For many burgeoning entrepreneurs, the M word can be an unexpected stop gate to the realization of their potential for success. Mmm, mmm, mmm, marketing, for the non-sales oriented entrepreneur occurs like a serious impairment to communicating with potential ideal clients (customers). When this skill is missing from their natural repertoire, their business, no matter how vast its potential, can languish in cycles of struggle and low profits. The traditional marketing approach that one can study in academia or via a plethora of books from the local book store does not even begin to shed light on what distinguishes the effective marketer from one that is not. Its a combination of skills, which you can learn, and talent, which you cant. Finding the right combination of strategies to leverage what you are naturally good at is the key to transforming your marketing activities from ineffective drudgery to a fun and profitable activity, which I refer to as Marketing BLING. When you have Marketing BLING, your marketing activities flow from your passion and talent and your ability to connect with your ideal clients is close to effortless. Its like a game you love to play, and yes, you may get a little winded and have to wipe the sweat from your brow, but you know you are on the court, playing full-out. This type of marketer, I will fondly refer to as the New World Marketer; she or he represents a new global species of entrepreneur that is very likely to have a strong presence on the Internet. They carve out a niche for themselves that embodies a new business model where work and play merge into an almost seamless adventure. The New World Marketer has abandoned theory and old rules in exchange for a customized system that expresses who they are, who they serve in the market place, and showcases a style of certainty and confidence because they know they are perfectly suited to help their ideal clients. This detour from traditional marketing approaches leads the entrepreneur to find a path that has a high degree of workability for both the entrepreneur and their ideal clients. In the old business model, the business plan covered the idea of the unique selling proposition (UPS) as the collection of benefits and features that give the business an advantage over the competition. In the new business model, the viewpoint extends beyond simply product and integrates the unique entrepreneur into the offer because relationship marketing is the only kind that leads to customer loyalty. Even if your product is non-distinct, plain vanilla, or available through other retailers you still have one trump card to play when you can draw from your own unique blend of experience, knowledge, and passion. By intentionally integrating those qualities into how you connect with your ideal clients, you can easily create long-term profitable relationships. In this marketing paradigm, which I call Marketing With A Story (MWAS), you know who your ideal client is, you understand their problems, concerns, and needs, and you have put together a comprehensive solution that can be offered on a gradient and provide a experience of value even prior to consummating the buyer/seller relationship. Your ability to leverage this strategy depends on 3 simple strategies: 1. You have identified your ideal client type, you understand their problem, and you have a workable solution. 2. You have some unique experience or perspective that, when combined with knowledge, passion, communication, and products and/or services naturally attracts the ideal client. 3. You can offer the perspective ideal client something of value at-no-charge that moves them closer to problem-resolution, thus ushering them happily into your marketing pipeline. The most important piece of the MWAS approach to marketing is YOU! You have to be willing to own your unique magnificence that has been birthed from experiences of both failures and successes. Your experience and your perspective can be cradled within your unique brand of passion for solving the clients problem to create the pinnacle of a holistic UPS. When this strategy is thoughtfully executed, you will find there is no competition; the ideal clients that you can help will recognize you just like you will recognize them. Here are 5 ways to begin your own MWAS marketing campaign: 1. Invest time in identifying and understanding your ideal client type 2. Gain intimate insight into their pressing problem that you intend to solve 3. Put together the optimum solution to solve their pressing problem 4. Leverage your experience, perspective, knowledge, and passion so that it clearly positions you to connect with and help your ideal clients 5. Peel off a small piece of the problem that you can solve for free as a way of introducing yourself to your ideal clients and gaining their trust And so Ill leave you with these final words: You aint got a thing without Marketing BLING, do-wah, do-wah, do-wah, do-wah. Copyright 2005 Robin Harris, DesignerLife |
