The power of positioning

Being successful in today's competitive business environment means developing a strong and clear identity directed at a specific consumer group. With a targeted identity, you can pinpoint your marketing efforts thus avoiding often frustrating, expensive, time-consuming, and fruitless shotgun- marketing tactics.

Big corporations call this approach "positioning," a technique that channels their marketing efforts towards specific consumer segments. Examples of such targeted markets are numerous, including teenagers, senior citizens, shop-at-home, do it yourself, boating enthusiasts and golfers, with each segment exhibiting unique marketing needs.

Those who master the art of catering to these special segments often achieve significant success; those who don't sometimes wind up at the bottom of the heap. Never-the-less, many business owners and managers stubbornly attempt to satisfy nearly all segments of the population -- rich and poor, young and old, the trendy and the mundane. With this old-time "general store" approach, they often never achieve real success.

But why do so many business owners insist on using a shotgun-marketing approach to running their business? Perhaps because, at first, its very tempting to take the big leap and "go for broke." After all, marketing to a much larger diverse population would seem to offer much greater sales potential. But this can actually severely limit rather than expand your sales opportunities. This is because its almost impossible to develop real expertise in all markets, a limitation that can weaken your credibility and diminish your appeal to your customers.

When you go for broke what actually happens is this. By seeking a much wider range of targets, the greater the likelihood you are of missing them all. So, reaching for the whole enchilada means you run the risk of winding up without a single bite. This is why positioning makes good sense.

You can reach your positioning goals by observing the following simple guidelines aimed at building customer appeal and improving your credibility which can add up to improved revenues and income:

1. Refrain from the temptation to be all things to all people. Unless you've got money to burn, leave this approach to the big-time, multi-million dollar discount store chains.

2. Try to set your sites on a specific, easily identifiable market and then zero in with related advertising, merchandising, and sales promotion programs.

3. Continually test and perfect your positioning approach with well planned market research involving questionnaires, telephone surveys, and other proven methods of gauging your customers and prospects.

4. Make a special effort to become a genuine expert in your field through special training, membership in appropriate trade associations, subscribing to specialized trade publications, and by constantly appealing directly to your targeted customer and prospect base.

Position marketing means making at decision to become a true insider, a real expert connected directly to your unique market segment. So keep your eye on the ball and sooner or later your efforts may pay off handsomely.

Robert E. Bunn is an acquisition and management consultant in Cape Girardeau. (335-3351 or email at rbunn@igateway.net)