|
About
Stuart
Contact
Stuart
Sales and Marketing Consulting Services
> For
Start-ups
> Sales
Process
> Marketing
Plans
> Phone
Consultation
Free Resources for Service Businesses
> Marketing
Tips
> Articles
& Interviews
> Business on
the Web
Marketing Workshops and Sales Training
in Sydney & Brisbane
Guest
Speaker
Testimonials
Q & A
|
Marketing From The Outside In
By Stuart Ayling
It happened again just the other day. I was meeting with a potential client and they were giving me some background on their business.
But they were lost.
This business was successful, and had been successful for many years. But over the last few years things have slowed down in the client acquisition department. In fact it had just about stopped.
You see… this firm had focused on developing new products. They were waiting to launch their latest version. They saw lots of opportunities.
But their marketing approach was back-to-front.
Or you could say it was inside-out.
Instead of telling potential clients what they needed to know, most of this firms marketing material was concerned with the latest features and functionality of their product. They were talking
from the inside, about what they had – their product – and what it could do.
What they should be doing is taking an outside-in approach to their marketing. They need to start outside of their business, trying to understand the key concerns of their clients. They need to create a central marketing message that answers the important questions that potential clients will have on their minds. And in most cases that goes way beyond “functionality”, and what their product or service does.
Have you taken an outside-in approach to create your marketing message?
 Do your marketing materials – brochures, web sites, fact sheets, business cards, check lists etc – reflect the concerns of your clients?
Do you help educate your potential clients so that they understand why
they should buy from you, or engage your services?
Do you try and minimise the buyers perceived risks?
These are all ways you can create your marketing message from the outside-in.
Don’t waste your time, and risk your business future, by being self-centred. If you need help to take an outside-in look at your business
contact me, or find another marketing professional you can trust to give you straight advice.
|
