Communicating… An introduction to Marketing by Chris Robinson

A Brief History of Marketing Before steam power! Steam power manufacturing Steam trains and ships Henry Ford Improving communications with your markets

The Definition of Marketing Identifying need in a market from which you can profit Designing and developing the product/service to meet the need The Marketing Mix and the 4 P’s:- –Product –Price –Packaging* –Promotion All chosen for a competitive advantage Now there are 16 P’s! People, place, process, physicals, policies, publicity, production, penetration, product development, etc.

Positioning Your Company Develop a unique Quality position* Introduce a unique Guarantee Develop ‘Unique Selling Points’ for –Your products (Features, Advantages, Benefits) –Your services –Your marketing Be ethical – all descriptions and packaging must match the offer

Marketing Communications Marketing has given us a product to sell, now we must communicate that product to the market Marketing communications include:- –Advertising (Above the Line and Below the Line) –Telephone canvassing –Direct Mail –Personal Selling, cold calling –Word of Mouth (WOM) - Networking –Open Days, Exhibitions and Seminars – Indirect Offers –The Web and Internet marketing –Any other marketing communications opportunity you can think of? –You also need marketing collateral Strategy, Planning and Marcoms Plans The difference between marketing and selling

The Continuum of Behaviour Awareness Interest Knowledge Commitment to –People –Product –Price –Company Decision Customer Advocate

Matching the Continuum of Behaviour with marketing communications opportunities AwarenessAdvertising InterestAdvertising, Press Releases, articles KnowledgeCase studies, brochures, articles Commitment toWord of Mouth, Personal Contact –PeopleDirect Mail, Telephone Canvassing –ProductTestimonials –Price –Company DecisionPersonal contact CustomerPersonal contact AdvocateWord of Mouth

Pipeline Management Where do the leads come from? How much do leads cost? Which leads produce the most sales? Why do leads fall out of the pipeline? Analysing and managing the pipeline

The Product life Cycle (PLC)

The Profitability Curve

Marketing Models Marketing models are tools that help us gain a clearer view of our business Boston Consulting Group (BCG) The Ansoff Product Market Growth matrix There are many more models

The BCG Matrix High Investment High Risk Need Expert Management Low Investment Generates a lot of cash Limited life time Cash Cow Rising Star Not a success Might be! Invest time & expertise? Consumes money Takes up management time Divest – sell or scrap? Problem Children Dogs ?

Marketing Development Market Penetration Diversification Strategy Product Development The ‘Ansoff’ Matrix Sell more to existing customers Increase prices Find new customers Risk factor 1 Find new markets Export Appoint Distributors Franchise Risk factor 8 Produce higher quality Produce lower quality Package differently Risk factor 4 Find new products to sell to New Markets Buy companies Risk factor 16

Who do you want to sell too? Business to business Vertical market Market segmentation Decision Making Unit (DMU) What motivates the buyer Match product to the need in the market Remember your USPs and benefits!

Who do you want to sell too? Consumer Sex Age Position in family (responsibilities) Problems Income Lifestyle Interests Remember your USPs and benefits!

Develop a Sales Continuum Business to business –Clean database –Qualify prospect –Send information –Follow up asking research questions & identify need –Make appointment –Send details on course and prices –Be in the right place at the right time! –Customer, advocate, testimonial on your website and in your brochure! Consumer –Meet lots of young people –Make friends –What makes them tick? –What are they interested in? –Help them achieve their goals –Here to help –Re-sell benefits of courses and college –Ask for other students

The Three Most Important Questions What do you sell? –Parker Pens –Rolex watches –Indirect offer To whom do you sell? –Individuals, corporate or internal markets –Market segmentation, A,B,C1’s,C2’s,D, E’s –MOSAIC – Lifestyle based on postcodes –Types of purchaser – Product Life Cycle –Vertical markets – sic codes + segmentation How do you sell your products? –Which marcoms opportunities?

Designing and Building a Database Database Management Systems – ACT! Maximiser Sources of Data:- –Yellow Pages –Kelly’s –Dunn & Bradstreet –Local Papers Servicing databases by:- –Telephone (List cleaning, research, identifying need and appointments) –Direct Mail (building an image – identifying with need) –Reply Cards (Research questions and convenience) –Direct and Indirect offers

Telephone Canvassing Designing a Script –List Cleaning –Research –Identifying Need –Making an Appointment

Direct Mail Don’t sell products or services – identify with problems! Have clear objectives for direct mail –Sell more products or services –Sell an indirect offer (Open Day, Seminar, Exhibition) –Build mind share –Build a particular image (quality) –Be in the right place at the right time Consider the use of Reply Cards and fliers One page is enough! Plenty of white space! Use bullet points! Quality of medium should match quality of service

Writing compelling copy for websites, direct mail, brochures and fliers What is the IQ of your audience? How much time will they give you? What motivates/interests them? Is your communication easy to read? Does it use the same terminology? Does your marketing quality match the market?

Start With a Question! Do you suffer from headaches? Have you got PlayStation III with a Graphics accelerator? Have you got an AM DBS V8 with Bosch injection? Are you fed up with poor quality office furniture? Are you fed up calling Call Centres? Would you like your staff to be more productive? Are you expanding your business? Opening a new office? End with a strong Call to Action

Creating Copy that Sells Don’t tell people how wonderful you are! You have already decided: –Who is your market –What are you going to sell them Remember your unique: –Quality position –Guarantee –Benefits –USP’s for your products, services and marketing Get on with telling them!

Structure - AIDA Identify with your market Identify with the markets problems Offer solutions Get commitment to: –You –Your offer –Your company –Your price – if you must! Call to Action – tell them what to do next!

Summary and Close We have covered: –What is marketing –The Continuum of Behaviour and Marcoms –Marketing models –The 3 important questions of marketing –Building and servicing a database –Understanding your target market –Writing copy that SELLS! Any Questions? Thank you for coming!

Communicating Chris Robinson Communicating My business is marketing