How is your company showing value?

Submited by: , M.A. - Director of Marketing Services

With the country's financial crisis having an impact on everyone, what is your company doing to show value? While this doesn't mean you have to lower prices, it is more important than ever to show people how you can save them money.

If you've spent any time listening to commercials lately, smart companies are turning the down economy into an opportunity to market the value of their services. With proper positioning, you can turn something rotten into roses.

Seattle Sutton's, a weight loss company, is promoting diet meals for "$5 a day, less than eating out". While in reality the actual food cost is probably much more than buying the same food at the grocery store, this chain has found a way to show value.

When gas and food prices forced gas stations and grocery stores to increase prices, Cub Foods and Holiday Station Stores found a creative way to capitalize on this problem with a joint campaign that gave grocery shoppers discounts on gas. In reality, consumers were still paying more for both services but these companies found creative, out-of-the-box ways to show value during tough times.

In the B2B sector you'll need to focus your service business on return on investment (ROI) and deliverables. A consulting company should be able to easily demonstrate at what point in the engagement a client can expect to gain enough business to pay for the service. If you do nothing else to grow your business this month, by answering this one question you can vastly change your company's marketability: How are you communicating value to your product or service?

Stacey Ackerman has helped numerous non-profits, corporations and small business owners grow by developing sound marketing strategies. She is a well-known speaker and columnist on small business marketing. Stacey has a B.A. in communications and an M.A. in management. She is the director of marketing for Small Business Builders, that specializes in small business management.

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