Since “holiday season” is still fresh in our minds and tummies, where food was plentiful, it seems to make sense, to focus on how lessons learned consuming delectable dishes or tasty treats—can actually help you prosper and profit.

If you’ve ever visited Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Roti Modern Mediterranean, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Labriola or meatheads, there’s a pretty good likelihood, your life, personal or professional, has already been impacted by Peter Nolan. He’s the founder of 5th P Marketing and a self-described, “Marketer, who has helped great brands develop into great businesses.”

My conversation with Peter, will give you lots of “food for thought” to develop and grow your business.

Jeff Blackman: What lessons have you learned selling/marketing “food” that are applicable to any business?

Peter Nolan: Think like a customer. This simple idea comes to life, in many not-so-simple ways. Appreciate your customer’s experience with fresh eyes. Walk through your store or business, click through your website, open your brochure—what do you see? If you knew nothing about your business, what would you think? What questions do you have? And how are these questions answered in simple, compelling ways?

JB: Your website, 5thpmarketing.com says, you, “…make customers sit up, listen, smile and reach for their wallets.” How do you do that, for any business?

PN: Often marketers act like the person looking for someone to dance with, at a high school dance. “If I dress right, stand in a cool way, say something witty…then he or she will want to dance with me.” That approach misses an important point: The best way to get someone to dance with you, is to be a good dancer.

When you’re really good at what you do, customers will love you. When your business is stalled or under-preforming, don’t be quick to say, “Everything we do is great, we just need to tell people about it.” Instead ask, “What can we do to WOW people so they have no choice but to return, buy and tell others?”

JB: How do you wow?

PN: Create small moments with a big heart! When I was the head of marketing at Roti Mediterranean Grill, we had a section on our website’s careers page called Above and Beyond. Here, we profiled team members who delivered outstanding service.

This inspired hourly team members to do, then tell us—about great things they did for customers. One shift supervisor, Eric, had a customer saving quarters from all fifty states for his grandson.

When Eric discovered this grandfather still needed Vermont and South Dakota, every night, Eric searched for them in the cash register. Eventually, he found, saved and gave these “valuable” quarters to the grandfather, who was blown away! Astonished, an employee at a fast casual restaurant did this. That’s how you build loyalty. Small moments, big heart!

JB: What would you encourage an individual, TO DO, to best “Market” their company, product or service?

PN: Think of your brand as a person. The “DNA” is the stuff that doesn’t change, unless you change your brand. This includes; logo, tagline, colors and fonts. Plus, your brand positioning—what you’re great at, and for whom. If your business lacks these “DNA” elements, or you’re unhappy with them, stop now. Fix them!

A brand, like a person, develops a personality. You don’t need an elaborate three-month analysis to determine your brand personality, but you do need a firm sense of this, because every brand execution, (website copy, brochures, signage, etc.) needs to be “personality consistent.”

Consider, is your brand more:

    •    Spontaneous or Careful?
    •    Modern or Traditional?
    •    Fun or Serious?
    •    Accessible or Upscale?

Then, create a Marketing Strategy, to build sales. This too, doesn’t need to be an elaborate or expensive process. Here’s my strategy analogy:

Imagine, we’re on the shoreline. Yet want to get to that distant island. How do we get there? What are potential strategies: Build a boat. Swim. Erect a bridge. Walk, (maybe the water is very shallow.)

Here, the shoreline is our “current situation.” The island is our “goal.” As you can see, we must first have a clear understanding of our situation and goal, before selecting the right strategy.

For more ways, to help you select the right strategy, please visit http://5thpmarketing.com.