Being Proactive in a Reactive World
Before we go any further - let me just say that reactive behavior is needed in life and it is a critical component to being a caring community. Responses to a natural disasters or a personal tragedies are part of society that makes us human. That being said, business pro-activity needs to be ever-present.
Back to Business. A common lament of business owners is:
"HOW do I move forward with a ___________ (new idea, plan, target market or just implementing a new customer service process)
WHEN I have ____________ (incomplete projects, uncooperative staff, no capital reserves, needy customers)".
After you fill in the blanks, I want you to take a few minutes to visualize change.
Imagine you are driving on a road that cuts through a mountain pass as you view the open-exposed rock layers of the mountains you know that these took eons to create - first was the layering of the different rocks - some volcanic and some sedimentary - then the metamorphosing with pressure that caused the waving and uplifting.
Now, come back from your travels and take a look at where your business has been. Look at the layering and metamorphosing that has happened over time. The slow steady progress of business is a key to business success. If you don't like where you are, have been, or are going, plan the steps to change. A great starting place is having a conversation with yourself about WHAT brings you energy and joy. This will give you a clue as to WHO you should be working with - in other words, your target market.
Changing the way we do business to bring us energy requires us to make regular proactive steps that change the face of our businesses. Yes, we will still have to be reactive, but working proactively on a regular basis will in itself lead to a change in our attitude. WHEN will you do it? Schedule some time daily right now! Really, right now.
Simple steps will make a difference.
Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
Is what you are doing right now helping you achieve your goals? If not. . . stop doing that!
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528
Understanding Your Target Market
You already know how important your target market is to you business. Yet some of you may not be delving deeply enough into the research of your ideal customer. Case in point: Mommy Greenest*. You probably can assume that three-quarters of green moms are Gen Xers or Millennials and that 60% of them look for products and services that come from socially responsible companies.
HOWEVER, there are more details to this market that you should consider, like:
· 3 in 4 green moms have pets
· 1 in 4 is a homemaker
· 6 in 10 green moms are married
· They like new products - here's a breakdown of what they're looking for:
o 37.4% will try new products
o 58% buy store brands
o 47.2% buy name brands
o 50.7% use coupons.
· Their annual income is important too:
o 16.8% live on less than $25,000/year
o 41.6% from $25,000-$74,999
o 35.3% have an income of $75,000+
· Here's where they live:
o 34.6% in New England and Atlantic states
o 42.8% North and South Central US
o 8.8% Mountain states
o 13.8% Pacific states
So why is the depth of this information so important? Admit it; you were a little surprised that Green moms aren't living in the assumed "hot spots" of green activism like California and Colorado. I was surprised by this too. But isn't it nice to know that that the majority of these women are living in the central US, where things are a less hyped? This is good news for local businesses here in the Midwest. That means if you have a great idea of creating "green" products for pets, the idea should serve you well as 3 in 4 moms have pets.
A question does arrive on how to communicate with these green moms. Won't they be turned off by direct mail? Au contraire! If the direct mail is done right - been printed using environmentally friendly papers and inks - it'll be ok. Go the extra step by matching your message to your website where these moms can find more information about you. Don't deliver the thick huge brochure, instead direct them to the web where they can discern what needs to be printed themselves.
Delve deeply into your target market and you'll find all sorts of interesting facts that can help you with new product development or on how to better communicate with them. Remember your success starts with understanding your perfect consumer!
*Source: July 2010 Deliver Magazine.
Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419.855.3399
Celebrating 13 years of delivering results for our clients.
http://www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com/
