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Posts Tagged ‘Customer’

Marketing Strategy Start Small

Never underestimate the small things included in marketing issues. Every marketing activity although small will have great value if done properly. Even the marketing activities should be started from the little things.Consumers who have yet to get to know the product we tend to still have a look around and get to know details of the prosper before finally deciding to buy. Marketing activities that we do should be focused so that prospective consumers make the decision “Yes” against what we have to offer, though from a small advance.

For example, to boost car sales, we can bring people to the first car show, take a test drive for free.

Then, ask the prospective buyers mention the advantages of car used and if need to request it in the form of writing that later signed it. After that, if you asked him to buy a car, chances are it will happen the transaction will be far greater than the directly asked to buy.

So, the most important thing is to give the consumer the opportunity to feel the candidate in advance what you want to offer – surely give the best quality you have.

Thus, prospective consumers will increasingly steadily in making his decision. Keep the first and provide the information they need and make them feel satisfied with what you have to offer right from the start

Small business owners who are concerned about their sales and marketing capabilities could begin to see improvement by breaking down the term “sales and marketing” into discrete, manageable elements. You end up with a checklist that can be reviewed in order to prioritize areas needing improvement – a checklist that will serve as the groundwork for an effective marketing strategy.

In the suggested list below, I will use examples from a retail florist business to make some points clear.

• MARKETS. How much do you really know about your current markets or future market? Why do your customers buy from you? What could you offer that would attract more non-customers? How can you sell to more of the profitable customers? If you add features or services, will people pay more for them or will they attract more customers? Are there bulk, institutional, industrial, or corporate markets beyond normal retail that you are ignoring?

Florist: Have you thought about selling regular weekly arrangements to area businesses, especially car dealers, law firms, real estate firms, etc. at a reduced rate, but with a one year contract for 50 arrangements?

• COMPETITION. Who are they and why are they after you? What is the overall market trend and how are you holding up in terms of market share and profit position? How do you really rank against competitors? What substitutes are there to your products and how much of a threat are they?

Florist: If your funeral business is dwindling, what cultural trends (“no flowers” announcements for example) are important here and how can you counter them (such as sending flowers or a fruit basket to the home of survivors, for example)?

• DISTRIBUTION. How can you get your products/services out to new outlets profitably? Are there unbranded opportunities? Can you bundle in your products with someone Else’s?

Florist: Can you partner with service providers for high school proms in the area (photographers, limo services) and offer a one-stop package for young people? This could become a good new sales channel for you.

When writing the business plan, the Marketing Plan section explains how you’re going to get your customers to buy your products and/or services. The marketing plan, then, will include sections detailing your:

• Products and/or Services and your Unique Selling Proposition

• Pricing Strategy

• Sales/Distribution Plan

• Advertising and Promotions Plan

The easiest way to develop your marketing plan is to work through each of these sections, referring to the market research you completed when you were writing the previous sections of the business plan.

(Note that if you are developing a marketing plan on its own, rather than as part of a business plan, the marketing plan will also need to include a Target Market and a Competitive Analysis section. You can find out how to do these sections of the marketing plan in “Writing The Market Analysis Section of The Business Plan” and “Writing The Competitive Analysis Section”.)

Products and/or Services

This part of the marketing plan focuses on the uniqueness of your product or service, and how the customer will benefit from using the products or services you’re offering. Use these questions to write a paragraph summarizing these aspects for your marketing plan:

What are the features of your product or service?

Describe the physical attributes of your product or service, and any other relevant features, such as what it does, or how your product or service differs from competitive products or services.

How will your product or service benefit the customer?

Remember that benefits can be intangible as well as tangible; for instance, if you’re selling a cleaning product, your customers will benefit by having a cleaner house, but they may also benefit by enjoying better health. Brainstorm as many benefits as possible to begin with, and then choose to emphasize the benefits that your targeted customers will most appreciate in your marketing plan.

What is it that sets your product or service apart from all the rest? In other words, what is your Unique Selling Proposition, the message you want your customers to receive about your product or service that is the heart of your marketing plan? The marketing plan is all about communicating this central message to your customers.

A marketing plan outlines the specific actions you intend to carry out to interest potential customers and clients in your product and/or service and persuade them to buy the product and/or services you offer.

The marketing plan implements your marketing strategy. Or, as I put it in my article, “The Key to Marketing: Use a Plan”, “the marketing strategy provides the goals for your marketing plans. It tells you where you want to go from here. The marketing plan is the specific road map that’s going to get you there. “

A marketing plan may be developed as a standalone document or as part of a business plan. Either way, the marketing plan is a blueprint for communicating the value of your products and/or services to your customers.
See Writing the Marketing Plan for detailed instructions on creating a marketing plan for your business, whether as part of a business plan or as a stand-alone.

Unlike the first-past, present various marketing activities is not foreign. Everywhere will be easy to find marketing activities. Exposure range of marketing activities, particularly advertising is also more spacious and better over time. Various promotional events in order to promote also easily found today. Behind the various promotional activities are, of course there terget-targets to be achieved so that the efficiency of the promotion budget is reached. In this case, direct marketing, which requires the existence of feedback from customers as a measure of the success of direct marketing sebuh. Not only feedback, direct marketing in general can dihraapkan creating profits. Direct marketing can also be said to succeed based on how many programs can attract customers, both customers and the brutality of the old customers.

In planning a promotional program, mrketer not be separated from the database, but of course, marketers must be smart to take advantage of the database so that marketers can reach the right customer or target for the program and can certainly produce the maximum benefit. Please note bik-both in the utilization of the target customer database to determine a course of a campaign that is owned by a marketer that is Customer Value, Customer Lifetime Value, determines the customer is right for targeted campaigns and strategies marketnya penetration.

There is a principle that should be remembered by the marketer, the 80/20 principle which states that at kkurangny 20% customer of a company, 20% of these customers has resulted in 80% of the profits (sales) company. There perluny for marketers to concentrate more on the 20% is to serve customers and build customer loyalty of 20% is to the company. It can be said as well, 20% customer has more value than the rest

Customer value customer who spoke on the history of ever, then the customer lifetime value are then further discussed how the customer relationship with the company. This means the customer has regularly make transactions or purchases on the company. Customers who like this should be a concern for the customer that the company has done periodically  profit-making companies not only bring more for the company but also the cost efficiency of promotional activities  issued.

Based on Customer Lifetime Value well known, the marketer can take advantage of CLTV. Because basically it’s easier and cheaper for marketers to build the relationship further and deeper with the customer who has several times transact with us than building a new customer.

Some errors are errors  penetration was conducted by conducted by marketers are targeting the area or segment that has a small percentage of penetration because they want to expand . Marketers often do not try to predict or find out possible reasons for the small percentage of penetration in the area or segment. Marketers are often forced to penetrate the area or segment of a small percentage of penetration, but this can be promotional costs and useless. It sure would be good and efficient  marketers approach the area or segment with a greater percentage of penetration.

After knowing the target clearly, needs to be done is the measurement. Marketers need to know the goal, just behind the capital or profits (of course, marketers will be profits). Then to make a profit, what kind of response he was looking for?  know these things will help marketers to calculate how much needs to be sold to achieve a turnover or profit.

In the measurement, there called “elevator”. This concept describes how marketers are doing a campaign more focused on the segments predicted to be more responsive so the cost was more efficient and optimal.