How Can Marketing Help My Competitive Advantage?

Entrepreneurs continue to search for ways to increase their competitive advantage. Winning business from competitors isn't easy. In fact, trying to gain new clients can sometimes take quite a long time - time that most companies do not have if they intend on staying in business. In the weeks to come we'll discuss more about competitive advantage and how to increase it through specific marketing initiatives that perhaps you know - but just haven't had time to touch on in a while.

Let's explore areas that will pollinate your competitive advantage by revisiting the following - Get a pen, write it down, or print it out for your own strategy sessions:

• Increase the time it takes deliver your product or service (increase efficiency)
• Survey your clients to find out their level of satisfaction (know your customer)
• Build strategic alliances so that you never lose a contact (make contacts work for you even if they are not your direct client)
• Lean your processes (better understand supply chain management)
• Touch base with your sales force more often (treat your sales force first class, they are in many cases the first contact with client and they know their pains and needs)
• Know your unique selling proposition (revisit your positioning statement to enhance differentiation)
• Have planning sessions for your business (make sure to spend a time each week that focuses on your businesses no matter how busy you get)
• Create a board of directors or group of people that you can learn from (in many cases, professionals will join forces to share best practices, insight, and planning opportunities)
  

You probably know exactly where I'm coming from, but in order to increase your competitive advantage through marketing here are a few specific items to consider.

1. Build a strong relationship with your customer by getting to know them thoroughly - do a little research, keep a database of pertinent information that will help targeted messages
   
2. Implement technology that will better serve your client - examples include: email marketing, dynamic Web sites, and customer relations management software
3. Create stickiness - develop memberships, incentive programs, reward programs, or added value for your clients
4. Make sure your brand is relevant - meaning, make sure that your brand means more than just the offering of your product or service - for instance, community initiatives
5. Enhance the customer experience - create a culture that is customer-focused, making sure that your clients have this experience every time is developed through your systems and execution

These are just a few things I recommend in creating competitive advantage. It has worked for hundreds of small to medium sized enterprise and can work for your business too.

Apply these concepts and you will Augment Your Marketing efforts ten fold.

Trisha Ahlman is a marketing strategist and small business owner. She has worked in just about every marketing function possible for nearly 20 years. Augment Marketing Group's specialty is helping small businesses build strong brands, increase visibility in the market, and generate sales - this is called the B.I.G. system. To contact, email trisha@augmentgroup.com.