Sweet Spot: How to Maximize Marketing for Business Growth

Introduction xiii

PART ONE

Marketing needs to change. To get a sense of marketing the way it should be, you need to understand how companies get into the sweet spots of the business world.

1 Marketing, Sweet Marketing 3

My journey, so far, has taken place on different continents; but it has also been a journey of finding a new way to think about marketing.

2 Sweet Spotting 21

It’s an elite league. Sweet spot companies come in an array of different sizes and come armed with their own uniquely sweet recipes.

3 The Qualifying Rounds 37

What’s the game about? Sweet spotters move the market, become an alluring investment, outdate to innovate, create a boffo buzz, court competition, and exude Z-Leadership!

4 Growing around in Circles 63

And then there’s the big picture: Understanding growth and the concept of full-circle marketing. The root of your growth strategy begins here.

PART TWO

How do you get into a sweet spot? You develop the right skills, marketing skills. You have to mine minds, demarcate demand, turn your logo into an icon, mobilize champions-in-chief, and
employ advocates—not workers.

5 Mining Minds 81

Sweet Spot Skill #1: Learn to march to the beat of the buyer. To do that, you have to do more than love the customer: you have to think the way he thinks and grow the way he grows.

6 Demarcating Demand 109

Sweet Spot Skill #2: Avoid “everybody” traps; they’ll lead you where everyone else is heading. Reinvent your market. Link your seller specs to the buyer’s specs—then add a tad more. Build competitive moats.

7 From Logo to Icon 135

Sweet Spot Skill #3: Brands are the heart and soul of sweet spot companies. At its peak, your brand becomes a product generator and value creator. This does not happen by accident. Brands must be created and nurtured; brands must be built to move from logo to icon.

8 Champions-in-Chief 163

Sweet Spot Skill #4: Make your top executives the first new members of the marketing department. It’s a good thing if your C-suite residents become overtly identified with your company’s product line. Are your top executives on a campaign?

9 Employ Advocates, Not Workers 187

Sweet Spot Skill #5: Market from the inside out! Don’t sleep easy until all your employees are on the sales team. How to start? Create employee heroes. Most importantly, listen until it hurts.

10 The Stuff That Marketing Is Made Of 211

When the going gets tough, the tough keep marketing. Goals are important. Skills are critical. Now, let’s check your attitude.

Notes 223

Bibliography 232

Index 234