© 2007 - 2010 Allan Cockerill All Rights Reserved
Tough Times Produce Tough People!
And if tough times produce tough people, then it goes that tough markets produce tough businesses!
If you’re in any sort of business, you must be a marketer, first and foremost.
You may be a butcher, baker, candle stick maker, or even an internet professional, but the fact remains that you need to market your services.
Many make the mistake in tough times of cutting their costs to the point where they don’t advertise or market their business as much as they should, or even not at all, and then simply blame market conditions when turnover falls again!
Working like this simply hands more business to competitors who are in the market place, actively promoting their products.
The Smarter, Tougher Marketer!
2009 was a hard year for a number of businesses, and it was a year where marketing needed to be tough, and creative!
A new client of mine in the hospitality industry was doing it especially tough, and was looking at closing their doors!
Rather than just advertising their existing services, we came up with a new strategy that involved my walking the surrounding area and asking other businesses, and workers in those businesses, what they needed from a business of that type.
Sitting down with the principals of the business and going over the results of my simple survey resulted in some new products, and a slightly changed direction.
Next, we tailored a plan that involved targeted advertising in local newspapers, and on radio.
To round the whole thing off we conducted a letter box drop to homes in the surrounding areas.
Other Actions We Took
We also worked our way through areas of the business that were leaking money, and were able to save hundreds of dollars each week by plugging the holes and cutting expenditure.
The worst thing that any business person can do in hard times is to stop advertising!
If you’re a grocer, people still need to eat!
If you’re a mechanic, people still need their car maintained!
Whatever business you’re in, if your customers aren’t getting your message, or can’t find you in the noise of the market place, they will soon go elsewhere!
What To Do Then?
Well, you could run around in a mad panic and scream out that the sky is falling, or, you could sit down quietly and work out a new marketing strategy for your business!
What is your target market?
Do you know what your market actually wants?
Are your products everyday items, or are they discretionary items?
These, and other questions that you may ask yourself may sound tough, but they do need to be asked.
Once you consider where your business, and customers are at, it may be that you can achieve more for your marketing dollar, and be a lot more effective!
Book A Free Consultation!
To find out how I can help market your business, and to book your free 30 minute, online consultation, contact me here!
But you do need to hurry, as places are filling fast!
There is no obligation to buy the services offered by my team or myself, but we do have limited time, and are offering this free service to help regular visitors to this website with their marketing!
© 2007 - 2010 Allan Cockerill All Rights Reserved
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
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@http://twitter.com/RicRaftis Damn right Allan!
It’s such a cliche, but it is so true that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”.
Tough times essentially sorts the wheat from the chaff, those that are to believe that the glass IS half full and not half empty.
Every business should be constantly looking at their markets because markets are constantly changing and business needs to make sure they are changing with them.
What you may have started out doing 5 years ago and made a killing is not the same market you are operating in today.
It’s also a very good idea to bring in someone like yourself Allan from the outside.
That way a business can have a top quality objective review of their operations and rebuild their future.Cheers,
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Thanks Ric.
Sometimes it’s easier to blame others than to take actions necessary to move a business forward.
My business is completely different to the model that I started with way back when, but I have grown and changed with it!
The toughness and tenacity comes when we decide to take action and change, even when it hurts!
Cheers mate!