I must give credit to my friend and fellow entrepreneur, the founder of The Giant Game Company, for the title of this article. We were talking the other day about changes going on in his target market and how he has successfully responded to shifting needs. "The market made me do it," he said. I responded by saying I was thinking of an article about that and now I have a title for it!
As important as it is to forge your brand position with a singular and firm value proposition, that doesn't mean you don't respond when your clients' needs change and economic realities require new tactics. Getting too comfortable with your own specialty can be dangerous. I was an inside witness to a very successful firm that zigged when their clients zagged and they went out of business within a few years.
One example might be that your firm is known for being the best in first class office space. Let's say you're wooing a national brand name into downtown facilities that you think are ideal for them if a few renovations are made. However, they've expressed interest in light industrial space with better highway access. In house R&D is trending in their industry and they want a facility ready to accommodate that. What do you do? What any professional would - you help them find the space that best suits them.
I never imagined that my own business would be performing social media consulting and management services. Being an early adopter of LinkedIn and Twitter, and having successfully implemented the platforms to attract new business, clients came to me with questions and needed help getting their social media marketing up and running.
Facebook, having huge audience potential, had to be part of the mix. I'll be frank here. Do I relish managing clients' Facebook pages? Not really but I've had success doing it. It's an area of need and I want to help clients where I know I can. When it comes to Facebook, "the market made me do it!" If it's email, blogging, LinkedIn and Twitter, bring it on!
Never be hesitant to go where your market takes you. Position your brand in such a way that what your company stands for is firmly established, but what you deliver to customers is flexible to changing market needs.
Chuck Sink is president of Chuck Sink Link, Hopkinton, N.H.