One of my goals at DIYMarketers is to make sure that you know about some of the cool tools out there that will help you get and keep loyal profitable customers.  Today, I’ve got a guest post from the team over at All Things CRM.  All Things CRM is an easy-to-understand resource where you can learn about all aspects of customer relationship management, and the best ways to achieve superior results for your business.  My contact at All Things CRM is Riley Hansen, but the articles are a group effort.  So, every now and then, we will be treated to some of their pulled genius.  Enjoy. (more…)

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It’s Market Planning Time!  I know that all of you guys are just so excited about the prospect of trying to figure out exactly what magical marketing thing you can come up with for the next year that’s going to bring your business up to the level it deserves.

Whether you’re at a fortune 500 or still making your fortune as a small business owner, I’ve come up with this “Organic Marketing Plan” that is sure to please because it will get you focused on the things that matter most; Getting and Keeping Ideal, Profitable Customers.

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Are you so busy creating content for your blog that you’re missing out on those simple things that can really make a difference in building your community?  Take the next 30 minutes and do these things to better build a loyal following.

Have a couple of blogs and link to them.

I write for several blogs, but I don’t always link to the corresponding articles.  Here’s an example.  Strategy Stew was listed as one of the top 17 blogs for Toilet Paper Entrepreneurs.   As a result of that post, I was contacted by David Garland (The Rise to the Top) and after an awesome conversation, he invited me to answer 10 Questions for him about Marketing.  Of course, we then mutually promoted each other via Twitter and other avenues.

But that’s not all that came out of this little adventure.  I was also contacted by Johnathan Kay from a company called “Grasshopper.” Check out their cool blog!.  Johnathan was checking out the TPE blog looking for an article about his company and found the mention to Strategy Stew.  He got hooked by my article on creating your own opportunity….and sent me THIS very cool thing to share with you.

Which brings me to the next item:

Create a meaningful connection and conversation with at least one new person each day.

There are so many small ways that you can open a new door, start a new conversation and create a new possiblitiy and opportunity for yourself and your company.  Here are just a few:

• Send an e-mail to the author of a book or an article.  Tell the author you liked it.  Have a conversation around what inspired you and see if you can create a new opportunity for the author and yourself around this book or topic.
• If you have a blog or write – write a review of the book, take another point of view on the article,  create a how-to or tip around that topic.
• If you are included on some kind of list or part of a group of presenters — reach out to those people and get to know them better.  See if you can help them.  See if they can help you.

What are some creative ways that you have reached out and created new opportunities for yourself and others?

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If you don’t do or “get” segmentation, your business is really missing out on dollars and opportunities.  Segmentation is the secret weapon of any effective marketing program.  In it’s simplest form, segmentation basically involves putting your customers into “like” groups; women or men, for example.   Ever wondered why we segment or how someone decided on segmenting?

Segmentation came out of the need to communicate more efficiently with customers.  One-to-one communication is the ideal, but as markets grew beyond the “village” that became inefficient and expensive.  So marketers moved to mass communication.  But then, the messages applied to some customers and not others.  Finally, marketers started grouping people into segments that reacted similarly to their message.  And today, as the world shrinks through the internet, segmentation is even more critical as we once again come around to one-to-one marketing.

Not every group is worthy of being its own segment.   There are some rules that have to be followed.

1. Mutually Exclusive.  Your segments cannot be overlapping and your customer shouldn’t be a member of two segments at the same time.
2. Substantial.  There have to be enough members of a segment so that you can take advantage of the economies of scale in communicating with them.  So, a segment of 3 low-volume customers wouldn’t justify a whole segment.  It has to be big enough either in terms of members or dollars.
3. Homogenous.  A workable market segment has members that are similar enough to react the same way to your marketing message or offer.  They need to value the same things, do similar things or interact with your product or service in a similar way for your segmentation strategy to work.

How to Start Segmenting

1. Take a Customer/Product Inventory.  The best place to start is to literally pull out a list of your customers and what they buy from you.  You can even use your customer files or a sales report by customer, by product and in descending profit margins.
2. Create a Demographic Profile. Now simply identify the visible characteristics of these customers. Gender, Age, City, State, Country, Products Purchased, Volume, Education level, etc. Basic demographic information is what you can see and document about the client.
3. Look for deeper segments. Most people stop at step #2.  but the ones who persevere to this step can really hit pay dirt.  Here are some other segmenting opportunities: Product usage – how do they use your product, in what applications?  This is a great segmentation tool for Business to Business marketers or for industrial markets.  Psychographic or Lifestyle segments; what are their attitudes about life, themselves and how they live?  There are some fabulous tools out there for PRIZM is a lifestyle database that groups people into zip code communities.  It’s an ideal resource if you’re selling to consumers or in retail.  Another resource is VALS 2 which separates people into 8 values and lifestyles groups.

You should be running at least two segmentation schemas at any time; the basic demographic profile (because you have to know who you’re selling to, what you’re selling and where it’s going.)  But don’t stop there, move on to these more sophisticated segmentation options because this is where the real profit opporunities are.

• High Usage Segments.  Do you have customers that purchase high volumes frequently?  You can put them on a “retainer” or contract that saves them time, effort and money and assures you of their constant order.
• On-Demand Segments.  Do you have customers that always order at the last minute and want it now — no matter what the cost?  Set up an overnigh or emergency on-demand offering at a much higher price.
• Hand Holders.  How about customers that requires a lot of service and hand holding?  They may be willing to pay more for your attention.

Those are just three easy examples of benefit segments that can and will increase the profitability and loyalty of your customers.  Not only that, but it will set you apart from other providers who haven’t caught on.

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Here’s a 5-Minute Marketing Plan Process that you can run every day.  It might feel rather strange at first, but I promise you if you start your day with these questions and end your day with a de-brief you will be amazed at how much control you will have over your marketing results.

Take Control of Your Marketing Process

The key to being successful with your marketing plan and process is to focus and take control.  But that’s easier said than done because “life” is happening and tries to convince us that other external things are in control — and not us and our goals.

That simply isn’t true.

While you do not control your customers’ actions; you control how you react to those actions and you contribute to those actions. Here is a sure-fire-way to regain control of your actions and ultimately your marketing results.

Decide on a Single “Way of Being”

The first step is to simply decide “How You’re Going to Be” on this day.  Refer to your marketing plan.

1. What goals and tasks to you have set?
2. What type of attitude do you need to have to complete those goals?
3. In what ways will you exhibit this attitude and behavior today to achieve those goals?

Here is an example”

I have a goal to complete three blog posts today.

To complete three quality blog posts, I will need to have an open mind, see opportunities for learning and apply them to writing.

That will be my goal for today.

“Today I chose to have an open mind and see opportunities for learning.”

What’s Holding You Back?

The reason we often don’t achieve what we set out to do is because things get in our way.  And the biggest thing that gets in our way is — US.

Each of us has this wonderful little conversation within ourselves that talks us out of getting something done and comes up with excuses as to why it didn’t get done.  So Just say those:

• The thing that’s holding me back is: [insert the real reason you don't want to do this].

If you’re struggling with that reason – you’ll need to sit quietly and listen to the little voice inside your head.  It’s that small whisper that says “You don’t like writing about accounting.” Maybe the voice says “I’m not a good writer, why am I doing this?”

What will you do when that obstacle hits?

The next most obvious step is to plan what you will do when you hit that obstacle that won’t allow you to achieve what you’ve set out to do.

• Call a friend
• Go for a walk
• Close your eyes for 5 minutes

Come up with an attack plan to eliminate the obstacle and get to accomplishing the work at hand.

How Did You Do?

At the end of the day, do a little debrief on how well or poorly you did.  If it went well, acknowledge your accomplishments.

• Make a list of all the times you stayed true to what you had decided to do.
• List how you or your program benefited.
• If you didn’t do so well, list why and what you might have to do the next time.

Get a Support Group

This process works best in a group.  If you’re at a company – get your team together over coffee and run this exercise.  It doesn’t need to take more than 15 minutes (depending on the size of your group).

This will keep you on task – energize you and help you achieve your goals.

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