Drawing the M.A.P.

Lead prospective customers from "Why? " to "BUY!"

A CommunIT Solutions Presentation

CPR = CommunIT Solutions' Small Business Development curriculum, which explores the three fundamental business success factors:

Consistency

Predictability

Replication

Pyramid of Business Fundamentals

The Buyer's Impulse

People buy based on want over need
People buy based on perceived value
Buying is usually triggered by an emotional impulse

Customer Engagement

Marketing: tell your Brand Story
Advertising: reveal your Product Benefits
Promotion: capture and maintain "Mindshare"

Triggering the "Buy" Response

Market

your Brand

Your Brand

...is not your logo or your tag line
...is a conversation with your market
...establishes emotional connection with your prospects, clients and customers

Tell me a story

Marketing is not about telling "the truth"; marketing is about telling the story of your brand to those predisposed to believe it.

Speak to the Need

Spread awareness and understanding of your brand and brand values
Inform the public how your brand satisfies their wants and needs
Identify the prospective buyers' values and desires, then tell the story of how your brand addresses those values, and fulfills those desires

Advertise

your Product

...describes benefits over features
...follows Marketing, because people buy Brands, not Products
...is for building product awareness, NOT generating sales

What's in it for ME?

STOP talking about yourself. Don't post a fact sheet of components and capabilities - tell a story of benefits and advantages.

It's not what your product does (features and functions): it's what it does FOR THE BUYER (values and desires).

Sell the Sizzle

Sell them what they want, give them what they need
Don't try to sell steak to people who aren't hungry
Ads are for product awareness, NOT sales
Don't advertise to make money: advertise to KEEP MAKING money

Promote

your Business

Promotion

...is for capturing mindshare
...is focused on existing customers and clients
...reminds people of the emotional connections created by marketing

Top of Mind

Promotion is to remind existing customers of the emotional connection made by Marketing and the benefits established in your Advertising Campaign.

To move them from Brand Awareness to Brand Preference.

Your Brand Here...

Not "Me" - "We"

Promote the partnership between your company and your clients' businesses
Promotion is about occupying mindshare, NOT shelf space.
Promotion is the heat that maintains the sizzle Marketing creates.
DO NOT USE CHEAP STUFF!!! If you promote your business by branding flimsy, useless tchotchke, what are you saying about how much you value your brand? Or your market...??

Charting the Course

Many Small Businesses are not clear about their customer engagement strategy
Advertising is often confused for Marketing, which is ineffective and expensive
Brand Awareness is key, which is why Marketing is first: there is nothing to Advertise or Promote if nobody knows your brand

To Market...

It's not about what your product does - it's about who your product does it for.

Speak to them - not at them. Find out what they want, directly from them, when possible.