SQUARE ONE MARKETING: Going forward by getting back to basics helps merchants focus

Successful marketing is all about asking the right questions, the basic ones. Beginning at (or returning to) Square One to achieve Square Won:

• In what business am I?

• What is my business’s responsibility?

A sound, enduring answer is another s series of questions, such as:

• Am I a merchant (or manufacture) caring about consumers?

• Am I a peddler, a seller?

• Am I in business to make to satisfy consumers or make a profit or both?

Merchants and manufacturers need to search their souls to answer the first questions about in what business they are involved and the responsibility undergirding it.

From my perch, good business is mutual, providing goods and services that meet the needs of people, without gimmicks, stunts, tricks, shenanigans or entrapments.

It is a calling that rejects the churn and burn mentality that is gone, dead, kaput. So many reasons abound, but the first and foremost reasons are purpose and place.

The purpose is to help people to live comfortably and affordably, providing them significant options to enjoy life in their homes for better living. That means good style and design.

As for the other questions about caring about people called consumers, the answer is obvious: Of course, as an ongoing process of remaining flexible in always discovering and modifying to meet changing needs of people.

That takes substantive work because home furnishings merchants wanting to succeed cannot be static or curb markets providing just any old house-home-stuffs.

The merchant-peddler-seller question always piques interest. Merchants are deeply involved, in touch and always passionately seeking to differentiate their business to meet the changing needs of people.

Peddler-sellers are selling to sell what seems to be anything: A sofa here, a chair there, get the sale that’s what’s fair.

This sell-anything mentality segues in to the hard question of whether being in business is to make a profit or satisfy people.

The quick, shoot from the hip, not-so-hip, response is both. But it’s not. From my perspective, which is aligned with people preferring a ethics-based marketplace, the answer is obvious.

You’re in business to satisfy people with the reward coming as profits that confirm that all is right with merchandising, buying, operations, customer service and all functions that serve the best interests of people wanting to live comfortably and better with home furnishings.

If all my discussion seems too smarmy, self-righteous and pious, then your feeling confirms you might be out of alignment with the needs of a changing market place.

Serve others as you wish to be served with dignity, distinction, compassion, enthusiasm and an indefatigable desire to know what you are doing will add zest, comfort, stability, beauty and function to the lives of people.

All the rest is just commentary.

Comments

[David Lively]

Ivan, thank you for a wonderful post. Our furniture industry must grasp these concepts and then make some tough choices.

Over at www.thelivelymerchant.com I continue to talk about the same issues.

The idea of serving another person seems to have been lost.

The last generation of Americans to be in control were the Baby Boomers.

Times however have changed. By the end of this year- just another 6 weeks the mantle will have moved.

While some say authority will move to the Xer's, it will actually jump to Generation Y or the 13th generation.

Surprisingly to many this young generation has the heart of service imprinted into their collective DNA.

It will be a joy to watch them fulfill the happy-talk of their fathers.