Is your company a forefronter, follower or Fossil?

Marketing is key to the success of any business and must be customer driven in order to be effective. Make customers your prime focus and reap the rewards.

Putting customers first

Design your whole business around your customers’ need

Effective marketing is often described as ? making what you can sell, not selling what you can make. ? Organisations that sell what they can make are product led: they make the product first, consider customer afterwards, and see marketing just as a means of persuading customers to buy. The most successful organisations make what they can sell. They are customer led, creating products and services in response to customer needs.

Gather as much information as possible on the requirements of potential new customers

      Try to develop an outward-looking approach to marketing, as opposed to an insular one.

When you consider a move to a new company , identify first the marketing company type you are willing to work for!

Forefronter: consistently anticipates customers’ needs and gets its products to market first. Innovative and proactive. This type of organisation truly understands marketing. It invests in research and product development and devises innovative solutions.

Follower: Dislikes taking risks. Prefers to play it safe and see which way the market will go before deciding whether to take any action. Lacks pioneering spirit. This type of company might attain success, but its attitude will always limit achievement. A more proactive approach would improve marketing success.

Fossil: Has always conducted business in the same way and sees no reason to change. Conservative, insular, and complacent. Such organisations need to develop a more outward focus. Activity must be driven by customer need, not company habit and tradition.

Dominique Dierckxsens

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