Marketing 101 « Zenworkz Blog

Marketing 101

The difference between the marketing process and selling

I want you to think about the elements that need to be in place prior to the sale of anything. Let’s use the example of a set of biodegradable bamboo pegs. Are you selling pegs or a complex set of benefits? Are you selling a tool that hangs clothes on the washing line or the feeling that your customer gets from buying an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to plastic? Is this a choice about convenience or values? The marketing process for each is quite different.

If someone only needed pegs as a convenience, they will throw them in the shopping trolley during the weekly shop without even thinking about them. They will be cheap, mass produced in India or China; and made of plastic that will never break down in our life time. Both the bamboo and plastic products fulfill the need to hang clothes on the washing line, but only one product is a conscious choice based on a set of values and complex benefits. Why develop biodegradable bamboo pegs as a product when the alternative product is cheap, and easily available? Because there is an obvious customer demand, and this product development was part of a marketing process.

Sales happen when all the elements of the marketing process (product/service development, market offer, pricing, distribution channel, positioning and marketing communications etc) have been strategically thought through and delivered.

There is no such thing as a product or service that sells itself – it must be marketed. Its easy to think that if your customers love your product or service, that will automatically lead to many more potential customer sales! For sales to be successful, product or services must be marketed to potential customers you have identified as having similar want and needs as customers who love your products or services.

The marketing process is important in the promotion of intangible and tangible customer benefits. People make buying decisions using their emotions, based on benefits and not as you would expect, in a logical thought process. That’s why there are sales of biodegradable bamboo pegs.

People then justify their decision with facts. The emotions and feelings are the hooks, the facts are the rational justification for the purchase decision. There are rational decisions for buying supermarket plastic pegs.

The marketing process helps you answer the customers “what’s in it for me” question, including perceived value. The value to the buyer has to be greater than the asking price and that is why they will still buy the more expensive biodegradable bamboo pegs over it’s cheaper rival.

All the strategic marketing tactics discussed here are delivered through the marketing planning process. However, here are five tried and tested tactics that will improve your sales performance:

Develop 30-day sales goals each month

Break down how many sales you need each month to meet your planned revenue targets. Determine exactly how many face to face meetings, calls, emails and blog posts you need to have, make, send or write to generate your target sales.

Make the first task of every day, activities to create sales

Focus each day, first thing in the morning, on actions that are “sales development” or will definitely lead to sales. Do this offline and don’t go online* (*read getting distracted) until complete. You should be doing at least 60 minutes of sales development activities per day.

Ask existing customer for referrals

Ask for referrals, they can always say no – but be honest – you need the work or you need to sell.

Prepare for “ Sales Objections”

Write down all the “sales objections” you get from potential customers and then script positive responses – so you are prepared for them when they are spoken, it will be the difference between passive and active selling that will get better results.

Follow up old sales leads

Get out every old business card, brochure or any other sales lead that you may have and start calling these contacts. Take out any old enquiries that had not been converted into sales and follow up on every single one of them.

Let me know if find you find these tactics helpful or have some others that work well for you?

Please leave a comment below, it’s the only way I know you are reading my blog:

About the author: Teresa Bassham is the Chief Coach & Boss Lady of Zenworkz Authentic Marketing, and is passionate about educating small business professionals to create their authentic marketing message and attract their ideal customers. She coach customers face to face, online and by phone – if you would like to discuss your needs - please contact.

For more daily Authentic Marketing updates visit and like my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/Zenworkz.Authentic.Marketing

Attracting Customers / Customer Research / Marketing 101 / Marketing Plans / Setting Marketing Objectives / Setting Marketing Strategies — No Comments
17
Dec 12

Small Business Marketing Goals for 2013 – Get Started Now!

The end of a year is a good time for contemplation and review. It’s also a time to determine your businesses goals for the New Year.

Smart business owners are working on this task now. Where do you want your business to be one year from now? What do you want to achieve?

If you start your planning today instead of waiting until the new year is upon you, you’ll have much more time to consider, review, decide, prepare, organise, and communicate the important outcomes that your business wants to achieve to be successful during 2013.

With that in mind, here are some steps to build your 2013 marketing plan:

Talk to your customers: Successful businesses start planning for a new year by talking to their customers. They listen carefully to what they have to say and respond accordingly.
Establish very specific strategic and financial goals: SMART goals lead to better outcomes. You will have both strategic goals (markets, customers, competitors, products, services, distribution channels, staffing, resources and processes) and financial goals (revenue, margin, expense, and profits). All should be highly defined and very specific.
Set long-term and short-term goals: Long-term goals (such as yearly revenue forecasts) provide sign posts to help you measure progress. Short-term monthly and quarterly objectives focus your business on the steps that accomplish the longer-term goals. Allow for variation in your planning. Have a set of alternative options that address unexpected challenges or opportunities outside of your control.
Measure, evaluate, and act: Review all your goals at the end of each month. You can evaluate and determine what needs to happen before the next months review to align current results with expected outcomes.

In a nut shell, to succeed in establishing and reaching your marketing goals, you should focus well in advance on what needs to happen and spend effort necessary to ensure success. While some goals may be harder to achieve than others, effort now will refine your focus and improve the time and energy you spend on reaching key objectives that bring your bigger goals within reach.

Get started now, and you’ll be much more likely to succeed in the new year.

About the author: Teresa Bassham is the principle of Zenworkz Authentic Marketing, and is passionate about educating small and medium business professionals to create their differential advantage, attract more ideal customers and create a marketing plan to achieve success. She coaches customers online and by phone – if you would like to request coaching – please contact me.

Advertising / Marketing 101 / Marketing Law / Social Media — No Comments
15
Dec 12

Update: Australian Marketing Law for Small Business

Here’s a quick summary of changes in marketing law and what it will mean for your small business.

Advertising and Consumer Protect Laws

The Australian Federal Court and Advertising Standards Bureau have determined that businesses are responsible for third-party comments posted on Facebook and Twitter. In a nutshell this means anything that could be deemed discriminatory, derogatory or degrading to women, homosexuals, or ethnic minorities; including strong or obscene language or inappropriate references to sexual activity.

The Australian Consumer Law covers many aspects of business activity, but advertising is perhaps the area where small businesses can most easily stray onto the wrong side of the law. The principle is the obvious one that businesses should not mislead or deceive through advertising. When you have a business page through social media, under consumer protection laws you could be held liable for misleading or deceptive conduct by a third party.

What this means for you is that you must regularly monitor posts from third parties and remove anything which may contravene any of these laws or standards within 24 hours of posting.

The Spam Act and Privacy Legislation

Recently two Australian businesses were formally warned about not providing an opt-out for their email marketing. The Spam Act 2003 requires that if you engage in email marketing you must have consent to the message being sent. You must have your contact information in the message. You must have an unsubscribe action to allow the recipient to opt-out. Failure to do so, may prompt warnings by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

As a very brief summary, Privacy Legislation revolves around asking people for permission to collect and use their information, and obligations to disclose what information is being kept and for what purpose, and obligations relating to the correction of inaccurate or disputed information. What this means for you is you need to provide a statement on your website that explains your privacy policy to users.

Intellectual Property and Copyright

Many small businesses use no forms of intellectual property protection and often breech other rights through copying pictures without permission to do so, especially via social media platforms.

What this means for you:

You need to consider what confidential information is used in your business and add security to protect it.
Ensure that you have the right to use any material (such as copyright material) in your marketing, both offline and online.
Always register trademarks used in your business.
Ensure there is adequate document recording the right and restriction of use for your own Intellectual Property.

The bottom line is advice should always be sought whenever material that may be the subject of copyright is proposed to be used in the course of your business marketing.

Its always a good option to consider these laws before unknowingly contravening them, creating heartache and potentially expense for your small business.

For more information there a comprehensive list of Legal Topics for Small business on this website:

http://www.innovation.gov.au/SmallBusiness/LegalHelp/LegalTopics/Pages/default.aspx

Advertising / Attracting Customers / Authentic Message Creation / Authentic Values / Coaching / Engaging customers / Integrated Marketing Strategy / Keep Calm & Keep Marketing / Marketing 101 / Selling — No Comments
17
Jul 12

Keep Calm and Keep Marketing Part 2 – Focus on Marketing Tactics

Recently I responded to a request to help small businesses that were feeling despondent because of falling sales and general feelings of frustration with marketing a small business in difficult, trading times. In this series of posts, Part 2 will focus on marketing tactics you can do to survive and thrive.

Firstly don’t be tempted to stop marketing! This is not the time to cut back on marketing activity. The key to building customer awareness is to take consistent, regular action. Be sure to keep your marketing activities going at least six months so that you can track your rate of return.

Promoting your products or service, little and often is better than one large, expensive campaign. The more you crop up in potential customer’s awareness, the more they feel that something is drawing them to you. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this from my customers – it was meant to be! Little did they know it is my marketing tactic.

Identify your best product or service by it’s revenue margin; then focus your promotional and selling efforts on this only. Add as many low cost promotional options as you have time for, like Twitter and Facebook Pages to broadcast valuable information about how to solve customers problems or bring them joy. Update your LinkedIn profile regularly with updates about your business and any valuable content such as blog posts.

Work out how you are unique to your best customer and focus on doing this better. Define what your unique marketing difference is and promote that consistently. Being different and finding that difference is easier in a service based business because YOU are unique. Finding the difference in a product market, means adding or augmenting your products with value added services, like lay-by’s, special deliveries, or exceptional customer service – there are a thousand different options. The secret is understanding what you need to do to make your service or product a vital part of someone’s life to the extent that they just won’t be tempted by your direct competitor’s offers.

What makes your marketing message unique is your story, your purpose, and your values. What makes your message compelling is that it is customer focused – it speaks to the customers hot button that your service or product fulfils as a necessary part of their life or business. It must tap into the emotional metaphors: looking good, feeling good, being successful, rewarding themselves – refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of highest needs.

Finally, recognise that you can’t always do this alone and if you are, not with peace or joy. To be able to hire support, you need to focus on sales and cash flow. You may need support from someone who can guide you? A coach or mentor can look at your business and your progress with an honest and objective eye; and guide you away from costly mistakes and focus on a direction that may well challenge you; but will also bring you the business success you desire.

I’d love to hear your thoughts? Please leave a comment below:

About the Author: Teresa Bassham of Zenworkz Authentic Marketing inspires small businesses to develop and use an empowering Marketing and Communications Plan for Business Profitability … see my full services at www.zenworkz.com and while you are visiting my website – subscribe for weekly e-News updates on all topics related to authentic marketing.

Attracting Customers / Keep Calm & Keep Marketing / Marketing 101 / Marketing Plans / Process Improvement / Selling — No Comments
9
Jul 12

Keep Calm and Keep Marketing! Part 1 – Focus on Sales

Recently I responded to a request to help small businesses that were feeling despondent because of falling sales and general feelings of frustration with marketing a small business in difficult, trading times. I too experience these feelings, they come up for me when business is slow, and I follow my own advice which centers around the philosophy that:

“A clear vision, backed by a marketing plan, gives a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power.”

In a series of Keep Calm & Keep Marketing posts to help improve feelings of confidence and personal power; part 1 will focus on 5 tips to improve Sales:

Develop 30-day sales goals each month

Break down how many sales you need each month to meet your revenue targets. Determine exactly how many meetings, calls, emails and blog posts you need to have, make, send or write to generate your target sales.

Make the first task of every day, activities to create sales

Focus each day, first thing in the morning, on actions that are “selling” or will definitely lead to sales. Do this offline and don’t go online* (*read getting distracted) until complete. You should be doing at least 60 minutes of sales cultivation activities per day.

Ask existing customer for referrals

Ask for referrals, they can always say no – but be honest – you need the work or you need to sell!

Prepare for “ Sales Objections”

Write down all the “sales objections” you get from potential customers and then script positive responses – so you are prepared for them when they are spoken. It will be the difference between passive and active selling that will get better results.

Mine that dormant pot of gold!

Follow-up on old sales leads – get out every old business card, brochure or any other sales lead that you may have and start calling these contacts. Take out any old enquiries that had not been converted into orders and follow up on every single one of them.

Let me know if find you find these tips helpful? Please leave a comment below:

While you are visiting my website – subscribe for weekly e-News updates on all topics related to authentic marketing.

For daily Authentic Marketing updates visit and “like” my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Zenworkz.Authentic.Marketing

Attracting Customers / Branding / Integrated Marketing Strategy / Marketing 101 / Online Marketing — No Comments
2
Jul 12

Is Facebook Failing Small Business!

Social media promises so much, the numbers online are staggering and everyone’s involvement is on the rise, but why is the average small business finding it so hard to realise the potential of social channels, like Facebook?

Being the beginning of a new financial year, it’s timely to question whether the continued changes being made by Facebook (presumably due to the IPO); will be to the detriment of smaller businesses trying to use Facebook in a cost effective way to promote their business?

It’s very difficult to get any real information about small businesses failing in their social media actions. The predominant voice in the marketplace is overtaken by businesses who make money from those “struggling with technology and digital marketing strategies” and “all you need to know about being success using social media” approaches! We are being so drowned out by the marketing messages above, that small business is rapidly losing their voice (and reach) on Facebook. Why? This “Facebook selling” industry is driving social media and there is no room for facts and data because they are selling a dream (and you should know that by the number of times every day the word “dream” appears in posts!).

It’s time to face some facts:

Social Media is not free and costs are increasing! If you are a business and your time is worth something – time spent on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Pinterest/Youtube has a cost to your business. To be even moderately successful, requires time and commitment, to regularly engage; and keep up to date on your own core subject area, to be able to craft good quality content.

You need skills and knowledge, often about subject areas that are new and ever changing. Mastering these skills takes you away from your core job of running your business. Solution: hire someone to manage social media for you; but these people value their time more than you do and they actually charge for this enormous investment in time.

It’s often hard to gauge this but not every social media channel is right for every business, because it’s depends which channels your customer engages in? Not understanding this fact, is like throwing cow pats at the barn door and hoping some of it sticks!

Very few small businesses actually define “Measures of Success” to evaluate their social media marketing efforts! Is it more sales leads, more likes, great brand awareness? Failing to identify your marketing promotion objectives, means that you can’t measure; and therefore you don’t know if your time and efforts have been rewarded with a measurable result?

Much of what I see on Facebook are businesses talking about using Facebook to promote Facebook. Have you ever thought of not just using social media to promote your website, but instead combining the power of the Internet with traditional marketing concepts?

Marketing promotion through any media, is based on four concepts, commonly referred to by the acronym AIDA: First, you need to attract the customers Attention; you then gain their Interest in your product or service by highlighting the benefits it will bring to them; following this you create Desire (the “must have” message); and finally you motivate customers to take Action (make a purchase). The most effective way to move through each step of AIDA with your customers is by blending traditional marketing with social media marketing.

It is possible to improve your business results in this next financial year using traditional marketing concepts with social media; if that’s the channel that reaches your customer market effectively. This is where the use of an empowering marketing action plan will keep you focused on achieving your business goals, with measurable results from effective and appropriate use of social media marketing channels.

Are you a small business using Facebook? Do you think Facebook is failing small business? Please leave your comments below:

While you are visiting my website – subscribe for weekly e-News updates on all topics related to authentic marketing.

For daily Authentic Marketing updates visit and “like” my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Zenworkz.Authentic.Marketing

Attracting Customers / Integrated Marketing Strategy / Marketing 101 / Marketing Analysis Tools / Marketing Plans / Mindset — No Comments
25
Jun 12

4 Incredibly Simple Marketing Tips

Without ongoing marketing activity, you will likely experience the feast or famine business cycle – you know the one where you’re busy for one week and worried for three. Consistent marketing activities are the key to steady growth. But what can you actually “do” to get results from your marketing?

Have a Marketing Plan

Marketing planning is a process that helps you evaluate your business capability as a market offer; evaluates the target customer and marketplace; and prepares you for the many opportunities to achieve sales and business success. The simple premise of a marketing plan is bringing together all your relevant information, to set some business goals or objectives. Then, turning objectives into strategies, tactics, and activities, making your marketing to customers achievable and easier to accomplish in small bites of time.

Track your activities and the results

This can be as simple or sophisticated as you want. But for everything you do, make sure your can track results to your specific marketing activity. With time such a precious commodity, you don’t want to waste it on ineffective marketing. Track your results and use your time wisely on marketing efforts that yield results.

Get a new marketing mindset

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination or purpose. To know where you are headed, is to better understand where you are right now and what steps will be needed to continue in the direction which yields positive results. Foster a marketing mindset of outcomes focus and extreme optimism that will help you create new marketing solutions, and not keep you stuck in a feast or famine cycle.

Leverage your existing customers – ask for recommendations

Ask customers who are happy with your product or service for recommendations, a testimonial or to write a review. Other customers will be positively influenced by seeing people who they know and respect, support and recommend you. Even if you don’t have a website yet, you can place your reviews or testimonials on brochures, emails or Facebook.

If you need support from someone who can guide you – a coach or mentor who can look at your marketing plan and your progress with an honest and objective eye; guide you away from costly mistakes and head in a direction that may challenge you, but also brings you the true success you desire – contact me!

About the Author: Teresa Bassham is Zenworkz Authentic Marketing; inspiring small businesses to develop and use an empowering Marketing and Communications Plan for Business Profitability … see my full services at www.zenworkz.com. While you are visiting my website – subscribe for monthly e-News updates on all topics related to authentic marketing. For daily Authentic Marketing updates visit and “like” my facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/Zenworkz.Authentic.Marketing

Authentic Message Creation / Branding / Marketing 101 / Mindset — No Comments
21
May 12

5 Step Technique for Naming your Excellent Idea or New Business

Getting creative at naming your excellent idea, or new business, or products, or services, is the heart of authentic marketing. While you need to be professional in your marketing, I believe it’s more important to let your passion and personality shine through, rather than try and impress people with all your knowledge, experience and credentials.

Thinking in a creative way or tapping into the huge store of information in your subconscious mind is skill that can be learnt, and this 5 step technique provides a process to help you use imagination to find solutions to problems like creating a unique and compelling name for your idea or business.

Step 1 – Gather all the information needed to think deeply about your business idea or name: Describe the solutions your idea or business provides in 30 words or less. List the benefits of your idea, business, services and products – what benefit do you want your customer to know about you? Are you the best, highest quality, most caring, most reliable, most unique? List the main benefit your competitors promote – how do you want to position your business in your customers minds compared to your competitors? And who are your ideal customers – describe a typical person who will want what you provide – and what main benefit will they receive?

Step 2 – Begin the task of digesting all this information about your business: Take the different elements of the information which you have gathered and identify the words that relate to key benefits that you need to keep uppermost in your mind, in order to think creatively about naming your idea or business. What you are seeking now is the relationship between all the facts above, a synthesis where everything will come together in a neat combination, like a jig-saw puzzle. To maintain your focus, write your key benefit words on sticky notes on your computer screen or on your fridge, so that you can keep the need to resolve the name in front of you.

Step 3 – Conscious and subconscious processing task: Brainstorm as many names around a single customer benefit – as you can – there are no right or wrong answers now – just name ideas generation. Avoid the big words. Keep it simple. Just use plain English about the problems your customer is facing and how you can help them. Pick out the words that represent your business – can any of those words be grouped together in a way that is either a description of your business, or a fictional or made up name using these benefit words? Are any words suggestive of the benefit for your customer? Select your favorite words and again, write them down on sticky notes, to keep them in your mind.

What you have to do now, is to turn your creative thinking over to your subconscious mind and let it work while you do something else. When you reach this third stage in the production of a name for your idea or business, drop the problem completely and turn to whatever stimulates your imagination and emotions. Exercise, listen to music, watch TV or a movie, read something completely irrelevant to your task.

Step 4 – Allowing the name to come into your mind: Everything will click in the fourth step of what will seem like an “a-ha” moment. Out of nowhere the name will appear. It will come to you when you are least expecting it, while showering, or exercising, or most often when you are half awake in the morning. It may even wake you up in the middle of the night.

Step 5 – Putting your new business name to a reality test: It requires a patient working over to make most business names fit the exact conditions in which they must work. This is where many good name ideas are lost. Many are often not patient enough or practical enough to go through with this adapting part of the process. But it has to be done if you are to put name ideas to work in the current environment. It’s now important to submit your name idea to the criticism of friends and mentors. When you do, a surprising thing will happen. You will find that a good name idea has self-expanding qualities. It stimulates those who see it, to add to it. And possibilities which you have overlooked, will come to light.

The aim of naming your new idea or business should be to create strength in the minds of your customer. The words need to resonate in their minds and stand out from the rest. Once you have some strong name ideas – you can easily understand how searchable your words are by using Google’s Keyword tool.

Get your business name right and you get the branding as a bonus. When your potential customer senses you’re speaking to them authentically, odds are they’ll be more likely to want to do business with you. And its more fun to work with people you like!

Give it a shot. You might just be surprised at what happens! Leave me a comment if you are?

About the author: Teresa Bassham is the principle of Zenworkz Authentic Marketing, and is passionate about educating small and medium business professionals to research their customer market; create their authentic marketing message; attract more ideal customers; and create a marketing plan to achieve success in 2012/2013. She runs local workshops in Northern NSW and coaches customers online and by phone – if you would like to attend the next scheduled “Create your Authentic Message” workshop on 6^th June, 2012 or request distance coaching online –please contact me.

While you are visiting my website – subscribe for weekly e-News updates on all topics related to authentic marketing.

For daily Authentic Marketing updates visit and “like” my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/Zenworkz.Authentic.Marketing

Attracting Customers / Customer Research / Integrated Marketing Strategy / Marketing 101 / Marketing Mix Strategies — No Comments
29
Apr 12

The Secret of Pricing Products and Services

The secret of pricing is this knowledge: When the right customer sees your product or service in the right context – price will not be the primary element in their decision to buy!

Before you get to pricing your product or service have you considered all the other elements in the marketing mix (Product, Place, Promotion and People)? Finding out if there is a customer market is always a great place to start. It is surprising how many business’ don’t know enough about their preferred customer.

Do you know what your customer needs and do they want what you sell? Then, what is the right promotional context for your service or product – are you trying to sell coal to Newcastle? What are the prices of similar products and services; and how are you positioning your product and services in the marketplace?

Pricing is a psychological, emotional and confidence decision that you have to make, even before you consider the price your customer will be willing to pay.

The two questions you need to answer:

How much should I charge?
How much am I brave enough to charge?

For customers, when considering the benefits derived, what will they perceive as value for money? When people say they can’t afford your service or product, they haven’t truly seen the value. So, how are you communicating your value?

Here is a pricing vs value matrix to help you consider the right pricing strategy:

	Low Price	Medium Price	High Price
High Value	Give away pricing strategy.	Market penetration. Value for money pricing strategy.	Prestige & quality pricing strategy.
Medium Value	Sale strategy.	Price and value are in balance pricing strategy.	Overpriced: Commercial pricing strategy.
Low Value	Tourist trap strategy.	"Caveat emptor" pricing strategy.	The hit and run pricing strategy.

Attracting customers today is becoming more complex due to increasing choice, economic conditions and a more educated consumer who make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing almost everything. Customers also now have increasing service expectations.

To buy from you they need to form an emotional connection with your business. This means you have to show them the person behind the business. People will buy from those that they know and trust – and from those who have created the right service and product in the right context for just for them.

I would love to hear of any experiences or advice you have to share?

Please feel free to leave a comment or question below.

About the author: Teresa Bassham is the principle of Zenworkz Authentic Marketing, and is passionate about educating small and medium business professionals to research their customer market; create their authentic marketing message; attract more ideal customers; and create a marketing plan to achieve success in 2012/2013. She runs local workshops in Northern NSW and coaches customers online and by phone – if you would like to attend the next scheduled workshops on 6^th & 7^th June, 2012 or request distance coaching online –please contact me. While you are visiting my website – subscribe for weekly e-News updates on all topics related marketing.

For daily Authentic Marketing updates visit and “like” my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/Zenworkz.Authentic.Marketing

Authentic Marketing / Authentic Message Creation / Authentic Values / Branding / Customer Research / Marketing 101 / Marketing Plans — No Comments
11
Mar 12

How to Discover Your Next Brilliant Career!

If you are brilliant, you will be one of only a handful of lucky people in Australia or across the world, who know intuitively what you’re destined for. For the vast majority of us, we need to take a more thoughtful path – one that requires deep thinking.

Coming up with a new business idea, of course, is the hard part, but I have methods for helping my customers, and it begins with telling the story of their life. The tool I use is a timeline, to help them express their values, experiences, insights, skills and abilities that are unique to them.

Your brilliant idea needs to be uniquely your own, so it makes sense that this journey begins by looking at the events that have shaped your life and made you who you are today. It may sound weird coming from a Marketer, but to discover your big new idea and what is unique about you, we don’t start with what the market wants from you, because the market only knows what they have seen. If you want a great example of this – think Steve Jobs and Apple!

To uncover what is unique about YOU, that will help you stand out in the market, you need to turn away from the market. What makes this paradoxical approach work, is that you will be able to identify a customer for any idea you come up with, again – think Apple.

For an aspiring entrepreneur, doing some form of creative exercises to discover your big idea is a quick way to improve your chances of launching a successful business. Where to start? Here are three exercises to help you:

Exercise 1 - Make a “mind map”

Start by taking a large piece of butcher’s paper, put the words “New Business or New Idea” in the center and create a collage of images, quotes, articles, your values, strengths, skills and other inspirations.

The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself with images of your intention – the successful business you want to create – your awareness and passion will grow. As your mind map evolves and becomes more focused, you will begin to recognise where your creativity, values, strengths and skills can be focused.

Exercise 2 - Research people who have achieved the success you seek

Study people who have been successful in the business area you want to pursue and who have similar values and passion. Study them, figure out how and why they are able to remain successful in these difficult economic times and then make plans to emulate some of their successful actions.

Exercise 3 – Create a plan or roadmap to get there

When you have gone through this creative process, the next step is to create a marketing plan. A marketing plan is a process that helps you evaluate your idea as a market offer; evaluates the target customer and marketplace; and prepares you for the many possibilities to achieve your new business success.

At what creative stage are you? Tell me about it below? Have you found that great idea? Do you need help with a Marketing Plan?

About the author: Teresa Bassham is the principle of Zenworkz Authentic Marketing, and is passionate about educating small and medium business professionals to think deeply; create difference; engage customers; optimise marketing effort; and develop a marketing plan to achieve success in 2012. She runs DIY workshops in Northern NSW and coach customers online and by phone – if you would like to attend the next scheduled workshop or request distance coaching online – please contact us.

For more daily Authentic Marketing updates visit and like my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Zenworkz.Authentic.Marketing

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Zenworkz BlogAuthentic Marketing Coaching

Marketing 101

The difference between the marketing process and selling

Small Business Marketing Goals for 2013 – Get Started Now!

Keep Calm and Keep Marketing Part 2 – Focus on Marketing Tactics

Keep Calm and Keep Marketing! Part 1 – Focus on Sales

4 Incredibly Simple Marketing Tips

5 Step Technique for Naming your Excellent Idea or New Business

The Secret of Pricing Products and Services

How to Discover Your Next Brilliant Career!

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