T H E - T E S T

1) Do you have a brand?  Every business has a brand. Your brand is the sum total of what you think your business is minus what everyone else thinks your business is. In essence, your brand is what people say about you behind your back.

2) Are new customers the key to growing your business?  This is a trick question... it's true and false. You should first leverage your current and past customer base before investing significant money in finding new customers. Of course for a new business, every new customer counts - a lot!

3) Are marketing and advertising the same thing?  No. Advertising is a component of marketing. Public relations, media planning, product pricing, sales strategy, community involvement are other components of a comprehensive marketing program. Marketing is about how you communicate your brand to the marketplace (in advertising, on packaging, labels, signage, literature, uniforms, vehicles and in person). It includes everthing from a classified ad in the newspaper to how your receptionist answers the phone.

4) True or False: Your Office Manager is an effective marketer?  Probably false, even though it is apparent that many companies believe this is true. Even if your Office Manager has a Ph.D., he or she probably doesn't have the time to research, devise and implement a strategic marketing program designed to differentiate the company from competitors and broadcast a message that entices customers to consider your products or services. The most common reason for lackluster marketing programs is middle and upper management simply don't have the time required to make it work. You'll notice that the biggest, most successful enterprises in every category outsource their advertising and marketing to a large degree. Practically all of the TV / Print / and Web promotions and ads you see were created by talented hired guns who understand people, psychology and the dynamic of selling and buying.

5) True of False: Professional marketing is less expensive than amateur marketing?  True. Marketing is an investment that, when executed with discipline (and that means consistently), pays for itself over and over. Bad marketing is an expense. Remember that one-time postcard you sent out announcing your big sale that got ZERO response? We don't and neither do your customers. Why? Because you tried one time. In marketing, you must make the commitment to responsible, consistent communication with your customers and prospects.