Small business. What are you prepared to do?

How will you conduct business? What lengths are you prepared to
go to in order to secure a customer? How do you want your
customers to see you?

In essence we are talking about values here. The business world
can be a tough place to operate in and there are legions of stories of
business people succumbing to dubious or even illegal activities, in
order to make an extra buck.

However, your business values go way beyond the simple division
between legal and illegal. They permeate every aspect of how you
conduct business, whether you are conscious of it or not.
What has this to do with marketing? - well everything actually.

Customers aren't fools and if you keep telling them one story with
your marketing but their experience of your business does not
match (or exceed) the expectation that you have created, then you
will run out of customers sooner rather than later.

Values and meeting expectations are two more areas where as a
small business you have a huge advantage over big business. It is
far easier to instill a set of values in a small number of people than
in a large, often geographically diverse, organization populated
with people from all walks of life.

Likewise, you have far closer control over interactions with
customers in a small business, and thus a far greater likelihood of
being able to manage their expectations. Even if your small business is staffed by only one person
you - realize that all your marketing efforts will turn against you if your
message to your customer does not match how they experience
doing business with you.

Realize too that your customer's experience of doing business with
you will depend on your business values and how you express
these values day in and day out.

So, before you embark on marketing your small business, have a
good think about how you want your customers to experience your
business, and how you are going to ensure they are not
disappointed.

Home

eBook	Marketing Tips


Table of Contents What are you prepared to do? Useful links Investment Management	What are you prepared to do? How will you conduct business? What lengths are you prepared to go to in order to secure a customer? How do you want your customers to see you? In essence we are talking about values here. The business world can be a tough place to operate in and there are legions of stories of business people succumbing to dubious or even illegal activities, in order to make an extra buck. However, your business values go way beyond the simple division between legal and illegal. They permeate every aspect of how you conduct business, whether you are conscious of it or not. What has this to do with marketing? - well everything actually. Customers aren't fools and if you keep telling them one story with your marketing but their experience of your business does not match (or exceed) the expectation that you have created, then you will run out of customers sooner rather than later. Values and meeting expectations are two more areas where as a small business you have a huge advantage over big business. It is far easier to instill a set of values in a small number of people than in a large, often geographically diverse, organization populated with people from all walks of life. Likewise, you have far closer control over interactions with customers in a small business, and thus a far greater likelihood of being able to manage their expectations. Even if your small business is staffed by only one person you - realize that all your marketing efforts will turn against you if your message to your customer does not match how they experience doing business with you. Realize too that your customer's experience of doing business with you will depend on your business values and how you express these values day in and day out. So, before you embark on marketing your small business, have a good think about how you want your customers to experience your business, and how you are going to ensure they are not disappointed. back to top Next page
© 2009