Does The Market Really Want It?

At the very heart of any successful marketing strategy is the determination of what your present and prospective customers need, want, and desire. You have to find out what they want before you try to sell it to them. Never make the mistake of investing a lot of money into a product or service you want to sell before you understand how much demand really exists on the part of the customer.

If you want to be successful in business you have to provide a product or service people want. You cannot create demand. All the best marketing will not be able to sell a product or service that no one wants. The advertising graveyard is filled with award-winning campaigns that did not make a dime, because there was no desire, need, or want for the product being sold.

You certainly must have a quality product or service, but you first have to put your effort and money into validating that there is sufficient market interest to actually warrant rolling out your product or service. You need to test first. Conduct surveys and focus groups about your product or service. This will validate or invalidate the viability of what you are trying to sell.

In order to be successful, you need to have a product or service that the marketplace is willing to buy, and a market approach that can sell the product or service at a profit. Unless you have both, don't even think about investing your time and precious capital developing a product or service.

I am constantly amazed at how many people come to me who have lost thousands of dollars trying to market a product or service that they didn't test to see if anyone wanted to buy it. Always remember this rule: You don't have the right to tell the market what it will buy and at what price. The market will always tell you what it will buy and at what price. Always test first. The market will never lie to you.

If you have an idea for a product or service you must know everything you possibly can before developing it. Here are a few research ideas to help you get started.

* Go to the library and check the periodicals. Pull up every related article and story from the past week, month, year, and even five years that is related to your idea.

* Research the internet about your idea and your competition as well.

* Go to a shopping mall and ask the management if they have a facility you can rent for conducting a focus group. Most malls have them for a small fee. Ask passing shoppers whether they'd like to participate. If you tell them they will be compensated for their time, you'll get people to participate.

All contents Copyright(c)2005 Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. A former ad agency executive and marketing consultant, Joe's work in personal development focuses on helping his clients identify hidden marketable assets that create windfall opportunities and profits, as well as sound personal happiness and peace.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com/

____________________

Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!

Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!

Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!

Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!

Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

In The News:

---

LA reveals unveils new tourism marketing slogan
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 1 hour ago
AP LOS ANGELES—The city on Friday unveiled a new marketing campaign built around the slogan "That's So LA" to keep tourists coming despite the nation's ...
New campaign to boost LA tourism abc7.com
all 23 news articles

Reuters
Audi says it will increase US marketing efforts
Chicago Tribune, United States - 4 hours ago
Those marketing dollars have an aim to push Audi US sales to 200000 vehicles by 2018. Schwarzenbauer said the company has a goal to sell 1.5 million Audis ...
Audi plans record US marketing spending Reuters
Audi plans to boost US marketing budget Automotive News
Audi says it will increase US marketing efforts Fox 28
DetNews.comall 16 news articles

Columbus tech firm buys Dayton marketing company
Bizjournals.com, NC - 7 hours ago
Implications International, which specializes in interactive marketing, brand design, and Web development, has offices in Peoria, Ill., Mumbai, India, ...

Wellstar/TMI Begins Marketing Imaging System to Long-Term Care ...
MSNBC - 2 hours ago
TMI's marketing plan includes a program where LTC facilities can lease the equipment necessary to perform skin assessments and store the necessary data ...

Halekulani to get marketing boost from Japanese hotel
Bizjournals.com, NC - 6 hours ago
Effective April 1, Imperial Hotel will start reservations service, sales, marketing and public relations activities within Japan for Halekulani and Waikiki ...

Proton Laboratories Announces New Sales & Marketing Office
MSNBC - 19 hours ago
Proton will start by marketing a variety of enhanced water products that provide health benefits for people and the planet as well as the commercial product ...
Proton Laboratories opens Southern California office Bizjournals.com
all 9 news articles

Zoo honored for marketing campaign
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 4 hours ago
... different companies around the US The Utah Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services recognizes excellence in marketing communications ...

Boston Globe
FedEx trims '09 marketing budget by 25%
Bizjournals.com, NC - Jan 8, 2009
United Parcel Service Inc. rival FedEx Corp. will cut its marketing budget by more than 25 percent for 2009, the company recently disclosed on its blog. ...
FedEx cuts marketing spend by more than 25 percent Reuters
FedEx cuts marketing budget DM News
FedEx to reduce marketing budgets by 25% Brand Republic
all 45 news articles

Katz Media Launches New Marketing Unit
FMQB, NJ - 10 hours ago
Katz Media Group has launched a new, national marketing unit that will create custom solutions for advertisers and their agencies with the goal of ...
Katz Launches National Marketing Unit, Trims Staff Media Buyer Planner
Katz Media Group forms marketing unit BtoB Magazine
Katz creates unit to handle ads for new radio platforms SmartBrief
all 6 news articles

Examiner.com
Cape May tourism department wins marketing award
Examiner.com - 14 hours ago
by William Sokolic, Jersey Shore Examiner The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International will recognize the Cape May County Department of ...

marketing - Google News

The 30 Incredible Ways To Sell Your Products Now and Sell More

How to sell more and sell quickly online for your products and service? Here is the long list for your reference. 1. Turn your ad copy... Read More

Marketing Manual Sample Outline

The key to success in any business relies a large part in your ability to market your product or service. Often MBA students spend years studying marketing... Read More

How to Magnetize Your Business

Do you ever wonder how some businesses always seem to be doing so much business? And how they seem to do all that business without really trying... Read More

The Importance of a Marketing Plan

There aren't many things in life that you would get into with out a plan. Marketing is no different. Your overall marketing plan should cover about a... Read More

Massage Marketing Made Easy: A Simple Nine Step Marketing Plan for Therapists and Bodyworkers

Marketing is actually very simple. It involves telling people what you do...over and over and over. The key to successfully marketing your massage therapy business is consistency.So,... Read More

The Benefits of a Marketing Plan

What is a Marketing Plan? Marketing is to do with matching the features and benefits that your products and services are able to provide with specific customers... Read More

Where Should I Network?

Building business relationships through networking is a great way to build your business. The caveat? It's a slow process.What are some of your options? There are many... Read More

How to Turn Your Marketing Into a Money-Making Machine - Examples of solid Marketing

As Claude Hopkins presented in his Scientific Advertising many decades ago, there are scientific ways of tracking your Marketing and Advertising and determining clearly and unequivocally what... Read More

Website Marketing: 10 Uncommon Bonuses That Will Help Make Your Product Hotly In Demand

Giving away free bonuses is an important website marketing secret that can ignite your sales.1. Consulting-Give your customers advice on topics related to your product or service.... Read More

The Power of a Survey

How many times have you been asked to participate in a survey? If you are anything like me then the answer is probably hundreds. I am often... Read More

Whats Your Marketing Attitude?

Entrepreneurs pay a lot of attention to the mechanics of marketing. They take workshops, read books, and hire consultants to find out how to do the best... Read More

Five Tips to Make Your Marketing More Creative

Same old same old just doesn't sell anymore. To make your marketing stand out, you need to get creative. Below are five tips designed to get... Read More

Marketing A Misunderstood or Scary Product or Service

What do you do if your business, product or service is something hardly anyone is aware of or understands? Or worse yet, if it is something they... Read More

Discount Promotional Items ? How to Save Money

It takes money to make money is an adage we hear everyday in the business world. So, when it comes to getting promotional items, you've got to... Read More

Direct Mail Response Rates Low? Eliminate These Mistakes

Are your direct mail response rates lower than you expect? Check your sales letter or direct mail package against this checklist to uncover the reasons for your... Read More

4 Ways to Get a Prospects Attention Fast

Can you remember the last dozen advertising messages beamed at you today? Can you remember even one of them? Most people can't.This illustrates a major obstacle you... Read More

Build Lifelong Networks With Your Own Barter Group

I don't know if you have ever seriously considered bartering. If you haven't considered it, it's probably about time that you did. Why? Well, besides the fact... Read More

Positioning For Success

According to military historian David Chandler the campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte consistently rose above the expected. For more than 20 years Napoleon showed genius and skill as... Read More

Marketing Lessons from Santa

If a nonexistent man can change the world and millions of people with a message of joy then his marketing plan surely works. Right? Then what has... Read More

Alarming Marketing Trend

One key discipline of successful direct marketing has been to test marketing communications tactics to continually improve results. There is now an alarming trend according to a... Read More

Ten Crucial Questions

Ten Crucial Questions for Your Business Future I'm a business coach. I've worked with hundreds of small, medium and very large business, and over the... Read More

Good Vibes/ Bad Vibes

Have you ever walked into a store or business and felt uncomfortable there for no apparent reason? Have you ever walked into a store all happy and... Read More

Have You Captured Me Today?

There are many Web sites I visit every day and will probably never return to again. It's not that I didn't like the site, or that I... Read More

Give me a Referral any Day - the Power of Networking

I nearly panicked recently! Well, maybe a slight exaggeration but here was a situation I had not been in for some time. The freezer had broken down... Read More

How To Bond With Customers So That They Stay With You Longer

How many of your customers are loyal customers? More importantly do you know why they are loyal customers?Customer loyalty has been a buzz term in marketing for... Read More

Large One?

Here's a proven, and truly easy way to start increasing your sales, immediately.All you need to do is add these 2 words to your selling system, and... Read More