Foundry-Metalcaster UGLY Marketing Newsletter 365501 | Page 6

The Odd Corner… Think Your Products are a Challenge to Make and Market? I have been involved with a number of businesses. Each have individual challenges that make marketing unique to them. Here is an example of a very unique product. Who, you may ask, needs coyote pee? Just as your products only have a limited appeal (even water and air have a limited appeal), this product has almost a miniscule niche of users. Marketing efforts to anyone other than direct users is totally wasted, other than the shock and comic value. Your products are the same. Narrowly targeted. Money would be wasted if spent on a broad appeal. The key to effectively marketing your business is to ensure you appeal to those who 1) are most likely or known users, 2) who can afford to pay and 3) optimally have an ongoing need. You probably have never heard of this product. If you have, it’s through a business that uses it. It’s not marketed directly to consumers. It is a B2B product just like a foundry. They do not use TV ads, newspapers, or other inappropriate media. They target their marketing to those they believe will buy, will buy repeatedly, and can afford the stiff price. (I can only imagine the factory turnover rate. Imagine coming home to talk about your new job, and trying to tell your spouse and neighbors ‘I supervise bottling Coyote pee…’) This manufacturer has the same challenges you have. Finding prospects who are able to buy, who may be repeat buyers, who need your product, and want to do business with you because of the unique product you offer. Believe it or not, the manufacturer of Coyote pee has competitors. They must educate prospects, teach them the difference between themselves and other options, and use systems to persuade those that are on the fence about buying. Sound familiar? Their growth and stability, like a foundry, is based on finding new prospects, properly engaging them in the discussion, and making their product and service the obvious choice- no matter the price. They effectively blend the message they send out with the market they are selectively engaging, and the media to keep up their growth. These are the same tools ignored by most metal casters. Look on the internet, or look inside your own foundry if you dare, and see if the Go ahead and explain how you get them to ‘pee in the bottle’… message is clear, the market is targeted closely, and the media matches. From my experience, foundrymen sit and wait for new orders or quotes or engage in a wasteful ma rketing campaign that has no message, the wrong market, and poor media choice. The results are dismal. So marketing becomes an expense and everyone wants to cut expenses, right? Soon it looks like 2008 again. And everyone wonders what happened to Michigan Steel… Every business has the same challenges. Some will grow, thrive, and stabilize. But the majority will just barely make it. If the makers (bottlers?) of Coyote Pee can thrive, certainly a foundry can. You can have the tools to make your business strong. If you want personal help with your marketing, contact [email protected] to set up a complimentary 30 minute ‘see if we are a match’ consultation. Every day you delay is time your competition is beating you… BONUS: For reading this newsletter in detail, and finding this bullet, you can request the free CD: “Managing Your Clients: Easy as A,B,C…” an in-depth discussion of why and how to differentiate your best customers. Send an email to [email protected] with your snail mail address and the CD Title. This offer is only good until the next newsletter is printed… 6 © The UGLY Marketing Newsletter for Foundries/Metal Casters/TheFoundryMarketer 2014. All rights reserved