Marketing Expertise in Demand

According to Growth Accelerator signups, the biggest skills gap in high growing businesses is marketing followed by sales and then funding.

We shouldn't be surprised, most people who start a business are doing it because they had some technical specialities be that, baking cakes, designing technical solutions, solving problems, building or making something, etc.

So, when they start out, little attention is paid to marketing a business. But without marketing sales don't materialise and the business soon needs extra funding.

Unless you are a marketing specialist or have studied the subject, marketing can seem like Double Dutch. We've been taught about the 4 Ps; Place, Product, Price and Promotion when we first dipped out toes in the marketing pond. But then the goalposts moved, as soon after that Profit and People were added.

But now there are 14Ps  - and possibly even more than that! They are:

• Planning
• Product
• Price
• Place
• Perception
• Proposition
• Promotion
• Personality
• People
• Process
• Protection
• Performance
• Profit, and
• Proactivity

The key to success is to methodically work through each one of these areas. Yes, it will take some time especially thinking time but it will be time very well spent. And as you move to the next P you will see how they all interlink and make a really positive impact on your overall marketing plan, outlook and activity. Combine these Ps and you'll have a really focused, achievable marketing plan to roll out.

Marketing, much like sales is crucial to any business success, sadly seen as a necessary evil for many business owners!  If you are a non-marketing business owner then you need to start taking this very seriously if you want to grow your business.