1000 Business Lessons Every Businessman Must Know

Chapter 16 Market Research: Guarantee of Product Vitality (1)
[-]. Carry out market segmentation
115. The four stages of evolution of the operator's concept
Market segmentation is an inevitable requirement for business operations when the economy develops to a certain stage. Simply speaking, market segmentation is based on the differences in the needs of consumers. Starting from these different needs, they are divided into different categories. consumer base.Starting from the stage of large-scale industry, how to view the market and how to satisfy consumers, the concept of operators has gone through four stages.

1. Large-scale marketing stage
Ford is a typical representative of this market thinking, it only provides Model T cars to all users.This kind of large-scale marketing has its advantages. It can use assembly line production to give full play to the effect of economies of scale and produce the most products at the lowest cost.

2. Product differentiation marketing stage
At this stage, companies only realize that consumers have different hobbies and will change their preferences at any time. Therefore, the diversified products provided by companies only satisfy consumers' changing psychology in general, rather than exploring consumers' needs in a real sense. A collection of hobbies to provide different products in a targeted manner.

3. Target marketing stage
At this stage, the company first conducts market segmentation, distinguishes the differences among many markets, and selects one or more market segments, and then develops products and formulates marketing plans for each selected market segment.Procter & Gamble is a model of market segmentation, each of its products is targeted, aiming at the different preferences of housewives.

4. Customer customized marketing stage
Since the 20s, some sensitive enterprises have changed from considering customers as a group to treating customers as an individual, that is, treating individuals as target markets, implementing personalized production, and customizing products for individual customers.It is in this marketing method that it is possible for a company to provide satisfactory results to every customer.

116. Whether market segmentation can be carried out depends on two conditions
Although market segmentation has become a successful weapon for many companies, whether market segmentation can be carried out depends on the following two conditions.

1. Differences in supply

It is only meaningful to talk about market segmentation if there is a possibility of diversification of supply. If the products of all enterprises are highly homogeneous, even if consumers have different needs, enterprises cannot satisfy them.Of course, modern enterprises are always trying to create differences in order to improve the competitiveness of enterprises in Porter's sense, and differences can always be created, as long as enterprises are willing.But some differences may not be necessary, that is to say, the benefits of making the differences may not cover the costs of making the differences.

2. Market preference model
Consumers who constitute the overall market are different individuals, and these individuals have both differences and similarities.Because of the existence of differences, it is shown that different consumers have their own purchasing desires and demand characteristics, and it is possible to divide the overall market. However, enterprises must see the differences between individual consumers and individual consumers. It also shows a certain homogeneity, that is, individuals as consumers have similar needs and behaviors. It is this feature that enables market segmentation to aggregate similar consumers into a segmented market.

Angle, to distinguish it.

117. There are rules to follow in market segmentation

There are rules to follow in market segmentation, and the procedures generally adopted by marketing agencies mainly include three steps.

1. Segmentation variable survey
The variables that can be segmented are endless, so the first stage must be to conduct consumer surveys to obtain the necessary information on the variables.Researchers interview consumers informally and divide them into focus groups to understand their motivations, attitudes, and behaviors.On this basis, the researcher prepares a formal questionnaire and distributes it to the sample consumers to collect the following information: the variables selected by the consumers and their order; the degree of consumers' understanding of various brands; how consumers use the products; Attitudes towards different products; characteristics of the respondents, including physiological, social, and the amount of marketing information received.

2. Analysis stage
The data collected above can be used to analyze and determine which variables affect consumers' choices.Multivariate statistical analysis is very useful here. You can use cluster analysis to distinguish different consumers, or you can use factor analysis to find out the influencing factors. Correspondence analysis combines consumer choices with variables. Wait.

3. Subdivision stage
Through the above analysis, we can find out which variables affect the choice of buyers. At this time, we can divide the buyers according to these variables and divide them into different consumer groups.This kind of segmentation can be carried out according to a single variable, but it is better to combine multiple variables to segment the market in detail.

Market segments are often affected by macro and micro environments, so when these environments change, market segments will also change, which requires salespeople to frequently review the original market segments to discover the latest segments basis of the market.

118. Market segment assessment considers three aspects

Market segmentation shows the market segmentation opportunities faced by the manufacturer, and the manufacturer must evaluate each market segment.Generally speaking, the evaluation of a market segment can be considered from three aspects: the capacity and development prospects of the market segment; the profit prospect of the market segment; the company's goals and resources.

1. Capacity and development prospects of market segments
In a specific period, each market has a certain market capacity, and this market capacity defines the limit that the enterprise can develop in this period, so the enterprise should consider the capacity of the segmented market.Large companies can consider market segments with large sales volume, while small companies should consider market segments with smaller sales volume due to strength issues.

The market capacity is not fixed, so it is necessary to look forward to the development prospects of the market. Some markets will expand sharply after marketing development, while some markets will gradually shrink due to other factors. These are in reality It often happens in practice.

2. Profit Prospects of Market Segments

Obviously, the size of the market capacity and its development are only a theoretical limit to the development of enterprises.For enterprises, unless you have the ability to monopolize, you will face various threats in any market segment.Therefore, it is undoubtedly more realistic to consider the impact of market structure on profitability and enterprise development, because a small market occupied by you alone may be better than the competition of many manufacturers in a large market.

3. Company goals and resources
The above analysis is only for general enterprises, and the choice of the target market still needs to be implemented by the enterprise itself, that is to say, it must be considered in combination with the actual situation of the company.The main factors affecting the choice of a company's target market are the company's goals and resources.

Regardless of the market segment, certain conditions must be present in order to be successful in it.If a company lacks one or more capabilities in a segment and cannot acquire it, that segment should be abandoned.But the salesperson must remember that if he really wants to win the market segment, he needs to develop an advantage over his competitors.If a company cannot create some advantageous value, it should not enter that market or market segment.

With the rise of social marketing, marketing has to add some non-economic considerations in the evaluation of market segments. Some market segments will involve social responsibility issues, so manufacturers must fully consider society when selecting market segments. For example, the public may be very sensitive to the marketing methods adopted by manufacturers for the segmented market of children, or pay more attention to the marketing of groups in socially disadvantaged positions. These require companies to consider both economic interests and Social responsibility should also be considered.

[-]. Gather market intelligence
119. Quickly grasp market information

A small Jewish businessman in Florida, USA, noticed that mothers with heavy housework often rushed to the street to buy diapers for their babies, so he had an idea and thought of starting a "call to deliver diapers" company.

Home delivery is nothing new, but no store is willing to deliver diapers because the cost is small and the profit is small.

The small businessman had another brainstorm. He hired the cheapest labor force in the United States-college students, and let them use the cheapest means of transportation-bicycles.He also expanded the diaper delivery service to also deliver baby medicine, toys, various baby products, and food on demand, and only charged a 15% service fee.

Today, his business is booming.

The information is all over the world, looking for interested people.A piece of valuable information, an accurate tip, can make a lot of business.

Jewish businessmen believe that if they get information that a certain product is very marketable, they should implement it quickly and achieve the "four fast":
1. Rapid design

That is, new products that are marketable should be designed according to their specifications, quality, and brand, and the design time should not be delayed for too long, so as not to delay the time and affect the rapid production.

2. Quick Fundraising

Funding should be raised as soon as possible after the design is completed.It is difficult to solve any problem without a certain amount of capital investment in any business project.Raising funds is not an easy task. We should figure out the required quantity and raising channels, and we must have all the funds and not miss the opportunity.

3. Put into production as soon as possible
As long as the production or operation conditions are met, the products must be produced at the fastest speed under the premise of ensuring the quality, and the goods should be dispatched to complete all the procedures before the goods are put on sale.

4. Sell fast

As the saying goes: "The market is in June, and the face of a mad dog changes as soon as it changes." When you produce the product and transport the product back, you must take advantage of the good market to sell it quickly and sell the product. into currency.

120. Good at capturing and utilizing information

Grasp timely and well-informed market information, provide decision-making direction, goals and basis for marketing decision-making, and thus play a decisive role in judging scientific decision-making.

There is a small-scale department store in northern Jiangsu. After the Spring Festival in 1988, it bought a large number of electric fans from a large national electric fan company.At that time, the people in the store didn't understand very much. They felt that there was not much capital in the first place, and it was really unwise to put the funds on "cold goods".However, as soon as summer comes, the temperature is getting higher day by day, and the unbearable heat that has not been encountered in many years makes people flock to large and small shops, and electric fans have become a hot item.The mall was well prepared and sold nearly 10,000 units at once, earning a profit of [-]+ yuan in one fell swoop.It turned out that the marketing manager of the shopping mall usually pays attention to collecting information, especially the weather forecast.He learned that there would be an unprecedented high temperature in summer that day, so he analyzed and predicted that the electric fan would sell well, so he made up his mind and made this successful transaction.

The application of market information in the production field is to use it to guide the production direction, production goals, and management of the production field.For example, in a certain period of time, what products will a producer produce, what new products will be developed, and what products will be eliminated? In a certain period of time, the quality and variety of products and other goals to be achieved.In production and operation management, the solution to some specific problems requires the application of market information, and the information includes a lot, including the production capacity of the product, the production volume that has been achieved, the sales capacity of the product in the market, and the market value of the product. competitiveness etc.Therefore, the analysis and utilization of market information is a key link related to the survival of the company in the field of production.

121. Grasp important information promptly and quickly

In modern society, information plays an important role in the decision-making of company leaders.In today's information age, foreign large companies or small and medium-sized companies pay great attention to information.

Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation has established information centers and databases in 128 countries.It has established 142 branches and hired more than 100 foreign professionals. Its information center receives more than 4 copies of various telegrams, telexes, and faxes, more than 6 phone calls and 3 mails from various places every day. Multiple letters, these papers can circle the earth several times.Mitsubishi's information center can connect with any place in the world within 5 minutes.All of these play an extremely important role in its business or marketing decisions.

In today's society, many people call it an "information society", which is not an exaggeration.As a successful leader, it is required to have a smooth source of information, establish an effective information acquisition system, and obtain various information in a timely, rapid and accurate manner, which is extremely important for the management of leaders and the company's business decisions important role.

"Information is the life of decision makers" has become the consensus of the society.Our leaders should realize the true meaning of "decision-making is inseparable from information" from the rise and fall of Beijing Jinxing Gold Pen Factory, and use it consciously in their own practice.

122. What are the methods of market research?

The ultimate purpose of market research is not the same, and the research methods chosen must not be the same.According to the purpose and characteristics of market research, choosing the appropriate research method will have the effect of "doing more with less".

Common measurement methods used in market research are:

1. Questionnaire method

Ask the respondent directly for information.

2. Quantity method
Respondents are asked to quantify their attitudes and feelings towards something.

3. Observation method

Observe behavioral outcomes or physiological changes.

4. Projection and in-depth interview

Let the interviewee freely express his thoughts and project his emotions on a certain object.

Neither of the above approaches need be considered a "stand-alone event".In the research, in order to collect the required data from multiple directions and angles, we should not only rely on one technology or method, but should use them cross-used according to different purposes to achieve the best results.At the same time, a single research method always has inevitable small regrets, and cannot fully bear all the information required for research.Moreover, sometimes in the research process, there will be some other valuable information and phenomena, which need to be supplemented by other methods.

(End of this chapter)