The Tribune

By D’Arcy Rahming

“Listen to me, son, we don’t need all of this marketing stuff.” I was told this recently by a client who I had done an online university for. “I will just speak to my contacts and they will accept it. It is just a conversation for me. They would be crazy not to accept.” Well, as you might have guessed, they did not accept it. In fact, they just stole this poor client’s idea. Now, of course, we are working on Plan B, which is to market directly to individuals. This means that the client and I have to really listen to what the market place wants.

Listening is a major secret to marketing. I spend much of my day helping people add value to their client’s lives by advising them on how to market their products and services. This means that I have to learn what is special about them, and translate that to more sales. So I have, in effect, a consultancy practice, which means I have to listen very carefully. If I just present ideas without first listening, any consultancy is doomed to failure.

Many business persons are product-focused. But many have good instincts for what their typical customer wants. For example, many businessmen have been devoured by the recession. The good news the fact that their doors are still open, meaning they are doing something right. So the better they know their product or service, and their typical customer, the more likely they are to survive and thrive, even without good marketing.

The same is true for my marketing consultancy. One of the reasons I provide a free initial consultation to a client is because I need to understand what issues in the business are keeping him or her up late at night. Sometimes I can help, and sometimes I can’t. Sometimes it would be better for the client to attempt certain things themselves. Then, if they need assistance, they come back to me. The bottom line is this: Marketing is not as easy as it looks, but by understanding your customer’s needs you can often survive just on this.

Now, what a good marketing consultant can provide is a system, which you can automate if necessary, to consistently bring in good leads and clients. However, the marketing consultant is not the expert in your business - you are. Therefore, your marketing should be focused around your product knowledge and your basic understanding of your ideal client.

NB: D’Arcy Rahming holds a Masters of Management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. A lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, Mr Rahming has clients in general insurance, retail, the health and medical fields, sports federations and financial services. To receive his marketing newsletter FREE go to http://darcyrahming.com