We trust you, just do what you think is best…
A new client was in a bit of a jam. COVID had eased so they could re-open and a recent merger and sale meant that they needed a new a new name, logo and website ASAP. While I was familiar with their business, my experience was a client only. As a client you know about the business, you don’t KNOW the business.
Learning Enables Success
An important part of any project is learning about a company’s specialties, customers, and their competition. Since I often work with manufacturing companies, it is vitally important that I understand technical details about what you do, not just what you produce. Understanding the technicalities of your products, equipment, and processes provides relevant insight about how we should market your company and its products. It will also help ensure so I don’t make informational mistakes that could impact your business.
One of the best parts of my job is visiting a business and seeing their work in person. If you have a manufacturing facility that means I would be more than happy to put on protective gear and see the shop floor. Not only do I find it fascinating, but it is the best way for me to learn about what you do and why. Facility tours often lead to discussions and information exchanges that are hard to replicate elsewhere.
As a marketer I look at a business very differently than as a customer. In addition to seeing your final product I want to know things like:
- What are your business’s goals and plans for the future?
- Who are your current clients, who is your ideal client, how well do those match up?
- Who is your competition?
- What services are there that are less well known, are their secret “menu” items that need to be better advertised?
- What are your current marketing assets in terms of marketing materials, channels etc
- What are the marketing resources your company has such as people, skills, equipment, and time?
- What are your business’s core values?
- What makes your business unique?
These are just some of the questions I ask when I work with clients to develop branding, marketing tools or a even strategic plan. Creating a brand identity is more than just picking colors and a creating an attractive logo. Creating a marketing program is even more complicated. Any materials we create shouldn’t just look good, they should match the business/organization’s persona and resonate with their customers.
To me marketing is a partnership: your knowledge of your business combines with my knowledge of marketing tools and strategy to inspire a plan for successful growth.
Making the Right Connection to Make Progress
After a couple of conversations with the business’s very busy principals, things were still moving slowly. I made a connection with another staff member who knew the business well, had excellent connections with the principals, and understood the goals for the initial phase of the project. The individual asked if things would move more quickly if she served she served as the main contact. Yes, absolutely I said. With the approval of the business’s principals, we dove right in and the project is now progressing nicely.
Business vary immensely, whether they manufacture products or provide services. While it’s great to be trusted because I made a good impression, I want to strengthen that trust by learning about your business. It isn’t enough to produce attractive marketing materials, those materials must support your business goals. I believe that the knowledge I acquire is part of my investment in your business and vital to our success.
Are you ready for a partner who is ready to take the time to learn about your business? Contact us today.