This point, the importance of savvy marketing and sales, is one many new business owners want to debate, or quite frankly, simply hope isn’t true.
This is because we open or launch businesses based, not on our marketing expertise, but on our affinity for the core product or service itself.
We want to believe that if we are the BEST at what we do, then our first few clients or customers will tell others and our business will grow rapidly and “organically.”
Dan Kennedy is a marketing guru who says, “I’m most successful when I have a firm grip on what is and least successful when caught wrestling with what ought to be.” I couldn’t agree more!
The truth is that being (or having) the BEST of something in your field is only “discovered” by our target market AFTER they make a purchase or contract to work with us. So, we’re still left at square one, the root of all entrepreneurial success: Mastering the Marketing Maze.
Every article I post on www.job-hunt.org and every aspect of my coaching firm will continue to revolve around breaking this seemingly “complicated” marketing obstacle down into simple, bite-sized strategies you can implement today to see results.
There are many marketing “gurus” out there who are determined to make marketing (and sales) appear mysterious, complicated and even overwhelming to the average small business owner. There is good reason for this. They are hoping to sell you something, usually the ONLY solution to your now overwhelming problem. The truth is that marketing expertise is fundamental to your success, but it isn’t magical. It can be taught and it can be learned.
So, let’s start with the definition of Marketing. While others use the term marketing to mean “getting your name OUT THERE”, we will define marketing in much more finite terms: Effective marketing gets your clients or customers IN HERE to buy from YOU. Simple enough? Perfect. There are several KEY strategies small business owners must adopt if they are to “Master the Marketing Maze” and make consistent, increasing money as an entrepreneur.
The first task is to identify your IDEAL TARGET.
Essentially, you must define – with crystal clear clarity – who your target market really is. Who is an ideal customer for you? Notice I didn’t ask you to define “who could use your product or services”. That is too vague and can typically (somewhat accurately) be answered with some variation of “anyone and everyone”.
Sure, everyone over the age of 16 could use the cars you are selling. It’s true. Any woman over the age of 13 could potentially use the lipstick you are selling. And, any business owner could – maybe even should- be hiring a business or marketing coach.
But, one warning I can issue with great conviction and certainty is this: If everyone is your “target” customer, you will have cash flow problems in your business.
So, when considering the marketing of your product or service, you need to take the time to create real clarity around this issue of WHO you will be targeting.
Here are some questions to get you started:
- What do your ideal clients or customers have in common?
o Age
o Marital Status
o Location
o Male or Female
o Political affiliation
- What thoughts, worries, or fears keep them up at night?
- What are they tolerating in their life?
- What do they want more of? (P.S. The general answer for this is more time, more choice and more simplicity. If you develop a product or service that delivers one or all of these – however this is defined for YOUR specific market - you’ll be way ahead of the game.)
Why take the time to get so uncommonly clear about who we are “targeting” as a potential client or customer? Because all of our marketing efforts will be based on this foundation. If we create marketing messages hoping they will appeal to “everyone,” they will connect with no-one, and whatever we invested in that marketing campaign will be lost.
Bottom Line:
The more clearly we can see and visualize and engage with our market, the more profitable we will be in our business. 
