Marketing
for Profit - 6 Vital Steps to Successful Marketing
Step 6:
Be Consistent.
Customers don't like to be confused... and it certainly doesn't help them to buy your product or service. Effective marketing should be consistent across different media so your
central marketing message is not diminished. Develop a distinct message and present it clearly no matter how you are communicating. As we discussed in
Step 4 of this series, you must know what to tell customers about your business.
For example, if you position your business as "the friendly alternative", then you must ensure
all customer contact is friendly. This type of claim sounds simple but requires a great deal of investment in training staff and assessing business systems that interact with customers. Remember, it can take just one unfriendly experience for a customer to decide you don't keep your word... and they wont believe you next time.
When crafting your marketing messages it is important not to build unrealistic expectations with claims that cannot be justified. By all means "blow your own horn" with a strong
call to action that generates enthusiasm and makes people
want to buy from you. This is great. But be careful to ensure you can deliver what you promise. Customers who are disappointed by unmet expectations will probably not return, and you wont get a second chance to impress them.
Even worse, they will tell their friends.
Importantly, don't get bored with your message
too quickly. You will see/hear/read it every day but your customers wont
see it so often. If you have a message that is working then let it run. You will get sick of your
advertising long before your customers do. For example Coca-Cola only changes their main promotional slogan every
2-4 years. However, always be sensitive to changing consumer attitudes and competitive activities as the market is in a constant state of flux.
The maxim - under promise and over deliver - is always good advice.
And finally, if you find all this
marketing work a bit too much to take in, don't despair! You can work on
it a step at a time, or call in a professional to give you a boost. The
benefits to you of using an outsider include getting a fresh perspective,
saving yourself time, making quicker progress and gaining access to
professional marketing expertise.
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