Marketing: The Difference Maker that Enables Our Success

Many of my clients and friends discuss their marketing challenges with me, as they are eager to have their businesses grow. Each of them is talented, capable, does great work and is very dutiful and reliable. For businesses with this kind of leadership, a little marketing can go a long way.

There is so much information today about marketing. Tons of books are available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and lots of people are “marketing experts”. Most are all about social media with ideas about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, webinars, and other approaches I’ve never heard of, to reach lots of people easily and quickly.

While I am far from a marketing expert, I strongly advocate using social media and continuing many of the tried and true standbys noted below. We definitely want a combination.

To me, the keys are:

• Gaining visibility. We want to be known as one who delivers real value. Use speaking engagements, published articles, weekly newsletters, webinars, etc.
• Referrals. There is no better way to showcase our value than through clients who are satisfied and want to help us.
• Networking. Using our affiliations, meeting people and knowing how to connect (not turn people off by “selling”).
• Determining our target prospective clients, our ideal clients.
• Giving away value – helpful ideas and information.
• Persistence. Being in touch regularly demonstrates our interest and desire.
• Engaging people. We want them to think, maybe even respond.

Do not accept limiting beliefs, e.g., “I am not good at marketing, people will not be interested.” These are our demons, and they hold us back. We want to dismiss them and have a can do attitude; we’re going to go for it!

And even though it may be difficult, there is good news about marketing:

• It does not have to be expensive.
• Our competition probably does not market well, few do!

I sincerely believe that if we are good at what we do, have and execute an aggressive marketing plan and are a person with whom people want to do business, we can succeed beyond our expectations.

As I noted, there is already great interest in ideas about marketing and growing our businesses, and so I simply offer ideas that I have picked up throughout my career, also mentioning some of my own beliefs, with the hope there this paper will be of value.

My message to all of us with small and medium size businesses, sole proprietors, and entrepreneurs is to learn about marketing and dedicate a specific percentage of our time to the task, maybe as much as a third of our time.

Marketing is that important: we must grow, stick with it, and step out of our comfort zone. We must also remember to be ourselves, be genuine, be honest about our capabilities, and be assured that most of our competitors do not market well.

If we market well and stick with it, we will almost certainly do great!