Referrals are a great source of new business but may not build your business fast enough to suit your goals.
So your product suits everyone, but who does it suit best? Who will get the greatest value from your product? Who will buy fastest?
To market effectively:
=> You need to break down your market on a sector-by-sector and/or on a region-by-region and/or on a demographic basis, even if you are operating a web-based business.
=> You need to tune to your target market defining your key messages, your language, offerings and customer support accordingly.
=> Do not market everything you can do, as the message becomes too complex. Market your company, key Unique Selling Proposition and an initial “hook” offering. You can vary the hook on various campaigns.
The purpose of your marketing efforts is to develop leads and not to educate the market on everything you can do.
A basic high-level direct market attack plan is as follows:
1. Know your business direction
You must decide what products, capabilities and offerings that allow you to put your best foot forward taking advantage of the right opportunities in the marketplace.
2. Define your offerings
- Define and detail what you have on offer.
- Create a corporate image for your company that represents your standards.
- Create Marketing and Sales materials that show what you have on offer
- Use Case Studies with client endorsements.
3. Define your Ideal Client Profile
- Know who you want to do business with, based on who you work best with and provide greatest value to.
- Detail the Ideal Client profile
4. Gather a list of your target companies and contacts that broadly fit your Ideal Client profile
Using your Ideal Client Profile, with Market Research, create a list of prospective clients. It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s worth buying a completed list or paying someone to build a relevant list of companies, addresses, contact names, job titles, phone numbers, email addresses, systems in place etc.
5. Plan and Execute your campaigns to build your pipeline
- Put the resources in place and start
- Use a CRM system to manage your Prospects, Leads, Contacts, Marketing Materials etc
- Execute, Follow-up and geneate leads
- Build a relationship with your marketplace
- Build your pipeline
- Gain new clients
Marketing should not be an occaisional activity for your company, no manner how small. Marketing is one of those good habits that when in place and done effectively will produce on-going results. This is an on-going action that will generate leads and continue to open doors to develop business.
As in everything, 10% planning, 90% effective action.
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