How many analogies does it take to explain how to use marketing to become the obvious choice for your ideal customers? As many as it takes. And, I can’t resist any of them.
That’s why I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new book Lobster on a Cheese Plate: How to Stand out, Attract the Best Clients and Win Every Sale That Comes Your Way.
What Do Lobsters and Cheese Have to Do With Marketing
This book is all about differentiation and having you, your business, and your products or services be “the one” your clients choose every time. The basic analogy is that if you’re given a cheese plate, it’s hard to pick which one you want to try. But if you slap a lobster on the cheese plate, the choice is obvious.
Regardless of your preferences for lobster or cheese, you get the idea; if you can stand out enough in the mind of your customer, you won’t have to convince them to choose you over any other alternative.
Bringing a Little Levity to Developing Your Leverage
When all you want is new leads and sales, it can be frustrating when so many marketers urge you to take a step back and take the time to do some research and make a plan.
In “Lobster on a Cheese Plate”, author Mark Harrari takes a lighthearted approach to guide small business owners through the marketing process — without really calling it a process.
In just over 150 pages, you’ll go on a journey of marketing discovery that just might help you create a marketing strategy and plan that you can use and scale to become “the one” your customers choose.
In section one, Harari encourages you to do research and collect important information about and from your customers.
In section two, you’ll have to dig deep as you explore the power of positioning, competitive analysis, and uncovering your competitive advantage.
You put it all together inside of a marketing message in section three.
Then, in section four, you’re on to writing it all down in a marketing plan.
In section five, the rubber hits the road as you work toward the “doing” part of the process and explore potential tactics that fit your marketing plan.
A Little About Mark Harari
Mark Harari is a writer, speaker, and trainer. With more than twenty years of experience in marketing that started while selling lumber full-time, he’s helped hundreds of small businesses rock their marketing.
He’s won numerous marketing awards in many categories such as video, web design, print advertising, and copywriting. They include three Muse Create awards, an IAC awards, three AVA Digital awards, and two MarCom International awards.
What You’ll Like About “Lobster on a Cheese Plate”
Harari is like the “Mary Poppins” of marketing. He delivers his marketing advice with a spoonful of sugar in the hopes that you’ll take the medicine and benefit from it.
In addition to the book, you’ll also get access to some super-helpful resources. My favorite is a spreadsheet of marketing tactics that will help you choose exactly the ones you feel will get you the results you’re looking for. If you’ve ever beaten your head against the wall because you just aren’t sure what to do – seeing all the tactics in a spreadsheet is SO HELPFUL!
If you’ve never taken the time to run through a marketing process, this book is a terrific guide. I’d even recommend that you select this as a “book club” pick with your small business owner community and go through it together.
On the Other Hand…
Like every book that seeks to simplify marketing, this one doesn’t give you the full and complete context behind why Harari is asking you to take the steps the way he’s prescribed them. So, if you’re the type of person who needs more context, you may find yourself going through the motions without really understanding the full picture of why.
And now, few words about the marketing plan that’s laid out in the book. Harari recognizes that very few business owners (especially solopreneurs) take the time to write out their marketing plan. While he simplifies the process quite a bit, I’m dubious that it’s simple enough to convert non-planners to planners. But that’s just me.
Who Will Benefit the Most from Lobster on a Cheese Plate
This book is an ideal read for any business owner who is confused and frustrated by marketing. If you’ve read other books and gotten some understanding, this book is worth reading because Harari’s something he says in the way he says it just might resonate with you and provide an A-ha moment or three.
I’d also recommend this book for any professional marketer — for exactly the same reason. If you’re a marketing consultant, agency, or marketing person for a small business, Harari will give you some great ideas on how to explain your marketing recommendations to your employer, customer, or client.
Overall, Lobster on a Cheese Plate is a terrific book to add to your reading list — especially before you step into any marketing strategy or market planning conversation.
Image: Depositphotos
This article, “Lobster on a Cheese Plate is a Fun Approach to Marketing” was first published on Small Business Trends
