Business Marketing #101: T.L.C...Part Two

T.L.C., Three Marketing Steps!

T.  Take what they give you.

L.  Lend a helping hand to the added products and services you will initiate.

C.  Create.


We are back.  Part two.  As promised, we are going to define a new marketing method.  We will define a new pattern, a new format for you, the business leader, to begin practicing.  This new format of marketing patterns will help you develop better winning ways in how you build your business volume.  It will be a change away from how you move each day.  You will begin to move your mind and marketing efforts in a new format of working patterns.  You will change how you approach each working day.  From now on you will be trying to remember these three marketing hints, T.L.C.

It is time you begin working on a new and exciting success path.  We need to change your mind of thinking.  You need to believe that it is alright to win.  You will like how this turns out.  You will like learning the art of how to enjoy marketing your business in a more satisfying way.  It will have some challenges, but what the heck.  That is business.  Challenges are part of the nature of leading a business model.  What's new?  Challenges are a part of the structure of leading a business model.  We are going to change some marketing mind sets.  In the end your business model will become more satisfying to manage and more productive to guide.  Your personal and business growth will improve.

T.L.C.  That is where we need to start.  Most people know that T.L.C. represents Tender Loving Care.  Keep that concept over the head of this new change.  Treat it like an umbrella over your business head.  As we work this new philosophy into your daily thinking patterns, keep a sharp eye on all of your 'tender loving care' responsibilities.  That will be another subject of responsibilities for a later post.  In the meantime, just recognize that the demand for your 'tender loving care' attention during these daily changes will increase.  Open up the umbrella and lay that 'T.L.C.' over all of the elements that govern your business model.  As I mentioned briefly in part one on this subject, do not become a bull during this change effort.  Your business model will suffer from that kind of move.  If your personality is too weak to refrain from becoming a bull, shame on you.  Grow up.  You are not five years old anymore.


T.  Take what they give you.

L.  Lend a helping hand to the added products and services you will initiate.

C.  Create.



First of all, let's get the 'take' part of your business marketing plan down pat.  Every single day you should make sure you have every part of the 'take what they give you' working perfectly.  Check your solid selling items and make sure you have adequate stock able for your customers to purchase immediately.  If you are a feed store, never ever be out of the daily feed products they come in to purchase.  Never!  If you are a vacuum cleaner shop, never ever be out of the replacement bags and belts they come to purchase.  Never!  You need to make absolutely sure that you are never out of the regular stuff they come to purchase.  It is a marketing crime to miss this point.  There is no excuse for not having what they routinely come to purchase from your business.  If you are a coffee shop, and your favorite drink they purchase from your shop is a mocha, never be out of the mocha mix.  Never.  Learn how to at least 'take what they give you.'

This part of marketing is often an easy part to forget.  I have witnessed many business models fail at making sure they have in stock the most routine items to sell.  I see this kind of foolishness often.  Never get too busy with your multiple duties to forget to order the stuff you routinely need.  Never be out of stock of those solid items.  Never.  Become an accountable business model.  Show great respect for those regular routines your customers come to expect.  The word underlined above is ABLE.  Become able and ready.  No excuses on this one.  Do whatever it takes to get your mind working on double checking this most important part of your business marketing plan.  Learn how to fully 'take what they give you.'  This is basic stuff.  Do not forget to manage it perfectly.  You are the one who sees to it that this part of your business model does not fail your customer.  Get very good at 'taking what they give you.'

If they like blue sofas, make sure you are never out of blue sofas.  If they like cream on their coffee, make sure you have the best and most choices of cream always on hand...never out.  Never.  Do not miss this most important marketing rule.  Become the business model they can trust.  Never ever be out of fuel when they come into to fill up.  I do not care what the world runs into on the distribution side of the business equation.  Always make sure your regular stuff gets delivered on time and never out of stock.  No excuses.  Have a "B" plan in place in case you have a distribution challenge pop up somewhere.  Sometimes one of your sources may go on strike and fail to deliver on time.  That is no excuse for your business model to fail.  Do not get lazy on this very serious part of your marketing efforts.

If some supplier fails to carry out what helps you provide what you need on hand, go to plan "B" immediately.  Do not wait and miss your opportunity to come through.  Be accountable to what your routine customers expect.  Deliver what they want when they come in.  Learn the art of 'taking what they give you.'  Become solid every single day on this effort.  This might mean that some of you business leaders need to change how you walk during your daily routines.  Some of you business leaders may need to change a few little things in your daily routines.  Some of you might need to add some additional preparation and follow-up steps that help you make sure you protect your business model from failing to 'take what they give you.'

It might relate to your operating hours, it might relate to the products you sell, it might relate to the brands you carry or it might relate to the marketing concepts you develop.  Whatever your business does that becomes exactly where your customers expect, make sure it never fails to provide that feat.  Learn how to "see" your business nuances that become part of what your customers expect.  Once you discover these routine expectations, never fail to provide them.  Never.  Teach you and your staff how to protect this most important part of your marketing plans.  Learn how to daily 'take what they give you.'

T.L.C.  Next, 'lend a helping hand to the added products and services you will initiate.  Let's learn how to lend a helping hand.  It is the second step to our development of a new approach to business marketing.

The Three Marketing Steps Of T.L.C.

Remember, we are going to change how you think.  We are going to change your preconceived notions and your current marketing beliefs.  We are going to change your daily marketing habits.  We are going to add value to the business model you manage.  We are going to drive your marketing methods with a different steering wheel.  Your vehicle will look the same but your methods will begin to look different.  The direction your model will be headed will also change its course.  We will steer it to more successful lands.  We will incorporate the concepts of T.L.C.  We see how the first step is performed.  We see how we must respect and protect the concept of 'taking what they give you.'  Now we must move onto the second step.  We must begin the work on 'lending a hand to the added products and services we already move and provide.'

For example, if we sell fireplace inserts we must make sure we learn how to add the cleaning products, the fireplace tools, the variety burning materials and any other ancillary items that people need to purchase that are part of the fireplace environment at home and the patio.  We need to discover what added items can enhance our fireplace insert sales.  That does not mean we add Dockers trousers to our displays!  We need to make good sense with how we add what we add.  We also need to make sure that we do not cripple our 'open-to-buy budgets' for ensuring that our 'take what they give you' products are always able to be purchased and displayed.  Never sacrifice these 'take what they give you' items and services by diversifying too much.  Remember to make sure the 'take what they give you' products are well under control before you begin lending a hand to added products and services.  This is a minimum step to respect.  Milk and bread are marketing minimums for a grocery store.  Never fail to have them in stock.  Never.

Next to the bread, make sure you have some jams and jellies.  Next to the milk, make sure you have some chocolate cremes and Oreo cookies!  That is how you learn how to 'lend a hand to the added products and services you already move and provide.'  Help your customer remember how much they like to enjoy the added benefits of other products.  'Lend a helping hand to the added products and services you already move and provide.'

If you are a garden center, next to the rows of tree displays make sure the clippers, pruners and loppers are displayed nicely in that region.  'Lend a helping hand to the added products and services you already move and provide.'  Set up a nice display of tree amendments near the rows of trees.  Set up the bug sprayers, the soil enhancers and proper fertilizers that will help your shoppers remember the other things they need to add as they shop for a new special tree.  Make sure you display professional signs that are easy to see, read and understand.  Have those signs describe the best ways to plant the trees.  Make sure those signs show pictures of how those trees look in the different seasons of the year.  Set other plants near those trees that will grow well under those trees.  Include signs that suggest how to manage these combinations bets.  Show the customers quality pictures of how each tree can become a new arrangement in their yard.  Learn how to 'lend a helping hand to the added products and services you already move and provide.'  Get busy teaching your staff how to improve their display efforts in these areas of marketing.  Quit being so lazy.  Get busy marketing this concept.

If you are a jewelry store, do this very same stuff.  If you are an electronic store, do this same stuff.  If you are a consulting firm, do this same stuff.  If you have trouble learning how to improve this kind of marketing thinking, get help.  Ask questions.  Ask your favorite customers where they like to shop and ask them why they like those places.  Listen closely to their answers.  Do not become offended with what they share.  Encourage them to share what pushes their 'happy' buttons.  You can learn the most from the way they prefer to shop.  Help them help themselves.  Learn the art of 'lending a helping hand to the added products and services you already move and provide.'  Learn the art of enhancement marketing.  Learn who to embellish the routine stuff they buy.  Make sure you study how to accomplish this routine well.  Get good at including this kind of marketing work into your daily plans.  Grow your staff.  Grow your suppliers.  Grow your personal knowledge on how to improve in this area.  Your customers and your business is waiting to look like it runs professionally.  Your staff will love the challenge of learning how to improve this part of their marketing ways.  Go see how the good ones do this kind of stuff.  Visit other sellers.  Visit other websites.  Look at trade magazines and discover how the best are doing it better.  Get more informed about how to improve the way your business 'lends a hand.'

As you develop these new business routines, make sure you spend time each day working on these two areas of marketing concerns.  Force yourself into becoming very good at the first step.  Make certain your business model 'takes what they give you.'  Never fail at this responsibility.  It is your job to ensure that step.  Become very good at this part of your job.  See to it that your model never lets your customers down on this minimum effort and responsibility.  No excuses.

Once you have secured this marketing effort, get busy learning how to do step two.  Learn the art of  'lending a helping hand to the added products and services you already move and provide.'  Get real good at this kind of marketing.  Teach your staff how to improve in these areas.  Do it smart, do it professionally and do it consistently.  Start wagging this tail.  Keep this effort motivated and moving.  Never let moss grow under these kinds of efforts.  Work your day into this kind of froth.  Be creative, become smart and think fresh!  Above all, do not ever allow this kind of marketing effort steal any thunder from the first step.  Make sure you never compromise the fist step with this second one.  Remain steadfast with the first step...'take what they give you.'  Then move to step number two.  It will always be step one, then step two.  In that order, always.

That is enough for now.  We will tackle the last step on the next post, part three!  Get busy working your daily routine around these two marketing steps.  Set up some kind of structure to make sure you include these two responsibilities into every single day of your business leadership.  I do not care if you are an accountant or a retailer, market your wares well.  You can always grow and add staff!

We will work on 'Create' in the next post on this blog.  It commands more depth in thinking.

Until next time...