What does the word "marketing" mean to you? When you say "we need to do
some marketing" or "we need a marketing plan," what is the end result
you are picturing?
Of all the functions that contribute to business growth, marketing
has got to be the least standardized. Not only do the activities
associated with marketing vary from company to company, but the purpose
and goals of marketing differ widely. In many cases, marketing is a
synonym for sales, which in my opinion is one of the biggest strategic
mistakes a company can make.
Marketing is not sales. But marketing better be contributing to
revenue generation or you're wasting time and money. And probably lots
of both.
Here is a simple way to think of marketing: your marketing
activities need to make your sales process easier. How they do that
will vary depending on your company and market. Product marketing is
very different from service marketing. Business to business marketing
is very different from business to consumer marketing. Marketing high
cost goods and services requires a different approach from marketing
commodities.
Even in the same industry and marketplace, how one company markets
will differ from the way its competitors market. Just watch a couple of
beer or car commercials on TV and you'll see what I mean. This is
because company culture, personality, and brand will impact marketing
activities and messages.
So, I ask you: Is your marketing program making your sales process
easier? Be careful when answering. There are nuances to marketing that
are important to consider. Some activities are more direct than others
and so are much easier to gauge. An example is direct response
marketing. Another is e-commerce web sites with incorporated shopping
carts. In both cases there is a clear link to the sales side. This type
of marketing can be very easily quantified and its impact on sales can
be accurately measured.
Some activities, though, are more subtle. Things that get your company
better known in the marketplace will help the sales process, but not as
clearly as direct response or "click here to buy" activities. They are
qualitative in impact but no less important.
Effective public relations, for example, will certainly influence your
target market by keeping your name top of mind in the people you want
to buy from you. This type of activity, of course, is nowhere near as
measurable as more direct things. Does this mean you shouldn't do it?
Absolutely not!! It does mean, however, that you need to stay awake and
find ways to gauge how successful these more subtle activities are in
making the sales process easier.
Here's the bottom line. Take time to clearly and accurately define
what marketing means specifically for your company, and define how it
can make the sales process easier. Don't just accept any published
definitions, no matter how exalted their sources.
About The Author
principal of 4-R Marketing LLC, is an experienced marketing consultant
and creator of the 4-R Marketing Model™ for service businesses.
Very much a "non-conformist" in the marketing world, Trish produces
measurable results with marketing that drives revenues for her
customers.
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Distributed by Hasan Shrek, independence blogger. Also run online business , matrix, internet marketing solution , online store script .
Beside he is writing some others blogs for notebook computer , computer training , computer software and personal computer
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