In previous blogs, you have heard me mention that one of the main culprits is variation and the lack of proper segmentation. We think of segmentation both in a horizontal fashion and a vertical. Horizontal will typically result in segments such as: Direct, Internet, Distributor, Joint-Venture and so on. The vertical aspect of your Marketing Funnel is the image on the right depicted below. This funnel allows you to assign different products to each process stage in the hope of maximizing efforts.

However, if you attempt to improve your Marketing Funnel, how would you go about it? Being a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, the Marketing Funnel bears a close resemblance to the DMAIC process of Six Sigma. Not that I am trying to replace the marketing funnel with DMAIC, but it certainly would not hurt to analyze the resemblance to improve our marketing process. And if you know anything about Lean Six Sigma, the one thing we will attack is variation. However, just using some generic definitions of DMAIC and relating them to the Marketing Funnel can create some interesting observations.

Define
Purpose: Identify the clients, their needs and requirements.
Deliverable: State the need of the client (CTS) and the problem

Measure
Purpose: Quantify Process Performance
Deliverable: Determine baseline process performance

Analyze
Purpose: Identify, Verify and Quantify Root causes
Deliverable: Statistically linking input with output

Improve
Purpose: Create the Solution and Validate
Deliverable: Optimizing Process Operating Conditions

Control
Purpose: Document and Standardize Process
Deliverable: Meet Critical to Quality(CTQ) consistently (Involvement)

Looking at your Marketing Funnel from the DMAIC viewpoint is not that far-fetched, is it?

Related Posts

Your Marketing Vision should define your Customer’s Core Problem
Following the Customer’s Need in your Value Stream Map

Technorati : DMAIC, Lean, Marketing Funnel, Marketing Hourglass, Six Sigma

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In the Duct Tape Marketing book, John Jantsch, the author has really focused on three areas that I feel are the most important: Simple, Effective and Affordable strategies for the Small Business Owner. John effectively followed these terms throughout the book. Take a look at the excerpt and see if you agree: Google Books.

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Ask yourself:
Will there always be regular mail?
Will you always have faxes?
Will you always have e-mail?
My kids don’t talk, they text – are they my next customer?

BTW r u tweeting ur customers http://ow.ly/EkP9

Sign up for the course! In the comment section of your order expand the Title Tweet to long form. It does not even have to be correct! Just make the attempt, I will send you a free Duct Tape Marketing Book and the first five will be autographed.

The special offer on the course stops at Midnight November 22nd.

IF YOU WANT TO BE ON-LINE, YOU NEED TO LEARN ONLINE

P.S. Normally on Sunday I have a blog post from an affiliate of mine. This Sunday, I decided to be my own affiliate and promote the Business901 launch of the Duct Tape Marketing Social Media Pro.

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IF YOU WANT TO BE ONLINE, YOU NEED TO LEARN ONLINE

Social media is all the rage and it’s here to stay. Maybe you’ve heard about it; maybe you’ve embraced it. Ultimately, it’s important that you understand how to use and integrate social media. Need help sorting it all out? This innovative coaching program uses coaching, strategy, feedback and accountability functions aligned with a full set of online tutorials and training to deliver the practical, tactical know how so important to the success of the small business.

If you want Social Media to WORK

YOU have to participate

You have to learn HOW

Learn Online, On your Time

In a Classroom setting

Find out how you can become proficient

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Technorati : FaceBook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter, Web 2.0

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Stay away from editing it as much as possible, except for your grammar of course. You will water down the statement trying to appeal to everyone versus the segment you are actually marketing too. Do not worry about alienating anyone that is the purpose, discrimination in this sense is not bad! Tim says, “Remember that moving forward on your purpose means saying “no” to jobs, clients, and customers for whom your purpose is not appropriate. Therefore, your public purpose should be a simple and clear articulation in of what you do and who you do it for, in the most purposeful terms possible.”

Steps to creating your Need Statement:

1. Write down the list of possible options you need to choose from.

2. For each option, write a list of pros and cons.

3. Read each statement and rate them by the most useful aspects of your product or service.

4. Ask for advice from salespeople, customers, dealers and other stakeholders within the marketing segment. It is best to read it out loud to a client, such as an elevator speech would be used. The worst thing you could do is to do this by yourself.

5. Weighing these factors make a choice. It does not even have to be the best choice, just the one you choose to live with.

6. Now, try it out. If a sample client “doesn’t get it” then you may need to change the wording, not the meaning of the statement. If your statement inspires, you are ready for prime time.

7. If your sampling struggles with what you are offering, re-think your strategy going through these steps.

8. Re-read what others said about your offering.

9. Using what others said, brainstorm different ideas on how to say the message.

10. Now try different combination of the 2 list to come up with simple statements that describe what you do and for whom you do it for.

11. Read the statement out loud to others. See which one creates the most interest.

I may go one step further. Play telephone with a group of 4 to 5 people. The message that comes through the last person is more than likely the message that will get transmitted throughout the rest of your marketing process.

P.S. If you are getting ready to map that Customer starting point in your Value Stream Map, this is what you write in that little box with the sawtooth shape on top.

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As you segment, each segment will include fewer customers. However, it should enable you to identify the individual stages more effectively or determine your material and information flow needed in each step. It will also allow you to define waste and create better value for your customer. In fact, this is basically the definition of Value Stream Mapping.

As a result of this exercise, you will change the shape of your Pillar. You should be able to shorten your cycle in some and as a result decrease your expenditure in the marketing process. Others, on the other hand, may be lengthened and a total different approach may have to be utilized. A good example of this may be in the pursuit of a governmental contract. The point to be taken is that there is nothing wrong with either situation, what is wrong is treating each segment the same.

The key ingredient to get started is developing the NEED statement for each marketing segment or Pillar. The statement should clearly define your CUSTOMER’S CORE PROBLEM and your ability to solve that problem. Defining this alone will provide clarity throughout the various stages in your marketing process. The NEED statement is a living document that will evolve as your product/service and the customer’s use of it changes. Further development of this statement should include limits on cost and time to keep your Pillar within boundaries that you are able to manage.

The point of defining the Need Statement is to succeed at developing a manageable process. We want the resulting marketing phases (Know, Like, Trust..etc.) to meet our customer’s needs, at the right time and at the right cost. It must do this in a way that maximizes our investment in the process. Marketing can be a complex and often risky process and in today’s world it mandates speedy development. The Lean Marketing process is geared to provide a framework and specific tools for efficiently and predictably reaching goals.

Related Posts:

Following the Customer’s Need in your Value Stream Map

The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House

Value Stream Mapping for Marketing

Get Rid of Your Marketing Vision Statement and Address the NEED!

Why do The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™ crumble?

Applying the Marketing Hourglass: The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House

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John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and founder of the Duct Tape Marketing organization developed this initiative and established levels of Duct Tape Marketing Coaching accreditation in an effort to place heavy emphasis on the success factors of the Duct Tape Marketing system and reward those who establish pre-defined levels of success using the Duct Tape Marketing approach, tools and point of view. To obtain this advanced level, there were twelve additional requirements above and beyond the initial level. At this time, it is the highest achievable level within the organization.

It is a honor to be recognized with such an outstanding group and would like to thank John Jantsch, the Duct Tape Marketing organization and recognize the other ten coaches that achieved this level; Jeff Bishop, Troy Braithwaite, Scott Campbell, Joe Costantino, Bill Doerr, Fiona Friesen, Adrianne Machina, Cidnee Stephen, Michael Thompson, Liz Walker. I firmly believe in the Duct Tape Marketing Process and to use an old cliché, I not only talk the talk but walk the walk. As you may know there are few people that believe in a marketing system as much as I do.

The Duct Tape Marketing system allows business owners to create and build their very own marketing system complimented by a coaching system that has proven effective with small businesses for over 20 years. The system is perfect for those who already own a business, but want to make it soar. It’s also designed for those who want to start a business but don’t know how to get it off the ground.” This system will help entrepreneurs build the perfect business establishing a proven marketing system to their growing company. “Why reinvent the wheel? Take a proven process, a package of tools, a trained coach and run with it.

Related Post: I believe in a Marketing System

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This is where we will start finding the true waste in our marketing process. Should we be happy with 2% direct mail returns or accepting the fact that we need to be in front of a customer 7 to 9 times before we get action. We need to ask whether we are making assumptions about what customers need. We need to ask our customers what they need and whether this is properly communicated throughout each stage of our marketing process. An organization exists only to provide value to a customer. Are we supplying value in each phase of our marketing process? If you cannot, see how to re-create that phase in the process or it may be one that you need to stop. Everything you do should create value. If you do, your customers are much more likely to stay engaged.

In my Marketing your Black Belt Webinar, I discuss the lack of clarity as the #1 reason that professional service firms lose jobs. I also believe that your “fuzziness” may directly relate to a customer becoming disengaged. Having clearly defined outcomes based on a customers need will prevent that and reduce your variation in the process. What does variation have to do with the marketing process? Variation creates uncertainty or a lack of clarity. The reason that you may be losing jobs. The lack of confidence in the ability of your marketing processes to deliver on your customer needs. Variation reduces the chances for the customer to trust you.

The simplicity of a single flexible marketing model will create clarity for your customers, staff and as a result better execution. Utilizing a process, you also will spend your time on your customer’s need versus continuously managing the process.

Shameless plug: The Ultimate Marketing System

Why do The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™ crumble?

Get Rid of Your Marketing Vision Statement and Address the NEED!

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The entire series will be posted during this week.

Related Information:

The Pillar Worksheet

Lean Marketing House Overview – Video

Related E-books

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The entire series will be posted during this week.

Related Information:

The Pillar Worksheet

Lean Marketing House Overview – Video

Related E-books

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The entire series will be posted during this week.

Related Information:

The Pillar Worksheet

Lean Marketing House Overview – Video

Related E-books

Share this:

The entire series will be posted during this week.

Related Information:

The Pillar Worksheet

Lean Marketing House Overview – Video

Related E-books

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The entire series will be posted during this week.

Related Information:

The Pillar Worksheet

Related E-books

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1. Clarity, few people understand the strategies.
2. People may not be directly linked or measured by the outcomes.
3. Money, the entire process is not totally funded.
4. Management looks for quick wins versus building a platform.

Most organizations build their pillars at the strategic business unit level, in the marketing departments within the business. However, they must include and receive buy in from customers, sales and other parts of the value chain to make it work. If it is pushed down it will seem like just another program.

Once we have designed The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™, we need to implement it throughout the entire organization. This requires careful planning and coordination with all parts of the organization. It is beyond the scope of this post to go into an entire Product Launch but we basically should know, how to organize, coordinate efforts and establish deliverables within the organization. Also, we should have knowledge of the time, availability of data and the resources needed. Another important aspect is the degree of support and funding both in time and money that management is willing to commit too.

When completed, The Pillars provide clarity, the budgetary requirements and a platform for management to buy into and support. However, it lacks the foundation needed for implementation and measurement that is required for successful deployment. We will need to integrate the Hourglass into lower level blocks or the Foundation of the Lean Marketing House™. The blocks provide the stability to the The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™. They are made up of the tactics we will employ to move prospects from one stage to another. As we move the forward, a more formal collection and reporting system will emerge. Once we get more and more blocks working, we will begin to link the different segmented pillars together.

Building The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™. often require continuous testing and modification to see if the process is working. This can be frustrating for many who routinely expect perfect solutions. Many times you are testing something that you never had applied or had measurements before. You will revisit your pillars, adjusting and re-aligning it to fit with the organization. It is not unusual to postpone the rollout of pillars until the first pillar is well established and working. The foundation of the Lean Marketing House™ will be explained in upcoming posts.

Related Information:

Lean Marketing House – Foundation

The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House Webinar

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