What is Your Market?

Determine your market. Most printer/copy shops think that they are in the copy business. Most heating and cooling companies think that they are in the ”repair or replace” business. They are both missing the desires of their customers. When you go to a printer/copy shop, you are looking for communication devices, on paper. What you want is ”effective communication.” If they give you duplicates it says:

1) it’s as effective as it can be the way it is, or
2) I don’t know how to improve it, or
3) I don’t want to bother to improve it.

Scenarios 2 and 3 are not in the best interest of the customer, and therefore put you at risk of loss of business to someone (anyone) who will help to improve and maximize the communication. Wouldn’t you pay more to improve the status quo? When you have a heating or cooling problem, you call a licensed heating/cooling contractor. What you want is comfort delivery. Most contractors will quickly diagnose and repair the problem. You assume that these ”experts” are advising you and providing you with maximum comfort and economy. You have agreed to pay $100 per month for comfort. What you want is minimum breakdowns, minimum cost and maximum comfort. If your contractor is not advising ways to maximize comfort (digital thermostat, solar screens on the windows, new evaporator coil, sealing leaky ductwork) he’s at risk of loss of business to someone else who will address these issues! When you go to the grocery store, you are looking for food. What you want is that which makes for good nutrition, fills the stomach, is easy to prepare, tastes good and is economically priced. If they don’t identify those hot buttons, you are not being advised to the level of content of all of these desirable qualities, and, are subject to losing business to someone who does make an issue out of what people want in that product. If they don’t provide information, then they are saying:

1) What we have is good enough for all customers,
2) We don’t know how to make it better,
3) We don’t know how to adapt to special needs or wants, or
4) We don’t want to bother to make it in your best interest.

Define what business you are in, develop what added values they want and tell them how to get them from only you.

Marketing Table of Contents