Up and Running Blog

Varju Luceno

shoes

Can a Good Marketing Plan Sell a Mediocre Product?

by Guest Author on May 20, 2010

I recently worked with a small business owner who told me that she knew her target market. She was indeed able to describe her ideal clients in great detail, but she was not as talkative when it came to listing the needs and problems of her prospects.

The above mentioned entrepreneur participates in networking events, has posted several videos on YouTube and is familiar with most social media marketing tools.  She is also a decent speaker, active on Facebook and I can attest to her success in attaining thousands of followers on Twitter.  She seems to be doing everything right, yet she is not successful at converting prospects to customers.

shoesIn my efforts to give her some fruitful advice we analyzed her marketing plan, including her core marketing messages and marketing budget. Our discussion eventually shifted to her products.  Why couldn’t she sell seemingly good and well-packaged products? Should she blame the recession?

We came to the conclusion that her offerings and marketing messages did not have enough depth to stand out from her competitors’ messages and turn prospects into customers. In addition, her products did not offer a new solution to a real problem her target market was experiencing, nor did they meet a burning need of her ideal clients.  She did not have an edge – the hook was missing.  She could not sell sneakers to prospects who needed dress shoes.

Small business owners often fall in love with their products and services and stop thinking about their target audience and its changing needs. We tend to believe we know the audiences we serve, but we should stop and think again.

ducttapemarketingbadgeVarju Luceno is the owner of Global Office Partners – a marketing firm that focuses on the needs of professional service businesses. Varju is also a global marketer, blogger and writer on small business and technology related topics. She earned her MBA in marketing from the University of Montana in Missoula.
Web: globalofficepartners.com
Blog: outsourcemiracle.com
twitter.com/varjuluceno

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Online marketing is about conversations

by Guest Author on December 17, 2009

“Marketers can’t push products on people. They have to think like journalists and create a dialogue with their audience to earn a prospect’s trust,” notes Varju Luceno of Global Office Partners. “Many firms will need to reinvent their marketing in 2010.”

As you get ready to flip your calendar over for the new year, take some time to rethink your social media marketing system and goals, with the helpful tips in this new Mplans.com article: Why Your Company Needs a Social Media Marketing System in 2010.

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projectplan

Seven Steps to Successful Project Planning

by Guest Author on December 11, 2009

Lately, I have been part of several project teams. Some of these experiences have caused me to sit back and analyze the project planning process to understand how project management planning and implementation could be improved. Why do projects managed by talented people end up being delayed or not completed? Why do project teams sometimes feel that they are shooting at a moving target? I find that the lack of proper planning or failure to create a systematic approach can be fatal to projects.projectplan

Seven steps to successful project planning:

1. Every project needs a roadmap with clearly defined goals that should not change after the first phase of the project has been completed. All stakeholders benefiting from the outcome of the project should be named and their needs stated.

2. Develop a list of all deliverables, make sure all project team members are familiar with this list.

3.  A document that clearly outlines all project milestones and activities required to complete the project should be created and maintained. Establish reasonable deadlines, taking into account project team members’ productivity, availability and efficiency.

4. Create a budget for your project.

5. Ideally, project managers should be able to choose team members who work well together.  Identify by name all individuals and/or organizations involved in the project. For each of them, roles and responsibilities on the project should be described in detail. Otherwise, miscommunication may occur leading to delays and situations where team members may have to redo their work.

6. Set progress reporting guidelines – monthly, weekly or daily reports. Ideally, a collaborative workspace should be set up for your project online or offline where all parties can monitor the progress.

7. Identify the risks involved in your project and discuss alternatives if new requirements will be added to your project or members of your team will not meet the deadlines.

These steps should get you started with delivering your project on time, within your budget.

ducttapemarketingbadgeVarju Luceno is the owner of Global Office Partners – a marketing firm that focuses on the needs of professional service businesses. Varju is also a global marketer, blogger and writer on small business and technology related topics. She earned her MBA in marketing from the University of Montana in Missoula.
Web: globalofficepartners.com
Blog: outsourcemiracle.com
twitter.com/varjuluceno

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