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Two Sides of Your Business
Marketing & Advertising - 66 Strategies: Y2M TIP 9
Inside Reality vs. Outside Perception
The inside reality has to do with all the things your business does that makes you valuable to your customers from a product, operations, and management standpoint. The "inside reality" is about what you doand what you are that allows your business to perform better. It's what gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
The inside reality encompasses everything you do and everything you are that makes you good. It's all your skills, your people, your expertise, your service to the customer-before, during and after the sale-your systems, your operational procedures, your commitment to excellence, your passion, and the way you conduct your business. You might think you're actually better than you are, or, you might not be giving yourself enough credit for the things you do well. Regardless, there is a reality of how valuable you are to the marketplace based on these things. That's what we call the inside reality.
How the inside reality in your business? You probably already know. If you asked your customers why they bought from you, they could tell you something quantifiable, specific, and instantly obvious. They could point to specific advantages of doing business with you and say, "That's why I do business here; that's why I refer my friends to come here; that's why I'm a loyal customer of this place; that's why I don't mind paying more here; that's why I keep coming back." That's your inside reality.
You need to innovate your company so that there's a reason for people to buy from you. There are popular gurus who do a great job of teaching you how to do those things. But here's the problem: Just because you've achieved "WOW!" doesn't mean that customers are going to flock to your business. You still have to market your business. And that's where the "outside perception" comes into play.
The outside perception is how customers and prospects perceive your company. The outside perception is developed by all interactions somebody has with your company. Customers will draw on their past buying experiences to form their outside perception.
Even if your customer service is great and your customers love you, none of that means squat to a prospective customer if 1) they don't know you even exist as an option, or 2) they can't distinguish your value because of your inability to market yourself properly. They generally perceive that you are no better or worse than anybody else.
Regardless of how good you are or how good your "inside reality" is, can your prospects company that sells whatever it is you sell? If the answer is yes, then your prospects will more than likely be apathetic at best, resistant or hostile at worst. Unless you are communicating your inside reality well, you will end up competing with other businesses on price – a no-win situation. Look at advertisements in any newspaper and you will see a vast majority of ads are based on low(er)(est) price.
Ask yourself: "How many competitors, either direct or indirect, do we have in our business?" Whatever that number is, that's how many choices your prospects have, and how many businesses they have to sift through to try to make a buying decision. And that's assuming they want to buy what you're selling! Because of the large number of process, and 3) lower the risk of taking the next step in the buying process.
You've got to work on both sides of your business - the inside reality and the outside perception. If you concentrate all your efforts on the "inside reality" but you don't know how to market properly, you set yourself up for frustration and failure. You'll be pulling your hair out trying to figure out where your money vanished, or you'll feel like the "best kept secret in town." Or, if you're focusing all your efforts on the "outside perception," you may have bought some advertising or direct mail books, or you hired a PR or ad agency, or enlisted a media sales rep. Now you'll have customers, but they'll hate you because you're selling them a lie! You must balance both sides of your business.
In fact, we venture to say that the crux of all marketing problems-including yours-can be wrapped up into one simple statement:
Most companies' outside perception is not an accurate reflection of their inside reality.
Although what your current customers think about you is important, what your prospects think about you is even more so. Here are some simple test that will tell you if your inside reality is aligned with outside perception:
1. Can your prospects perceive that you're any different or any better than their alternatives by looking at your ads?
2. What about your brochures?
3. What about your website? |
Is it instantly obvious what makes you better? Can you show what makes you unique and different and how prospects should judge your offer, what factors they need to consider when deciding, and how you provide value? If not, you have some work to do to ensure that your outside perception is an accurate reflection of your inside reality and to convince prospects that you are the obvious choice to business with.
This Newsletter was brought to you by...
Ajay Prasad,
President,
Global Marketing Resources,
Irvine CA, 92606,
USA (949)654-7897.
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