15. 1. What is your Business (Mission)? 2. Who is your client? 3. How does the client define value? 4. What is the marketing plan? 5. How do we evaluate our effectiveness ? Ask Yourself …
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In the time we have today we can only provide an overview of selected topics. Remember, a typical marketing text book will cover 500 pages or more. We have a number of SCORE counselors who have decades of marketing experience. Use our free services to focus in depth on your specific interests. Marketing terminology may be unfamiliar to you so we have avoided most buzz words. This Webinar includes useful marketing theory and practical ‘how to’ suggestions. If you have questions please ask as we cover the various topics. If we run out of time please see a SCORE counselor for further help.
Today’s marketing Webinar is made up of three parts. In the first part we will focus on some basic concepts. We will then move on to some practical ideas. Next we will focus on the creation of a marketing plan.
Let’s get started.
There appears to be no single accepted definition of Marketing. Perhaps it is easier to define Marketing by what it is not. It is not Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Human Resources, Finance or Administrative Functions. Marketing, then, is everything else .
Effective Marketing, therefore, is critical to the success of any enterprise. That includes SCORE even though our counseling services are provided at no charge.
Planning is the first management function. What is learned from Marketing will be used by all functional areas within the company. Engineering will design products to meet the needs of customers as defined by marketing. Product features – which add value as determined by the customer - will be carefully considered. Pricing policies and distribution channels are selected from what marketing does. Product packaging utility and appearance will be determined by what Marketing learns.
Marketing provides both strategic and tactical input. The creation of the iPod was strategic for Apple, Inc. The decision to offer the iPod in black color is a tactical product adjustment to meet a fashion trend. Marketing is essential – without it success is limited. As noted in the iPod example, marketing contributions to the success of the company can be both for the long term or for immediate effect. Marketing personnel rely on communications with customers. Observations are also important. The companies which implement customer suggestions are likely to prosper. Let’s take a closer look.
If you sell products to sports fishermen you will discover that there are several clusters within this group. For example, fly fishermen are very different from bass fishermen. The fly fishermen will use waders and spend much money on reels, poles and flies. Bass fishermen will often spend $50,000 on boats and motors – sometimes simply to get to the fishing grounds five minutes sooner. Therefore, look carefully at market segments. If you do not, you will be ineffective as well as inefficient in reaching your targeted customers.
If you distribute and install artificial grass, target customers who live in arid areas such as Las Vegas. You might do best with homeowners who are just moving into their brand new homes. Marketing the same products to homeowners who live in San Diego would be a waste of time and money. You may select a niche which is a distinct segment of a market. For example – as an auto mechanic you may specialize in servicing European cars – or narrower yet, only older Mercedes cars.
If you plan to be a wedding photographer you should select your niche carefully. If you plan to do the high end weddings, you need studios, personnel, equipment and the advertising budget which go with the territory. People who spend $20,000.00 on wedding photography would not likely do business with you if you operate from your apartment. On the other hand, people with more modest wedding budgets may be attracted by your reasonable price – and your lack of fancy facilities may not be an issue.
If you sell, design, and install closet organizers you can add value by customizing the geometry to match the customer’s closet. Cost is likely, therefore, to be secondary to value. If you add the convenience of visiting the customer to make measurements you add further value – the cost element will be even less important. If you follow up with computer generated 3D layouts of the closet organizers which is custom configured for the customer, you add further value through communication. Closer to the installation time you would again consult with your customer. This mix of value, convenience, communications should allow you to optimize your profit margins.
Are you selling cell phones or communications solutions. Why not add a Blackberry to your line. Are you selling to business people or all travelers. What is important to the customer. How much is he willing to pay to meet his needs. To whom is 99.99 % uptime the most critical definition of value? How do you sell to this customer. How do you know how effective the marketing plan is? Are sales volume, profit margins, inventory levels and return on assets/investment optimized. Or should you reduce some of the inventory on hand and quit promoting 99 % same day shipment of all orders?
The first three points are self evident. With regard to point four, always seek to reduce the cost of selling and distributing your products. An intensive training program may help. Look to minimize hidden costs such as damage in transit. But you should probably not aim to eliminate damage entirely – because in doing so you may spend more in protective packaging than the cost of the occasional damaged shipment. Optimize inventory levels – or eliminate the warehouse entirely - if your supplier is willing to drop ship to your customer. Always innovate!
This is the end of the formal presentation. Thank you for attending