| By
Maribeth Kuzmeski
If you're a business owner or executive, our current economic woes
probably have you chewing your nails. The Dow's down. No, it's up
again! Whoops, it's definitely down again! Meanwhile, folks around
the country are losing their jobs in droves. And another corporation,
the umpteenth one this month, has been accused of cooking its books.
Somehow, in the midst of all this madness, you still have to bring
in business. But how . . . when no one's buying what you're selling?
That, says Maribeth Kuzmeski-author of the new book Red Zone Marketing:
A Playbook For Winning All The Business You Want is a slight exaggeration.
"Being in an unsteady economy doesn't mean that no one's buying,"
she says. "It may mean that fewer people are buying. But those
people are going to buy from someone. Why not your company? You
should look at the current situation as a call to action-to be on
your toes, to be quick on the draw, to think creatively about how
to convince those buyers that they need your products or services.
That's what Red Zone Marketing is really about."
Kuzmeski's new book has plenty to say on the subject of attracting-and
keeping-clients and customers. Its title comes from Maribeth's business
philosophy (also the name of her marketing consulting firm). Basically,
Red Zone Marketing compares the most critical and magnified area
on the football field, the red zone (the final 20 yards before the
goal line) to the most critical and magnified area in business (the
unmarked territory where you either lose or win a prospective customer).
In other words, Red Zone Marketing inherently relies on its practitioners
"stepping up" their efforts at the moment of truth-so
it's the perfect philosophy to embrace in challenging economic times.
Red Zone Marketing (the book) is packed with proven strategies to
help you SCORE with greater frequency once you've reached the red
zone. Besides its literal meaning, SCORE is an acronym for five
key elements of Red Zone Marketing. Below is further explanation
of each letter, along with Kuzmeski's comments on applying her philosophy
to the economic challenges we face today:
S
- Specific Niche Positioning
No company can be all things to all people. Red Zone Marketing explains
how to identify, target and nurture your niche, that small pocket
of potential clients or customers whom you enjoy working with and
whose needs you can fulfill. Doing so will help you use your time
more efficiently and effectively, will provide the highest return
on investment, and will yield a stream of qualified referrals.
"Now is the time to hunker down and really focus on your niche,"
says Kuzmeski. "Put your efforts into finding the people who
most want, need and can afford your products or services."
"Don't make the mistake that many of your competitors do,"
she advises. "Don't assume that nobody's buying. Of course
somebody is buying. Do a little market research and figure out precisely
whom your company can best serve. Then, go after them with a vengeance.
This may mean that instead of selling six services, you begin focusing
on your two top sellers-but you really, really sell those two."
"And another thing," she adds. "Don't let your own
fears and perceptions about the market cloud your efforts. When
you get out there and try selling, you might be pleasantly surprised."
Red
Zone Quoteworthy Quote: "I cannot give you the formula for
success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is-try
to please everybody."
Herbert Bayard Swope
C
- Create a Client Experience
According to Kuzmeski, creating a compelling client experience means
servicing the clients you have to the nth degree. Her book is filled
with creative, proven ideas for giving clients something to talk
about, wowing them with the unexpected, and implementing systems
for "Keeping In Touch (KIT)" with them on a regular basis.
A big part of creating client experiences is giving them what they
want-which may very well mean asking what's important to them. Simple
concept, huh? And Kuzmeski adds that, in times when people are watching
every dollar they spend, creating client experiences is all about
finding new ways to show your value.
"You must find better ways to connect with your clients' bottom
lines," insists Kuzmeski. "People are tracing revenue
sources more than ever before, so being able to articulate your
value and the benefit to your clients will score huge points in
your favor. This means that you must not be shy about telling clients
exactly what you do for them on a regular basis."
"Of course, many people feel uncomfortable patting themselves
on the back," she adds. "If you're one of them, I suggest
that you let someone else do it. Use testimonials from satisfied
clients to prove that your products and/or services get results.
Red Zone Marketing describes some easy, pain-free ways to get these
testimonials. And there are other ways to make yourself look good-for
instance, if you've been featured in magazine articles, send copies
to your clients."
Red
Zone Quoteworthy Quote: "It's the oldest lesson in the world:
unless you're customer-driven, you go out of business."
-Walter Wriston
O
- Opportunities From Obstacles
In Red Zone Marketing, Kuzmeski devotes much ink to the art of turning
stumbling blocks into stepping stones. She offers up compelling
examples of business people she has known who turned potential disasters-for
instance, poor customer treatment and even a devastating fire-to
their advantage.
This is an especially apt section of the book when you consider
today's obstacle-strewn business environment.
"I have lots of financial services clients, and as you can
imagine, they're being hit pretty hard right now," says Kuzmeski.
"Many people don't want to invest in the market right now,
so the temptation for financial advisors is to lay low and not pick
up the phone. I tell my clients that's a mistake: why not call people
who are being ignored by their financial advisors and offer them
something besides high-risk investment products? Here, the obstacle
is that there are valid objections for not investing right now.
The opportunity is that other financial advisors are not talking
to people-so why not pick up their slack?"
"An obstacle that companies in every industry are facing is
pressure to decrease their sales force," she adds. "This
doesn't make sense at all, but it's a common reaction to a shrinking
budget. Why not increase your sales force instead? Think about it:
if your competitors are cutting salespeople and you're hiring them-as
long as they're competent, of course-you're going to automatically
jump ahead of them. And with so many people out of work, untapped
talent is abundant right now . . . there's no better time to seek
out the best and brightest."
There's one other way to turn obstacles into opportunities: come
up with a whole new idea.
"Now is the time to innovate your product line," urges
Kuzmeski. "When there are big changes in the marketplace, someone
must step up to the plate with new ways to meet new needs. Be that
company! And think ahead. Just because something is working today
doesn't mean it will work tomorrow. In other words, if it ain't
broke, break it! I love the quote from Wayne Gretsky that goes something
like, 'I don't skate to where the puck is, I skate to where the
puck is going.' That's what I urge all my clients to do."
Red
Zone Quoteworthy Quote: "When one door closes, another opens,
but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door
that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
-Alexander Graham Bell
R
- Referral Responsibility
What is the easiest, most inexpensive way to find prospects? Referrals!
Clients you acquire through referrals are loyal, easy to close,
cost-efficient and are themselves sources of future referrals. Kuzmeski's
book is filled with innovative ideas on asking for referrals, finding
surprising sources of referrals, and saying "thank you"
to clients who provide this valuable service.
"Referrals are a common sense way to get new business,"
insists the author. "But surprisingly, very few people make
an effort to get them! What I always ask clients is this: 'If you
had zero dollars to do any marketing, how would you find new business?'
They usually have to think about it awhile, but they almost always
come to the conclusion that they would ask current clients. So why
not do it anyway?"
"It's true that many people would rather do almost anything
but ask for referrals," she admits. "But once you get
past the initial discomfort and get in the habit of asking-every
client, every day-it becomes second nature. And it certainly addresses
the 'no money to seek out new prospects' objection! Referrals are
just what the doctor ordered for companies hit hard by the current
economy."
Red
Zone Quoteworthy Quote: "Once you have sold a customer, make
sure he is satisfied with your goods . . . Your product may be of
such long life that you will never sell him again, but he will sell
you and your products to his friends."
-William Feather
E
- Extra Point
The "extra point," according to Red Zone Marketing, is
passion. "It's Enthusiasm; it's Excitement; it's Expectation;
it's Excellence," writes Kuzmeski. "It's developing a
mindset that gives you a winning Edge . . . If you do have passion,
then you'll find it easy to get up in the morning, overcome challenges,
carve out a niche, ask for referrals, get that new business, and
give your clients the extraordinary, outrageous kind of service
that will keep them on your team forever."
That's all well and good, but how do you sustain the "extra
point" in the face of economic doom and gloom? Like Kuzmeski
says, it's all in your mindset.
"Just because you read in the headlines that times are hard
doesn't mean you have to make that your reality," she says.
"Believe you can do it and you can! If you have to, turn off
the TV when bad news is being broadcast. Refuse to participate in
mournful, pessimistic discussions about the economy. Instead, reconnect
with your own passion for your job! Keep yourself motivated by staying
busy, constantly trying new ideas, and giving your work life all
you've got. It may sound simplistic . . . but it works."
Red
Zone Quoteworthy Quote: "In life, as in a football game, the
principle to follow is: hit the line hard."
-Theodore Roosevelt
One
final piece of advice? This is not the time to cut your marketing!
"Now, when everyone else is stepping aside, it's time for you
to stand up," asserts Kuzmeski. "Yes, you may have to
refocus your marketing efforts, you may have to try common sense
ideas that don't cost a lot of money, you may have to accept that
finding and keeping business is tougher than ever-but you must not
give up. Stay in front of your customers, show them your brilliance,
ask how you can serve them even better. You may very well find that,
economic woes or no, you're prospering more than ever. And that
may be the best news you've heard all day."
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