7 Fundamentals of Marketing Your Custom Business

In an industry as dynamic as ours, the only constant is the accelerating rate of change. And the changes in the last three years have been startling.

We're seeing the convergence of multiple lines of electronic innovation and, simultaneously, the rapid adoption of new technologies by consumers. Mobile phones are giving way to PDAs. CD players have given way to MP3 players.

MP3 formats will soon give way to 5.1 and 7.1 channel-capable formats, driven (for the time being) by the DVD. And Wal-Mart and Target are already lining up to mainstream Blu-ray and HD DVD technologies.

As Paul Simon wrote some 20 years ago, these are the days of miracle and wonder. This has a lot of people wondering how to adjust to the miracles that technology is creating, and will continue to create.

Here's what many CE pros are thinking about with regard to the near future:

New products and technologies rolling out every day means inventory will stale faster than ever. Bargain sale tables at electronics retailers will get bigger. Margins will get smaller. Don't get stuck sitting on a ton of inventory.

As home theater becomes more popular, customers will become increasingly knowledgeable and demanding -- more so than ever before. Many customers, fresh from hours of Internet research, will be able to sharpshoot the sales team with questions pertaining to product features and prices.

Integrators who sell on product will struggle. The successful installer will be the one selling experiences. So, sell the lifestyle.

With those presumptions in mind, the following are several practical, doable tips that any CE business owner can implement to help protect a competitive edge in this dynamic industry.

Do: Know your audience. Younger buyers are more likely to buy online. In the future, online ads will become more important. Do: Think beyond the printed page. Integrate the Internet. Blog advertisements, for example, are still a very good deal. Do: Buy in bulk. Ads usually come with discounts for multiple insertions. Don't: Expect advertising to substitute for a forward thinking, proactive public relations campaign. Don't: Try to design if you're not a designer. Don't: Skimp. One good ad design can be used many times. It can be worth it. Don't: Waiver off your core message and brand identity. Don't: Forget the "hook." You must engage readers at a glance.

Do: Focus on the client's objectives, rather than on your capabilities. Do: Use the words "you" and "your" more frequently than "we" and "our." Do: Know your unique competitive advantages. Usually, it isn't just price. Do: Build value. By the time you mention price, it should be fully justified by your customer's understanding of your products and/or services. Don't: Rely on marketing jargon. "Our software tracks sales leads" is better than "integrated turnkey sales force management solution." - Rely on a boilerplate. Don't: Use large words when diminutive words would do. Avoid overused words, like "utilize." Don't: Dwell on features when you can dwell on benefits and solutions. Don't: Let a proposal leave with out at least three sets of eyeballs looking it over.