Part 2

The Five Fs

Keeping the Five Fs in mind, describe the message you want to convey to customers about your product or service.

Power of the Indirect Message

Indirect messages can leave an even stronger impression with customers. If brochures are cleanly designed and sales representatives conservatively dressed, it conveys the impression that the company is professional and responsible. If the decor features trendy colors and rock music plays in the background, the implication is that the company is youthful and contemporary.

“Everything supports the vision. That’s the key in retailing. Everything must reinforce the central concept you are trying to convey to your target market, including your product lines, the customer service you offer, architectural design, the hours you’re open, even the type of bags you use.”

Nancy Glaser Business Strategies Consultant

Sometimes, unfortunately, a company sends out mixed messages — for example, having nicely dressed salespeople but poorly printed sales material. How will you convey an image to your customer that reinforces your direct message? How will you add value to your product or service through design, packaging, and presentation?

The Five Fs worksheet on page 160 helps you organize your answers to these questions; the information then can be incorporated into the Marketing section of your business plan. This worksheet helps you summarize how you reinforce your company’s image and what you are trying to tell customers about your product or service. Use the information for internal planning as well as in your business plan.

Marketing Strategy Once you have clarified what you want to tell customers about your company, you must describe how you disseminate that information.

How do you reach potential customers? Do you advertise? If so, where?

Do you send an email newsletter? If so, to what mailing lists? Do you optimize your website for search engines? Do you participate in trade shows? If so, which ones and how frequently?

Since every marketing vehicle costs money, carefully plan how you intend to spend your marketing dollars. In devising your overall marketing program, be sure you look for:

■   Fit. Your marketing vehicles must reach your actual target customer and be appropriate to your image. ■   Mix. Use more than one method so customers get exposure to you from a number of sources. ■   Repetition. It takes many exposures before a customer becomes aware of a message. ■   Affordability.

Use the Marketing Vehicles worksheet on page 162 to document how you employ various marketing vehicles in your business.