The year has only just begun, but all of us are already diligently working towards our 2013 forecasts, implementing sales and marketing efforts.
But are they the right sales and marketing efforts?
Today’s newsletter, Imagine it is December 31 …, encourages you to “plan backwards’ in order to make sure you are doing the right things to make this year a success.
Plan backwards!
Today’s newsletter is the last part of our series, The Fundamental Truths of Marketing. Today’s article focuses on one of the most critical, but often overlooked factors in marketing: Your External Brand Can Never Be Stronger Than Your Internal Brand.
To read the previous articles in the series:
Overview – The Fundamental Truths of Marketing
Fundamental Marketing Truths 1 & 2
Fundamental Marketing Truths 3, 4 & 5
Fundamental Marketing Truth #6
Keep these truths close at hand. Keep them top of mind. You’ll find your marketing – and your business results – improve.
Our series on the Fundamental Truths of Marketing now takes us to #6, “Complementary is More Important Than Consistent.”
Consistency is nice, but it’s not enough to create compelling brand impressions in the minds of your customers. Think more about how the interactions with customers complement each other, creating a rich sense of Brand Harmony.
To read the other articles in this series:
The overview of the Fundamental Truths of Marketing
Fundamental Marketing Truths 1 & 2
Fundamental Marketing Truths 3, 4 & 5
Stay tuned for Fundamental Truth #7, which will be published on December 11.
Last month I published a newsletter article called The Fundamental Truths of Marketing, in which I outlined seven principles that are critical to recognize as you are trying to persuade your customers to act in ways that drive your results. Two weeks ago I wrote an article that dug deeper into Fundamental Marketing Truths #1 and #2.
Today’s issue is the second follow-up to The Fundamental Truths of Marketing, and will focus on Fundamental Marketing Truths #3, #4 & #5.
These truths relate to branding, and how customers form their impressions of you. (Hint from Truth #4: You don’t brand your customers. They brand you.)
On October 17th I published a newsletter article called, The Fundamental Truths of Marketing, in which I outlined seven principles – or “truths” – that are critical to recognize if you want to be successful at persuading your customers.
In today’s newsletter, Fundamental Truths of Marketing – #1 and #2, I’m focusing more in depth on the first two of these truths. (I’ll cover the remaining five truths over the next two issues.)
I’d love to hear your comments. How do these fundamental truths affect the way you interact with your customers?
Today’s newsletter reveals The Fundamental Truths of Marketing. These fundamentals are the basics, the building blocks, of every marketing strategy– and are all too often overlooked.
Read the newsletter: The Fundamental Truths of Marketing
Imagine you were shopping in a store and, after picking out all of your merchandise, you couldn’t find the cash register to check out. You look around for a while and then drop the merchandise on the floor and walk out without buying anything.
Do you ever make it hard for your customers to find your cash registers?
Read today’s newsletter: Every Company Has Cash Registers
Growing your company is usually good for your company, but not always good for your customers. Today’s newsletter, Too Big Not to Fail, focuses on the challenges that growth creates for your relationships and communications with customers.
Is your company too big not to fail its customers?
Behavioral economics demonstrate that it isn’t logical to expect our customers to be logical. So why are we so logical in our pricing decisions? In today’s newsletter, “Logical Pricing is Bad for Business,” I explore concepts in Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational and Daniel Kahneman’s new Thinking, Fast and Slow.
It turns out the best pricing strategies may be illogical… but they are also predictable.
Read the newsletter: Logical Pricing is Bad for Business
The ultimate in marketing communications: Your company spends its communication energy talking about its customers, not about itself. And, your company never has to brag about itself, because your customers praise you plenty.
Think about that: You talk about your customers, and your customers talk about you. What a goal to strive for.
Have a look at today’s newsletter, “Ultimate Copywriting,” for some ideas on how to make this happen.
"When Steve Yastrow writes, I pay close attention"
- Tom Peters
"I had to buy two copies. The first one is so dog-eared and underlined I couldn't read it any longer."
- Seth Godin
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In addition to writing, I spend most of my work time helping companies unleash their potential by creating better connections with their customers. This happens through my speaking events and through Yastrow & Company consulting engagements, where my team and I help companies figure out who they intend to be in the future, and then engage the entire company in creating that future through strong "We" customer relationships.
Before starting Yastrow & Company in the mid-90s I was vice-president of resort marketing for Hyatt Hotels. My experiences in the hotel business showed me clearly that most marketing doesn’t happen in the marketing department. Customers are paying attention to all interactions with a company, not just the promises made in traditional "marketing communications."
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