MARKETING TIPS
WHAT IS MARK ANYWAY ?
When I open a presentation on marketing to an audience of IT services CEOs who are not clients of mine , I like to start by asking , “ What is the purpose of marketing ?” Almost without fail , the answers shouted out include , “ Get your name out there !” or “ Build your brand !” or “ Generate awareness !” Only after a bit of prodding and encouragement will they finally get around to answers that make more sense , such as , “ To generate leads !” or “ Bring in paying customers !”
With such ambiguity about the purpose of marketing and what it ’ s supposed to do , is it any wonder so many people fail at it ? When you ask , “ Why did that marketing campaign fail ?” the answer is , “ I didn ’ t get a single lead or phone call ,” or “ I didn ’ t generate a single new client .” So , if that is the criteria for how you are measuring the success of your marketing plan , shouldn ’ t you define marketing ’ s purpose a little more clearly to align with expectations ? Here is my definition .
Marketing is the practice of finding , attracting , and fully monetizing clients to sell products / services , generate profits , and facilitate the company ’ s growth goals .
You ’ ll notice I didn ’ t just define marketing as “ generating sales ” or “ bringing in new clients .” I also didn ’ t define it to a specific metric , such as to generate a 10x ROI on your marketing spend
( AND HOW TO KNOW IF IT ’ S WORKING )
or a 30 % open rate on emails or a 2 % response rate to a direct-mail campaign . Yes , marketing does all that , but it ’ s much , much more .
In new client acquisition , marketing should facilitate and accelerate the sales process by attracting right-fit prospects , preselling them , and predisposing them to do business with you . With existing clients , it should increase retention , referrals , and spend , forever increasing the value of each customer and your overall business . It puts you in a position of marketplace dominance , eliminating the
competition and putting your business in a category where price sensitivity is nearly nonexistent . It can help you recruit and retain tremendous employees and leaders . It can help you attract prize accounts . And it will allow you to do business on your terms instead of feeling like you have to bend and bow to meet the demands of others . Can marketing really do ALL that ? Yes , but only if it ’ s understood , mastered , and not viewed as a department of your organization that you delegate or neglect .
Therefore , great marketing starts with the foundational strategy upon which your business is built . Who specifically do you want to interest , attract , and compel response from ? I find that most MSPs and IT services companies are extremely fuzzy with their answers to this question . They ’ ll say , “ Anyone with 10 – 100 computers .” When pressed , they ’ ll insist they serve a grossly diverse client base , ranging from small to large , in every possible vertical . But as Dr . Nido Qubein said , “ Who your customer is today is a piece of data ; who your customers should be is a piece of strategy .”
After all , how can you even begin to craft a marketing communication strategy when you don ’ t know who you are talking to , what they care about , or what media will work
10 | MSP SUCCESS • VOLUME 1