EXCITING NEWS!

Hopefully, most of you have been visiting just www.GuruGilbert.com and not GuruGilbert.blogspot.com.

I am very excited to say that I have converted my blog over to a WordPress system which is by far the most professional and advanced blogging software out there. It operates on a stand alone system meaning that it's just GuruGilbert.com now, no Blogspot or anything attached.

There are many incredible features that I love about the WordPress system. My favorite feature is that all of my posts will now be categorized. Depending on your mood, you can choose to read the category that most interests you.

Also, you can now subscribe to my blog and get all of my posts right in your inbox.

You will also notice how different the site appears as it is a lot more professional and clean looking.

It's amazing to think I started my blog over a month ago and it's been going extremely well. There is some incredibly exciting news to come about my blog so stay tuned.

Bottom line for you:

Visit www.GuruGilbert.com from now on!

See ya there, if you are reading this!

Yo' Medium

Step 5 – Determine Your Marketing Medium(s)

Remember, when I said it’s critical to choose a niche that you can easily contact? You’ll understand why that was good advice when you go to choose your marketing medium(s).

What the heck is a marketing medium?

Glad you asked. Your marketing medium is the communication vehicle you use to deliver your marketing message. It’s important to choose a marketing medium that gives you the highest return on your marketing dollar (ROMD). This means that you want to choose the medium that delivers your marketing message to the most niche prospects and possible customers at the lowest possible cost.

The following is a smattering of tools you have at your disposal to get your message out:

Newspaper ads, posters, contests, seminars, TV ads, signs, sweepstakes, door-to-door, teleclasses, radio ads, banners, trade shows, yellow pages, articles, classified ads, newsletter, charity events, networking, infomercials, billboards, take-one-box, telemarketing, magazine ads, special events, sales letters, flyers, email, blogs, movie ads, Ezine ads, online ads, postcards, door hangers, agents, press releases, fax broadcasts, brochures, gift certificates, word-of-mouth, website, sign picketing, business cards, catalogs, public speaking, window display. Want to make a huge impression? Use a blimp!

As you see, there a ton of different mediums to get your message out. The trick is to match your message to your market using the right medium. It would do you no good to advertise a retirement community using a fast paced, loud radio spot on a hip-hop radio station. Or it would do you no good to advertise your restaurant that caters to college students on a classical radio station. That is a complete mismatch of the market, message and medium.

Success will come when there is a good match of these three elements!

What is your message?

Many of you have commented and emailed me about how simple this 7-step marketing plan is so far. Well I got news for you... it is simple. Business doesn't have to be so complex. If you have a great idea for a product/service two easy things can help you very quickly and inexpensively test to see if you have a viable and sustainable business opportunity.

First, get out there and ask your potential customers what they think because after all you should be going into business to serve customers. You may very well think you have the best product/service in the world but you need to ask other people besides your grandma and mother. Ask the people who are going to be paying you their hard earned money.

Second, if you actually sat down and created this marketing plan you'd learn way more about your business, market, competition, price points, etc. than you could imagine. Forget an extensive business plan. You aren't attracting venture capital (at least not just yet).

Quick review:
1. Understand your market and competition.
2. Understand your customer.
3. Pick a niche.


Step 4 – Develop Your Marketing Message

Not only does your marketing message tell your prospect what you do, but it persuades them to become your customer. This marketing message should be included in all of your marketing materials and promotions. To make it persuasive and compelling include the following elements:

· An explanation of your target prospect’s problem
· Proof that the problem is so important that it should be solved now
· An explanation about why you are the only person/business that can solve your prospects problem
· An explanation of the benefits people will receive from using your solution
· Example and testimonials from your customers you have helped with similar problems
· An explanation about prices, fees, and payment terms
· Your unconditional guarantee

It's all about a NICHE!

Step 3 – Pick a Niche

Everybody can’t be your customer! If you say that your target customer is “everybody” then nobody will be your customer. You’ll have more success jumping up and down in a small puddle than a big ocean.

Carve out a specific niche and dominate that niche! Then you might consider moving on to a second niche (but not before you dominate the first one!).

Also, do not pick a niche that you can’t communicate with or that costs you a ton of money to contact!

I repeat, do not pick a niche that you can't communicate with or that costs you a ton of money to contact. This is extremely important and you'll learn why.

Numero 2

Step 2 – Understand Your Customer

You must know your customer intimately to make easy sales. Until you know who your customers are, what they want and what motivates them to buy, you can’t prepare an effective marketing plan. To really get to know your customer ask yourself questions such as:

-How does my potential customer normally buy similar products (i.e. in a store, on the web, door-to-door)?
-What kind of habits does my customer have? For instance, where do they get their information (i.e. television, newspapers, magazines, online)?
-What are my target customer’s primary motivations for buying (i.e. saving money, increasing revenues, looking good, being healthy, avoiding pain, filling their belly, having a great time, etc)?

Bottom line, if you don't know your customer then what are you going into business for?

Your first step

Here is the first of a very simple 7-step marketing plan. If you can't complete this then you better re-think your product or service that you are planning to build a business around.

Step 1 – Understand Your Market and Competition

Do you make this mistake? Many small business owners find the cool product of the week and latch on to it. That is okay if and only if you understand the market and what it wants (not what it needs). Typically, people buy things they want not need. How many times have you walked into the supermarket with a mission of getting milk, eggs and bread and walk out with so many other goodies you didn’t plan on buying?

A profitable market consists of people who have dire wants that are being unmet. So much so, that they will jump to buy your solution, product or service.

You must get an understanding of your market so ask yourself questions like:

· Are there segments in my market that are being underserved?
· Are the segments of my market for my product or service big enough to make money?
· Is there too much competition in the segment of my market to be competitive?
· What are the weaknesses in my competition’s offering that I can capitalize on?
· Does my market want or value my unique competitive offering?

Rule # 1

Your #1 priortity when it comes to your business or developing your business should be to create the very best marketing plan for your business. This is critical! If you don’t have a marketing plan it is essential that you create one. You can have the best food, service or product in the world but how are people going to know about it?

The secret lies in learning how to grow your business effectively. There are several strategies you can use to grow your business, but they all fall under these four general categories.

1. Attract more customers
2. Increase the average sales amount
3. Make your customers buy from you more often
4. Hold on to your customers for life

I want to cover the basics so we are all on the same page. Next post, I will begin with what I believe is a very simple and effective marketing plan.