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When marketing is not producing the desired results, fundamentals are missing.

One of these basics that is often missed in small businesses and charities is they are focusing on their own needs and the business they wish to attract. This is reflected in their marketing.

How often do we see a flood of promotion going out from a company, and nothing coming back?

The intention of the promoter is what determines the result of his promotion. If his intention is on attracting business to himself, his attention is on himself and his promotion is directed, therefore, at his own business. The response from his target market is invariably disappointing as he is, in effect, talking to himself.

The exclusive interest of the trained promoter is to create an impact on his target market. His intention, the carrier wave of this communication, impacts at the other end of the communication line and creates an effect. The degree of this effect is measured by the amount of reach coming back from that market.

It’s very simple, but often missed.

The desired result of outflowing to a target market is not inflow from that market. The desired result of outflow is an Impact on that market. The result of this impact is what produces the flow back to the company.

Establishing what the target public needs is a first step in creating effective marketing. This is accomplished by surveys.

Many years ago a veterinarian came to me with a puzzle. He’d taken out a full-page – and expensive – ad in the “Yellow Pages” directory of his area. It promoted everything he did in his practice from de-worming to dentistry for dogs. His offerings were so many they appeared like a blur on the page. The ad begged people to come in, and expressed his desperation for business.

We surveyed the dog and cat owners in the San Fernando Valley around his practice and discovered that these owners were angry about fleas. The second most common response, also an angry one, concerned ticks.

We wrote an ad that said, “Fleas, Fleas, Fleas, Fleas and Ticks, too! Call 213———– Today!?” We cancelled the Yellow Page ad and posted this simple message in local weekly newspapers, pet magazines and around shopping centers.

He was amazed with the response.

Stop talking to yourself. Create an impact on your target market and they will beat a path to your door.