The simple answer is no.
But, as you would expect, there is always a caveat with a simple answer.
The magic bullet in marketing is the understanding of the market that the product serves, not the list of features, and how the product solves a problem that is shared in the market..and, here is a semi-magic bullet… and wants to be solved.
In the past, a classical approach has been advocated for our go-to-market programs. An approach routed in strategy. And, it starts with the right positioning information from the product management team to identify the product, its key message, description and features. Use this information to understand the target segment, and the specific buyer personas that those segments identify. Only after identifying what drives a buyer, what motivates them and how they respond can you move forward in action. (And, remember, identify if this problem that the product/feature addresses wants to be solved!) Once the persona is understood, understanding the buying/sales process is a too-often critical element that is overlooked. However, to enter the creation of a new marketing program, without being able to match the buyer’s need with an identified sales step, often results in a stopping of the process without a positive result. The next step in the strategic approach involves looking at the persona and sales process and defining the right marketing program, artifact, which will solve the need to move forward in the process. This program should be reflective of the need, and not driven by a delivery mechanism, electronic or traditional.
Adele Revella has done some incredible work on “understanding the buyer persona.” Her blog can be found at http://www.buyerpersonas.com. It is highly recommended that you read her information before taking another step in your next marketing campaign.
It is highly recommended that you read her information before taking another step in your next marketing campaign.
Is there a magic bullet? No. But, with better understanding about the buyer you are targeting, do you really need magic?
So I woke up this morning to find out a speaker I had arranged for needed to cancel due to health reasons. While I am sympathetic to his plight, and wish a speedy recovery, it raises the question again of what to do when the product is embodied in a person?
Yes, there is a backup available. And, yes, the backup is of the same quality; but, the two do not have the same experiences to share. If the audience receives different experiences depending upon who the speaker is, is this really a repeatable product?
Looking in from the outside, at what point do you say that a service product is repreatable? Is delivering 65% the same repeatable? Is 80% good enough? How do you market the product if the experience is even 1% different?
