Every Day Marketing - You Are the Product

Yes, everyone every day is using marketing elements and concepts to convey ideas and also market themselves to others.

There is a section in Trout and Ries "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind" (20th anniv. ed 2001) called, "Positioning Yourself and Your Career". In it, they talk about (p.207) defining yourself clearly and simply, "People suffer from the same disease as products. They try to be all things to all people. The problem with this approach is the mind of the prospect. It's difficult enough to link one concept with each product. It's almost impossible with two or three or more concepts."

The process for marketing yourself is the same as marketing a product; there are three general areas of marketing planning, and at each stage, success depends on data.

1. Market analysis - Know the customer, know the product, know the company, know what you are up against (the competition, the alternative choices, the other candidates) enough to identify and convey the one most important factor.

• This involves getting facts and data to support a very clear understanding of the person or organization, the product, competitors, customers, and market influences.
• The outcome should be clearly defined internal strengths and weaknesses of the company and product, and any external opportunities, threats, and trends that would impact success of the plan to market the product or service.

2. Marketing objectives and strategies - Have a cohesive strategy for each of the marketing mix elements (product or service design, pricing, promotional mix, distribution), focusing on the unmet needs and interests of your target.

• These strategies for the product, pricing, promotion, and distribution, rely on the information obtained regarding the opportunities and barriers in the first phase, and should focus on the documented and quantified behaviors, interests, and unmet needs of targeted segments of the market for the product or service.

3. Implementation and controls - Be able to quantify, measure, and test the results of your strategies, and have a fall-back plan for adjusting your strategies to stay on course for reaching the goal.

• This starts with a good marketing budget and implementation schedule, and with measurable milestones and feedback, so that adjustments can be made to the strategies to keep the plan on track.

So, what is so special about you? What is your unique sustainable competitive advantage?