I remember last December as if it were yesterday…2010 loomed shiny and filled with potential. Yes, there were grim times but those were fading as the dawn of a new year beckoned us forward. Now, 2010 is almost a has-been. How has it treated you? How have you treated it?
Some business owners are stuck on the same old saw. “Business is bad." "Business is down." "This year was the worst yet.” However, it’s not all gloom and doom. For some, 2010 will long be remembered as a golden year of growth. Growth that was envisioned. Growth that was designed. Growth that was achieved.
In which camp are you? If not in the growth camp now, how do you make certain you make it to the 2011 growth camp?
Too many business owners are sitting in their offices waiting for an economic rebound. It just isn’t going to happen. The economy isn’t “coming back”. It is changing. It is different. It has moved.
These are challenging times for business owners for sure. The economy is more challenging than in any prior period. Customers, whether they be consumers or businesses, just aren’t the same. They don’t behave the same way. They don’t spend the same way. They don’t trust the same way.
What can you do to position your company for the 2011 growth camp? There are a few things that your prospective customers -- and even your existing customers -- need in order to buy from you.
1) Permission -- Buyers are in a very tentative mood. They need to feel that you are the very best choice for their purchase. They need trust. They need security. Are you giving that to them?
2) Value -- Today more than ever before, your marketing messages need to show your value. Not your low price or speedy delivery. What does their purchase really buy them?
3)Experience -- Today’s buyers want to know the real story. They want to see behind the scenes. They want to feel like they are insiders. How well do your customers know you?
4) Multi-dimensional marketing -- We’ve talked about touchpoints in the past. Others are marketing (no, actually bombarding) your prospects with messages via web sites, tv, video, social media and mobile marketing. They are drowning in information and marketing messages. Can they see you? Hear you? Feel you?
No one ever said that running a business was easy. The best and the smartest don’t always come out as the winners. You could very well have the best widget company in the world but still not succeed. Success isn't pre-destined. It is planned, designed and implemented. So if you’ve been operating without a marketing plan, it’s time to stop that behavior. You are jeopardizing your financial situation and that of your employees. Make a commitment now to map out a marketing plan for 2011 and a promise to review it once each month. You’ll be happy you did. Trust me, it doesn't hurt!
Need help with your Marketing Plan? Words@Work helps local business owners with all their marketing needs. For more information, visit www.wordsatwork.us.
This may not be part of the list, but it is a time-tested strategy that would sure work if you want your company to succeed: make your customers feel like they are part of the family. You can't just give them in-your-face advertisements, words, and even promises of good quality products. Service counts, and businesses must invest more in this!
Posted by: Dianne White | June 23, 2011 at 03:38 PM