Posted by Michael Cage on Friday, May 18, 2007
Just because marketing advice is repeated often … doesn’t make it true.
“Find a need and fill it … that is the key to successfully marketing a business.” – Someone who needs to be slapped around a little bit.
Truth is, follow this “find a need and fill it” advice and you are inviting commodity pricing.
Think about it…
People NEED to get their roof repaired … but they WANT on-time, courteous service, clean workers and a guarantee their roof won’t leak again.
People NEED a computer network set up … but they WANT someone who understands their business, will suggest things to make it run smoother before a breakdown prompts it, and won’t make them feel stupid by talking geek to them.
People NEED to have a cavity filled … but they WANT to look good and have a pain-free experience in a friendly office with warm people.
People price shop for what they need, and even that makes them grumpy.
People pay premium prices for what they want, and they love it.
Go to an Apple Store. Play marketing anthropologist. Really observe the people. You’ll “get it” in less than an hour.
Service business, retail business, business-to-business, whatever your business…
…if your business struggles with commodity pricing or if you have to “justify” your price more than once in a blue moon … betcha an iPhone (ahem, another example) you are focusing on what your customers or clients need, and aren’t paying attention to what they want. And that makes them begin to not want you.
Forget find a need and fill it.
Find a want, touch your market … and lead a movement.
I talked about this in today’s Aggressive Marketing & Entrepreneurship Daily Podcast (along with a discussion about when to release version 1 of your product or service, true entrepreneurial competencies, and how to stay passionate and energized in your business). If you haven’t listened yet … what are you waiting for? … I’m on Episode #4. (Subscribe in iTunes.)
It is not necessarily BAD marketing advice but proof that too many are still focusing on:
1. What they want to give the client instead of giving the client what they want. They want a quick fix/solution for marketing and this sounds like it to them.
2. People end up with tunnel vision too easily. Marketing is soooo exciting, but usually, SMB want to do it themselves and that always spells disaster. thanks for those thought provoking comments onn the matter.
Here in South Africa marketing is wonderfully challenging, because of the varied cultures/Rainbow nation as Nelson Mandela called/s it.