Upside Down Marketing
| Category: Marketing Strategy | Date: 2003-11-27 |
Differentiate Yourself with Top of Mind Awareness
At the turn of the last century, department store magnate J.C. Penney acknowledged, "Fifty percent of my advertising doesnt work." When questioned why he continued to do it all, he replied, "Because I dont know which half is working."
If you are in business for yourself, you know the feeling all too well. Advertising and marketing can seem mysterious. You may not be sure what works, you just know you have to do it.
Regardless of what business you are in, you probably got into it because you have a talent for it. And, chances are, if youre good at dentistry or interior design or welding, youre probably not as good at marketing. Thats okay. You cant expect to be good at all things.
What normally happens when we go into business for ourselves?and come to the realization that we must market?we start looking around to see what others in our profession are doing. Then we commit to a version of that, close our eyes, cross our fingers, and hope it brings in customers.
Heres the rub... good advertising and marketing is making your prospect aware of your product or service in a unique and exciting way that motivates them to take action on your offer. So, if youre doing me too advertising, how unique and exciting is that? If you were a prospect for your service, would you be motivated to respond to your marketing?
One way to differentiate yourself in the marketplace is to turn your marketing plan upside down.
For most businesses the key to making money is the sale. Selling comes first in the list of priorities. If the customer buys, then thought is given to providing subseqent service. This is where many business owners consider themselves victorious in the game of marketing. The rest of us might go on to offer other products and services to same customer. Some shrewd business people even attempt to build a long term relationship and consider the lifetime value of a customer.
The model looks something like this:
Sale
Service
Other Products
Develop Relationship
This system has been in place for more than 100 years since the days of Mr. J.C. Penney. But how unique and exciting is it at the turn of this century? Just for grins, lets flip this formula on its head and see if it works any better when it is upside down.
What if we developed a relationship with a potential client first. What if we showed an interest in them, added some value to their life in a unique way, and did that in a consistent manner over time? During this getting to know you stage, what if we also shared with them all of our products and services so they were informed about our total bredth and scope of our value to them. What if we, then, provided them with a sample of our services -free of charge- just so they could see what it might be like to do business with us?
When that prospect has a need for our product or service, do you think there will be any question as to who gets the business? We have top of mind awareness.
We have an educated consumer who already knows our product line.
We have a prospect who already knows what we are like to do business with.
And most importantly, we already have a realtionship with this client. The sale is automatic.
We do nothing.
The sale comes to us.
Heres the model for Upside Down Marketing:
Develop Relationship
Other Products
Service
Sale
For the skeptic in you, this sequence may appear to take more time and energy. You may be right.
The fact is, you have not made one sale at the end of this cycle.
You have started a long term relationship with your new client/cusotmer from the point at which most businesses will never reach: familiarity, trust and credibility.
With Upside Down Marketing, theres no question as to which half of your marketing dollars are working.
They are ALL funneling your prospects to the point of sale. Mr. Penney would be pleased and proud.
Coach Will Craig spent 20 years as a marketing and media consultant.
He has worked with individuals from all walks of life, as well
as entertainment giants like the Walt Disney Company, Up with People, and Universal Studios.
His background includes advertising, public relations, film, and broadcast production.
He is the former executive producer of Florida Film & Tape and also served as president of the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association.
In 1997, Will Craig earned a masters degree in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University in Washington D.C. He has since combined his marketing expertise and love for empowering others into a personal coaching practice, 1-to-1 with Will Craig.
He now works with self-employed professionals and sole practitioners helping them gain visibility and prominence in their careers and communities.
In his community, Will serves on the board of directors of the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, a world-class nonprofit youth organization, and is the Executive Producer of Drums Along the Rockies.
He is also the 2000-2001 President of the International Coach Federation-Denver Chapter.
About the Author
To learn more about Will Craig and his coaching practice, visit fillyourpractice.com.
Be sure to check out the three free email newsletters offered and the complimentary teleclass for coaches and virtual entrepreuners and iscover how he filled his coaching practice -from scratch-in just 21 weeks.
Will@FillYourPractice.com
http://www.fillyourpractice.com
At the turn of the last century, department store magnate J.C. Penney acknowledged, "Fifty percent of my advertising doesnt work." When questioned why he continued to do it all, he replied, "Because I dont know which half is working."
If you are in business for yourself, you know the feeling all too well. Advertising and marketing can seem mysterious. You may not be sure what works, you just know you have to do it.
Regardless of what business you are in, you probably got into it because you have a talent for it. And, chances are, if youre good at dentistry or interior design or welding, youre probably not as good at marketing. Thats okay. You cant expect to be good at all things.
What normally happens when we go into business for ourselves?and come to the realization that we must market?we start looking around to see what others in our profession are doing. Then we commit to a version of that, close our eyes, cross our fingers, and hope it brings in customers.
Heres the rub... good advertising and marketing is making your prospect aware of your product or service in a unique and exciting way that motivates them to take action on your offer. So, if youre doing me too advertising, how unique and exciting is that? If you were a prospect for your service, would you be motivated to respond to your marketing?
One way to differentiate yourself in the marketplace is to turn your marketing plan upside down.
For most businesses the key to making money is the sale. Selling comes first in the list of priorities. If the customer buys, then thought is given to providing subseqent service. This is where many business owners consider themselves victorious in the game of marketing. The rest of us might go on to offer other products and services to same customer. Some shrewd business people even attempt to build a long term relationship and consider the lifetime value of a customer.
The model looks something like this:
Sale
Service
Other Products
Develop Relationship
This system has been in place for more than 100 years since the days of Mr. J.C. Penney. But how unique and exciting is it at the turn of this century? Just for grins, lets flip this formula on its head and see if it works any better when it is upside down.
What if we developed a relationship with a potential client first. What if we showed an interest in them, added some value to their life in a unique way, and did that in a consistent manner over time? During this getting to know you stage, what if we also shared with them all of our products and services so they were informed about our total bredth and scope of our value to them. What if we, then, provided them with a sample of our services -free of charge- just so they could see what it might be like to do business with us?
When that prospect has a need for our product or service, do you think there will be any question as to who gets the business? We have top of mind awareness.
We have an educated consumer who already knows our product line.
We have a prospect who already knows what we are like to do business with.
And most importantly, we already have a realtionship with this client. The sale is automatic.
We do nothing.
The sale comes to us.
Heres the model for Upside Down Marketing:
Develop Relationship
Other Products
Service
Sale
For the skeptic in you, this sequence may appear to take more time and energy. You may be right.
The fact is, you have not made one sale at the end of this cycle.
You have started a long term relationship with your new client/cusotmer from the point at which most businesses will never reach: familiarity, trust and credibility.
With Upside Down Marketing, theres no question as to which half of your marketing dollars are working.
They are ALL funneling your prospects to the point of sale. Mr. Penney would be pleased and proud.
Coach Will Craig spent 20 years as a marketing and media consultant.
He has worked with individuals from all walks of life, as well
as entertainment giants like the Walt Disney Company, Up with People, and Universal Studios.
His background includes advertising, public relations, film, and broadcast production.
He is the former executive producer of Florida Film & Tape and also served as president of the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association.
In 1997, Will Craig earned a masters degree in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University in Washington D.C. He has since combined his marketing expertise and love for empowering others into a personal coaching practice, 1-to-1 with Will Craig.
He now works with self-employed professionals and sole practitioners helping them gain visibility and prominence in their careers and communities.
In his community, Will serves on the board of directors of the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, a world-class nonprofit youth organization, and is the Executive Producer of Drums Along the Rockies.
He is also the 2000-2001 President of the International Coach Federation-Denver Chapter.
About the Author
To learn more about Will Craig and his coaching practice, visit fillyourpractice.com.
Be sure to check out the three free email newsletters offered and the complimentary teleclass for coaches and virtual entrepreuners and iscover how he filled his coaching practice -from scratch-in just 21 weeks.
Will@FillYourPractice.com
http://www.fillyourpractice.com
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