stevenclark.com.au

Business often starts out with an inner directed focus where its all about the product concept - “if we build it, they will come”. Hands up if anyone notices that orientation in their approach to selling themselves as web developers? You’ll notice it in your clients as well and its an important step to be able to see that and assist a shift in perspective to the next marketing paradigm.

The shift goes to the selling concept - “we will sell what me make”. Its a little less about the inner focus in a business sense but its still on that end of the scale. In this paradigm you’re really just saying this is what you’re good at (web design or illustration or programming) and that’s what you’re going to sell. Which is fine but then you realise there’s a better paradigm again.

The third concept you come across is the marketing concept - “we will make what we can sell”. Its where you’re moving your business perspective from the inner business focus towards an outward perspective. You start to realise you should be producing for the market - there happens to be a hole in there that nobody is filling so you move into it. Many businesses stop there and don’t realise the next paradigm which improves again on what you can offer customers.

The outward focus of the relationship marketing concept - “we will provide a 360 degree relationship perspective to customers”. Its about developing long term relationships with all your stakeholders throughout the value chain including clients, people you work with, companies you deal with for marketing and retail, your web hosting service, the people you buy your hardware and software from, and the community as a whole. The aim is to create mutual satisfaction with all the key players in your business.

A big part of the business mind set of relationship marketing is to identify, attract, differentiate and keep your customers - Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Relationship marketing goes well beyond the transaction of selling a product for the return of cash. It focuses on a 360 degree view of your business environment.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 14th, 2007 at 3:33 pm and is filed under business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.