From the monthly archives:
What are the ways you are ignoring or disrespecting your employees? If you think your clients wouldn’t put up with it, chances are your employees won’t either. Yes, things can get crazy busy, but in a world where customer service and relationships is top priority, the example you set to your employees in turn influences [...]
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In small companies, two resources are usually much more constrained than in larger organizations. Namely, money and people. Why not time? Well, we all have the same 24 hours a day as Steve Jobs. Steve just has a few thousand more people and a few billion more dollars to throw on any initiative than most of us do. Does that mean strategic planning isn’t important to a small company? Of course not – if anything, it is significantly more important. This is especially so because people and money ARE so constrained. A small company can literally run out of cash and lose key people very quickly.
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J.C. Penney once said, “The friendly smile, the word of greeting, are certainly something fleeting and seemingly insubstantial. You can’t take them with you. But they work for good beyond your power to measure their influence. It is the service we are not obliged to give that people value most.” Penney pledged to give each customer friendly, reliable service, and guaranteed the same price to everyone.
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Marketing speakers and marketing consultants are famous for packing in “over 100 strategies you can use immediately” and “97 secrets” or “51 immutable laws” of this and that. Problem is – those numbers are too high. You don’t need 100, you can’t implement 97, and you’ll never get a handle on 51.
You need three or four, max. Three strategies. Or four tactics. Used with focus, momentum, and consistency…
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If you can’t define unique features and benefits that make you special or different, then your selling on the only other option – low price. Unless you have some distinct operational efficiencies (like WallMart), you don’t want to play the low price game because even when you win, when you really think about it, you actually lose. This is why clearly identifying how your products and/or services are different from the competition – in ways that are meaningful to your target market – is crucial.
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Jose Palomino is President of Value Prop Interactive and author of the book, Value Prop. Jose combines tactical creativity, strategic orientation, marketing savvy, and technical acumen to deliver insights, leadership, and results.
In his book, workshops, and coaching, Jose makes this strategic marketing methodology practical and immediately usable. Learn more »
