Night 2 Next Level series in Batesville, AR by the ASU Small Business and Technol

1. Arkansas State University Small Business
and Technology Development Center

2.  ALL of the contact that anyone in your company
has with anyone outside your company
 Marketing is NOT Advertising
 Marketing IS Motivation

3.  Complicated
 A Miracle Worker
 A Stage for Humor

4.  Helping Customers Achieve THEIR Goals
 A Process Not An Event
 Process of Building Lasting Relationships
 Repetition
 Focus on impact of the message rather than
volume.
 Obsessed with benefits.
 Understand positioning and niches markets.

5. 1. Segmenting Your Market
2. Know Your other Story Tellers
3. Develop Target Groups
4. Information Channels
5. Target Needs/Wants
6. Craft a Compelling Message
7. Analyze Results
8. Time Management
Business Advantage: Marketing
Your Business

6.  Be Customer Oriented NOT Self Focused
 People Care About Themselves (not you)
 Focus on Giving Not Taking

7.  Customers Make Most Purchase Decisions in
their Unconscious Mind
 Repetition is Critical
 Right-Brained vs. Left-Brained

8.  Features – Characteristics that physically
describe your product or service.
 Benefits – Describes how the product or
service will help the customer solve his/her
problem.
*REMEMBER—It’s the benefits that will sell the product, not the feature
Business Advantage: Marketing
Your Business

9.  TO SAVE  TO REDUCE
◦ Money ◦ Expenses
◦ Time ◦ Taxes
◦ Effort ◦ Liabilities
◦ Resurces ◦ Trouble
 TO INCREASE  TO IMPROVE
◦ Income ◦ Productivity
◦ Investment ◦ Confidence
◦ Future ◦ Appearance
◦ Personal relationships ◦ Peace of mind
Understand the REAL MOTIVATION!

10.  Branded “Look”
 Be Consistent
 Your Location
 On the Phone
 On the Web

11.  Don’t Start by Focusing on the Sale
 Create Soft Steps to Purchase
 Begin by Focusing on Consent to Hear from
You
◦ Offer Free Information
◦ Most Will Say “No”
◦ Cherish Those Who Say “Yes”
 Helps Build Relationships

12.  Your Most Valuable Asset
 Hold a Contest
 Ask for Referrals
 Don’t Abuse It

13.  What is a Call to Action?
◦ Subscribe
◦ Buy Now
◦ Go to Our Web Site
 Make it Obvious

14.  Understand WHY Customers Should Do Business
with You
 Develop Your Follow Up Process
◦ Start with Your Current Customers
 Build a Customer Database You Can Use
 Look for Ways to Create Added Value
 Evaluate Your Attention to Detail
◦ Identify Problems and Opportunities for Improvement
◦ Fix Them
 Use and Refine Your Elevator Pitch
 Build Consent from New Prospects
 Identify Ways to Make Technology Work for You

15.  What product or service will you offer?
 List the features that are different or better
than your competitor’s.
 What are the benefits of this product?
Your benefits should be better than your
competition, if not, how will you compel
consumers to switch.
Business Advantage: Marketing
Your Business

16.  Who wants/needs what you are offering?
 Factors to consider—age, sex, income,
race, musical taste, etc.
 Market is never “everyone.”
 Test your product/service using focus
groups, on-line surveys, etc.
 Turn the results into a one- or two-
sentence benefits statement.

17.  Geographics –
◦ Location, size of area, density,
 Demographics
◦ Age, gender, income, education, etc.
 Psychographics
◦ Lifestyle, rate of use, repetition of need, benefits
 Behaviors
◦ Need for fulfillment, level of knowledge,
information sources, attitude,

18. BOTTOM LINE: KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS
 WHO ARE THEY?
 WHERE ARE THEY?
 WHAT DO THEY NEED?
 HOW DO THEY MAKE BUYING DECISIONS?
 WHERE DO THEY BUY?
 HOW DO YOU REACH THEM WITH YOUR
MESSAGE?

19.  Who is your competition? (List)
◦ Direct Competition
◦ Indirect Competition
 How do Customers Choose?
◦ Price or billing rates
◦ Reputation or image
◦ Visibility?
 Are brand names important

20.  Describe each of your main competitors by
◦ Size
◦ Market Share
◦ Comparative product quality
◦ Their apparent target market
◦ Availability of capital and resources
◦ Their marketing strategy

21.  Strengths and Weaknesses Compared to
Yours Consider:
◦ Service
◦ Pricing
◦ Reputation
◦ Management
◦ Financial position
◦ Brand Awareness
◦ Technology
◦ Other that is important in your industry
 WHAT SEEMS TO BE THEIR STRATEGY?

22.  Fusion Partners What are they?

23.  Message and Channels
 Social Media Revolution 2012