Without a doubt the greatest loss to humanity is a product or service that can literally improve upon communication, profit, efficiency, production, create positive change and mental well-being.
But, it comes as no surprise that millions of ideas, products, services and companies die like apples falling off a tree and left routing on the ground. A good example is the "dot-com" boom in 2000 that blow in like a Herculean tornado and blow out in the same fashion, leaving in its wake human devastation and billions of lost dollars.
To see the scope of why companies, ideas, products and services fail today. We need to understand that we are at the tip of experiencing two major shifts that is and will continue to revolutionize the entire business globe.
The first and sometimes the most important one to recognize is competition. There has been an explosive rate of home-based, self-employed professionals and small businesses pop-up here at home and globally. We just have to look at the many technology, Internet, and service industries that have emerged from a garage, kitchen table, hotel lobby or bedroom, to realize that this is not a trend but is locked into the fabric of our new economy.
The Second major shift is information. It enables people at the click of a mouse or touch of a bottom to retrieve, read, view and listen to within nanoseconds. Resulting in better informed and will educated consumers.
Competition and information are in reality your largest hurdles to contend with in your business and at the same time your greatest asset. So what does all this mean? It simple means that for a person or business to remain in business or start a new venture with some certainty of success – you'll have to adopt a marketing and leadership mind set to position successfully in the mind of your customers and prospects.
The goal in business today is to position your company, yourself, your product and service in the mind of your customer. You'll want them to think of you as their 1st provider of choice.
When we closely examine the failure of companies it's generally not a lack of money that brings them to their demise. It's more a combination of attitude and knowledge about marketing, selling and leadership skills.
Lets scan the "Six Stealth Weapons to Kill any Company" and their counter parts and how you can avoid falling victim to them – giving you some guarantee and certainty for your success.
- Killer # 1 – Ego Leadership – Manage by intimidation and have a know-it-all attitude. Never listen to others and always try to run your business as you have in the past. Counter Part: To achieve and maintain high levels of performance growth and motivation – Set an example of embracing change, nurturing growth, provide training, communicate openly and honestly, walk your talk, delegate, resolve conflicts immediately and lead through inspiration.
- Killer # 2 – I have satisfied customers. Counter Part: Satisfied customers are just as likely as unsatisfied ones to switch to the competition. You need to always know what's on your customer's mind? What are their attitudes regarding your products and services? How can your customers be reached? What exactly influences your customer to do business with you?
- Killer # 3 – I have a great group of sales people – they can sell anything. Counter Part: You market first and sell second. Marketing is a strategy. Selling is a tactic. If your marketing is poor – no matter how good your tactics are – you are not going to do well
- Killer # 4 – Our Business is providing quality. Nobody can beat our quality. Counter Part: "Perceived truth is more powerful that truth itself." Marketing is all about perception in mind of the customer. When customers perceive you to have quality, whether your product is better than your competition or not – you will be their provider of choice.
- Killer # 5 – Market to the Masses. Counter Part: The old paradigm in marketing: Focus primarily on your products and services and constantly market to the masses to find customers to buy them. The new paradigm in marketing: Market to the mind of your customer. Focus on your customer, one customer at a time, and find more products or services for that customer.
- Killer # 6 – Out of Sight – Out of Mind. Counter Part: The kiss of death to any business is when your customer never hears from you or about you. To keep you in the upper most part of their mind and provider of choice, there are literally hundreds of ways to make a powerful impression on your customers.
To survive in today excruciating fast-paced business environment you need to differentiate yourself from ever other competitor out there. You must find upwards of 10 to 14 ways to stay in the mindset of your customer. It's imperative.
