Focus - The Key to Marketing Success
Recently a client at one of our workshops said to us,
“I didn’t realise I knew so much about what marketing really
is. A lot of what we have been doing naturally, is actually
marketing, its just that we don’t really focus our efforts in
any particular direction, we just do what others are doing
or what feels right”
But where to focus?
All too often companies waste their marketing budget every
year because they fail to communicate with their existing or
potential clients in the most effective way possible.
Regardless of the size of their company, many don’t really
know which of their marketing activities are really working
and which aren’t.
Just take some time now, to list all the key marketing
activities you have undertaken in the last 6 months and
yourself:
♦ What was the purpose?
♦ What did you want to achieve?
♦ Did you get the results you wanted?
♦ Did you raise awareness, generate sales leads or make
direct sales?
So before you rush to booking your stand at ABC show
2006, or you go ahead and take out a block of adverts,
think. What could you achieve if you really focused your
marketing efforts?
Energy & Effort?
When energy and effort is focused it can produce amazing
results.We recently attended a motivational seminar where we
had to break a piece of wood karate style with our hands.
Most of the men, some of whom were regulars down the
gym failed on their first attempt, they threw everything
they had at it, using brute force but just couldn’t get it to
break.
However, with some advice from the team leader one of
the smallest ladies broke the wood in two, with what appeared
to be very little effort. The secret …
…she was focusing her energy and effort on one spot
and using it to break through the wood. The reason for
the exercise was not to show who was the strongest but
how focus can achieve breakthrough and deliver great
results. If your efforts are not focused, it doesn’t matter
how many times you try to break the wood it won’t
budge.
What can focus achieve?
Take some time to think about what you really want to
achieve from marketing and then focus your efforts in a
coherent and realistic plan.
Focus on…
♦ Your key objectives, what do you want to achieve?
♦ The most appropriate marketing activities to help you
achieve this
♦ Your target market – who really buys your products and
services right down to the decision maker, not just the
type of company?
♦ Budget – what budget do you have available and how
can this be used effectively?
♦ Your key messages, what are the words, phrases and
ideas that will turn your potential client on and get them
thinking about you?
♦ Measurement – how will you measure success?
You need to think of your marketing efforts being
concentrated like a laser beam that is focused directly on
your potential client’s desk and is burning a hole in it. If you
could do that they would sit up and take notice, wouldn’t
they?
Direct Mail Focus
For example if you are conducting a direct mail campaign,
consider the following:
♦ Why are you using direct mail. Is it an effective way
to reach your target clients?
♦ Who are you sending it to. Have you developed a
target list that ensures that the direct mail is being sent
to the decision maker?
♦ What are you sending them. Will a letter really focus
their attentions on what you have to offer? Take some
time to think, something different delivered in a
package or parcel will get opened by them and will
grab their attention.
♦ What do you want them to do. Make sure that your
direct mail has a clear call to action, “Call today for
your invaluable Free Guide to Tax”
♦ Cost it. Make sure that you set a budget and stick to it
♦ Little and often. Send out 20 or 100 pieces a week
depending on your resources to ensure you make
maximise results. In this way you can call the recipients
and follow-up which can make a big difference to
success.
♦ Record. Which of the responders become clients? This
enables you to calculate your cost per sale and
enables you to quickly identify which of your marketing
efforts is generating the most business, and which is
providing the best returns for your investment.
Me too!
Don’t become a ‘me too’ organisation when it comes to
planning your marketing.
All too often we hear companies who say..
‘We’ve been exhibiting at abc trade show for years, its
what we’ve always done, our clients expect to see us
there, plus, all our competitors are there, so we can’t
miss it’.
It may well be worth your while to attend such an event, but
could you achieve greater awareness without exhibiting? For
example, why not speak at the accompanying seminar, or
sponsor training workshops at the event.
Think about what marketing you undertake and thinking
about how doing things a little differently could give you the
focus you need to generate great results.
By focusing and measuring your marketing efforts you begin
to build up a picture of what activities are actually working
for you. Which means you can stop spending money on
those activities which just don’t work, allowing you to
allocate more of your budget to those activities which you
now know are bringing you the best returns.
Like the client at the workshop said…
"it’s just a case of becoming more focused."
Take a look at more of our marketing articles
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