The Market.Sell.Win. Podcast

Ask The Interviewer: How Do You Develop A SWOT Analysis?

Do you have complete command and knowledge of your companies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (a/k/a SWOT analysis) in the marketplace?  Have these been used to develop your marketing and sales tactics and strategies into messages which truly resonate with people whom you are trying to build business?  Strategies and messages which cause potential customers to stop and actually consider or ask questions about what your company says or does?   If not, then you might consider getting a small team together to contribute and work through their thoughts on your company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (a/k/a SWOT analysis).   In this episode of Ask The Interviewer, we start to take apart the SWOT analysis and provide you with a roadmap or a process for conducting a simplified SWOT analysis to help uncover new marketing ideas and approaches, see strengths you haven’t seen before, and drive internal initiatives which lead to external improvements and increased market share among your potential prospects.   We’re glad you are a part of the Market.Sell.Win mission!

Ask The Interviewer: What Is A SWOT Analysis And Why Do One?

When was the last time you actively sat down with some colleagues to outline your companies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT for short) and what does that have to do with marketing anyway?  If you are like most business people, you aren’t really familiar with the SWOT concept and the suggestion of it seems like a lot of time for not a lot of return on your investment.  The concept also seems only lightly related to marketing.   But in fact, a SWOT might be just the concept you need to inject some new marketing ideas and approaches, see strengths you haven’t seen before, and drive internal initiatives which lead to external improvements and increased market share among your potential prospects.   So, in this episode, we preview the SWOT concept as an introduction to what it means, why you would use it, and how it relates to marketing.  We’re glad you are a part of the Market.Sell.Win mission!

Ask The Interviewer: How Can Business Leaders Connect With The Marketing Plan?

A lot of business leaders (i.e. entrepreneurs, existing small business owners, and licensed professionals) procrastinate and downright resist putting together a marketing plan.  Why?  Here are some typical reasons: * It's time consuming - time that could be spent on improving operations, doing general marketing, or making a sale * It's complicated - lots of concepts and terms to figure out before you even begin * It doesn't have an immediate payoff * It will probably change, so why even start * It's inflexible - if we want to change direction, we can't because of this document But marketers know the benefits of the marketing plan far outweighs these objections and believe it can be closely linked to corporate strategy.  In response to these reasons, consider: * Yes, it takes time, but in not doing a marketing plan you will waste more time on fruitless and unfocused efforts * No, a marketing plan doesn't have to be complicated if you establish a couple of key concepts and work toward completing them * No, a marketing plan doesn't have an immediate payoff, but it does have a long term one - in channeling your efforts and expenses to accomplish goals * Yes, the marketing plan can and will change as you go along but that should be built into it In this episode, we empathize with business leaders about the marketing plan, address objections, and provide some insights into preparing one including connecting it to the corporate strategy. We’re glad you are a part of the Market.Sell.Win mission!

Ask The Interviewer: How Do We Make The Marketing Plan More Accessible?

If you are a student, small business professional, or new marketer and expected to create a marketing plan, the whole concept can lead to confusion and procrastination.  Lots of big concepts and terms that sound good, but don't mean much and are a struggle to translate into actually accomplishing a plan.  We know, we've been there.   In this episode, we continue to discuss the important effect the marketing plan has: * A means to connect your corporate strategy - which markets you are trying to grow your products or services - to your marketing/sales efforts * As a more intentional option to the "marketing calendar". * As a means to appropriately target the marketing funds you do have. * As data or backup in the event of an internal conflict in appropriating dollars for marketing investment. * As "cover" for telling an existing vendor "no" or "not this year".   A marketing plan starts to become more accessible when we consider how it can help alleviate a company's marketing and sales struggle.

Ask The Interviewer: What Is The Value Of The Value Proposition For Entrepreneurs and Professionals?

If you are an entrepreneur or a licensed professional (i.e. accountant, architect, attorney, consultant, engineer, IT professional, etc.) who is great at what you do but dying to have a bigger client base, you need a value proposition and in this episode, we talk about why you should take the time to research and develop one.   What will you say when you connect with a new contact: * On a cold call or cold email and they want to blow you off or object to what you have to say. * At a networking event and they want to know how your company or firm is different. * In a 1st official meeting and they bring up your competition or stereotype of what people think of companies like yours. What do you want: * When you are meeting with an existing client who is skeptical about keeping your company or your companies product/service? * When you are trying to train someone new for a new position about how they should look at a customer? * When a representative of your company or firm speaks with an existing client who is having issues with your product or service? These just some of the ways the value proposition can play a vital part in your sales/marketing and operations.