Question

Topic: Student Questions

Where Do I Start When Marketing For A Company That Has Never Done Any Marketing Before?

Posted by Anonymous on 6/30/2004 at 8:12 AM ET 250 Points
I am starting a 2 month summer placement soon with a telecommunications company. They provide the telecommunications systems and maintenance for them to other businesses. I have 2 years experience at university doing a marketing degree, but have never had to put my knowledge into practice. The thing is the company have never done any marketing before and have little knowledge of it, but they now want to create more business. I dont know where to start and what the first steps are when marketing for a company that have never done it before.
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  • Posted by Deremiah *CPE on 6/30/2004 at 11:55 AM Accepted
    mjslavin,

    aosterday has given great advice. Your professors are a great resource. They would love the opportunity to show you what they know and how to apply it.

    Also the good news is that you all currently have customers and competition. The customers will help give you insight into why they purchase from your company. Spend time with them. Spend sometime understanding who they are and why they buy and how this becomes important to your marketing. Is there is anything else I can do?

    Deremiah, *CPE
  • Posted by Deremiah *CPE on 6/30/2004 at 12:48 PM Accepted
    mjslaven,

    In my 20 years of sales & consulting I've never met a customer who was more than happy to receive a phone call. A great deal of the time the customer feels like they have been abandoned after the initial sell takes place unless the company is great about their intent to follow up.

    Phone call versus a Questionaire I would say phone call. It's more personal, more interactive and questionaires tend to be cold and uninventing. If you were in a relationship with someone you loved would you choose a questionaire over a phone call?

    Another thing to remember is keep the phone call on a relational tone. Don't come across like your doing an investigative study. Put yourself in the position of the customer would you want some one to call you up asking a whole lot of questions as if they were only concerned about getting what they needed? "I don't think so". In other words serve your clients needs. Put yourself in a more concerned state of mind before you call. Be geniune, be concerned, be like a an excellent waiter who earns more money from the tip. Be a Servant.

    I call this "falling in love" with the customer.

    If possible try to set up a visit to see some of the customers in person just to create a greater warm and fuzzy feeling for them. Because of time you may have to call the majority of your clients and that's okay.

    Discussion groups with customers only tend to work when the setting is natural. Meaning if you have a lot of clients who have a reason for being at your facility on a given day it might work but as a general rule I just have not seen this happen that often.

    Thanks for your reply. Is there anything else I can do for you? I would love to help. Please let me serve you.

    Deremiah, *CPE

  • Posted by Deremiah *CPE on 7/6/2004 at 11:14 AM Accepted
    mjslaven,

    you're welcome. At KHE we love to help. Remember to "Fall in love" with the customer. What you plant in the lives of people comes back to you. Let us know at a later date how the information has helped you. Is there anything else I can do for you?

    Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE
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