One way to develop a marketing plan for your company is to find out how much your customers already know about your product or service. You probably think they know than they do! The traditional way to assess their knowledge is to conduct a focus group. The informal way is to ask your customers casually.
A few weeks ago, marketing guru Seth Godin wrote a post about making an internal sale. How does an employee in a large company make a case for changing something?
(Pictured at left: They have many questions, by Erik Charlton)
Godin included a video of people in Times Square trying to define a “browser”; Ji Lee at Google wanted to demonstrate how few people actually know what an Internet browser is.
Whether you’re an assistant or a CEO, you can apply the same idea to your business. For example, a gym is implementing a new program called “small group training”. The new program is different from group exercise classes like spin and total body toning, but it’s similar to one-on-one personal training.
By casually conversing with members, the manager realizes that no one is signing up for the small group training classes because no one is really sure how the classes work. What might seem obvious to you may not seem obvious to your customers. Educate them, and they will appreciate the new information, especially if it’s presented in an orderly and logical manner.
