When companies are stumbling over their marketing, failing to master one of the three Ps – positioning, presentation, panache – is likely at fault.
Here’s why.
Do you know who you are?
Positioning is one of the most critical elements of a company’s marketing. It’s your identity. It addresses who you are. What makes your product or service unique. How you differ from the competition. What clients can expect when they work with you. If you can’t answer the above, odds are your marketing isn’t working very well.
How you can help me?
You need to be able to tell prospects and customers exactly what your firm can do for them.
For example, if you claim to be experts in time management, you should be able to estimate how much time a company can expect to save if they hire your firm. By translating the time into hourly wages, a company can see that working with you will help them save “x” amount of dollars per year.
It’s quite simple and a lot more effective than just saying “we can save your company a lot of wasted time”.
Do you look the part?
Success is contagious.
Presentation is the second most important aspect of marketing your business. It’s the face of your company. From the receptionist in your office to the sales and marketing team and right up to the CEO. Every person in your firm represents who you are.
So if the person who answers the phone does so in a dull, I-hate-my-job monotone, that sets the first impression of your company. Not a good one! On the other hand, a bright and friendly greeting from a person happy to help you immediately presents a positive impression.
Of course, presentation isn’t limited to employees. It’s reflected in your business cards and marketing material, on your website, in the professionalism of sales calls and networking, in each meeting and every follow-up.
If you want potential clients to view your firm as a possible vendor-consultant-partner, make sure that everything and everyone related to your company presents well.
That something special.
Panache….as in style, you ask? What does that have to do with successful marketing? A lot, actually.
Say you’re an IT support service firm. Your technical knowledge, track record and response time are far more important than style. Your clients probably don’t give a damn how you dress (other than looking professional).
But panache has a variety of meanings. Ability and aptitude, for example. Coupled with experience, these are skills that an IT firm should certainly have.
For most businesses, when I refer to panache, I mean that “extra something”. An edge. It might not even be anything you can define. Call it flair or spirit — charisma or energy. It’s what makes people want to listen to what you have to say. Or see what you have to sell.
For a retailer, it could be fabulous taste and unique products, invitingly displayed. Or a merchandising flair that creates drop dead gorgeous windows where people just have to stop and look. Throw in a warm and friendly sales staff and you’ve got the elements for a successful retail shopping experience.
Savvy marketers want people to stop, look, listen….and buy. Those with the right positioning, professional presentation and a bit of panache have a much better chance of succeeding than those that don’t.
Photo Credit: Ambreen Hasan via UnSplash