Why do I need a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy?

As a marketing consultant our job is to look at the total picture, step back and evaluate everything about the business, its neighborhood, customer base, employees, reputation, history, current successes and failures. Then we do an comprehensive analysis of the entire effort. Every client I have every discussed this with knows that changes are needed. And clearly, we can't do everything at once. So, after this evaluation process, we sit down with the owner and a checklist of ideas and approaches. The owner and any other trusted advisers then figure out what they want to do from the list, and together we establish a reasonable timetable.

Our job as consultants doesn't end there. Unlike attending a seminar or reading a book on the subject, where the likelihood of implementation of new ideas may never get past the idea stage, it is part of our responsibility to make sure your list gets done. We will train the employees, print the materials, create the ads, PR, or MySpace, find the suppliers and service providers as necessary. All, of course, with the dealers approval and direction.

The goal, of course is increased profits. All other business and personal goals are much easier to make if there are profits.  Because, lets face it, no matter what is left on our list of hopes and dreams, almost without exception it takes money to achieve them. For example, many owners I talk to have a dream to take more time off. But in order to do this, they would need either more employees or fewer shop hours. Both of those are possible with more profits.

Maybe the goal is to sell the business. At least 20% of all owners are at an age where retirement is a major consideration. Since the value of a business is almost entirely determined by its profits, adding profits increases the potential sale price.

The list is long of how profits can benefit you. It may be as simple as your spouse wanting a new car, more vacations, or private school for the kids. And then there is health care, retirement, college costs to consider. An extra 10% or 25% has to help.

Our job as business professionals is to provide our client with everything he or she needs to maximize their benefit from contact with us. Sometimes we lose sight of that idea as we talk about the latest features of a hot new product but not the benefits. Sometimes we fear that the customer has spent their last dime on the some part of what we offer, and can't afford the accessories, clothes, or upgrades that they really need if they are going to keep get the full benefit of the prouduct.

For 17 years between 1978 and 1995 I gave over 100 seminars on sales to bicycle dealers. I did them in shops, in the back room of restaurants, and at industry shows. The basic ideas have been laid down in my four books on bicycle retailing and two books on general business. But the funny thing about selling for a living is that we constantly forget the basic rules. And those basic rules will ABSOLUTELY add profits to your bottom line.

Job ONE for Randy Kirk and Associates is to make sure that you and anyone else on your sales floor is maximizing the number of dollars per customer who visits your enterprise, not from pushing things on people they don't need or want, but rather by doing the job right in properly providing the products and services that the customer needs, thus increasing the likelihood that they become an client.

We will train your staff, encourage them, create incentive ideas for them, and track the results. We will use best practices from companies in your industry and outside of your industry to help you select future employees and maximize their potential. This results in a win for the customer, for the employee, and for you

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