6-step Marketing Strategy for your success

I am not suggesting marketing your business...or you is easy. It helps to lay out the steps involved in order to stay loyal to a process. Marketing universally fails without a strategy and discipline to monitor the strategy. Here are my steps:

1. Start with Why. Why are you in business? Why should someone care? The work done at this stage will determine if you have an existence as a commodity (best price, quality and service), or one that attracts people who believe in what you believe. The latter will allow you to sustain. 
2. Who are the people who need to know you are in business? Another term for this is "perfect customer."
3. What is the message you want to communicate to your desired audience? Hint: It is often based on your answer to step #1. 
4. How should you communicate the message? You know your audience...and you know what you want to say to them. The answer here could range from press releases, social media, supermarket sampling, skywriting to network television advertising. Every business is different, one size does not fit all. 
5. Engage. It's the marketing buzz word of the day. You no longer talk "at" prospects, you have conversations. Conversations include hearing something you may not want to hear. 
6. Measure. A marketing strategy is useless without measurement. Some ideas and methods are brilliant, some are duds. A marketing strategy is a living, breathing concept. It needs to be tweaked consistently. There is no such thing as the perfect marketing strategy. 

Marketing is fun if you want it to be. It's from that mindset that you should build your strategy. 

Would you like to communicate better?

I know I would.

On Wednesday May 2nd @ 6:00P I will speak at the New Britain Public Library. I will share what I have learned from the book "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek.

This information will impact anyone who needs to communicate effectively in their job, or in their life in general. We will discuss how great communicators are able to inspire...and how you can do the same.

If you are interested in attending please go to www.meetup.com. Search for the Hartford area "Start With Why" group. Once there you can let us know if you will attend.

If you are interested in starting a business, turning an idea into a social movement, finding a job that is a better fit or learning how to inspire instead of manipulate...please join us.

The value of straight talk

6 months ago I watched an interview where the subject was Simon Cowell and why he commands top dollar in the entertainment industry. This comment stood out:

"Simon is popular because he tells it like it is, even if it sounds mean. People find him refreshing because of his unfiltered candor. Everything you hear these days in our culture is watered down by political correctness or the fear of offending someone." This was an observation that I hadn't considered. It made sense.

Why should you care?

Speaking from the heart is the ultimate form of straight talk. So is telling people why you started your business, or why you love political science, or why you volunteer at the local homeless shelter. Straight talk attracts interest much more so than generic platitudes.

You may not want to become the next Simon Cowell...but it is worth thinking about the value of his communication style.

Why should I do business with you?

Have you been asked this question? There are a lot of possible answers...

Are you the lowest priced? Do you have the best, fastest, trendiest product on the market? Are you new and improved? Greatest taste...and less filling?

Is it possible that you may not be better than your competition? With no offense intended that may be the case.

As you search for an answer, ask yourself this question: Am I better today than I was 6 months ago? If yes...why are you better? This will begin to tell a story about the uniqueness of you. Your beliefs, values and aspirations will rise to the surface.

Competing in a commodity based world is tiring and not fulfilling. You don't have to. When you find the answer to this question you will really like the people who want to do business with you.

The memory of Vietnam, and the need to make things different

I serve on the board of directors of a newly formed non-profit. We will assist returning veterans as they ease back into the workforce after a lengthy deployment. They have asked for my help in marketing their organization for fundraising and other purposes.

What is their message? Why did they set up the non-profit? Why would people make donations?

My new friend and board member Dante had fire in his eyes. "Do you want to know why I'm here? I was in Vietnam and when I came home, no one was looking to help me. We were treated poorly...even spit on. I will see to it that no returning veteran is ever treated the way I was."

Dante is inspired by what was one of the worst eras in American history. He is committed to making things different due to the honor and respect he has for the uniform. I fully understand his why.

There's something inside all of us that effects our beliefs and mission. Tap into it...don't let it lay dormant.

A balanced life...is it important to you?

Twenty years ago I had a job that required an 8:00am arrival. Leaving before 6:00pm was frowned upon. One particular co-worker would chide with the comment "half-day?" if he saw you leave at 5:30pm.

I now have the wisdom to look back and realize that the company culture was one where everything outside of work was secondary. Guilt was a motivating factor. Unless you were extremely "unbalanced" you had a tough time fitting in.

"Sheryl Sandberg leaves work at 5:30 everyday - And you should too!" is an article about having a balanced life. What's interesting about Ms. Sandberg is that she is the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook. Conventional wisdom says that she has the ultimate 20-hour a day job. She had to overcome an insecurity about neglecting work and began to feel confident about her 5:30pm decision because of her desire to spend time with her family. Her priorities are in balance.

My hope is that Ms. Sandberg is part of an evolving trend.

There's no doubt that long hours are well ingrained in the American business culture. Have we calculated the cost of not having balance in our lives? Now is a good time to start.

The best way to create a balanced life is to start with a desire to have balance. The next step is to find work that connects your intellectual and physical assets to a business that has a purpose and beliefs that you can relate. It's easier said than done, but something to strive for nonetheless.

Inspiration from a Major in the U.S. Air Force

Major Joel Bolina from the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron will tell you the importance of starting with why...

http://bit.ly/HQg25H

Champions of "why"...Sandler Training

David Sandler developed one of the most effective sales training systems used by professional salespeople throughout the world. In his book "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar", Sandler explains his 7-step guide for successful selling. In my opinion it is a must read for salespeople and business owners.

If you want to know why Sandler Training exists, I suggest you look at what their customers say:

"Sandler makes our sales personnel look very different to prospects than our competition,
who are using a potpourri of classic sales pitches." - David Pendley, President, First Capital Corp. 

"The Sandler Selling System® methodology has made a very positive impact on changing the culture of my district sales force as well as our customers." - Mike Miles, District Manager, LENNOX Industries

Customer comments often have more "why" impact than the mission statement coming from the company's management and marketing teams. 

Why is this important? Sandler doesn't strive to be the lowest priced, shiniest, newest product on the shelf. They don't need to be. They help sales pros "be viewed differently than their competitors" and they "change the culture" which has a positive effect on customers. 

You will hire Sandler because you appreciate their "why". People don't buy what you do...they buy why you do it. Once again, thank you Simon! 

Why did you get out of bed this morning?

Because the alarm went off?

Because you had to go to work?

Because you wanted to change the world?

This may be a tough question to answer some days. Why?

As I get older I take this question seriously. I span my career and think of why I got out of bed to go to various jobs. Some were more inspiring that others. Few had a cause or purpose that served as motivation.

I'm on a mission to raise awareness about purpose in our lives. In our work..in our home...in our communities. Cruise control doesn't work anymore. More and more people are searching for meaning. When purpose is apparent it will naturally raise the satisfaction in what we do.

Imagine going to work at ESPN in 1979? Apple in the 1980's? Twitter in 2006? All of these entities changed the world. Being a part of something much larger than any individual is exciting. We have to take that feeling and make it contagious.

So tell me...why did you get out of bed this morning?