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By Denise M. Michaels 1. Know Your Market Many entrepreneurs have no clue who their customers are and why they really buy their product. If you say, “Everyone is my market,” unfortunately no one will be your market. The more specific you get about the kind of person who buys your products or services – the more you can zero in on creating the perfect marketing message and niche that will make people stand up and take notice. 2. Create Your Product or Service Around Their Needs Some people come up with something they believe is a great product but they never determine what needs it fills and what problem their product solves in the marketplace. They talk about features and gizmos no one cares about. That’s an expensive mistake. Women are excellent problem-solvers. Find out what problems your customers in need of a solution. Not the other way around. A mentor can help you do this. 3. Offer Real Value Ask yourself, “Would you buy it?” And, “Would you recommend it to your best friend?” Make it a value that’s too good to pass up. Don’t undercut yourself. You deserve to cover your costs and make a fair profit. That’s what business and marketing are all about. If people aren’t biting, don’t assume the price is too high. Instead assume you’re not doing an effective job of communicating value. Often lowering prices backfires and people assume what you have s not worth their time or effort. People truly believe that you get what you pay for.
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4. Be Passionate Your enthusiasm, positive energy and problem-solving skills are sometimes exactly what it takes to save the day and the deal. Passion is one of the best marketing secrets out there. Also, chances are what you offer is something you’ll be offering for a long time. Be passionate first about serving the customer, not just from a customer service standpoint but also in the marketing message you create. A marketing mentor can help you pull together your passion with a message that communicates your enthusiasm and real value. 5. Love Your Customer Not Your Product It’s easy to love your product. Perhaps you use it personally and enjoy the features and benefits. But, cash flow doesn’t come from the product. Your product can’t love you back. It also can’t reject you the way you might feel customers can. And as women we’re more acutely sensitive to rejection. Ask questions. Discover everything you can about your potential customers. Marketing should be less about your process or product – and more about benefits. Let your caring reflect to your customers in your marketing. 6. Don’t Rely on Word-of-Mouth Advertising When I ask new women entrepreneurs how they plan to market their business they frequently reply, “word-of-mouth.” Yes, it’s one of the strongest forms of “advertising”, but you can starve waiting for it to kick in. Generally they have no marketing budget and no clue. There are free and inexpensive options for home-based business owners. Create joint venture partnerships, network online, get articles in ezines and on websites. Do something! 7. Build a Clear Marketing Message A confused mind always says, “no.” Create your marketing message and then ask several people to read what you’ve written to see if it’s clear. Listen with an open mind. If they have to ask questions, your message is unclear. If you must explain, that’s probaby information that should be included. If they’re ready to buy, you’ve got a winner. Nothing says “amateur” and “unprofessional” quite like a marketing message that creates confusion rather than clarity. 8. Make Cause and Effect Links Don’t just tell them a feature about the product. Tell them how that feature will make their life better. These are benefits and they’re crucial to your marketing and business success. People are busy and often don’t have time to make the connection between features and benefits. As women we tend to hint and hope people make the link. If you don’t show them how your product or service will improve their life, who will? Don’t expect customers to sell themselves. 9. Create Joint Venture Partners Team up with people who have something you want and you can offer value. Look for ways that you can help each other building BOTH of your businesses and customer base. Look for joint venture partners who provide products or services that are complimentary and not competitive. As women, we’re great at building relationships so capitalize on this. You can help customers or clients by pointing them to people who have what they need and you don’t offer. 10. Test, Test, and Test some More Find out in a small way if people will nibble at your idea before you spend a lot of time or money on it. Talk up your idea. Many people will give you surprisingly good input. Gauge their reactions. Post clues about your idea on a message board in an appropriate way with people who you think might be your customers. Ask, ask, ask and then listen openly.
Denise Michaels, is the author of the popular book, “Testosterone-Free Marketing” and a powerful and successful marketing mentor and dynamic speaker. Get her myth-shattering book at http://www.tfmbook.com Email her at smartprotege@msn.com Denise has over two decades experience in advertising, copywriting, public relations, market research, planning and sales.
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