Undertaking/anticipating customer’s needs
This is at the core of the marketing concept. Marketing research provides tools for understanding customers and markets in a structured and organized way. Environmental analysis and monitoring helps are in examining and predicting trends and influences which will have its impact on the organization’s activities.
Provision of benefits/satisfactions
Variations in the product/service offering design can be developed to meet the needs and wants of clients in target segments in which the firm wishes to operate, supported by marketing mixes tailored to each segment.
Setting consistent quality standards
Internal and external research can be carried out to assess and measure customer expectations and both customer and employee understanding and perfection of service quality. Internal marketing can be used to ensure consistent high standards of service delivery, together with benchmarks where appropriate. Even in highly specialized professional services where the services itself is highly unique and cannot be standardized, attention van be given to quality in routine transactions and processes such as:
*The length of time taken to reply to routine correspondence
*Invoicing procedures
*The professional quality of reports and documentation
*Offering services within special time period and general customer care
Customer retention/attracting new customers
Relationship marketing focuses on building relationship and provides a framework for higher customer retention, enhanced customer and employee satisfaction levels and improved corporate image. This can be reinforced through the marketing mix; especially through the use of promotions and communications, people and physical evidence.
Attainment of organization objectives
A fundamental feature of a properly structured and implemented marketing program is the role of marketing planning. The marketing planning process coordinates and directs the organization’s marketing effort. It contributes to overall organization objectives by setting down action programs to meet agreed marketing objectives. Planning can help focus management thinking in terms of the business mission and strategic objectives setting by addressing the questions:
Where are you now? (Analysis stage)
Where do we want to be? (Planning stage)
How do we get there? (Implementation stage)
How successful are we? (Monitoring stage)