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PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF: MARKETING RX
Triage: Take Stock of Your Business
Sometimes it can be tough to see what’s obvious to the outsider when it comes to taking the temperature of your business.But unless you keep your finger on the pulse, you may run the risk of losing the patient!Let’s face it, in today’s sluggish economy, small business owners need to be savvy enough to get aggressive in their approach to protecting their businesses, so be sure to regularly take stock of your business identity and map out lean marketing strategies.
The competitive landscape is always changing — which should help give you some idea of how to stay agile enough to determine the necessary changes for your own business.This is not to say that you have to disregard tried and true methods, or ignore the heritage that might have been successfully passed down from your grandfather who started the shop.Rather, keep an open mind to adopting growth and setting metrics for ways to comprehensively identify what’s working and what isn’t.This can help you keep tabs on your company’s identity and make sure that you’re employing your own tailored “hippocratic oath” to ensure the viability of your business. Here are some simple tips for initializing an affordable, long-term health care plan for your company: Taking Vitals: Develop a company “benefits list” to clearly determine and outline your strengths, and what sets you apart from the competition — determine your advantages and put them down on paper.Once you’ve taken stock of your store’s current situation, you can set out a reasonable, strategic course of action for new sales and marketing initiatives.Do this annually, and contour your marketing strategy accordingly. Just What the Doctor Ordered — Define Your Message: When people ask you to describe your store, what is your answer?You should have one ready, and so should all of your employees. (Note: it should all be roughly the same answer!)Are you “Bob’s Gun Emporium — a one stop shop for all local hunting/shooting sports and outdoor enthusiast needs,” or something more esoteric?Unless you have a clear understanding of how to aptly describe your business, how can you expect your customers and potential ones to grasp it?How can you market yourself if you’re not sure what you’re talking about?Remember, people love a good story — is yours a classic Cinderella story, where you and your brother succeeded against all odds after starting out broke working out of your garage?Know your company, and share its message. Tell Me Where It Hurts: Do your homework to find out what’s going on around you, both locally and nationally and figure out the good, bad and the ugly — and how it can affect your bottom line.Get feedback from the community through in-store surveys, or customer “wish lists” and take a good look at what the public perception is.Contact local wildlife agencies and see what programs are in place and what your store can do to participate and support them.Talk to your local chamber of commerce and find out how you can engage with other business owners in your community.Sharing best practices can extend far beyond your industry and your own doors, and you might just find some allies in surprising places. Say “Ahhhhhhh…” Word of mouth is one of the most valuable commodities for people in our industry.Whether you look for ways to mix business and pleasure, by hosting events for orotherwise participating in charities that are of interest to you, or conduct seminars and workshops for the community to stimulate “new blood,” there are plenty of affordable ways to stay front of mind with existing and potential customers.Creating and sustaining a buzz in your area is key to the continued good health of your store — one way to stand out from the usual e-newsletter crowd is to develop periodic personal letters to touch your database.You can create a letter and envelope template in Microsoft Office Word and send out mailings in hard copy to let your customers know about in-store events, industry trends, and keep them up-to-date on what’s going on with your team. Avoid Paralysis: You probably have a pretty clear picture of who makes up your typical demographic.However, it can’t be stressed enough that tapping into new groups is a key consideration for successful companies.And yes, you can achieve this end without diluting your focus or losing the folks you already have.Introducing women and young people to the shooting sports arena provides huge opportunity for growth, both in your store and in our industry.Don’t limit yourself to the old guard, when you can include the next generation, with education, and a marketing focus that reaches out to new groups Taking the temperature of your business is an ongoing commitment, so there’s no need to wait until something breaks off or stops working before consulting your marketing “physician.”Make sure you have regular check-ups and focus your energies and marketing dollars on the parts of your store that need it, and remember that staying versatile is a key to the continued good health of your business.
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