How To Get Business - Push vs. Pull

How To Get Business: Push Vs. Pull

By Terry L. Brock

Yesterday I had two different calls, from two different clients, in two different countries, yet the message was the same. “Terry, how can I get more business?” Both people were experienced business professionals who had done a lot in their respective fields. Yet, both were in what we call “a dry spell” and needed to bounce back---soon!

So, how can you get more business? This is the effervescent question every entrepreneur is asking. Often in my work as a marketing coach, I hear people saying something like, “I have this idea and believe we need to tell the market about it. How can I get that message out there?”

This is a noble idea, but I think it is often jumping to step 3 rather before steps 1 and 2 are securely in place. Let me explain.

To get business, we often talk about a “push vs. pull strategy” in marketing. Do you “push” your idea out to people telling them about it, sending out lots of advertising, etc. etc. Or do you “pull” them into you with enticing offers based on what they are looking for? If you’re a regular reader of these articles, you probably know I strongly favor using encouragement, enticement and persuasion vs. force, sheer lung power and “pushiness.”

I’ve always felt it best to find the market which wants something and then provide that something they want. Dan Kennedy, a legendary marketing coach, says he always wants to open a restaurant for a hungry, even starving crowd with lots of money. That is the key! Find that hungry crowd that has money and then open a restaurant. I’d even go Dan one further and advocate running through the crowd, pen and notepad in hand, asking them what kind of food they’d like today. Then dash back to the kitchen and have your cooks make up the best, mouth-watering menu they’ve ever experienced. Not only will your “starving customers” get a meal they’ll be raving about it and want to come back for more!

Here are some concrete ideas you can implement to get business:

Study The Market. This is the tough part. We have to be objective like white-coat-wearing scientists who don’t care about their own personal feelings but check what the market is saying. Think of yourself as a doctor who is examining a patient for what is wrong. Your own personal feelings and ideas are nice, but what really matters is what the objective, reality-based results say. Find what the market has and needs. Look for gapping holes. Fred Smith saw a big hole in the market for overnight delivery---then came up with the idea of Federal Express (now FedEx Kinkos). Tom Monaghan, the founder of Dominoes Pizza saw a need for quick, fast delivery of pizzas. Find that need out there.

Use Technology To Investigate. Today we have the Internet to help with research. Use tools like WordTracker, (http://www.wordtracker.com/ ), and Google’s new Hot Trends, (http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends) to find what a lot of people are interested in right now. This way you’re not just relying on your own feelings and opinions. Find what others are saying. This is also a great way for parents to know about “what’s hot” with their teens. Visiting Hot Trends is a good way to stay up to date for busy people!

Do Your Own Primary Research. Find out what real people are saying. Conduct a non-scientific random sampling of your own customers. You can also survey others (www.surveymonkey.com --- good tool here) as a way to find answers to common questions.

Do The “Flag Pole” Test. This is one of the best I’ve found. The old phrase of “Raise it up the flag pole and see if anyone salutes” works in the real world. Try several ideas. Carefully track which ideas sell. The old marketer’s credo of “test, test and re-test” works here. Successful marketers never stop testing. I remember in Market Research classes in Business School they told us the importance of “testing in Peoria” to find good products. People can say they want Blue Widgets in your surveys. However, if they buy Red Widgets in the store in Peoria with real dollars, that is what the successful marketer notes for reference. Put on your white coat, market researcher, and be objective. Measure. Test. Evaluate. Yes, it’s hard work and would be easier to set back and speculate on what you “think” the market wants. However, your bottom line will be better having implemented scientific testing and measurement.

Gain Quantum Competence. You have to be really, really good at what you offer. Don’t just give a book report. Get the training, education and credentials necessary. Develop the products that are sound. You have to have a great product, not just great ideas. Continually upgrade and test your skills and product knowledge. Without a sound product, all the market research you do is just theory.

Don’t Throw Away Those Gut Instincts. Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink, tells us about how we judge what is going to work. Sometimes we can have that “gut instinct” but it usually is successful only after lots of real-world experience. Keep testing and trying new ideas. Some don’t work. In fact, most of our initial ideas won’t work. However, keep working and massaging them coupled with real-world testing, and you improve your odds on getting what the market wants.

These steps can help you get more business. It is not easy. I can’t offer you a smile and a handshake along with a simple formula to get more business. But, if you’re willing to pay the price, put in the hard thinking work, and do the testing, you’ll find what the market wants. Then produce that “meal” for your “hungry restaurant customers” and they’ll love their first meal, they’ll keep coming back for more, and they’ll tell their friends. Then you’ll have lots of business and I’ll have to write my next column on “How to handle long lines at your restaurant.”

Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and columnist who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

Copyright © 2007, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission