Discussion
What do you want to get out of the book? Do you mean marketing from product development upwards, or just advertising?
No book will tailor a plan for your particular business, you need to know the concepts behind the ideas. And that may written by someone Harvard educated, and that may also advocate direct mail...
I've got about 3 dozen, so I may be able to recommend a few.
No book will tailor a plan for your particular business, you need to know the concepts behind the ideas. And that may written by someone Harvard educated, and that may also advocate direct mail...
I've got about 3 dozen, so I may be able to recommend a few.
A bit of background.
I have my product (actually more of a service), a well established name and some blue chip customers.
I want to get in front of other customers, there isn't a huge customer base to go at as our service is specialist and to an extent we are limited to a certain geographical area.
So I don't want something that focuses on the law of averages and volume mailing, but something that gave ideas of what I need to be thinking about to include in a mailer would be helpful.
I have my product (actually more of a service), a well established name and some blue chip customers.
I want to get in front of other customers, there isn't a huge customer base to go at as our service is specialist and to an extent we are limited to a certain geographical area.
So I don't want something that focuses on the law of averages and volume mailing, but something that gave ideas of what I need to be thinking about to include in a mailer would be helpful.
As a starter for 10:
1. Clarify your proposition from the customer perspective, now and ongoing. This needs to clearly differentiate your product / service ethos from other companies which may be offering the same thing.
2. Develop communications assets which deliver to this. A couple of well-written customer case studies covering the challenge you were asked to address, an overview of the recommended solution, costs and return on investment would be a start.
3. Implement a targeted communications and follow-up programme. Identify a 'hit list' of companies you would like to work with by industry sector and have the credibility / capacity to service. Mail them with a letter of introduction and relevant case study, and follow up with a phone call. My view is mail, rather than email. People's inboxes are stuffed with junk, and properly targeted direct mail has become an under-utilised medium.
1. Clarify your proposition from the customer perspective, now and ongoing. This needs to clearly differentiate your product / service ethos from other companies which may be offering the same thing.
2. Develop communications assets which deliver to this. A couple of well-written customer case studies covering the challenge you were asked to address, an overview of the recommended solution, costs and return on investment would be a start.
3. Implement a targeted communications and follow-up programme. Identify a 'hit list' of companies you would like to work with by industry sector and have the credibility / capacity to service. Mail them with a letter of introduction and relevant case study, and follow up with a phone call. My view is mail, rather than email. People's inboxes are stuffed with junk, and properly targeted direct mail has become an under-utilised medium.
After 15 years of being a Marketing Director for a fortune 25 company before starting my own business, whenever people asked me for an introductionary book I always reccomended Michael Porter's competitive strategy and competitive advantage - which discuss his five forces of competition, as a good starting point and was always a book I referred to - I have read many but Porter's forces help to understand where you are and how to compete.
CIM is good, but you probably have to be a member to gain access to their resources. There are loads of websites and blogs looking at planning, measuring and delivering specific tactics as well as software packages and, of course, about a million marketing consultants who can help you.
I think the challenge you are looking at sounds a little more like sales and business development than pure marketing - especially as you know the customers - an excellent process that helps you link very targeted marketing activities and selling activities is Miller Heinman's strategic selling, it helps you map out everything you need to get those other sales, it's very powerful and takes into account the personal and professional motives of all involved in the decision to hire your service or buy your products - it's a great tool to challenge and improve your selling proposition.
Phil.
CIM is good, but you probably have to be a member to gain access to their resources. There are loads of websites and blogs looking at planning, measuring and delivering specific tactics as well as software packages and, of course, about a million marketing consultants who can help you.
I think the challenge you are looking at sounds a little more like sales and business development than pure marketing - especially as you know the customers - an excellent process that helps you link very targeted marketing activities and selling activities is Miller Heinman's strategic selling, it helps you map out everything you need to get those other sales, it's very powerful and takes into account the personal and professional motives of all involved in the decision to hire your service or buy your products - it's a great tool to challenge and improve your selling proposition.
Phil.
Edited by Windsorphil on Tuesday 6th April 17:24 to add the book titles
Edited by Windsorphil on Tuesday 6th April 17:38
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