Analyse Your Business

Taking a close look

The first step to really effective marketing is to take a good, objective look at your business - at the products and services you offer and the experience you provide, and write down what you find. It may seem simplistic but it really helps to focus your attention on what words and images you want in your adverts, and what messages you want to communicate. If you work with an agency, this is exactly what they will do in order to pare down to what's important about your business, and what to represent in your advertisements.

How to do it

This is an easy task and only takes 20 -30 minutes, but it is worth shutting the door and concentrating on what goes in the columns. It's also worth circulating it to staff (and anyone else who's close to your business, like family) to get other perspectives.

Get a piece of paper, write your business name at the top and divide it into four columns. As an example we've used an imaginary watersports school: Northumberland Watersports:

PLANNING SHEET
Northumberland Watersports


What we do	Why we do it	Our assets	How it feels

Then underneath write:
Price: Cheap - Average - Expensive
Credits and awards

Filling it in

What we do - write in all your products and services. Asterisk or highlight any main ones. You'll use this column to make sure you've covered all the aspects you want to in your literature or brochures, your covering letters to customers (if you have them), your website and the key entries from here will go into your advertisements and your PR.
Why we do it - why are you in the business you are, where you are? Because you've spotted the niche? Because you have the experience and the skills? Because you've got the perfect location? Because you're passionate about something? Because you want people to experience what you get a buzz out of? You'll use this column to identify key messages about the 'tone' of your business.
Assets - what are your real strengths, as a business? This is where you identify what sets you apart, what your customers really respond to. Entries in this column will be key selling points and will be keywords to use in your text.
How it feels - how does it feel for your customers to do business with you? What does it feel like for your staff to work for you? Try and wax a bit lyrical here: relaxed, peaceful, fun, exciting, young? Customers buy because they think they are going to get the experience they desire, as much as to actually receive the products and services. You'll use this column to help you identify customers that are suited to what you offer and also to give you keywords for your advertising/website text.
Price - customers want to know, price is a key decider: are you cheap, average or expensive? Don't know? Check out your competition on the internet, not just in your area, but further afield too, especially in areas you know you draw customers from. If you are on the expensive side what justifies the extra cost? Quality? Service? Location? Extras? If you are competitive, why? Because you believe in good value? Write down the justifications next to the price bracket.
Credits and awards - put down any awards, inspections, membership or affiliations - they are a 'third-party' endorsement that you are good to do business with and are therefore a key comfort factor for the customer. Giving the customer confidence that you are a good business to deal with is very important in making sales.

Our example looks like this:


What we do	Why we do it	Our assets	How it feels
Canoeing Kayaking Surfing Kite surfing Wind Sailing Lessons Certificated courses Taster Days Corporate events Parties Coffee shop Special events**	Location right by the water Got the skills Great way to earn a living Being outdoors all the time Get a buzz out of helping people try something new and helping people develop their skills	Staff Equipment Changing facilities Coffee shop Location Patience Humour Safety record Disabled facilities Certificated courses Our enthusiasm!	Fun Exciting Extreme Professional Serious Funky Young Safe Educational Adrenaline Recharging Brings people together

Price: Cheap average expensive - competitive, we want everyone to have a go

Credits and awards - AALS, Northumberland DC Award, Green Award, Access rating, 'best family day out' Evening Standards

Using the analysis

Together with your customer breakdown, your analysis is an excellent starting point for all advertisements and literature you design and for a checklist of keywords and key services for any PR or other copy you write. It is a great source document to give to any agencies, designers or copywriters you work with.

It is also the basis for your website: 'What we do,' with a bit of tweaking and a few bits from the 'Assets' column, is more or less your main menu and everything else helps you to write the best text and source the right images.

Any design - colours, shapes, choice of font etc - of any logo, printed or online material will need to reflect the 'How it feels' column, and the entries in this column also give you clues as to how to get across the type of experience a customer can expect. Don't underestimate the importance of this: getting windsurfing lessons or a surfing taster day is pretty easy, there are plenty of companies to choose from. Being excited about the great time they are going to have, and reassured as to the safety, patience and humour of the staff is what will convince people to buy.

It also helps to really pin down the tone of your business - our example one is fun and adrenaline charged but also professional, safety conscious and inclusive. Conveying the right tone gives customers an insight into what it's like to do business with you - are you their kind of people? It helps to attract the customers you want, rather than the ones whose expectations won't be matched by what you offer and your culture, and it gives people subconscious clues about the kind of behaviour and responses expected from them.

Take the next step in this section: