3 Important Questions About Marketing

In this post, I want to provide you more free information. Last week included questions in regard to sales. This week includes three questions (of many) that you should be asking yourself in regards to marketing.

This process demands that you reflect on where you are as a marketer. A marketer is defined by www.Freedictionary.com as “one that sells goods or services in or to a market, especially one that markets a specified commodity.” We all are trying to sell goods and services, right? Answer = yes.

Oh, yeah, one other thing. Please remember that sales and marketing are two different things. Here is my shorthand way to help you remember the difference: The marketing team sets up the game plan for sales...and the sales team works to execute the marketing plan. They must work together—with feedback going back and forth—all the time. So, let’s get to it.

1. What is it that your company does best? What would your newest employees say? Your longest term employees say? Would the answers be the same?
   a. Ryan’s Remark: Marketing is about consistency. Thus, such responses should be consistent. Look for the gap between the two responses to see what may need to change internally so that you can market better externally.
2. How would your customers describe/define you?
   a. Ryan’s Remark: Your brand is defined by what clients say about you, not what you say. Have you conducted a succinct customer survey to obtain concrete results of where you are in their eyes? Obtaining this information gives you data to better communicate your marketing message.
3. What does your ideal customer of 2014 and beyond look like? And why?
   a. Ryan’s Remark: Remember that marketing sets up sales and, without such a “marketing research” process, it is likely our efforts will be disjointed. People like the “branding” part of marketing, but forget the research part. To define this customer, we need all parts of the company involved (production, customer service, financial, executives and sales). This will give us a 360-degree picture.

Ok, so this should get you started. Please do not fret if you feel overwhelmed by these questions. The first step is to begin pondering them. And, oftentimes your answer will be—I don’t know. The second step is to start doing something about them.