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15
Marketing Proficiencies and Skills
Time and again I talk to people who try one or two
promotional strategies, don’t get the desired results and give up. They
are confused about what marketing is and convinced that it will never
work for their business. Does this sound like you?
You see, marketing is more than just one technique. It’s
about becoming proficient at many “little” things. Here is my list of a
few of those “little things”. I call them '15 Irrefutable Marketing
Proficiencies'. Check to see how many of them you’ve already mastered.
1. Passion I’m passionate about why I’m in
business. What I do impacts who and what I care about. Performing my
regular work activities gives me joy, re-energizes me and is my way of
contributing to the world.
2. Vision I can see where my business will be in
the future. I’m excited to undertake the tasks necessary to get there.
When I talk about my business people around me become enthusiastic and
willingly lend their support.
3. Strategy My business is strategically-driven by
a long term plan. I don’t get distracted by “busy work”. All activities
are results driven. I evaluate all opportunities based on my strategic
plan.
4. Clarity I’m clear about who my ideal clients
are, what problems I solve for them and how I do it. This clarity allows
me to save time, money and energy; I only contact and follow-up with
people who want and appreciate my services.
5. Uniqueness What I do and how I do it
differentiates me from others and creates “top-of-mind” awareness in my
chosen niche. My business is unique so I don’t have competition. Others,
who offer similar services, simply provide an opportunity for me to
sharpen my skills, outsource overflow work and create strategic
alliances.
6. Message My introduction easily and powerfully
communicates who I am and what I do. My message is clear and memorable
even to people who don’t need my services. My introduction is
benefit-based, jargon-free, describes my ideal clients, their biggest
problem and the solution I provide.
7. Identity My business identity is an extension of
who I am. All aspects of my business – from my business cards, to
stationary, to web site, to my personal appearance – present a
consistent, attractive image that’s appropriate for my industry.
8. Momentum My marketing strategies and activities
are in line with my strengths and talents. It’s easy for me to promote
my business because I love what I do, know the value I create and use
only promotional activities I enjoy. I promote my business consistently
and continuously and never allow the work I do for clients to break my
marketing momentum.
9. Metrics I don’t guess how well my business is
doing. I have identified and regularly track specific, easy to measure
performance indicators. At any point I can assess my progress against my
written 90-day, six-month and one-year benchmarks.
10. Systems All routine functions of my business are
systematic; they are always done the same way and create predictable
results every time. Lead generation, follow-up, keeping up clients’
files, tracking important dates, submitting proposals, sales process - I
have a system for each one of those activities that allows me to
complete them effectively and efficiently.
11. Value I recognize that my clients buy not what I
do but the value my work creates. I regularly attend training events and
schedule activities that support me in learning fresh, valuable
information (in- and outside of my area of expertise) so I become more
indispensable to my clients. I’m clear about the value I deliver so I
never hesitate to state my fees, recommend my business and ask for the
job.
12. Tools My promotional resources are limited so I
make them count; they illustrate my expertise and pre-sell my services.
All my marketing materials describe my ideal clients, list the problems
I solve and communicate the benefits of working with me. I use tools
like articles, public presentations, teleclasses, workshops, regularly
updated content on my web site, and regularly published newsletter to
attract new business and maintain connection with clients and strategic
partners.
13. Relationships I love my clients. I respect who
they are and cherish the opportunity to be on their team. I recognize
that they are people first and clients next. I strive to learn about
their personal lives. I take note of and acknowledge their important
dates – like birthdays and anniversaries. I’m there when they need
support and celebrate their victories.
14. Team I recognize my weaknesses and that I’m not
an expert at everything. To bridge my shortcomings, I surround myself
with other experts on whom I can readily call for support or refer
clients to. They become my partners and board of advisors and help me
grow my business.
15. Mindset I recognize that how I think about
marketing and selling my services may limit my ability to grow my
business. I make a conscious effort to continuously expand my marketing
mindset. I look for and learn strategies that allow me to better
leverage my unique talents and expertise as my best promotional tools.
That’s the list. Did you keep track of your “score”?
If most of those statements are true for your business -
congratulations. But if you realized you’ve got some work to do - don’t
despair. There are many ways you can quickly elevate your level of
mastery of these proficiencies. Here are the three that come to mind
right away:
=> Regularly buy and read marketing books. Start by focusing
on topics you need most help with.
=> Attend a marketing seminar. An intense, day-long session
with a few experts can give you a jump start you need.
=> Work with a marketing consultant. When your problem is too
many ideas and not enough action – perhaps a more “hands-on” help is
best for you. A marketing mentor can help you focus on a long term
strategy and identify action steps you will feel comfortable taking on a
daily basis.
Finally, keep this one thing in mind – mastering these
proficiencies is not a matter of one day – it’s a matter of doing it
daily.
© 2006 Adam Urbanski. All Rights Reserved.
The author, Adam Urbanski, teaches service professionals and business
owners how to develop marketing strategies that increase sales and
profits. His website offers more how-to articles and free tips to create
a winning marketing action plan at
http://www.themarketingmentors.com
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