|
Why You Should Get Your Portrait Now
Category:
Tips When Ordering Custom Boxes For Your Promotional Marketing N...
Category:
Does Article Marketing Really Work?
Category:
An Advertising Primer for Newer Marketers
Category:
Staging Is The First Step To Selling
Category:
Former President Ford Disagreed with Bush about Invading Iraq
Category:
Bangladesh Postpones Transition of Power Amid Street Violence
Category:
Tennis: Mauresmo to Face Sharapova in Wimbledon Women's Semifina...
Category:
At Your Service
Category:
Bombing of Mexican Pipelines Puzzles Security Experts
Category:
8 Useful SEO Techniques Every Webmaster Should Know
Category:
Education vs. Passion ? Which Should Win?!
Category:
Acne Scar Removal – Immediate Treatment For Healthy and Glowing ...
Category:
Crete Holidays - for a pleasing summer holiday destination
Category:
You're Guaranteed to Succeed When You Become a Leader
Category:
5 Reasons To Buy Custom-Made Front Lace Wigs.
Category:
Features vs. Benefits & Where The Real Money Is Made
Category:
How To Start A Niche Affiliate Marketing Program That Attracts T...
Category:
Developing a Value Philosophy
Category:
Kankkunen Breaks Ice Speed World Record With Bentley Continental...
Category:
Developing A Positive Mental Attitude In The 21st Century
Category:self-help
No Credit Check Signature Loans For People With Bad Credit:
Category:
Mazda MX-5 Listed In Gaywheels.com's Top 10 Vehicles
Category:
HGH can add a pounds of muscle
Category:
How To Break The Shackles Of Alcoholism with Alcohol Rehabilitat...
Category:health
Enhancing Life for a Lifetime
Category:self-help
Yeltsin Lies in State; Funeral Set for Wednesday
Category:
Making The Most Of Newsletters
Category:marketing
How to Design & Print Cards on Your Computer (Best Software)
Category:
Sony Ericsson W800i: in sync with a song called life
Category:
Don?t call it a disease!
Category:health
Passing The Torch
Category:social-issues
Surprising Health Benefits for Pet Owners
Category:health
Are Kids Doing Too Much? The Importance of Sleep
Category:
Senegalese President Faces Uproar Over Proposed Election Delay
Category:
Generating Publicity For Your Business: Knowing Your "Media Mark...
Category:
Online Auto Auctions
Category:
Wedding Night Lingerie: Are You Prepared?
Category:
US Commander Says Stopping Iraqi Bombings Is Top Priority
Category:
Building Traffic for Your Home Business Opportunity
Category:
Watch TV from My Computer
Category:
Online Business - a Simple One With Huge Profit Potential in 30 ...
Category:
Ordinary People Can Make a Difference--Annie Tacha
Category:
Bolivian President-Elect Discusses Energy in China
Category:
When Are Roof Repairs Imminent?
Category:
Freeing Ourselves From Toxic Ties With the Past ? Part I
Category:health
Death Toll Rises in Mozambique Explosions
Category:
The Medium is No Longer the Message
Category:Marketing
Payday Loans By Phone: quick solution of financial problems with...
Category:
Paralyzed Man Operates Computer, TV Just by Thinking
Category:
How to Select Which MSP Services to Offer
Category:
Middle East Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Category:
Gift Her A Surprise
Category:
The Death Of Google Adsense For Web Publishing
Category:
Taiwan Plans Protests in Response to Chinese Anti-Secession Law
Category:
How To Screen Your Visitors When Using Pay Per Click Advertising
Category:
Care Packages for Students!
Category:health
Stepping lightly over boxes of medical experience
Category:
Lamps and Lighting – Add Style in Your Room
Category:
CHANGING YOUR FLOW OF THOUGHTS
Category:
Your Computer Can't Keep Time
Category:
Get Rich Online
Category:
Japanese travel guide
Category:Travel
British, Pakistani Officials Confident Main Suspects Detained in...
Category:
Fosamax- A Medicine From Bisphosphonates Group
Category:
" Show me the Money"
Category:
Importance of Meta Tags Optimization
Category:se-optimization
Unsecured home improvement loans make your home a better place t...
Category:Finance / Investment
Quinn to play with the Browns
Category:
Muslim Scholars in India Denounce Terrorism as 'Un-Islamic'
Category:
The David against Goliath VoIP Services Challenge
Category:
Is Bankruptcy A Good Way To Handle Debt Problems
Category:
How To Start A Home Based Internet Marketing Affiliate Business ...
Category:
Self Confidence: Eight Little Words That Will Pick Up Your Conf...
Category:
An Autoresponder Is A Marketers Best Friend
Category:
|
It s Better to Ask than Assume The 0 article
It?s Better to Ask than Assume.(The Power of Market Research.)
No doubt about it.
By Claire Cunningham
Category: 0
Submit your Recipes Here!
No doubt about it. Smart marketing takes finesse. Nowhere is that truism more apt than in message definition. If you want to craft a compelling message, you need to understand your prospective buyer?s motivation.
I had a boss once whose favorite saying was "Don't assume. It makes an ass out of you and me." Drove me nuts, but you know what? It stuck. It was meaningful, memorable (although corny,) and it was repeated. (A meaningful and memorable message is more likely to stick with the audience. Repetition imbeds a message in the brain.)
The communications lesson inherent in this saying is "know your audience." If you want your promise (message) to be meaningful, you need to understand what's important to prospective buyers of your product or service.
If you've been working in a particular industry or market segment for a while, you may think you know what's important. And you may be right. But why not ask and confirm your thinking? You'll get your information "straight from the horse's mouth," and you'll avoid relying on potentially dangerous assumptions.
I've snuck the term "market research" into my sub-title. Some of you may gasp and yell, "Too expensive!" I say, "Not necessarily." and ?Guesswork can lead to expensive mistakes.?
If you?re marketing computers or fast food, your potential target audience may be huge. You?ll need Research with a capital "R." Find a good research company ? preferably one with experience in your industry. Tell them your needs and budget and let them put together a plan for you.
Those of us who work in small niches can do small "r" research. Here's what I mean. Think of 3-5 questions that will help pinpoint prospective buyers' hot buttons. Call your top customers and prospects and ask away. You'll have great conversations, and you'll learn something each time you talk to someone. Develop a matrix of everyone?s answers, and I'll bet you learn even more.
If you get bogged down on deciding what questions to ask or making the phone calls, call in a consultant. Whatever it takes to get information. Remember: ?Tis better to ask than assume!
About the Author Claire Cunningham heads her own marketing communications firm, Clairvoyant Communications, Inc. She has 20+ years' experience developing and implementing successful business-to-business communications programs.
| 