Have you ever thought that fear is the reason for most of the failures in life? And it doesn’t really matter what sphere of life we are about to discuss. Really, people were afraid and, unfortunately, haven’t fought completely the fear of what people will think, how we would look like, what if it doesn’t work.
And this fear stops us from being us, from trying to take a step.But there is a saying we believe can be applied to many issues: “It is better to try and maybe make a mistake than not to try and then regret all life”.
You may wonder what is the connection with the business. But there are many people thinking what if their product won’t be in high demand, what if their strategy fails, what if competitors beat them. And even though their product/ service is great they never make it to the top of success, simply because they were afraid to face a risk.
It is better to develop a marketing mentality when making plans. Always think about where and how you will be trying to place your products before starting to produce them or purchase them if you are a trader. Think first whether there are opportunities for penetration of the market you know already, perhaps with new products, or new prices or packaging, before you embark on the riskier voyage in search of new markets.
So, let’s get to the point what is a marketing mentality and how is it developed. There are three components that all link together.
1) The first component is belief. What are the underlying beliefs that affect our mentality? It encompasses our attitudes, thoughts, fears, expectations, and lack of experience. Our actions are shaped by what we think about, what we assume to be true and where we choose to focus. If the thoughts are negative or avoidance minded then we will see marketing as undesirable and in some cases unethical.
2) The second component is behavior which is generally driven by our beliefs. The decisions we make every day are critical and negative beliefs about marketing affect the decisions that are made.
Although we know that the marketing is important, we let our negative beliefs affect our behavior. Before we know it the pipeline is dry, and then some type of marketing activity is undertaken in an unplanned haphazard manner.
3) The third component is the relationship. In order to have consistent lead generation and sales, there must be a relationship cultivated with an adequate amount of prospects. This is the main function of marketing. It is the adage of people to do business with those they know, like and trust. Without a consistent and systematic marketing plan, there will not be a sufficient lead generation process.
We have gathered some ideas on how to develop a marketing mentality which can be applied in your life.
1. Think about your value proposition
Instead of focusing on how your product differentiates from others in the market, think about the problems it solves instead. People are looking for solutions to their problems, not innovative products they don’t know how to use. Make sure that the solutions you offer are relevant to your target audience – if not, redefine your audience.
2. Defining your audience
After you’ve established your value proposition, it is time to start targeting the right people. Discussing with friends, family and business partners can help you shape a better understanding of the type of person who would be willing to become a customer. Think about demographics, lifestyle, hobbies, personality, attitudes, products they are likely to be using, brands they are expected to follow, etc. The more you define your audience the better. Having a clear image of who you are talking to, can lead to more effective communication and better-tailored messages.
3. Your personality = a great brand
When working on your brand keep in mind that it is about your identity. Creating a strong brand from the beginning can act as a great guide for your communications, product lines and everything else as it gives personality to your new business. Use your preferences, principles, purposes to talk to your target audience through your brand.
Your brand’s personality should be aligned with that of your target audience as people are more likely to buy from brands to whom they associate with.
4. Advertise, or make your brand recognizable
Even if you don’t think your product is pioneering enough to be featured anywhere, it is worth the try. Remember recognition, success, profit doesn’t come in bulk, sometimes it takes a little patience.
5. Monitor your competition
Often start-up owners are tricked into believing there are no direct competitors to their unique offering, but that is usually wrong. Think about the general product category and how people usually choose to satisfy those needs that you are offering to fulfill. Now that you’ve found your competitors, research them. Read their websites, social media platforms, engage in active listening by reading customers’ comments and reviews and gain valuable insight that will help you reshape your offering and brand image.
6. Finding your marketing sweet spot
Although your marketing tactics need time to make an impact, that doesn’t mean it’s a one-and-done deal. You need to constantly optimize your messages to maximize their effectiveness.
Instead of focusing on quick wins, combine your long-term strategy with short-term testing to amplify the tried-and-true tactics and find your sweet spot.
After you have successfully completed all the following, it is time to start investing in marketing. The truth is that waiting too long without marketing your business actually causes more damage than good. The sooner you start implementing your strategy, the quicker the ROI.
If marketing is a struggle, it is absolutely critical to engage in this marketing mentality process.
Don’t be afraid of taking risks. You may succeed or even if your firsts attempts fail you can use the experience as a lesson that later can lead to success. To develop your marketing mentality there is one simple trick – try to put on your potential customers shoes, we mean to learn and use their interests for your benefit and, what is more, try to walk in their shoes – think the way your customer thinks, using these tactics will help you to adjust your company’s strategy.
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