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7StepstoMarketingSystemSuccess
Copyright©2011DuctTapeMarketing 2
7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success
An overview of the Duct Tape Marketing System
Written by
Americaʼs Most Practical Small Business Marketing Expert
John Jantsch
Distributed by
Brad Tornberg
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7 Steps to Marketing System Success Practiced effectively, marketing is simply a system. hilethismaybehardforsomebusinessownerstocomegripswith,leaninginsteadtowardsthe“marketingisastrangeformofcreativevoodoothinking,”marketingisnotonlyasystem,itmaybethemostimportantsysteminanybusiness.Tounderstandhowtoapproachmarketingforabusiness,itmaybehelpfultounderstandtheDuctTapeMarketingSystemdefinitionofmarketing.Marketingisgettingsomeonethathasaneedtoknow,likeandtrustyou.Onecanargueaboutwhat“like”or“trust”isinanygivenindustry,butnowmorethanever,thisdefinitiongetsattheheartofthegame.Herearethe7corestepsthatmakeupthesimple,effective,andaffordableDuctTapeMarketingSystem.Businessesthatappreciateandimplementthisapproachtomarketinggrowinaconsistentandpredictablemanner.
Step 1: Strategy Before Tactics Strategywithouttacticsistheslowestroutetovictory.Tacticswithoutstrategyisthenoisebeforedefeat.‐SunTzu
Smallbusinessesalwayswanttograbtheideaoftheweek.Andsmallbusinessownersareabsolutelytheworstatthisbecausethey'redoingahundredthings.Sothenewshinyobjectthatmakesthemostnoisethisweekisnowthemarketingplan.Thethingis,ifabusinessownergetsthestrategypartrightinmarketing,heorshecansurrounditwithjustaboutanysetoftacticsthatareperformedandmeasuredconsistently.That'showimportantthestrategypieceis.Therearetwoverysignificantcomponentstogettingamarketingstrategydownforabusiness:tonarrowfocusdowntoanidealclientandtofindsomewaytoclearlydifferentiateone’sbusiness.Now,thosemaynotsoundlikeearth‐shatteringideas,butmostbusinessesdon'tthinkaboutthemasthoroughlyastheyshould.
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Part One: Define the Ideal Client Thetrickistodiscoverwhatthatidealclientlookslikeinthemostspecificwaypossibleandthengoaboutbuildinganentiremarketingstrategyaroundattractingmoreoftheseidealcustomers.Manysmallbusinessestrytobeallthingstoallpeopleandfindithardtoreallyfocusorsucceedatservingnarrowlydefinedmarketsegments.Smallbusinessesdon’tnecessarilyintendtobeallthings;itjustsortofhappensfromalackoffocusandaprospectonthephoneaskingforsomehelpinanareathat’snotreallythebusiness’thing.Whileitmayseemlikegrowthtotakeonanewcustomer,ifthatcustomerisn’tagoodfit,itcanactuallystuntrealgrowth.Insomecases,tryingtoworkwithcustomerswhoarenotidealclientscanleadtosuchabadexperienceforbothyourbusinessandthecustomerthatyouactuallycreatevocaldetractorsforyourbusiness.Mostbusinessesarebestsuitedtoserveanarrowly‐definedmarketsegment–kindoflikeasweetspot.Thisdoesn’tmeanthesweetspotwon’tgrow,evolveandchangealtogetherovertime,butatanygiventimethereexistsasetidealclientformostbusinesses.Thetrickistodiscoverwhatthatidealclientlookslikeinthemostspecificwaypossibleandthengoaboutbuildinganentiremarketingstrategyaroundattractingmoreofthese.Forsome,anidealclientmightsimplybeasubsetofpeoplewhocanaffordwhatyouoffer.Forothers,theidealclientmightbecomprisedofsixtoeightlong‐termclients.Inthelatter,acompanyisprobablybetteroffworkingwithpeoplethatareaperfectfitorlifemaygetmiserable.Aperfectfitmaymeanthatthecustomerhasthekindofneedyourcompanycanreallyhelpwith,butitalsomightmeantheclientvaluesyouruniqueapproachandtreatsyourstaffwiththerespecttherelationshipdeserves.Amultipleredflagclient,takenbecausetheysaidtheycanpay,willsuckthelifeoutofasmallbusinessfasterthanalmostanyotherdynamic.Alessthanidealclientcanalsocomeintheformofapersonwithwhomacompanywouldlovetowork,buttheyjustdon’treallyhavetheneedthatmatcheswhatthebusinessdoesbest–suchasagoodfriendorrelativewhoworksforanorganization
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that’snotafitorbuddyatyourgolfclubthathasacompanyyouwouldliketohelp,butdon’thavetheresources.The5stepsbelow,appliedtoacurrentclientbaseandworkedinorder,willtellsmallbusinessesmoreabouttheirtrueidealclientthananymarketingclassorbookeverwill.
1. Findyourmostprofitableclients.2. Fromtheabovegroup,identifythosethatrefer.3. Fromthatevensmallergroup,findcommondemographiccharacteristics.4. Takethetimenowtounderstandthebehaviorthatmakesthemideal.5. Drawafullydevelopedbiographicalsketchtouseasamarketingguide.
Part Two: Differentiate the Business Steppingoutsidetheboxisessential.It'sactuallyhowbusinesseschargeapremiumfortheirservicesandproducts.It’salsooneofthehardestthingstodo.Smallbusinessesabsolutelymustfindorcreate,aspartoftheirstrategy,awaytodifferentiatetheirbusinessfromalltheotherbusinessesthatclaimtodothesamething.Thisisn'tnecessarilyanewconcept,butit'soneofthehardesttogetbusinessestoactuallydo.Everyonewantstothinkwhattheydoissounique.Unfortunately,inmostcases,it'ssomethingthateveryoneeithercanordoesclaimaswell.Here’sagoodwaytogetasenseofthisidea.Cutandpastethefirstparagraphofyourtopfivecompetitors’websites,blackingoutallreferencestonames,andthenpassthedocumentaroundtheofficetoseeifanyonecanrecognizewhichcompanyeachparagraphbelongsto.Chancesare,thedescriptionswillbenearlyimpossibletotellapart.Oneofthemosteffectivebitsofresearchyoucanconducttohelpfindwhatreallysetsyourorganizationapartistositdownandinterviewahandfulofyourbestcustomers.Askthemthesequestions:
• Whatmadeyoudecidetohireus?• What'sonethingwedobetterthanotherpeoplelikeus?• What'sonethingwecoulddobetter?• Wouldyoureferusordoyoureferus?• Ifyouwouldreferus,whatwouldyousay?
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Ifyourcustomersimplytellsyouthatyouprovidegreatservice,thenpushabitwithquestionssuchas:
• Whatdoesgoodservicelooklike?• Tellmeastory,ortellmeatimewhenweprovidedgoodservice.• Whatdidthatentail?
It’samazinghowquicklycoredifferencescometothesurface,directlyfromthemouthofasatisfiedcustomer.Lookforcommonthreadsthatsurfaceinconversationsanddevelopacoremessagethatsupportsthosethemes.It'snoteasybecausealotoftimesbusinessownerswanttobelikeeverybodyelse;theydon'twanttobethedifferentkid.Everybodyinourindustrytalksabouttheirserviceslikethis,sothat'swhatbusinessownersthinktheyneedtodo.Steppingoutsidetheboxisessential.It'sactuallyhowbusinesseschargeapremiumfortheirservicesandproducts.It’salsooneofthehardestthingstodo.Ifyourbusinessisreceivingphonecallsandinquiries,andoneofthefirstquestionsis,“Howmuch?”There'sareallygoodchanceyou’renotdifferentiatingyourbusiness.Ifprospectscan'ttellhowthebusinessisdifferent,they’regoingtousetheonemeasurethatmakessense:price.Asmanysmallbusinessownershavediscovered,competingonpriceisnotfun.There'salwaysgoingtobesomeonewillingtogooutofbusinessfaster.Whatpeoplelikemostmaynotsounduniqueorsexy.Itmightbetheuniqueproductsandservices,butoftenit'sacompany’swayofdeliveringanexperience.It'sthepeople,guarantees,packaging,brandpromotion,andspecialtouches.Itishowthecompanypositionsitsbusinesstosolveaproblemthateverybodyintheindustryishaving.That'swhatpeoplebuy.
RealWorldCaseStudy:HowOneArchitectDifferentiated
Onceuponatime,anarchitectwasaskedwhathedidforaliving.“I’manarchitect.Idesignbuildings,”hereplied.Whenpressedfurther,hebragged,“NooneelseknowshowtodesignabuildinglikeIdo.”Yet,whenthearchitect’scustomerswereaskedwhathedid,theysaid,“Weexpectedgooddesign.Butletmetellyouwhathereallydoes.HehelpsuscutthroughalltheCityHallredtapeandthatgetsuspaidfaster.”Thefirstthreecustomersallsaidessentiallythesamething.
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Nowwhenaskedwhathedoesforaliving,thearchitectreplies,“Ihelpyougetpaidfaster.Sure,I’manarchitect,butIalsohelpyoucutthroughCityHallredtape.I’mthecontractor’sarchitect.”Byembracinghisnewmessage,thearchitect’sbusinesswentfromasecondorthirdtierplayertothe#1commercialarchitectinhismarket.That’sthepowerofdifferentiation
Step 2: The Marketing HourglassTM
MostmarketersarefamiliarwiththeconceptoftheMarketingFunnel:awholebunchofleadsareloadedintothetopofafunnel,andthey’rechokeduntilafewbuyerssqueezeoutthesmallend.WiththeintroductionofTwitterandFacebook,peopleareevenhungrierformoreleads.Thegameisalwaysaboutputtingmoreandmoreleadsintothetopofthefunnel.
Butwhatgoodareleadsiftheyaren’tconvertedintosales,repeatbusinessandreferrals?Whatif,throughremarkablecustomerexperience,acompanyhadtheabilitytoretainthesameclientsandgenerateasignificantnumberofnewleadsandreferralsfromthosehappycustomers?Whenitcomestoleadreferralgeneration,thecustomerexperienceisit.Themarketinghourglasssuggeststhatthere'salogicalprogressionthroughwhicheverycustomercomestoknow,like,andtrustacompany.Oncethatoccurs,thecustomerthendecidestotry,buy,repeat,andrefer.ThediagrambelowillustratesthelogicalpathaleadshouldfollowtoparticipateinafullydevelopedMarketingHourglass.ThisconceptisoneofthekeyelementsoftheDuctTapeMarketingsystem.
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WhenoneoverlaystheDuctTapeMarketingSystemdefinitionofmarketing:–“gettingsomeonewhohasaneedtoknow,like,andtrustyou”‐withtheintentionalactofturningknow,likeandtrustintotry,buy,repeat,andrefer,theentirelogicalpathformovingsomeonefrominitialawarenesstoadvocatebecomesaverysimpleprocess.Thekeyistosystematicallydeveloptouchpoints,processesandproduct/serviceofferingsforeachofthe7phasesofthehourglass.
1. Know–Ads,articles,andreferredleads2. Like–Website,reception,andemailnewsletter3. Trust–Marketingkit,whitepapers,andsalespresentations4. Try–Webinars,evaluations,andnurturingactivities5. Buy–Fulfillment,newcustomerkit,delivery,andfinancialarrangements6. Repeat–Postcustomersurvey,crosssellpresentations,andquarterlyevents7. Refer–Resultsreviews,partnerintroductions,peer2peerwebinars,and
communitybuilding
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Fartoomanybusinessesattempttogofrom“Know”to“Buy”andwonderwhyit’ssohard.Bycreatingwaystogentlymovesomeonetotrust,andperhapsevencreatinglowcostofferingsastrials,theultimateconversiontobuygetssomucheasier.Inordertostartthinkingaboutthehourglassconceptandcurrentgaps,oneshouldponderthesequestions:
• Whatisthefreeortrialoffering?• Whatisthestarteroffering?• Whatisthe“makeiteasytoswitch”offering?• Whatisthecoreoffering?• Whataretheadd‐onstoincreasevalue?• Whatarethemembers‐onlyofferings?• Whatarethestrategicpartnerpairings?
Step 3: Publish Educational Content Bynowsmallbusinessownersaretiredofhearingthephrase,“ContentisKing.”Astrueasitmaybe,today’sprospectsinstinctivelygravitatetosearchenginestoansweralltheirburningquestions.Themistakemanybusinessesmakeisthateveniftheychurnoutcontinuouscontent,theydon’tmakeitpartoftheiroverallstrategy.Yourcontentandpublishingeffortsmustbefocusedon
achievingtwothings:buildingtrustandeducating.Thesetwocategoriesofcontentstrategymustbedeliveredthroughthecreationofveryspecificformsofcontent,notsimplythroughsheervolume.Everybusinessisnowapublishingbusiness,soyoumuststarttothinklikeone.
Contentthatbuildstrust
• Blog:Blogsaretheabsolutestartingpointforcontentstrategybecauseitmakescontentproduction,syndicationandsharingsoeasy.Thesearchenginesloveblogcontent,nottomentionthefactthatblogsallowonetoproduceandorganizeagreatdealofeditorialthinking.Contentproducedonablogcaneasilybeexpandedandadaptedtobecomecontentforarticles,workshopsande‐books.
• Socialmedia:ThefirststepinthesocialmediacontentgameistoclaimallthefreeopportunitiestocreatesocialmediaprofilesonsiteslikeLinkedInandFacebook.AlsoclaimyourprofileswithinBusinessWeek,EntrepreneurandInc.magazinecommunities.Buildingrichprofiles,andoptimizinglinks,
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imagesandvideosthatpointbacktothemainsiteisanimportantpartofthecontentstrategyplay.
• Reviews:RatingsandreviewssitessuchasYelp!,MerchantCircleand
CitySearchhavebecomemainstream,user‐generatedcontenthubs.ThefactthatGoogle,YahooandBingallallowotherstorateandreviewbusinessesmakesthesesitesanincreasinglyimportantcategoryofcontentthatsavvybusinessesmustparticipatein.Businesseswillneverhavetotalcontroloverthiscategory,butignoringitmaybeoneofthemostdamagingforcesforabrand.Proactive,aggressivemonitoringofthischannelisamust.
• Testimonials:Customertestimonialsareapowerfulformofcontent.Every
businesstodayshouldseekcustomercontentinmultipleforms:written,audioandvideo.ThiscontentaddsimportanttrustbuildingendorsementsandmakesforgreatbrandbuildingassetsonGoogleandYouTube.
Contentthateducates
• ThePointofViewWhitePaper:Everybusinessshouldhaveawell‐developedcorestorythat’sdocumentedintheformofawhitepaperore‐book.Thiscontentmustdivedeeplyintowhatmakesafirmdifferent,whatthesecretsauceis,howthecompanyapproachescustomerservice,andwhythefirmdoeswhatitdoes.ThisideaisexpoundeduponinTheReferralEngine.Thisistheprimerforacompany’seducationalcontentpush.
• Seminars:Today,peoplewantinformationpackagedinwaysthatwillhelpthemgetwhattheywant.Presentations,workshopandseminars(onlineandoff)aretremendouswaystoprovideeducationwiththeaddedpunchofengagement.Turningone’spointofviewwhitepaperintoa45‐minute,value‐packedsessionisoneofthemosteffectivewaystogenerate,nurture,andconvertleads.
• FAQs:Therearethosewhowanttoknowoneveryspecificthingaboutthecompanyorapproachandtheselearnersgetthemostvalueoutofthetraditional“frequentlyaskedquestions”approach.There’snodenyingthevalueofinformationpackagedinthisformat.Gobeyondthequestionsthatroutinelygetaskedandincludethosethatshouldgetaskedbutdon’t,particularlytheonesthathelppositionthecompanyfavorablyagainstthecompetition.
• Successstories:Buildingrichexamplesofactualclientssucceedingthrough
theuseoftheproductorserviceofferingsisatremendouswaytohelppeoplelearnfromotherindividualsandbusinessesjustlikethem.Whenprospectsseethemselvesinasuccessstory,theycanmoreeasilyarriveata
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placewheretheycanimaginegettingthosesameresults.Thisisanotherformofcontentthatbegstobeproducedinvideo.
• Alloftheaboveelementsshouldbebuiltintoamarketingplanwitha
processtocreate,updateandcurateeach.Step 4: Create a Total Web Presence
Therewasatime,justafewshortyearsagoreally,whensmallbusinessesfinallyconcludedtheymustusethewebtosupplementtheirmarketingeffortsandcreateanotherpotentialchannelformarketingmessages.Today’sbusinessmustevolvethatthinkingradicallyagain‐‐orfaceextinction.Theonslaughtofsocialmediausedidn’tsimplycreateanothersetofmarketingtactics,
itsignaled,tothoseviewingitstrategically,ashiftinthemarketinglandscapethathasbecomepreposterouslyevident.TheWebanddigitalinteractivitynowrepresentthecenterofthemarketinguniverse.Mostmarketingdecisionsmuststartandendthere.Today’ssmallbusinessmustviewitsmarketingstrategiesandtacticswithaneyeongrowingtheonlinecenterandradiatingbeyondwithspokesthatfacilitatemostoftheofflinetransactionalfunctionsthatdrivesalesandservice.Allbusinesses,regardlessofindustry,havebecomewhatwelikerefertoasO2O(onlinetooffline)businesses.Theirprimarymarketingobjectivesarefocusedondrivingpeopleonlinetodrivethemoffline.Inthateffort,theonlinecorewebpresencehassignificantlyheightenedresponsibilities.Furthermore:
• Whileadvertisingwasusedprimarilytocreateasaleorenhanceanimage,itmustnowbeusedtocreateawarenessaboutwebcontent.
• WhileSEOwasprimarilyafunctionofoptimizingawebsite,itmustnowbeafunctionofoptimizingbrandassetsacrosssocialmedia.
• Whileleadgenerationusedtoconsistofbroadcastingmessages,itmustnowrelyheavilyonbeingfoundintherightplaceattherighttime.
• Whileleadconversionoftenconsistedofmultiplesalescallstosupplyinformation,itmustnowsupplementwebinformationgatheringwithvaluedelivery.
• Whilereferralsusedtobeasimplematterofpassinganame,referralsnowrelyheavilyonanorganization’sonlinereputation,ratingsandreviews.
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• Whilephysicalstorelocationhasalwaysmattered,nowtheonlinelocationforthelocalbusinesshasbecomealifeanddeathmatter.
Ifyouarestilllookingatmarketingeffortsinalinearway–withonlinetacticsfallingsomewhereinline–it’sessentialthatyouchangethisviewentirely.Today’sbusinessownermustbuildfromthecenterfirst.Onlythencanthesmallbusinesscreatethestrongfoundationthatwillcarrythecompany’smarketingeffortsintothenextdecade.
Step 5: Operate a Lead Generation Trio Traditionalleadgenerationtactics:directoryadvertising,tradeshowparticipation,halfpageprintads,arequicklyloosingappealwithsmallbusinessowners.Therearetwoverygoodreasonsforthisdecline:
1. Traditionalmethodsaresomeofthemostexpensive.
2. Traditionalmethodsareprovinglesseffectiveintermsofleadgeneration.
Messageandinformationoverload,technologytoblockads(CallerID,TiVo,XMRadio)andtheavailabilityofinformationmaymaketraditionalandmoreexpensiveoutboundmarketingeffortsathingofthepast.Smallbusinessesmustchangethewaytheythinkaboutandapproachleadgeneration.Theymustthinkmoreintermsofbeingfoundandlessintermsoffinding.Peoplearestilllookingforsolutions,tryingoutnewservicesandbuyingthingstheywant,they’vejustchangedhowtheygoaboutdoingit.Inaway,thecontrolofmessageconsumptionhaschangedwithit.Technologyhasmadethephonedirectorypocket‐portable.ThereisnoneedtotraveltothetradeshowbecausetheinteractivedemoisonYouTube,blogs,searchenginesandsocialmediasites.Alltheproductinformation,answersandreviewsonecouldeverconsumearedeliveredwithouteverleavinghome.So,inordertogenerateleadsandbefound,businessesmustputthemselvesinthepathofpeoplewhoarelearningabout,askingabout,andshoppingabouttheirparticularindustries.Leadgenerationdoesnotneedtobedoneexclusivelyonline.Thisadviceshouldnotleadbusinessestoconcludethattheyshouldn’tuseadvertisingatall.Whatbusinessownersshouldunderstandisthattheironline
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presenceisthehubofeducationandthatonlineandofflineadvertising,PR,andreferralsystemsmustutilizetoitsfullestpotential.Onecanthinkofitaslightingcandlesalongdarkpathssothatwearytravelerscandiscoverthecompanyinthedark.Thosecandlesaretheeducation‐basedentriesinsocialmediahubslikeTwitterandFacebook–gentleguidesofintroduction.TheyarethePReffortsandarticles,writtentoilluminateone’sexpertise.Theyaretheblogposts,designedtoattractsurferslookingfortheway.Theyarethestrategicpartnerships,alignmentsthatevoketrust.Theyarethewebconferences,providinginteractivediscussionswithcustomersandprospects.Theyarethecommunitybuildingevents,placeswherecandlescanbere‐litandshared.Youcannolongersitback,dumpanofferinthemailandstartworkingthephones.You’vegottobuildyourinboundmarketingmachineandstarttakingadvantageofthepowerofinformation,networking,trust,connection,andcommunitytogenerateleads.Today’sintegratedleadgenerationtrioconsistsofcreatingeducation‐basedapproachesthatblendtheuseofadvertising,publicrelationsandreferrals.
1. Advertising:Advertisingisusedinhighlytargeted,measurablewaystopromoteawarenessofeducation‐basedcontent:suchaswhitepapers,audiosandseminars.Itcarriesthehighestcostandlowestcredibility,butisalsotheonlyleadgenerationtacticthatcanbecompletelycontrolled.Advertisingworkswhenutilizedasdescribedandmustbepartoftheoverallmix.
2. Publicrelations:PRissuchapowerful,credibleandlowcosttool.Itisanareathatisoftenunderutilizedbysmallbusinesses.There’snorealmagictogeneratingpositivepress.It’sagameofbuildingrelationshipswithahandfulofkeyjournalistsandcommittingtocreatingannouncementsandsmallstorieseverymonthusingacombinationoflocalpresscontactsandonlinesocialmediatools.
3. Referrals:Referralgenerationisprimarilyaprocessoffindingwaystobe
morereferablefirst.Itstartswiththemindsetofmakingeverycustomerareferralsourceandmakingiteasyforthemtodoso.Oncethisisinorder,youcanmovetobuildinganetworkofstrategicpartnersthatcanbereliedontorefernewcustomers.Theseleadsareoftenthehighestquality.
Whilemostbusinessesfindtheydevelopaprimaryleadgenerationtactic,it’sthethoughtfulcombinationofrepeatedcontacts,consistentlyplaced,thatleadstothegreatestlong‐termtrust‐buildingmarketing.
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Step 6: Make Selling a System Oftentimes,thequickestwaytomakeanimpactonanorganization’smarketingresultsistogotoworkontheleadconversionorsalesprocess.Thelackofanysemblanceofasystematicapproachtosellingisthebiggestweaknessformostsmallbusinesses.
Thefocusofmarketingisalmostalwaysongeneratingmoreleads.Whileleadsarecertainlyimportant,theobsessionwithgeneratingthemconsumesasignificantamountoftimeandmoney.Installingasalessystem,onethateveryoneinvolvedinsellingintheorganizationoperates,isthefastestwaytoimproveoverallmarketingresults.(We’reassumingyou’vealsonarrowlydefinedyouridealclient‐http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/11/03/5‐steps‐to‐the‐perfect‐client/,createdasignificantwaytodifferentiateyourbusiness‐http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/02/08/5‐questions‐you‐should‐ask‐every‐customer/,andareconsistentlybuildingtrustthrougheducationalcontent‐http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/10/15/content‐as‐an‐essential‐strategy/)Theendresultformostbusinessesweworkwithisthatwedramaticallyreducedthenumberofleadstheyarechasing(decreasedexpense)whilealsodramaticallyincreasingthenumberleadstheyareconvertingtocustomers(increasedrevenue.)Ifyou’removingprospectslogicallythroughMarketingHourglass(http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/09/28/the‐easiest‐way‐to‐explain‐the‐marketing‐process/)youwillnoticethatbythetimetheygetseriousaboutabuyingdecision,they’vealreadysoldthemselves.Thisapproachalmostmakessellinganon‐issueanddeliversstunninglyhighconversionrates.Belowaretheessentialingredientsneededtooperateyourleadconversionsystem:
• Discovery:Youmusthaveaplannedresponsewhenaleadasksformoreinformation.Iknowthissoundsobvious,butfewbusinessesdomorethanreact.Inordertomoveprospects,youmusthaveacalltoaction,educationplan,andfilterthathelpsqualifyanddirectleadstothenextstep.Thisisasignificantstepandonethatcanhelpyoustopchasingthewrongleadswhilealsogivingyouanopportunitytocreateauniqueexperience.Interruptthenormforyourindustryhereandyou’llhelpfurthercementhowyou’redifferent.
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• Presentation:Onceaprospectdeterminesitneedstoknowmoreaboutyourspecificofferings,eitherbywayofademoorsalescall,it’simportantthatyouhaveasetwaytopresentyourorganization.Thisisapointwheremanysalesfolksgooutandtrytoanswerthequestionsthatprospectshave.Theproblemwiththisapproachismostprospectsdon’tknowwhatquestionstheyshouldhave;soit’sreallyuptoyoutostartaddingvalueintherelationshipbypresentingwhatyouknowisuseful,whilealsodiscoveringtheiruniquechallenges.Thisispartscripted,partart,butitshouldbepracticedconsistentlyacrosstheorganization.
• Nurturing:Dependinguponthebuyinghabitsofyouridealcustomeror
salescycleforyourparticularindustry,youwillneedasystematicapproachforkeepingleadsthatarestartinganinformationseekingprocesswarmastheymovetowardsabuyingdecision.Thisisaplacewheretechnologycancertainlyhelpyoumakeautomatedcontactsviaemailorsnailmail.Creatingplannededucationevents,suchasonlineseminarsandpeer‐to‐peerpaneldiscussions,isalsoanotherveryeffectivewaytonurtureleadsandcontinuetoeducate.
• Transaction:Formanyinselling,thegameendswhenthecustomersaysyes.Yourleadconversionsystemmustbecreatedinawaythatdeliversthesameexperienceonceaprospectbecomesacustomeraswasdeliveredthroughoutthecourtingperiod.Thebestwaytodothisisthroughaplannedorientationprocesswhereyoucontinuetheeducationalapproachbyteachingthecustomerhowtogetthemostfromwhatthey’veagreedtobuy.Thiscanbethroughasimpletrainingvideooramoreelaboratenewcustomerprocess,butthisimportantstepleadstoasmoothtransitionfromprospecttocustomerandoftensetsthetoneforadditionalpurchasesandreferrals.
• Review:Yoursellingsystemwon’tbecompleteuntilyoucreateaprocessthatallowsyoutomeasureandcommunicatetheresultsyourcustomersareexperiencing.Oneofthebestwaystodothisisthroughsomeformofaplannedresultsreviewprocess.Bysettingtheexpectationforthisprocessupfrontyousendaverystrongsignalthatresultsmatter,butyoualsogettheopportunitytoaddressissuesthatdidn’tgoasexpected,aswellascollectclientsuccessstoriesandtestimonialsfromyourhappiestclients.
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Step 7: Living By the Calendar It’stoughtogetaroundtomarketing,Wegetit.Youdidn’tstartyourbusinessbecauseyouweredyingtogetyourhandsdirtywithblogging,copywriting,andselling.Butyousoonfoundoutthatyourbusinesswoulddieifyoudidnot.So,whattodo?Thesecrettogettingmarketingdoneistomakeitahabit.
Or,ifwemayroughlyparaphraseAristotle‐“Wearewhatwerepeatedlydo.Marketing,then,isnotanact,butahabit.”Mostofushavemoreexperiencetryingtobreakabadhabitthanestablishagoodone.Thesecretistocreateasystemandprocessonsxlybecomessecondnature.Whenitcomestomarketing,we’velearnedthatsmallbusinessownerscanmovetowardsmakingmarketingahabitbydoingthesethreethings.
1. Monthlythemes:chooseonebigmarketingneed–redoyourwebsite,writeyourmarketingkit,createanewcustomerprocess–andmakeitthethemeforthatmonth–youcanevenplanoutthenext6monthsthiswayandyou’llstandabetterchanceofactuallygettingthesedone.Thisisagreatideawhenitcomestogettingyourentirestafffocusedononething.Theproblemcomeswetrytodoitallatonce.Wegointooverwhelmanddon’tgetanythingdone.Makeitsimple,takethelongview,andwatchwhathappens.
2. Weeklyreviews:Whenitcomesrightdowntoit,onceyou’reclearonyourmarketingstrategy,marketingitselfbecomesasetofprojects.Whenyoustarttolookatmarketingasthehabitoffocusingonagroupofprojects,youcanbegintobreakthoseprojectsdownintoactionstepsortasks.Yourweeklymarketingreviewshouldincludeeveryoneinyourorganizationandposethesimplequestion–“Whatneedsbedonenext?”toeachprojectonyourplate.
3. Dailyappointments:Whileyoumayhavemanythingsonyourdailycalendar,makeitahabittoscheduleonetimeslotdedicatedtosolelymarketingeachday.Thisistheonlywaytokeepthefocuswhereitbelongs–onconstantadvancementandimprovement.
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Hire a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Consultant Look,youknowwhatyoudobest,andI’mguessingyou’rereadingthisguidebecausemarketingisn’tit.Though,maybeyouknowallaboutmarketing,butitjustneverseemstogetdone.Hireamarketingconsultanttohelpyoucompletetheultimatemarketingplan.You’llreceiveone‐on‐oneattentionfromamarketingprothatcanhelpyoucraftapowerfulmarketingplan,holdyouaccountableforcompletingtheeachstepandthenshowyoujusthowtoimplementtheplantogrowyourbusiness.DuctTapeMarketingConsultant–Needhelpimplementinganyandallofthestrategiesinthisworkbook?TheprofessionallistedbelowisaspeciallytrainedandauthorizedDuctTapeMarketingconsultantwhocanleadyouonthepathtoexplosivegrowth.
Contact: Brad Tornberg 9405 Town Center Blvd. Voorhees, NJ 08043 [email protected] www.marketsimplicity.com
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About the Author John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, award winning social media publisher and author of two best selling books - Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine . He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing System and Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network that trains and licenses
small business marketing consultants around the world. His blog was chosen as a Forbes favorite for marketing and small business and his podcast, a top ten marketing show on iTunes, was called a “must listen” by Fast Company magazine. He is the featured marketing contributor to American Express OPENForum and is a popular presenter of workshop and webinars for organizations such as American Express, Intuit, Verizon, HP, and Citrix. His practical take on small business is often cited as a resource in publications such as the Wall St. Journal, New York Times, and CNNMoney. What others are saying about John Jantsch “John Jantsch is the Peter Drucker of small business marketing tactics.”
Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
“John Jantsch has a real knack for boiling marketing for the small business down to simple but highly practical action steps. His presentations are inspirational, motivational and always full of real-world information.”
Ken Yancey, CEO SCORE
“Kansas City based marketing consultant and entrepreneur John Jantsch has earned a large following among small business owners with his Duct Tape Marketing Web site, where he dispenses tips, strategies, and tactics to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses.”
7StepstoMarketingSystemSuccess
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