Let's Stop Talking To Ourselves

We’re all pretty wonderful, aren’t we? Smart, sassy, good looking (if we adjust properly in the mirror). As business people, we’ve certainly got it going on. Our products are second to none. Our service? C’mon, we’re a bunch of nice people who are pleasures to talk to. So why isn’t anyone talking to us?

The number one marketing trouble spot for most businesses comes from their blind spot. Most businesses market to themselves. Whether it’s a small mom-and-pop or a corporate committee that makes marketing decisions, it’s human nature to apply personal likes or dislikes to anything we’re seeing.

So what’s the problem? If we like it, our customers will like it. Right?

Sure, if you and only you are your target market. Are you an avid surfer who runs a surfboard manufacturing company? Then yes, you probably are your own audience. If you like it, others will, too. But the moment you differ from the audience with whom you’re trying to connect, any marketing plan that doesn’t focus on them becomes less a conversation and more a lecture.

Good marketing strategies are just that—strategies. And like any military leader, you need strong intel to make your battle plan. Research in the least sexy part of building a marketing plan. It’s also the most vital. Here are the five top things to consider when doing your marketing research.

WHAT’S THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND?

In any journey, you need to know where you are before you can map where you’re going. You know how things are supposed to work. You know what your staff is telling you. You need to get into the trenches and see the battle for yourself.

You can try to pull off an “Undercover Boss” scenario, but unless you’re prepared to give away houses and scholarships, you might want to be more direct. A process walk allows you and your staff to literally walk a project or projects through your system. What’s the first point of contact? What’s the first impression? Are there any choke points? Can anything be streamlined? Are there redundant steps or are there missing steps? The most effective business processes should be so well documented and thought through that anyone can fill in for anyone else during times of illness or absence. Remember that the human element is always at play in business processes. When Betty’s out of the office for a week and you have an urgent receivable to invoice, what’s the process?

Using the data from a process walk can serve multiple functions. It can find holes in your business operation. It can provide for unexpected contingencies. It can also give you a clear strategy for upsizing on a modular level. Keep in mind you’re developing a marketing strategy designed to increase business. Fortifying your processes and clearly understanding how they work both allow you to grow in a measured, sustainable way. This is the base of your pyramid. If you’ve got stones missing and start building up, you will crumble.

WHO ARE YOUR EXISTING CLIENTS?

As you put together a strategy to grow, don’t forget about these loyal customers. It’s significantly easier to hold onto a client than find a new one. Existing clients are usually repeat clients. And they’re usually not afraid to tell you what they think.

Consider putting together a very short survey of your existing clients. Make your questions specific and keep the survey brief. Your goal is to learn from their responses. Are you consistently seeing low marks in a particular area? Maybe the salesperson is awesome but customer service is tough to get ahold of. Is there a particular product, service or upgrade your clients want to see? In combination with your process walk, the data you receive from participating clients can give you outside insight into what it’s like to be your customer. Listen to them. Learn from them. Change if necessary.

WHO ARE YOUR DESIRED CLIENTS?

Unless you have a whole lot of investment capital to blow, “everybody” isn’t a reasonable answer. First of all, imagine you did get “everybody” as a new client. Your business would likely implode. Part of the reason for the process walk is to determine your capacity, as well as your ability and speed should you need to upsize.

Start by determining your ideal client. Male or female, older or younger, married, single, divorced, ethnic background, economic background, location, education, health issues, you name it. Your product or service is in existence to fill a need. Specific people or groups are more likely to need your product or service than others. We call that the “low-hanging fruit”. It’s a lot easier to start a conversation and build a relationship when you narrow your search.

Can’t get past “everybody”? Take a look at your existing client base. They’ll give you a starting point. What are the common characteristics? Chances are, there are lots more just like them out there. What did they tell you they wanted to see? Start there.

WHAT ELSE DO YOUR TARGET CLIENTS DO?

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Once you put together a target demographic, you’ll find that your target overlaps many other interests. Even your B2B clients are human beings. Corporations may be people, but it’s the people inside that actually have lives. Understanding what else your customer does can impact every other area of your marketing strategy. One of the most important rules of customer engagement is to speak to them when they’re not expecting you to do so. Your clients are as savvy as you are. If they’re expecting a sales pitch, they’ll raise the gates and get the boiling oil ready. Coming in under their radar through a venue or media they’re not expecting allows them to retain more of your message. Understanding the other passions of your customers allows you to tap into their vernacular. By speaking to your potential clients in their language, you can develop a stronger rapport. This can also give you built-in outreach ideas. Hosting events at locations that interest your potentials, or being present at events where they are present can further illustrate the fact that you understand them.

WHAT ARE YOUR CLIENTS TELLING YOU TO DO?

We’ve come full circle, back to the original goal. Based on your valuable intel, you know a tremendous amount about how your business actually functions, how your existing clients view their relationship with you, and you’ve rationally pinpointed new client groups to target. Here’s where the leap of faith comes in. You need to trust your clients. You need to speak to them in their language, at their level, with an understanding of who they are, what else they do, and what motivates them. You may be a 58-year-old male CEO of a company that needs to market to a 13-year-old girl. You have little to nothing in common with your audience. But your product, it’s a winner in that market. The marketing strategy, the advertising, the message, it won’t always appeal to you. It’s not supposed to. Your clients, those prospects you’ve painstakingly selected, that’s who your message targets. Sometimes the best strategy is to simply step out of the way.

We’re all still awesome people. Smart, sassy, and willing to listen to what our clients are telling us. And isn’t a good listener a better person with whom to begin a relationship?