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Small
Business, BIG Marketing™
by Will
Dylan ©2004
CHAPTER 1 - THE
MARKETING CHALLENGE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER (con't)
Here’s a
quick primer on features vs. benefits:
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Features
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Benefits
|
|
This
vacuum features the most powerful suction nozzle
in the business
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This vacuum gives you
the cleanest carpets possible in no time at all! |
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The new
BMW325i features a new durable engine design
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This car offers
unmatched reliability and provides worry-free
driving for many years |
|
This book
features information about marketing on a tight
budget
|
This book will help
small business owners market themselves more
effectively, leading to higher sales and profits. |
Once you
know your value proposition, you make that your message
and that’s all you talk about from then on when you
are trying to attract customers. You don’t sell vacuum
cleaners, you sell the best vacuum cleaners. Or
you offer the best warranty in the business on
your vacuum cleaners. You won’t have the time or space
in any of your ads to explain everything about your
product or service, so just stick to the “value
proposition”. That’s what matters, because that’s
what makes people buy something.
This
is the reason that you never see any ads on TV that say
“This vacuum cleaner will clean your floor”.
Where’s the value in that? That’s no different than
other vacuum cleaners. The ads always say “This vacuum
cleaner will clean your carpet better than any other”,
or “This vacuum cleaner will clean the carpet and it
is the cheapest cleaner available.”
In
short, the “value proposition needs to mean
something to your customer”. It needs to be a
benefit, just like those listed in the chart above.
Here are
some additional examples of value propositions:
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Business
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Value
Proposition
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ABC
Roofing Co.
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Quality Service and the Longest
Guarantee in the area |
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Local
Donut Shop
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Convenience – Open 24 hrs to
serve you |
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Al’s
Plumbing
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Reliable service backed by 20
years serving the community |
Each
of these small businesses is different, but no matter that
they do they can still boil down their value proposition
to a single statement. Why should a customer hire the
roofing company? Well, the longest guarantee of any
company in the area will appeal to those who are looking
for a high quality, worry free roofing job. The donut
shop plays on the convenience of its 24 hours
operations. And the Plumber’s value proposition is
that he’s local and has a long history in the area.
This makes customers feel more comfortable calling him,
because his value proposition is all about serving the
local community, and with a long history, customers will
feel more confident that his business practices are
legitimate.
**Think
about your product or service. Think about what makes
what you stand out from your competition. Make that your
value proposition and tell your customers about
it….over, and over, and over……**
Now
that you’ve put some thought into who your competition
is and what your value proposition to your customer is,
it’s time to discuss the marketing tools you can use
to promote your business. The next few sections will
outline some of the key
marketing practices that will help you promote
your small business and improve your bottom line
results.
Begin Chapter 2
>>
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