Theres’ a ton of “doom and gloom” out there, with the “recovery summer” fizzling, continual media drip of bad news, and just general bleakness about the prospects fro small businesses heading into the fall. 

But we don’t have to join the maddening crowd, do we?

In case you were wondering–no, we don’t.  But it really does start with getting serious about sharpening your sales and marketing strategy for the back to school season.  Things that were easy in the past, aren’t as easy as they used to be.  It’s time to make sure you’re squeezing all the value you can out of advertising and your selling.  And to do that, you’ve got to avoid the big mistake I am writing about.

Look–as an accountant, I don’t claim to be a marketing “guru”, but I am intensely committed to the success of your venture, beyond managing finances and books for our clients.

Dan Vigilante and Rita Weiss’s “Real World Strategy”

Be clear on who you are talking to

Here’s something which I’ve seen in healthy, growing businesses…and which is often absent in stagnant, failing small business: Knowing their target prospect.

You see, in EVERY kind of business (even a non-profit), you want to do business with, accept donations from, and/or serve clients, etc. who meet a particular profile.  And, if you can identify this profile, you can save a bunch of advertising money, and keep your sales force from wasting their time.

Sometimes , small business owners think their market is simply their “local-Contact.City-area”, or even worse, “anyone with money to spend”. I hope you see how wasteful this approach can be.

No, you’ve got to zero in on what groups will provide the best ROI possible when you’re putting together a marketing plan.  So, you’ll need some detaled information about your BEST target clients. 

I put together a list of 7 things you absolutely MUST know about your prospects.

(And, in case you’re wondering, if you’re a B2B business, this is just as pertinent.  You’re still selling to people, not companies.  Remember that!)

1. Age - everything you say and write, including slang, allusions, word difficulty, and topics should be adjusted to meet age appropriateness.

2. Gender – Despite the dual roles, men and women tend to fill, most individuals can be segmented (and sold to) based on gender-specific interests or needs.

3. Location - Values and culture tend to vary based on demographics.  Having a clear understanding of regional difference will improve your targeted messages.

4. Education Level - Similar to age appropriateness, education levels should determine how you address your prospects and what benefits they will fill in your product or service.

5. Income – The needs and wants from one social class to another should be a guide to the types of products and services you should be selling them.

6. Marital Status - The values, needs, and desires of married persons greatly differ from those that are single.  Marketing family messages to single persons (and vice versa) can lose the deal for you.

7. What Keeps Them Up At Night - This is the most important one.  You’ve got to kn0w your prospect’s fears, worries, concerns, excitements, hopes and dreams.  When you know the conversation inside your prospect’s head, you can enter it, speak to it, and build a relationship that leads to a customer.

So take the time this week to really nail down these profiles