As the CEO, Strategist and Creative Director of Phase Two Marketing I have a daily stream of marketing activity come across my desk.
New challenges, new techniques and lots of great ideas. I would like to share this information with you over my blog.

So stay in touch come back often and I promise to deliver information you can use to impact your business immediately and improve your life.

As a start you can read this article and comment.

Small Business And The "Marketing Supplier"

by Eric Gilboord

As a small business owner or operator, you are likely very good at whatever it is you do.
You may not necessarily have much experience, knowledge, or even interest in marketing. However, you know you have to
do some marketing and, that in order to survive or possibly even thrive in this ever changing, highly
competitive marketplace, some action is better than no action.

You may find some assistance by working with various marketing professionals. They come in all shapes and
sizes - from writers and designers to strategists and printers. They operate as individuals, in alliances of
smaller one and two person shops, or as ad agencies.

Traditionally, ad agencies provide advertising defined as "creative advertising defined as "creative
production and media buying". You may need some of these services as well as many others.

Today, more than ever, small business needs lead generation and business development tools. Advertising is a
part of it; but for most small businesses, it is a small component of the total marketing program.

There are suppliers for helping you with prospect lists, database development and management, contact
management software, lead generation and sales presentation tools, telemarketing, direct marketing, sales
training, sales force automation, marketing planning, strategic planning, strategic alliances, and the list goes
on

Many small business owners have recognized this and are now looking to satisfy their marketing needs, to fill
in the marketing gaps.

Open your business to them. Now one can help you if they do not have the whole picture.

Be your own marketing manager. Or, hire a qualified marketing person to act as your outsourced marketing
manager. It's not all that different from hiring an accountant to help with your books and banking, or a
contractor to help build that addition to your home.

Pay for what you need when you need it. This is much like working on your own home. You might need to paint
a room or build an entire addition. Determine what you are going to do, and then hire the best people you can
find. Make sure you are comfortable with them as people and confident in their abilities. Your future depends
upon it.

Focus

Determine your needs either on your own or with the help of a professional. When I meet a new prospect for
the first time, I ask the question - "How can I help you get what you want"?

Define what your real objective is. What strategy will you employ? The objective is what you will do, the
strategy is how you will do it. Clarify your target group(s), and be aware that your target group is not
everyone. Think about who is actually buying your product or service. Is it the president or the shipper who is
making the real decision?

Be clear on your message. Don't try to say too much. Better to whet a prospect's appetite than try to feed the
whole meal at once.

As the saying goes, "timing is everything". Look at the timing of your communication. Make sure you reach
the target while there is a need for your product or service. Don't market to custimers when they've finished
their buying.

The essence of marketing is saying the right thing to the right person at the right time.

Develop a short list of suppliers. Don't rush to work with the first one that sounds like it can help you. Be wary
of the "I can do it all myself" marketer, or the "I'm selling this particular method today" type.

Think activities through. Look for the suppliers that ask good questions. If you don't have the answers, they
should help you find them. Review competitive materials. Know where your competitors stand. Them make
sure you stand apart from them.

Clarify the job, and make sure you have an agreement in writing. What is your marketing supplier(s) going to
do, how long will it take, how much will it cost? Every prospect I meet has at least one story of a less than
productive experience with marketing, and it is not always the fault of the supplier. Understand your own
experience. Be realistic and above all clear on your objective.

Follow Through

Be Prepared to follow through..don't lose the momentum of you supplier, your staff or
yourself. If you go to the expense of marketing (actual dollars as well as your time), don't quit half way. Many
good marketing programs have ended up on the stock room floor because the small business owner forgot
about his commitment to marketing. "I didn't have time to send it out" is a popular reason for marketing not
working. Or, the sales force wasn't properly trained to understand the program, use the materials, or just
follow through.

If you are employing a direct marketing program, follow up by telephone. Don't sit back and wait for calls, and
don't overwhelm your prospects with every document you can find. Send enough information to let them know
who you are, what you can do for them, and why you are different from your competitors.

Prospects are inundated with marketing materials. They do not have time to read and respond to everything
that comes across their desk. Do you?

Test your market materials in small numbers. Adjust, massage, refine, and improve them as you learn. Talk to
your customers, your prospects, even your suppliers and competitors. Modern technology has made it
affordable for small business marketers to produce short runs economically. This means you have the
opportunity to put out a marketing piece, monitor it, and refine it to increase results.

If you try something and it doesn't work as well as you think it should, try it again but make some adjustments.
If you are constantly trying and improving, you can reduce the risk of failure, gradually increase the rate of
success, and move your business forward. But, if you try something and it works, the world is your oyster. The
risks are great, but the rewards are even greater.

Above all have fun.

Prospects want to do business with suppliers that are happy, productive and positive. Find
your own marketing suppliers who meet this criteria.

Posted on Wednesday 17 of May, 2006 [21:00:58 UTC]