1. Any business is all about getting and keeping customers. Marketing is more than a company department; it involves your whole firm. Everybody should learn to tell your story and help develop positive relationships.
2. Everything that people can sense about your products and services affects how they perceive you. Visual perceptions are very powerful, so be sure you always show your best side.
A consistent image includes the appearance of your offices, your staff, your paperwork, your vehicles and your finished product.
3. Can you tell prospects in one or two compelling sentences why they should buy from you instead of a competitor? If not, work on it!
4. If you cannot see how your product or service is different from competitors, look again…harder. If the differences are not meaningful to your customers, create greater spread or find additional points of differentiation. Remember, everything can be differentiated, even flour and water.
5. Success sometimes means overcoming customer apathy and inertia. If you are the first to spur a customer to action, you usually get the business!
6. You are building your business one person at a time. Each person is buying more than a product to satisfy a need for a price. You need to understand all that the customer is buying and all that you are selling.
7. Marketing is like horseshoes and hand grenades; when you get closer to the customer’s objective than your competitor does, you score!
8. The more that products or services seem similar, the more important the tiny differences become when the customer finally makes a choice.
9. Long-term success hinges on the confidence customers have that you will deal fairly and keep your promises. Strong warranties add confidence and help customers decide in your favor.
10. Why do people buy something familiar rather than a potentially better choice? Buyers need to feel they are in control and that their risk is low. Risk is a strong buyer’s concern even when it is never stated.
