Linda Glauben, VP of Sales at The Mentis Group, who is a good friend and colleague, asked in her blog the other day: “What works in marketing?”
Here is how I responded:
Hi Linda –
Unfortunately, the answer to your question(s) is “YESâ€. All of the above can work…and even a good idea can fail…Unless you are only selling size 4XL Biker Pants to “big†men in Collin County who ride Harleys, your target prospect/customer base is probably pretty diverse!
That’s why all successful marketing efforts have the following themes:
- When it comes to marketing to your target group, try this: Think big. Smart Small. Scale rapidly.
- Differentiate yourself. Especially when there’s a lot of noise, people tend to remember what’s different.
- One size does not fit all. OSFA does not work for your customers. It does not work in your industry. And it does not work for your product or service.
- Systems. Systems. Systems. The more systematic you can be in your marketing approach, the better are the chances that you will hit on some of the “sweet spots†in your target group. And most importantly, when something works, you’ll have a prayer of tell what it is that worked…Getting a customer is the easy part! Telling why they chose you – and more importantly – whether others will choose you for the same reasons – is often MUCH harder…
- And finally, when you find something that works: RINSE, LATHER, REPEAT!
At Flat World Design we are practicing what we preach…Therefore, we try to start the discussion by focusing on our clients’ objectives. Unless you know where you want to go, any road will take you there.
I am impressed that you folks have a good blog going….Do you also twitter? Please check out the Flat World Design blog – and note that posting on our blog does not even require registration….so please tell us what you think!
Cheers!
-Raj