The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand. –Sun Tzu, The Art of War
I don’t often go around quoting _The Art of War_, but this quote seemed very appropriate to the topic at hand: Marketing! Many business owners, start-up and experienced alike, view marketing as a necessary evil. “I have to advertise, it’s a part of doing business” you’ll hear them say, “but I hate figuring out the budget because it’s so expensive.” Or even more often you’ll hear, “I know I should advertise, but I just can’t afford it.”
Which really underscores the true problem. Most people think “marketing” means advertising… solely and unequivocally. The term “marketing” brings to mind the Yellow Pages, commercials on T.V., and glossy magazine ads. All of which can be expensive, expensive, expensive!
Marketing, however, is so much more than that. According to American Heritage Dictionary, marketing is a verb defined as the commercial functions involved in transferring goods from producer to consumer. That means marketing is really about processes; the processes that get your product or service from you to your customer.
When you consider marketing for your company, you in reality should be thinking about:
- the customer: who are they, how do they think, what’s going to get them to part with their hard earned money, and, if they’re unhappy, how are you going to handle it?
- the product: is it priced right, is the packaging attractive, can the customer access it easily (or in the best way), and is the delivery system efficient and effective?
- promoting: how will you let people know your product/service exists and what steps will you take to encourage them to buy it?
Once you understand all the areas of your business that marketing encompasses, it’s easier to see why developing an appropriate marketing strategy can seriously affect the success of your company.
Want to learn more about marketing and how to develop your best marketing strategy? Then keep your eyes peeled for the next Marketing 101 post. These posts are meant to help you develop a basic understanding of marketing and marketing issues so that you can make the best decisions for your company.
If you’re interested in more in-depth assistance, feel free to e-mail me to with your questions. You might see the answer show up in a mailbag post. And don’t forget you can always schedule a complimentary consultation to discover custom solutions to your marketing challenges.
