To Blog or Not to Blog

Starting a Blog

Friends and family members often ask me how to start a blog, and I always enjoy explaining the advantages of a blog over a traditional website, but it is a lot of information to take in over dinner. I thought I would document the process to make it easier to understand.

Decide What You Want To Blog About

There are a lot of bloggers on the web already. If you want to attract readers, you are going to need to establish your credibility. Don’t just blog about anything. Pick a topic you are passionate about. Something that you have lots of experience with.

Decide: To Host or Not To Host

When it comes to starting a blog, your biggest decision will be whether you want to host the blog yourself, or use a free blogging service that is hosted for you.

Free Blogging Services

Yes, it’s free, but nothing is really free. When you start a blog with a free blogging service, you don’t get your own domain. You get something like mygreatblog.blogspot.com (where there are a million other blogs at blogspot.com) and you don’t actually own the blog. If you ever do decide to move to your own domain, you have no way to take your readers with you, because you have no control over the site.

Cheap – Host your own blog using WordPress free Blog software

This is the method I suggest, because it offers much more flexibility and freedom to do what you want. You will have your own domain name, like mygreatblog.com. You can get this for as little as $30 per year. In my experience, WordPress is excellent free blog software that allows you flexibility and room to grow.

If you want to go the free blogging service route, check out links to free blogging services.

Free Blogging Services

WordPress.com

WordPress is one of the best, and most flexible blogging platforms. As well as distributing their blogging software, they also offer free hosting at wordpress.com. There are books galore that can teach you how to setup full blogging, website and even an eCommerce site using WordPress.
Start a blog at WordPress.com

Blogger.com by Google

Blogger.com is probably the most popular free blogging platform. It’s easy to set up, and easy to start blogging.

http://www.blogger.com/

If you want to host the blog yourself, read on.

Start by finding a Domain Name

For me this part is fun. You know what your theme is already, so now you have to find a good domain name. Choose one that is easy to remember and self explanatory.

Find a Web Host for Your Blog

By far, the easiest way to get a website is to go with a hosting company that offers single-click installing, or instant installations for Blogging and Forum software. Blogs and Forums make it possible for someone with no experience to get good started fast.

GoDaddy Blog Hosting

Another great blog host I recently learned about is GoDaddy. They have a ‘one click install’ Economy WordPress hosting plan that is really a great deal (as low as $3 to $5/ month (that’s $36 to $60/ year) depending on how long you sign up for). Go to GoDaddy to check it out.

Standard Hosting

Prices start at free and go up from there. Usually a monthly charge.

Install WordPress

Most hosting companies do this for you.

Choose a WordPress theme

This is the fun part, picking a WordPress theme and telling it to install

There should already be 2 theme folders in the themes folder, “classic” and “default”.
Just drop your new theme folder in with them. (remember, it must be unzipped first)

But do realize that today there are literally thousands of free themes and even more that will cost you from minimal to large $$$. You are bound to find one that will fit your theme and your budget.

4 Steps to building a Web Presence

Notes from a presentation we gave on why a web presence is so important to small businesses. Pretty basic, but very important information on the basics for setting up your web properties

1. Goals of a web presence

  • To create an on-line presence
  • To differentiate your business
  • To capture leads
  • To grow your business

2. Basic Website Elements

  • The homepage will generally be the initial point of contact with your consumers. Make it interesting and engaging as you have about 5-10 seconds to grab a visitors attention.
  • An “About” page can further reinforce why the visitor should do business with you.
  • Finally, create a “Contact” page that includes address, phone number and e-mail address. Make it easy for the visitor to contact you

3. The Blog

  • So why is a blog important?
  1. A blog is an on-line journal about your company.
  2. It shows that you know what you’re talking about.
  3. A blog can be easily updated.
  4. A blog can be a part of your website or is commercially available from sites like Blogger, and WordPress

4. The Newsletter

  • A newsletter provides interesting information to your customers about your company.
  • Getting consumers to sign up for your email list means you no longer have to wait for them to come to you, you can go to them.
  • It’s a low-cost method to advertise specials and/or sales to an already interested group.
  • Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to generate sales ($43.52 ROI for $1.00 spent (DMA 2009)).

5. Social Media Accounts

  • Great for capturing leads.
  • Facebook and Twitter help you connect with and contact your core community.
  • Facebook is more Business to Consumer.
  • Twitter is more Business to Business and more group oriented.
  • LinkedIn connects you with business clients.

6 Essentials for Landing Pages

I think these pretty much speak for themselves…

6 essentials for your landing page:

  1. Provide interesting content
  2. Have a compelling name for your page
  3. Be clear about who you are and what you can offer
  4. Make sure there’s a clear call to action: what do you want the customer to do?
  5. Make sure that the content on your landing page reflects your ad
  6. Provide contact information

Controlling Scope

Controlling scope is a process that lives up to it’s title. It’s all about maintaining control by preventing scope change requests from overwhelming the project.

I can remember numerous times where because we didn’t maintain control of the change request process we ended up doing work that was outside of the scope of the project and we didn’t get paid for our efforts. Shame on us for allowing that to happen.

The primary reason for controlling scope is to ensure that all change requests are processed. It is to make sure you understand the underlying causes for the change and just exactly how it will effect the project.

Will the requested change increase costs? Will it increase the amount of time it takes to complete the project? Will it require extra resources? Where will the money or the resources or the time come from? Making a change to the scope is not as simple as one would like it to be.

Controlling scope is an ongoing process that begins once the scope baseline is created. From that point on all change requests are approved or denied through the Perform Integrated Change Control process.

Here is how it works:

1) Inputs

a) Project Management Plan – It contains the scope baseline and the management plan which consists of the WBS, WBS Dictionary, and the Project Scope Statement. The Project Management Plan is the documented source for what the project team is supposed to produce. The scope baseline describes what the Project Manager is supposed to control.

b) Work Performance Information (WPI) – These are similar to the performance reports the Project Manager receives on a regular basis as to the status of the project. These WPI’s provide information on all aspects of the work completed and how it relates to the project.

c) Requirements Documentation – These are the documents you should consult to understand and evaluate the change compared to the original scope.

d) Requirements Traceability Matrix – This document connects the dots from the requirement to either the reason for the requirement or to whom requires the requirement.

e) Organizational Process Assets (OPA) – These are forms or report requirements, paperwork that are unique to the company that you will need to use in order to process these change requests.

2) Tools – The only tool used here is Variance Analysis. We’re using two types of variance measuremnt here:

a) Schedule Variance (SV) = Earned Value (EV) – Planned Value (PV)

b) Cost Variance (CV) = Earned Value (EV) – Actual Cost (AC)

Both are used to measure the differences between what was defined in the scope baseline and what was created. Variance Analysis can be used to as a way to investigate the root causes behind those differences.

3) Outputs

a) Work Performance Measurements – An important part of monitoring and controlling processes is collecting and understanding work performance data and whether it differs from the baseline. If it differs, then corrective action will need to be taken. These measurements are collected and used as part of the Communications process with stakeholders, and as part of the Report Performance process.

b) OPA updates – Any corrective actions requires that organizational process assets be updated. The reason behind this is that you may have discivered that a standard company practice proved to be inadequate for what your project needed. As a result of this discovery you now need to change company documents to reflect this new reality.

c) Change Requests – What a surprise that change requests are part of the output for scope control. As these changes are made to the scope baseline you will need to reflect these changes in other documentation as well: The WBS, WBS Dictionary; scope management plan; project management plan.

d) Project Management Plan updates – As mentioned above, changes have to be recorded and documents need to be changed to reflect the new reality.

e) Project Document Updates – See c & d above.

Project Management: 42 processes in order

These are the 42 PMBOK processes all in order of occurrence…in a perfect world…my hope is that this compilation helps someone else who is studying for the PMI PMP test. Please let me know if I missed anything. I will be updating this tool as I move along in my studies. I hope this will be useful to others studying for the PMP certification.

42 Processes In Order Of Occurrence
Process Group Knowledge Area 42 Processes Inputs Tools Outputs
Initiation
Integration Management Develop Project Charter Project statement of work; business case; Enterprise environmental factors (EEF); Organizational Process Assets (OPA) Expert Judgment Project Charter
Integration Management Identify Stakeholders Project Charter; Procurement Documents; EEF; OPA Stakeholder Analysis; Expert Judgement Stakeholder Register; Stakeholder Management Strategy
Planning
Integration Management Develop Project Management Plan Project Charter; Outputs from planning processes; EEF; OPA Expert Judgment Project Management Plan
Scope Collect Requirements Project Charter; Stakeholder Register Interviews; Focus Groups; Facilitated Workshops; Group Creativity Techniques; Group Decision making techniques; Questionnaires and Surveys; Observation; Prototypes Requirements documentation; requirements management plan; requirements traceability matrix
Scope Define scope Project Charter; Requirements documentation; OPA Expert Judgment; Product analysis; alternatives identification; facilitated workshops Project scope statement; project document updates
Scope Create WBS Project scope statement; requirements documentation; OPA Decomposition WBS; WBS Dictionary; scope baseline; Project documents updates
Time Define Activities Scope baseline; WBS; WBS Dictionary; EEF; OPA Decomposition; Rolling wave planning; templates; Expert judgment Activity List; Activity attributes; milestone list
Time Sequence activities Activity List; Activity attributes; milestone list; Project Scope Statement; OPA Precedence Diagram Method (PDM); Dependency Determination; Apply leads & lags Project Schedule Network Diagrams
Time Estimate activity resources Activity Lists; Activity Attributes; Resource Calendar; EEF; OPA Expert Judgement; Alternatives analysis; Published estimating data; Bottom-up Estimating; PMIS Activity Resource Requirements; Resource breakdown structure; Project document updates
Time Estimate activity durations Activity Lists; Activity Attributes; Activity resource requirements; Resource Calendar; Project Scope Statement; EEF; OPA Expert Judgement; Analogous estimating; Parametric estimating; Three-point estimating; reserve analysis Activity duration estimates; Project document updates
Time Develop schedule Activity Lists; Activity Attributes; Project schedule network diagrams; Activity resource requirements; Resource Calendar; Activity Duration estimates; Project Scope Statement; EEF; OPA Schedule network analysis; Critical Path Method (CPM); Critical Chain Method; Resource leveling; What-if-scenerio analysis; Applying leads & lags; Schedule compression Project schedule; Schedule baseline;
Costs Estimate costs Scope Baseline; Project schedule; HR Plan; Risk Register; EEF; OPA Analogous estimating; Parametric estimating; Bottom-up estimating; three-point estimates; reserve analysis; cost of quality; PMIS; Vendor bid analysis Activity cost estimates; Basis of estimates; project document updates
Costs Determine budget Activity cost estimates; Basis of estimates; Scope baseline; Project Schedule; Resource calendars; contracts; OPA Cost aggregation; reserve analysis; expert judgement; Historical Relationships; Funding Limit Reconciliation Cost Performance Baseline; Project Funding Requirements; Project Document Updates
Quality Plan quality Scope Baseline; Stakeholder register; Cost performance baseline; schedule baseline; risk register; EEF; OPA Cost-Benefit Analysis; Cost of Quality; control charts; benchmarking; design of experiments; statistical sampling; flowcharting Quality Management Plan; Quality Metrics; Quality Checklists; Process Improvement Plan; Project Document Updates
Human Resources Develop Human Resources Plan Activity resource requirements; EEF; OPA Org charts and position descriptions; matrix charts; networking; org theory HR Plan
Communications Plan communications Stakeholder register; Stakeholder Management Strategy; EEF; OPA Communication Requirements Analysis; Communication Models; Communications Management Plan; Project Document Updates
Risk Plan risk management Project scope statement; Cost Management Plan; Schedule Management Plan; Communications Management Plan; EEF; OPA Planning Meetings & Analysis; Risk Management Plan
Risk Identify risks Risk Management Plan; Activity Costs Estimates; Activity Duration Estimates; Scope Baseline; Stakeholder Register; Cost Management Plan; Schedule Management Plan; Quality Management Plan; Project Documents; EEF; OPA Documentation Reviews; Information Gathering Techniques; Checklist analysis; Assumptions Analysis; Diagramming techniques; SWOT; Expert Judgment; Risk Register
Risk Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis Risk Register; Risk Management Plan; Project Scope Statement; OPA Risk Probability and Impact Assessment/Probability and Impact Matrix; Risk data quality assessment; Risk categorization; risk urgency assessment; expert judgement Risk Register Updates
Risk Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis Risk Register; Risk Management Plan; Cost Management Plan; Schedule Management Plan; OPA Data Gathering and Representation Techniques; Probability Distributions; Quantitative Risk Analysis and Modeling Techniques Risk Register Updates
Risk Plan risk response Risk Register; Risk management plan Strategies for negative risks or threats; Strategies for positive risks or opportunities Risk register updates; Risk related contract decisions; project plan updates; project document updates
Procurement Plan procurements Scope Baseline; Requirements Documentation; Teaming agreements; Risk Register; Risk related contract decisions; Activity resource requirements; project schedule; activity costs estimates; cost performance baseline; EEF; OPA Make or Buy Analysis; Expert Judgment; Contract Types; Procurement Management Plan; Procurement Statement of Work; Make or buy decisions; Procurement Documents; Source selection criteria; Change requests
Execution
Integration Management Direct and manage project execution Project Management Plan; Approved Change Requests; EEF; OPA Expert Judgment; PMIS Deliverables; Work Performance Information (WPI)
Quality Perform quality assurance Project Management Plan; Quality Metrics; WPI; Qaulity control measurements Plan quality and perform quality control tools and techniques; quality audits; process analysis OPA updates; change requests; project management plan updates; project document updates
Human Resources Acquire project team Project management plan; EEF; OPA Pre-assignment; negotiation; acquisition; virtual teams Project staff assignments; resource calendars; project management plan updates
Human Resources Develop project team Project staff assignments; resource calendars; project management plan Interpersonal skills; training; team building activities; ground rules; co-location; recognition and rewards; Team performance assessments; EEF;
Human Resources Manage project team Project staff assignments; project management plan; Team performance assessments; Performance Reports; OPA Observation & conversation; Project performance appraisals; conflict management; Issue Log; Interpersonal skills; EEF Updates; OPA updates; Change requests; Project Management Plan Updates
Communications Distribute information Project management plan; performance reports; OPA; Communication methods; Information distribution tools; OPA updates
Procurement Conduct procurements Project Management Plan; Procurement Documents; Source Selection Criteria; Qualified Sellers List; Make or Buy Decisions; Teaming Agreements; OPA Bidder Conferences; Proposal Evaluation Techniques; Independent Estimates; Expert Judgement; Advertising; Internet Search; Procurement Negotiations Selected Sellers; Procurement Contract Award; Resource Calendar; Change Requests; Project Management Plan Updates; Project Document Updates
Monitor & Control
Integration Management Monitor & control project work Project Management Plan;Performance Reports; EEF; OPA Expert Judgement Change Requests; Project Management Plan Updates; Project Document Updates
Integration Management Perform integrated change control Project Management Plan; WPI; Change Requests; EEF; OPA Expert Judgement; Change Control Meetings Change Request Status Updates; Project Management Plan Updates; Project Document Updates
Scope Verify scope Project management plan; Requirements documentation; Requirements traceability matrix; Validated deliverables Inspection accepted deliverables; Change requests; project document updates
Scope Control scope Project management plan; WPI; Requirements documentation; Requirements traceability matrix; OPA Variance analysis Work performance measurements (WPM); OPA updates; Change Requests; Project management plan updates; Project document updates
Time Control schedule Project Management Plan; Project Schedule; WPI; OPA Performance Reviews; Variance Analysis; PMIS; Resource leveling; what-if-scenerio analysis; Adjusting leads & lags; schedule compression; scheduling tool Work performance measurements; OPA updates; Change requests; Project Management Plan Updates; Project Document Updates
Costs Control costs Project Management Plan; Project Funding Requirements; WPI; OPA Earned Value Measurement;(CV & CPI); Forecasting (EAC; ETC; TCPI; EV); Performance Reviews; Variance Analysis; PMIS Work Performance Measurements; Budget Forecasts; OPA Updates; Change Requests; Project Management Plan Updates; Project Document Updates
Quality Perform quality control Project management plan; quality metrics; quality checklists; Work performance measurements; approved change requests; deliverables; OPA Cause and Effect Diagrams; Control charts; flow charting; histogram; Pareto chart; run chart; Scatter diagram; statistical sampling; inspection; approved change requests review Qaulity control measurements; Validated changes; Validated deliverables; OPA updates; Change requests; Project Management Plan Updates; Project Document Updates
Communications Manage stakeholder expectations Stakeholder Register; Stakeholder management strategy; Project management Plan; Issue Log; Change Log; OPA Communications methods; Interpersonal skills; Management skills OPA updates; change requests; project management plan updates; project document updates
Communications Report performance Project Management Plan; Work Performance Information; Work Performance Measurements; Budget Forecast; OPA Variance Analysis; Forecasting Methods (EAC; ETC); Communications Methods; Reporting Systems Performance Reports; OPA Updates; Change Requests
Risk Monitor & control risks Risk Register; Project Management Plan; Work Performance Information; Performance Reports Risk assessment; Risk audits; Variance and trend analysis; Technical performance measurement; Reserve Analysis; Status Meetings Risk Register Updates; OPA Updates; Change Requests; Project Management Plan Updates; Project Document Updates
Procurement Administer procurements Procurement Documents; Project Management Plan; Contract; Performance Reports; Approved Change Requests; Work Performance Information; Contract Change Control System; Procurement Performance Reviews; Inspections and Audits; Performance Reporting; Payment Systems; Claims Administration; Records and Management System Procurement Documentation; OPA Updates; Change Requests; Project Management Plan Updates
Close
Integration Management Close project or phase Project Management Plan; Accepted Deliverables; OPA Expert Judgement Final Product, Service, or result
Procurement Close procurements Project management Plan; Procurement Documentation Procurement Audits; Negotiated Settlements; Records Management System; Closed Procurements; OPA Updates

Project Management – Project Initiation & Project Charter

Project Initiation and Project Charter

  1. Initiating process group, and project scope management key terms
    1. Project charter
    2. Constraints and assumptions
    3. Identify stakeholders
    4. Collect requirements
    5. Project scope statement
    6. Scope management plan
    7. Define scope
    8. Decomposition process
    9. Work breakdown structure
    10. WBS dictionary
    11. Some common reasons why projects fail
      1. Misunderstood customer needs – requirements
      2. Inappropriate budgets or schedules
      3. Over extended burned out project team members
      4. Results that fall short of current quality or tech standards
      5. Projects that don’t fit with organizations strategic goals
      6. Process Groups – Initiating
        1. Project selection methods – Usually selected by measuring their value to the project owner
        2. Internal business needs
        3. External influences:
          1. Problems
          2. Opportunities
          3. Business requirements
  2. Formal decision models
    1. Benefit Measurement (comparative)
      1. Murder board
      2. Peer reviews
      3. Cost/benefit
      4. Scoring model
      5. Economic model
      6. Constrained optimization (mathematical programming algorithms)
        1. Linear
        2. Non-linear
        3. Integer
        4. Dynamic
        5. Multi-objective
  3. Develop Project Charter
    1. Developing a document that formally authorizes a project or project phase.
    2. Documenting initial stakeholder requirements
    3. Identify stakeholders – Identifying and documenting relevant information for all people or organizations impacted by the project.
    4. Inputs
      1. Project statement of work
      2. Business case
      3. Contract (when applicable)
      4. Enterprise environmental factors (EEF)
      5. Organization Process Assets (OPA)
      6. Tools and techniques – Expert judgment
      7. Outputs – Project Charter
      8. The project charter
        1. Projects are authorized by someone external to the project
          1. Sponsor
          2. PMO
          3. Steering committee
          4. Project is issued/signed by: Sponsor, initiator, Mgt
            1. At a level of authority to be able to fund the project
            2. This signatures authorizes the project
            3. Identifies the PM as early as possible
              1. Recommended that PM participate in charter development; may be delegated to PM.
              2. PM should always be assigned prior to planning
            4. Charter provides authority to PM to use resources
            5. Documents: Initial project requirementsthat will satisfy the stakeholders needs and expectations
        2. Develop Charter Inputs
          1. Statement of work
            1. Narrative description of product or services
              1. Business need
              2. Product scope description
                1. Product characteristics
                2. Relationship to business need
                3. Strategic plan – should support strategic goals
            2. Business case to justify project
              1. Market demands
              2. Organizational need
              3. Customer request
              4. Technical advance
              5. Legal
              6. Social
              7. Ecological
            3. Contract (external customer)
            4. Enterprise environmental factors
              1. Marketplace conditions
              2. Gov’t or industry standards
              3. Organizational infrastructure
            5. Organizational Process assets
              1. Org standards
              2. Processes and policies
              3. Template (project charter)
              4. Historical information
              5. Lessons learned knowledge base
            6. Tools and techniques
              1. Expert judgment – used throughout the project process
                1. Provided by any group or individual with specialized knowledge or training
                2. Internal experts: SME’s, PMO, Stakeholders,
                3. External Experts: Consultants, Professional associations, Industry groups
                4. Used to assess the inputs used to develop the project charter and address technical and management details during the process
            7. Outputs – what should be included
              1. Project purpose/description
              2. Business need
              3. Project justification
              4. PM assigned and level of authority defined
              5. Summary budget, milestones, hi-level risks
              6. Resources pre-assigned
              7. Project objectives/success criteria/sign-off
              8. High-level requirements
              9. Product scope description = deliverables and business need they will satisfy

10.  Signed and authorized by project sponsor/initiator/senior management

Next Up: Project Scope

Unique Selling Proposition

The following is a questionnaire can be used to help determine your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Unique Selling Proposition Questionnaire

Your Industry:  (First, let’s take a look at your industry/market as a whole…)

How would you describe your industry?

Describe how your industry has changed in the last 5 years…
Describe the changes you expect to see in the next 12 months in your industry…

Describe the changes you expect to see in the next 5 years in your industry…

Describe the perceived standards of customer service in your industry…

Describe the perceived standards of technology in your industry…

Describe the perceived standards of product quality in your industry…

Describe the perceived standards in sales & marketing in your industry…

How does your business compare to these industry standards?

  • Customer Service?
  • Technology?
  • Product Quality?
  • Sales & Marketing?

What are businesses in your industry required to guarantee?

Your Market Place…

Describe the average customer in your industry (not necessarily the same as your customers).

What is most important to an average customer in your market place (scale 1-10 with 10 highest)?

Quality                                                            Speed of service

Price                                                               Customer Service

Reliability                                                        Consistency

Safety                                                             Back up Service

Convenience                                                   Image

Guarantee                                                      Other

Is the current market place growing or diminishing? Please explain.

Is your typical customer different from the generic industry customer you have described? How?

Customer Motives and Frustrations…

Customers “hire” an industry’s products and services to get specific “jobs” done.  These jobs can be:

– Functional: “Help me get a job done” e.g. buy a lawnmower to mow my lawn, see a doctor to get over an illness.

– Social: “Help me to get others to feel a certain way about me” e.g. buy a Mercedes to let people know my status, install a high end kitchen to impress my friends.

– Emotional: “Help me feel a certain way about myself” e.g. go to a day spa to get a massage, enroll in Weightwatchers to lose weight.

What are the “jobs” that customers hire your industry’s product/service to get done?

What are the 3 major benefits of buying your industry’s product or service?

What frustrations do customers experience when trying to find your industry’s product or service?

What frustrations do customers experience when making a decision whether or not to buy your industry’s product or service?

What frustrations do customers experience when they go to buy your industry’s product or service?

What frustrations do customers experience when receiving, picking up or installing your industry’s product or service?

What frustrations do customers experience when using your industry’s product or service?

What frustrations do customers experience after they’ve bought your industry’s product or service?

If you were a customer, why would you dislike buying from companies like yours?

Describe the sort of customers who dislike buying from companies like yours… and tell us why?

Describe the sort of customers who love buying from companies like yours… and tell us why?

If you could easily overcome any 2 of your customers’ frustrations, what would they be and how would you overcome them?

Your Competitors

List your 3 biggest competitors…

What do they do well?

What do they do poorly?

What would the average person say about each of these competitors?

What is ‘unique’ about them?

What ‘guarantees’ do they have in place?

How are these guarantees promoted?

How ‘genuine’ are these guarantees?

What can’t each of your competitors guarantee?

What can they do that you can’t?

Where are they located geographically in comparison to you?

Your Customer’s Thoughts…

What are 3 things your best customers say about you?

What are 3 things your worst customers say about you?

What would an average customer have said about you 12 months ago?

How would their opinion differ now?

Your Specific Niche…

Describe your current “A” customers…the customers who are wildly happy with you and who are most likely to go out and talk about you with others.

Describe your ideal future customer….

Rank the priorities, on a scale of 1-10 (10 is highest), of your ideal future customer in the same way as you ranked the priorities of your generic industry customer?  Pay particular attention to the differences, if any…

Quality                    ____                                 Speed of service                    ____

Price                       ____                                 Customer Service                   ____

Reliability                ____                                 Consistency                           ____

Safety                     ____                                 Back up Service                     ____

Convenience           ____                                 Image                                    ____

Guarantee              ____                                 Other

What are 4 reasons your customers come to you rather than to your competitors?  (This question is particularly important, so give it some real thought.)

1.

2.

3.

4.

In what 4 ways do you believe you are genuinely different from your competitors?

1.

2.

3.

4.

Below are some attributes valued by customers in any industry. Place your competitors on lines where they excel in providing these attributes.  For example, Volvo is known for safety, Porsche for speed etc…

  1. Quality                    _________________
  2. Speed of service     _________________
  3. Price                       _________________
  4. Customer Service    _________________
  5. Reliability                _________________
  6. Consistency            _________________
  7. Safety                     _________________
  8. Back up Service      _________________
  9. Convenience           _________________
  10. Image                     _________________
  11. Guarantee              _________________
  12. Other                      _________________

Based on the above, which niche do you believe you fill?

What can you do that no one else can?

In the 1900’s Claude Hopkins, the advertising guru, made the beer company Schlitz the market leader with one ad… all he did was describe the process the company went through when making the beer. Please describe in detail how your product is made and delivered…

Write down exactly what you discuss with a customer writing this info down word for word.

What are the 5 things about your product or service that you take for granted, that your customers don’t know about?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

If you have one, what is your current marketing positioning statement / tag line? (i.e. “Things go better with Coke”, “Just do it”)

How is this different from your past attempts?

How do customers react to your current positioning statement?

What have you learned from the changes that you have made to your positioning statement to date?

What is your current written guarantee?

How is this different from your guarantees of the past?

How do customers react to your current guarantee?

What have you learned from the changes that you have made to your guarantee to date?

Your Ideal Scenario…

List 3 things that you cannot confidently guarantee today, that you would love to be able to guarantee…

1.

2.

3.

What is the one thing that if you could guarantee it, would make you the market leader?  (For example, a gas station that guarantees to sell you a winning lottery ticket every time)…

In an ideal world, what would you like your customers to see as the main point of difference between you and your competitors?

If there was one phrase your customers and prospects could use to describe you as you are today, it would be…

‘Oh, you’re the guys who…’

If there was one phrase your customers and prospects could use to describe you in your ideal world it would be…

‘Oh, you’re the guys who…

Think of 3 industries as far removed from yours as you can, then from each one, ‘steal’ an idea that could give your business a real point of difference (for example KFC – Finger licking good.)

Industry 1…

Industry 2…

Industry 3…

What You CAN Guarantee…

What 5 things will relieve your customer’s frustrations that you can guarantee and deliver 100% of the time right now?

What 3 additional things will you be able to fully guarantee within the next 3 months?

YOUR UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION –

Now that you’ve carefully analyzed your industry, competitors, customers and your business, craft a unique selling proposition by asking yourself 7 questions:

  1. Who?  Who are you (company’s name)?
  1. What?  What business are you in?
  1. For Whom?  What people do you serve?
  1. What are their Wants and Needs?  What are the special wants and needs of the people you serve?  What “job” are your customers really buying your product/service for?
  1. Against Whom?  With whom are you competing?
  1. What’s Different?  What makes you different than these competitors?
  1. So?  What’s the benefit?  What unique benefit does a client derive from your product or service?

Put this all together into a short positioning statement.  Example:

Yellowbird Marketing Solutions helps businesses create and deliver their unique message to their unique marketplace of qualified buying customers. We do this by helping them to create their message and then develop the tools, from online to offline including web sites, blogs, email marketing, search engine marketing (ppc ads, social media site design, print including fliers, brochures and print advertising, in which to deliver it.”

Next Up: Finding Your Target Audience

Why You and Not the Other Guy?

Why you and not the other guys?

Why you and not the other guys?

Creating and sustaining your unique selling proposition

Sustainable Competitive Advantage

A competitive advantage exists when the firm is able to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at a lower cost (cost advantage), or deliver benefits that exceed those of competing products (differentiation advantage). Thus, a competitive advantage enables the firm to create superior value for its customers and superior profits for itself.

How does marketing fit in?

Traditional marketing theory talks about the “Four P’s”: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. All marketing campaigns use a mix of these ingredients to build customer awareness and loyalty. Differentiation is a key goal of any good marketing program. The Four P’s are sometimes referred to as the Four C’s: Capability, Convenience, Cost and Communication.

How do we use this framework to differentiate our product or service?

Your USP = your brand

There is no one approach to creating a USP, but what you choose to do must be honest. Start by analyzing your personality, capabilities and goals. Do not create a USP based on superior service if you are not 100% committed to that in your DNA. Do not create a USP based on low price unless you can sustain those prices through low-cost sourcing or low overhead.

Be unique through personality

No one can duplicate you.

Be unique by combining old ideas

You don’t have to invent something new, but you can find a new spin on a familiar product or service.

Be unique by narrowing your focus

Choose your target audience and cater to them exclusively

Be clear, concise and repetitive

Simple messages resonate because they are quickly understood in the clutter of daily life. Consumers do not have more than a few seconds to decide whether your message is important to them. A great USP can often become a great slogan.

Examples:

✤ The Greatest Show on Earth

✤ Is it live, or is it Memorex?

✤ When your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight

✤ The ultimate driving machine

✤ We’re Number Two. We Try Harder.

Next Up: Unique Selling Proposition