One of the key premises in marketing is that successful brands need to focus.
Al and Laura Reis – two of the leading branding experts in the field – wrote a book on this very subject titled - Focus: The Future Of Your Company Depends On It.
In the book they talk about how to build a brand by clearly defining its purpose. They say:
“How do you build a brand? You narrow the focus. Nokia narrowed its focus to cell phones and became the world's No. 1 cell phone brand. Federal Express narrowed its focus to overnight deliveries and became one of the world's leading cargo carriers. Southwest narrowed its focus to coach service only and became America's most profitable airline. Dell narrowed its focus to direct sales only and became the world's leading PC manufacturer.”
Focus can also help a job search become more productive.
First – you have to define what you want to do next in as specific terms as possible.
This means saying that you want to be a:
- Director of Marketing for an office product company
versus:
- Senior Marketing Executive who can solve complex problems in any organization.
The first statement provides you with a clear path – a defined set of targets – and the greatest chance of connecting with decision makers within the companies that you reach out to.
The second statement will lead to a shotgun approach where you risk – depending on your background – not being a good fit for any but a few of the countless companies that you reach out to.
Focus is the key!
Next Blog: Focus On Target Companies
Until then,
Pat
