"Join Your Target's Trade Association"

In marketing, we must define who our target market is so we can be the most effective with our marketing campaign. For most people, this step is fairly easy; it's just a matter of defining who would use your type of product/service. However, reaching your target market, after you have all your marketing materials geared towards them, can prove more difficult.

One of the best ways to put people around you (that are already qualified as your target market) is to join a trade association outside of your own profession.

For example, if I own a computer repair company, and I'm looking to target law firms or individual lawyers (who have critical information on computers and can't afford to lose it) then I would join their trade association. This way you have placed tons of people around you that are your target clients and your competition is limited because you'll probably be the only computer repair guy in their association. At the networking events then you can begin to develop personal relationships with the lawyers in your group.

This has proved very valuable for many of my customers. Once we define who their target market is, they join the respective trade associations, network within the group, and become the "association's specialist." You can even offer a discount on your services to these associations as well, as an incentive to do business with you.

Until next time...

WR