Execution or Suicide
| Category: Marketing | Date: 2001-10-18 |
The percentages don't distinguish between Internet businesses, Network Marketing, Manufacturing, Retailing or any other type of business. You know the fact. 95% (more or less) of all business ventures fail within the first five years. However, if you find this bit of information at all discouraging, I would guess that you are still working for someone else. I'm not the cheerleader type. I'm not going to get you all fired up about the fact that this is actually good new. But the fact remains. It is good news.
Why? Because out of every one hundred of us who are involved in a business, five are going to become successful in our "adventure." Once you understand that you control if you are going to become one of those five, then you will also figure out that the title of this article has nothing to do with applying for a job with the State Correctional Facilities for the State of Texas.
I am talking about having a workable plan, and executing it. I did not say "Business Plan." You don't need to run away screaming "the sky is falling." It's no that bad. I prefer to call it a Marketing Action Plan. Or MAP for short.
Do you know exactly what you need to do every day to make your business a success? That's what a plan does. And following that plan, making the right adjustments to the plan, and focusing on carrying out the plan determines how successful you are going to be. Otherwise you are simply playing Russian Roulette with your business. That's what 95% of us are doing. And that amounts to business suicide.
If you don't know all the right questions to ask yourself, the one you don't ask is the one that gets you. And depending upon your business, not all the questions are the same. This article is focusing on just one aspect of what you need to be asking yourself. It's got to do with marketing. And no, it's not a secret that will make you rich. You generally have to pay for those. It is practical and works. Here's what you must ask (and answer) yourself about your own marketing efforts.
1) What sets you apart from your competitor? You better know, and make it a prime benefit.
2) How are you creating interest in your prospect before attacking them with the sales pitch? Marketing is about identifying your customer and getting their interest first. Then attempting the sale. There is a huge difference here and you must know what it is.
3) Are you staying on the mind of the prospect or customer? It is easy to forget the decision-making process that goes on in just about every level of business. You are not the only thing going on in your customer's life.
4) How are you going to establish yourself in the Market? People do business with people whether or not they are doing it on the Internet. Your personal credibility must be built.
5) This one isn't a question. It's a mandate. Communicate, communicate, and communicate.
6) Do you give your customer or prospect the idea that you are going to be here longer than say, a nanosecond?
7) What are you doing to retain your customer? You spent a lot of energy getting that customer, you better be actively working on keeping them.
8) Is your marketing program customer oriented? How many websites do I see that look something like this? And believe it or not, most of these are selling Marketing products. "Our success, Our approach, Our experience." I guess that's fine if all you're interested in doing is selling company stock or providing information to new employees. You better be telling your customer what is in it for them.
Sports teams are a perfect example of what good execution does. Those who have the best talent alone, don't generally win. Since it's summer, I will use the "Boys of Summer" as a perfect example. The Seattle Mariners lost Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, their standout players. I'm not saying that they still don't have great talent.
However, this year, without their two stars, the Mariners were the first team to win 40 games. In the history of baseball, only a handful of teams had accomplished this in the same amount of time. They have a good shot at breaking the all time single season wins record.
It's simple. The team executes. From pitching to hitting to fielding, they come out and do it all, most of the time.
Make your plan and execute it. It won't happen over night. But you can get there if you really, really want to.
About the Author
Gerald Trump is a 25 year marketing veteran that provides assistance to his associates and others at his site. He spends much of his time today as a Wildlife Artist. His artwork and his articles can be seen at
jerrys-homesite.cityslide.com
:To contact see details below.
classicmw@nas.com
http://www.jerrys-homesite.cityslide.com
Why? Because out of every one hundred of us who are involved in a business, five are going to become successful in our "adventure." Once you understand that you control if you are going to become one of those five, then you will also figure out that the title of this article has nothing to do with applying for a job with the State Correctional Facilities for the State of Texas.
I am talking about having a workable plan, and executing it. I did not say "Business Plan." You don't need to run away screaming "the sky is falling." It's no that bad. I prefer to call it a Marketing Action Plan. Or MAP for short.
Do you know exactly what you need to do every day to make your business a success? That's what a plan does. And following that plan, making the right adjustments to the plan, and focusing on carrying out the plan determines how successful you are going to be. Otherwise you are simply playing Russian Roulette with your business. That's what 95% of us are doing. And that amounts to business suicide.
If you don't know all the right questions to ask yourself, the one you don't ask is the one that gets you. And depending upon your business, not all the questions are the same. This article is focusing on just one aspect of what you need to be asking yourself. It's got to do with marketing. And no, it's not a secret that will make you rich. You generally have to pay for those. It is practical and works. Here's what you must ask (and answer) yourself about your own marketing efforts.
1) What sets you apart from your competitor? You better know, and make it a prime benefit.
2) How are you creating interest in your prospect before attacking them with the sales pitch? Marketing is about identifying your customer and getting their interest first. Then attempting the sale. There is a huge difference here and you must know what it is.
3) Are you staying on the mind of the prospect or customer? It is easy to forget the decision-making process that goes on in just about every level of business. You are not the only thing going on in your customer's life.
4) How are you going to establish yourself in the Market? People do business with people whether or not they are doing it on the Internet. Your personal credibility must be built.
5) This one isn't a question. It's a mandate. Communicate, communicate, and communicate.
6) Do you give your customer or prospect the idea that you are going to be here longer than say, a nanosecond?
7) What are you doing to retain your customer? You spent a lot of energy getting that customer, you better be actively working on keeping them.
8) Is your marketing program customer oriented? How many websites do I see that look something like this? And believe it or not, most of these are selling Marketing products. "Our success, Our approach, Our experience." I guess that's fine if all you're interested in doing is selling company stock or providing information to new employees. You better be telling your customer what is in it for them.
Sports teams are a perfect example of what good execution does. Those who have the best talent alone, don't generally win. Since it's summer, I will use the "Boys of Summer" as a perfect example. The Seattle Mariners lost Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, their standout players. I'm not saying that they still don't have great talent.
However, this year, without their two stars, the Mariners were the first team to win 40 games. In the history of baseball, only a handful of teams had accomplished this in the same amount of time. They have a good shot at breaking the all time single season wins record.
It's simple. The team executes. From pitching to hitting to fielding, they come out and do it all, most of the time.
Make your plan and execute it. It won't happen over night. But you can get there if you really, really want to.
About the Author
Gerald Trump is a 25 year marketing veteran that provides assistance to his associates and others at his site. He spends much of his time today as a Wildlife Artist. His artwork and his articles can be seen at
jerrys-homesite.cityslide.com
:To contact see details below.
classicmw@nas.com
http://www.jerrys-homesite.cityslide.com
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