The changing face of marketing

[Dave A]

Is this for software, Alta?
And if it is, what is the target market?

[Alta Murray]

Oh, perhaps I should have mentioned that :-)

Yip, it is for software primarily, but we also prefer to do the hardware and the networks, as in our experience too many cooks spoil the broth! If something does go wrong, you have the hardware guys blaming the software guys who in turn blames the network people ad infinitum....in the end the business owner does not know whom to believe and it takes much longer to sort out the problem. Of course we also provide training on site for the Financial Accounting System, but for my system they have to come in to my place.

Target -- any SME business, I don't like big companies as they are very slow & clumsy.
Industry segment is not a problem, our current client base is spread over the globe and covers anything imaginable. Our software works for any kind of business. But I think at first I want to concentrate on Pretoria.

I also think that I should be upfront and honest -- I am really in this to help, to inspire, to bring hope and to show people that they are a lot smarter than they think. All them old big words (terminology) are just show-offs for things we already know and understand. It brings me the greatest satisfaction to see how people find their own genuis, how they grow in confindence & find their own creative power. Of course this then reflects in the business and oh what joy to see the business respond! It's alive!

But I am not sure how you bring that into your marketing strategy :-) I have also in the past taken deserving causes on board & helped them for free,haven't had a holiday or weekend off in 8 years, so I am dead serious about what I say, only to my mind it sounds too 'corny & girly' for marketing purposes. Imagine " I am here to help" Naah, no one will buy that, I only get it across if I meet them face to face.

I like your credo, free lunch indeed, everything comes with a price tag, you must just know where to look.

What line of business are you in? I pick up marketing,advertising?

[duncan drennan]

to my mind it sounds too 'corny & girly' for marketing purposes. Imagine " I am here to help" Naah, no one will buy that, I only get it across if I meet them face to face.

Do you think so? Really?

I see it slightly differently. If people get that message and believe it, your marketing is done. The challenge is to get people to believe it, and that can't come from a pamphlet/brochure/sales message. More and more we distrust that form of selling, mainly because we've been lied to plenty of times.

If you could get that message across, and follow through on it, wouldn't that be remarkable in an age where most IT companies come across as fly-by-nights?

I really think it would be worth your while to subscribe to Seth Godin's blog - I think you will enjoy it. You have to read it for a while to really start getting the message though - and that in itself is a lesson.

[Dave A]

When it comes to marketing software, I think a strong website for your product/company is a must.

I was thinking "where do I find my software I use in my business?" If I was going to go into the software marketing business, that would be my starting point in identifying where I could focus for results.

Alta - it might be worthwhile starting a new thread asking that question

[Renier]

I think it is about defining all aspects of your target market and finding ways (media) to reach them as effectively as possible.

[Chatmaster]

< I need to point out something. Marketing consist out of different segments and the ideal way of going forward with a solid marketing plan is to utilize as many segments of marketing as possible. Advertising is not dead and will probably not die very soon. Advertising forms a platform on which all marketing can be built. It makes people aware of your existence and ensure that you obtain customers to make your Viral campaigns work.

The main factor in compiling a proper marketing plan is a budget. If you do not have a budget, advertising opportunities would be very restricted. A further factor is your product and pricing. If your ROI is going to be low, advertising might not necessarily be a wise option to initiate your marketing plan.

For a small business, targeting your market accurately is essential regardless of your budget. This will ensure that your closing ratio is high enough to maintain a proper ROI.

Would I be correct in stating that one should not go for one media only, but multiple medias all at the same time?

Media marketing is a very wide term and can be anything from press releases TV appearances to multi media viral campaigns online. You will have to be a bit more specific here.

I think that we need to stand out from the herd today, and that the first step is our method of marketing. Doing it in a humorous way is sure getting old fast, or is it only me? Some advertising is so strong, I remember the punch line, but not the product!

Yes, I fully agree. You need to stand out. For that reason you need to know your competition and their products compared to your own. Being unique gives you marketing strategy a platform to make a statement that people can remember. Essentially it is all about the customer. What their needs are and how you can satisfy it.

Humor is not getting old. Being aware what is going on around current events and utilizing it to build your brand. Utilize humor it gets people talking and make them remember your brand.

Telephone sales are just irritating, and if I get one, I don't like it at all. The general perception is that it is just a scam. As consumers we have become disillusioned & jaded. With time a scarce resource, the ads in magazines are just colour and we don't read them, same with newspapers -- we just go for the headlines of the day. So what is left?

I would seriously suggest that you rethink this one. Doing telemarketing cannot be discarded that easily. It is all about the way you do it. Telemarketing agencies tend to do cold calling without any personal discussion. Make it personal and meaningful to the recipient (ad value). Once again be selective with who you approach and make the approach adapt to the person you call. In other words, if you are selling a website, rather make your goal to make an appointment for a direct sale. The product or service wouldn’t allow you to make a sale over the phone so make your goal to get an appointment instead, by offering an opportunity to the customer to discuss his current situation and you to use your people skills to sell your product. In direct sales people by people not the product.

[Upstairs]

Do the hard yards. Go and sit in front of your prospective customer, and do that many times if you believe that you can add value to his business. Focus on what you can do for him, instead of is wallet. The time will come when he needs your product or service. By then you will be like an old friend he can trust. You do not have to talk about business every time you visit him. Build the relationship and the business will follow. Go and sell yourself. People buy from people.

[Alta Murray]

Global Master, thank you so much, you have given me much to think about. I do think this is one area that I am not naturally good at, nothing comes to mind, and that does not happen often. As for all the platforms mentioned -- geez, I didn't even think of that, I was thinking along the lines of perhaps starting out with O magazine or your more high-brow mags as most business women tend to read those types of maggies?

The only feeling I do have is that I am overlooking something, that there is something out there that no one has tried before, pretty much the same feeling I had before i started on my system....... will try to make time for that as well. I bet you there is a new way.....

Thus far I have done quite a lot of work on what makes my system unique, the value it adds, my competition ( not much out there) and all the rest of it. But thank you so much for helping me, I really appreciate it. You do know a lot don't you?

[Alta Murray]

Hi Upstairs,

Now what you wrote I can really relate to, that is my preferred method as I find that I do very good one-on-one with prospective clients -- I get my msg across. But it is very time consuming and I can not represent myself in this way and do all the rest of the work. I love the human element though and people selling to people...... I love that!!

Thank you for your input, somehow you made the whole marketing plan seem less scary,perhaps because you mentioned something that I can actually do Ha!

[Chatmaster]

Thus far I have done quite a lot of work on what makes my system unique, the value it adds, my competition ( not much out there) and all the rest of it. But thank you so much for helping me, I really appreciate it. You do know a lot don't you?

I seriously recommend that you read Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson and also do some research on Lateral Marketing. Lateral Marketing is so flexible their are hardly any rules, it is also extremely fascinating and you might enjoy getting the marketing block of your brain.