Pillars, Shmillars…this stuff really works!
It started off as a typical strategy call with me and the client quickly diving into the nuts and bolts of their business. Our goal was to uncover the missing links that were blocking this client from getting the sales they wanted from their marketing efforts. Like Sherlock Holmes, I got out my magnifying glass to see what I could see.
Eureka! What we found was actually quite typical of businesses who now find themselves struggling in this oh-so-interesting economy. What we discovered is that this business didn’t need an entire overhaul or a five-figure marketing budget. What they needed was a few small but significant shifts in their Four Pillars of Marketing. Read on…
The Four Pillars of Marketing™ is a tool I developed that serves as a starting point for my work with any small business. By looking here to make sure the foundation is strong, we can then start to build a formidable empire. The problem is most business owners never really took the time to lay this foundation. They were too busy “taking action”, never realizing they were building a house of cards.
So what are the Four Pillars of Marketing?
The MARKET: This is your ideal client that you are best equipped to serve. They want, need and are willing to pay for what you offer and are totally pleased when they invest in it.
The MESSAGE: These are the words and sound bites you use to describe the impact of your product or service in a way that speaks to your prospects’ pain and inspires them to take action and BUY.
The MODEL: This answers the question, “How will you bring in the cash?” It must be trend supported, manageable and diversified so that all your eggs are never in one basket.
The METHODS: This describes the three to four marketing avenues you will use to move through the three stages of marketing – visibility, credibility and profitability.
What my client really needed was a “Four Pillars Makeover” so we…
- Redefined her target market so she was reaching out to those most likely to act on her offer.
- Tweaked her marketing message so she connected with the pain her prospects were feeling.
- We diversified her revenue streams so she had more ways to bring in the cash.
- And… we had her focus on only three marketing avenues that fit her budget and expanded her network.
What’s the moral of the story? The Fundamentals NEVER fail! The challenge is that as entrepreneurs we can’t see the forest through the trees. We can’t see our own business objectively because we are knee deep in it every day! We can’t see when we are going for the wrong market or that our message isn’t inspiring action. We can’t see opportunities for revenues or creative ways to expand our market because frankly… we don’t know what we don’t know!
This is why I have always had a business coach of my own. How about you? Could you benefit from an informed third party’s take on your business? Find out where you can sheer up your Four Pillars of Marketing by taking the Business Innovation Quiz here: http://www.janedeuber.com/free-assessment. Then take advantage of this limited time offer for a Kick-Start Strategy Session with me! We’ll have a blast pinpointing what you can do to strengthen your Four Pillars of Marketing.
