| When Schlitz Beer hired the legendary ad man Claude | | | | doesn't matter if your competition uses the exact |
| Hopkins, they were 5th in U.S. market share were | | | | same process. If you claim it first... YOU OWN |
| going south fast. | | | | IT.products and services - Restaurants can claim |
| The first thing Hopkins did was take a tour of the | | | | special dishes or desserts. Dry cleaners can claim |
| Schlitz brewery. Here is what he found: | | | | processes it uses for delicate items. A ski shop near |
| - plate-glass cooling rooms where beer was freely | | | | where I live puts videos on their website to explain |
| dripping over cooling pipes. The rooms were filled | | | | the features and benefits of their top products. They |
| with filtered air, so the beer could be cooled without | | | | tell you why one product is better or different than |
| introducing impurities. | | | | another - why you would want to choose one over |
| - huge, expensive filters filled with white-wood pulp | | | | another. Viewers can see just how much the people |
| for superior filtering | | | | at the shop understand the specific equipment and |
| - pumps and pipes that were cleaned twice daily | | | | how it can improve their technique. It doesn't matter |
| - a sterilization process applied to each bear bottle | | | | that other ski shops carry the same merchandise. |
| four times before a single drop of beer ever went | | | | This shop has effectively claimed the product and |
| inside. | | | | product knowledge first... now THEY OWN |
| - 4,000 foot deep wells dug to the cleanest and | | | | IT.markets and niches - You can claim seniors, |
| purest water available | | | | families, kids, professionals, soccer players, or even |
| Finally, Hopkins was shown the mother yeast cell, the | | | | better - professionals with kids that play soccer. |
| result of nearly 1,200 experiments to bring out the | | | | Every dentist probably handles senior patients. But, a |
| utmost in robustness and flavor. All of the yeast | | | | good dental marketing campaign could promote the |
| used to make Schlitz beer was grown from that | | | | dental procedures an office has for seniors, their |
| original yeast cell. | | | | staff's efficient handling of Medicare billing, the follow |
| The ad man was beyond impressed, he was amazed. | | | | up that they do for senior patients. Every dental |
| "Why don't you tell people these things?", he asked. | | | | office does all that stuff but the first local office that |
| Evidently, nobody thought anything of it because | | | | promotes it will effectively become THE SENIOR |
| every manufacturer made beer the same way. | | | | DENTIST in the minds of its prospects and |
| Hopkins' next move was pure genius. He created an | | | | customers. They claim it... they'll OWN IT. |
| ad campaign to explain all the painstaking steps Schlitz | | | | BTW: If you're using social network marketing this |
| took to make sure their beer was pure. It was the | | | | turns out to be a no brainer. Once you define your |
| same story any brewer could easily have told - but | | | | niche social networks let you easily target your |
| they hadn't. Hopkins and Schlitz did. They told the | | | | marketing to the applicable social networks. Sites like |
| story first and Schlitz became the beer known for its | | | | FaceBook and MySpace may already have groups |
| quality and purity. Sales went through the roof | | | | that match your niche. |
| vaulting Schlitz from 5th in market share to 1st in just | | | | Here's what's so great about this rule you can be |
| five months. | | | | pretty sure your competition is ignoring it. Because it's |
| If you're looking to grow your business, all you've got | | | | being ignored - your opportunities for staking your |
| to do is stake your claim on a process or product | | | | claim are endless. And, if you use free or nearly-free |
| that your competition has decided is too insignificant | | | | internet marketing tools (email, social networks, blogs |
| to fight for. | | | | and articles, etc.), you can plant your company's flag |
| It really doesn't matter what you stake out as your | | | | on a huge number of processes, products, or |
| territory. You just have to separate it, define the | | | | markets for a pittance. |
| boundaries, and stake your claim. For example, you | | | | It's like the European explorers taking off for the |
| can claim:processes - Claim the process or processes | | | | "new world." Your opportunity is endless, your |
| you go through to make an item, to ensure quality, | | | | competition is non-existent, and the wealth and riches |
| to enhance the customer's experience, or to ensure | | | | you can gather is immeasurable. So, go forth! Stake |
| good follow up. Describe the process in detail and | | | | your claim on this "new world." It's yours for the |
| highlight just how each step benefits the customer. I | | | | taking. |