There are five strategic discovery questions every good marketing manager must ask and answer in detail in order to build a complete marketing strategy for your business.

Before you run out and buy ads you must discover what your prospects and customers are looking for. I will give examples for a luxury winery, but remember – these principles apply to any business in any industry. There are many targets so be as specific as you can with your answers to your winery so that you capture the broadest audience while eliminating targets that aren’t qualified to buy your wines. I’ll give you some starter answers but there will be many more for each question.

The first discovery question is about where to capture the audience who is qualified to buy what you sell. Ask, “Under what circumstances do your typical prospects start to think about what you sell?” Some typical answers are: A visitor to Napa staying in a local hotel; a local resident who wants to impress a business associate or family member; someone with income over a specific amount per year – and other demographics.

The second question is about customer values. “What things are important to your prospects when buying what you sell?” Answers: Someone wanting a unique experience; someone wanting education about vines to wines; someone wanting to taste wines they can’t get anywhere else; someone wanting to feel as if he or she is the only person that matters; someone wanting privacy to ask questions in a non-threatening or non-competing environment.

The third question is about the need-to-know. “What does my customer or prospect need to know to make the best decision possible when buying what you sell?” Possible answers: We are one of only 28 wineries that is 100% estate grown; we are one of only 15 wineries that is 100% biodynamic; some of our special cabernet vines are over 50 years old; some of our zinfandel wines are made from vines planted in 1890; our wines have a consistent style every vintage.

The fourth question is about building your case. “What do you do to give customers what they want?” Possible answers: We have space to provide a unique private experience for up to 100 people; we educate you about wines and vineyards as we pour your tasting; one of our winemakers is available for every private experience.

The last question is to answer what evidence you have for buying from you. “What does your customer need to see to have enough information to make the best decision possible?” Possible answers: Our tasting room staff are all educated and tested before they serve a customer; we have hundreds of detailed testimonials on our website about our experiences; there are twenty to fifty press mentions each month about our winery and wines.

If this isn’t enough to get you started or you want more detailed specific examples for your non-winery business contact me.

Published in the Napa Register: http://lnkd.in/b5GjM5Y