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Marketing and the Customer Journey.

Before You Spend Money on Marketing, Take a Look at the Processes in Your Business That Need to Support Your Investment.

Marketing is the process of communicating the value of a product or service in the hope that your message will reach potential customers, for the purpose of selling that product or service.

Marketing is not just a job title, it is the full journey that a person takes to buy your offer. That means that every asset and member of your organisation play a part. No matter who is responsible for creating and implementing your marketing strategy, it’s your job as a business owner, to ensure that everyone in your company knows the image that you want to portray and what their part is in the customer journey.

Road through hills

You’re reading this because you want more business and marketing is the way to achieve that.

If I ask my students what marketing is, most of them immediately think of advertising on TV, leaflet drops or a modern-day equivalent – social media. These are all forms of advertising. You could call them outbound marketing,

Marketing is that and much more. Every aspect of your business plays a part. The way that you and your staff present yourself and the physical representations of your business and its assets are also part of your marketing strategy. This should not be overlooked because those representations have a direct impact on your conversation rate. Low conversion rate = more marketing. High conversion rate = less marketing or business growth.

Contents of this page. hide
1 Your Assets are Part of Your Marketing Strategy.
2 Think about all of the steps that are taken from the initial enquiry.
3 Each Stage of the Customer Journey Counts.
4 Courtesy in Sales.
Business growth infographic

Your Assets are Part of Your Marketing Strategy.

Your premises, where it’s located, the products you have on display, how tidy it is, whether it’s inviting all play a part in your marketing.

Is your showroom a pleasant place to visit?

Does the experience enhance the impression of your business or is a visit a necessary chore to choose options? Does it make your customer feel good?

You don’t need a perfect showroom to offer an enjoyable and professional consultation. Even in a warehouse, you have a choice.

Do you offer them coffee in chipped mugs given to you by a supplier or do you bring out a tray with nice cups and chocolate biscuits?

Even keeping water available and making toilets accessible can contribute to your customer staying with you longer. Once they are uncomfortable, they will lose concentration and want to leave.

Are children welcome?

Do you have a play area for them?

Do you have brochures and samples that are kept in good order?

All of these contribute to your marketing.

Coffee and biscuits

What about your van? Is it smart with signwriting consistent with your brand and kept clean. Do they keep your tools tidy and organised to engender confidence and the feeling that your customers are in the presence of professionals.

What about you or the people who represent you? Do you all share the values of the company and ooze those values in the way that you present yourself and deal with your customers?

Think about all of the steps that are taken from the initial enquiry.

  • Your website.
  • The way the enquiry is handled whether by phone or email.
  • The appointment or survey.
  • The design consultation.
  • The sales process.
  • The paperwork.
  • The follow up after the sale and or/installation.
  • Do you keep your customers informed?

The entire experience of the customer through all of their senses is marketing.

Even when the work is finished and you’ve been paid, the marketing doesn’t stop. Referrals, reviews and repeat orders all contribute to your order book.

Chain links

Each Stage of the Customer Journey Counts.

Every customer interaction is a link in the chain and the more broken links you have, the harder it will be for you to keep that customer close to you right through from enquiry to order.

So marketing is not just the act of attracting enquiries and nor can it happen separately from sales. They have to work together, and they have to support each other seamlessly.

The entire experience of the customer through all of their senses is part of marketing.

Courtesy in Sales.

If you are not creating the right impression right from the start, your job of selling and building a business is made much harder. Business owners are often too busy to make the most out of sales opportunities and can forget about the basics. If you are rushing in and out of sales appointments and treating your prospective customers as if they are a nuisance, it’s time to get back to basics and remind yourself that your business depends on customers. Read our article:  Back to Basics – Sales Courtesy.

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