your direct and indirect sales channel(s) and any other mass methodology you use such as direct mail, trade shows, your website, blog, social media, etc.
The second, and the one often overlooked, is marketing through all of your employees’ efforts in every interaction they have with the customer. So when you ask “What makes us unique and/or valuable to the marketplace?” the answer not only needs to be defined, but it needs to be communicated to everyone in your organization.
Why do this? Marketing, Selling and Customer Service is (or should be) Everybody’s Business. As such, all employees need to know your company’s value proposition and be able to articulate it.
After all, congruence of your team’s actions to the message you are communicating to your marketplace is crucial to your success.
Photography provided by MacJewell
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John Kypriotakis is the President of Lysis International,
a Tampa based Sales and Management consulting firm,
specializing in B2B Sales, Management and Leadership.
www.SalesAndManagement.com
813-792-8500
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