November 2007 

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Tom Long, President
Solid Oak Consulting

 
Marketing - It's All About Them, Not You
 What would your target audience value about your product or service that is unique – a quality that cannot be easily reproduced? Source: Death of a Small Business: Five Threats to the Growth and Success of American Small Business

In last month's issue of Under the Oak Tree, I touched on the importance of target marketing. This month, I'd like to go one step further by addressing benefits and features and how they relate to your target marketing efforts.

Do you know why your clients come to you rather than one of your competitors? They come to you because they realize some sort of benefit from doing business with you. A benefit could be the quality of your service or product, but it also could be your pricing, customer service or office hours. It's important to identify what your existing clients view as the benefit(s) of doing business with you because it can help you in marketing your services or products to new clients.

Many times, I see businesses marketing their features instead of their benefits. A feature is something that's important, but it's more important to the business than it is to the consumer. For instance, a business may promote the fact that it has state-of-the-art machinery, but the real benefit that customers gain from using that business is fast service. So, the marketing message should focus on fast service, not state-of-the-art machinery. Most consumers don't care how they get the fast service, they just care that they get it!

If you don't know what benefits you offer your clients, it's time to find out. Knowing this important information will not only help your marketing strategy, but it also will help strengthen your relationship with existing clients. Please contact me if Solid Oak Consulting can help you identify your benefits and improve your marketing strategies.

Is It Time for a Coach? As you all know, business has peaks and valleys. While we all enjoy the peaks, you must quickly identify when you or your business falls into a valley. You are in the proverbial valley if:
  •    Your business is not performing as well as you want.
  •    You feel you're working harder but are less satisfied.
  •    Your business is doing well, but you're getting tired of working so hard.
  •    A large downsizing in your company is causing great change in the work environment.
  •    You feel your career is nearing a plateau.
  •    You received a sub-par performance review.
  •    You're unable to mold and lead your staff.
  •    You're not comfortable making strategic decisions.

This is where a coach can help. A coach is someone who isn't engrossed in the day-to-day operations, but someone who can see the big picture and help you address your challenges. This is where we can help. To learn more about Solid Oak Consulting's personalized coaching services and how they can benefit you and your business, please contact me.

Solid Oak Consulting Releases Results of New Study

I have enjoyed a great response to my new report, "Death of a Small Business: Five Threats to the Growth and Success of American Small Business." This 79-page report examines the reasons why small businesses struggle and, oftentimes, fail.

I am offering the results of this study at no charge to any business that can benefit from the information. A snapshot of the study is available here, and the full report can be obtained through a link on the Solid Oak Consulting Web site.
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