A few years ago I was asked to teach a class on marketing
strategies for a group of unemployed job seekers. As I thought
of how I could best help this group of highly qualified, but
very depressed executive level people, I came up with the
following strategy that will also help you market your business.
The first question I posed to the group was this: "What problems
are you VERY good at solving?"
This is a tough question and it took the individuals in my class
a lot of hard thinking to come up with a thorough answer. What I
was trying to get them to do was to look at their job skills in
terms of problem solving, rather than experience. Anyone who is
skilled at a job has mastered a set of problems he or she is
very good at solving.
The same thing applies to your company. Really, really put your
mind to coming up with a focused list of specific problems your
business is VERY good at solving for your customers. I want you
to think of some poor manager's list of performance goals his
boss has handed him to accomplish, or else. Don't stop thinking
until you can define these problems in almost the same kind of
wording that will appear on this poor manager's performance
evaluation next quarter.
This process will force you to look at what your business does
from the inside out. Not from the view of an insider looking out
at all the possible customers out there, but as an outsider who
has a problem and is looking for some outfit that can hand them
a solution on a silver platter.
Once you have reduced everything you and your team do to a very
short list of problems you are very good at solving, then your
marketing merely becomes a matter of helping that
problem-plagued manager
(and others like hime) find you.
Yes, I really did say, "merely" and I was totally serious.
Here's why. When anyone has a significant problem that causes
pain, loss of sleep, stress and all kinds of other
unpleasantness, THAT PERSON IS LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION.
For example, I am very good at ghost writing articles for the
business person who cannot, or is too busy, to write them for
herself. Oh, she knows she could really enhance her reputation
and marketability if she could write and publish a number of
articles related to her fields.
But since these this individual cannot write these articles for
herself, she is looking for a solution to this problem. I am the
solution and she is looking for me.
In your business, it is important to understand that there are
people out there in your marketplace looking for you right now.
They don't know your name or phone number, but they are looking
for the solutions you can deliver to them.
So all your marketing efforts from now on, must be directed
toward helping these people find you. Lay your trail of bread
crumbs with every marketing step you take and make sure the
trail leads right to your front door. They will find you.
COPYRIGHT (C) 2005, Charles Brown
About the author:
Do you need to turn the written word into profits? Charles Brown
is a freelance commercial writer located in Dallas-Fort Worth
area, who is available to help write professional web content,
organizational newsletters, direct marketing material and other
copywriting projects for business and non-profits. Put Mr. Brown
on your team today. Visit him at
www.bizwriterstudio.blogspot.com or you may contact him at
817.715.3852 or charbrow@gmail.com.