Marketing comprises everything that expresses what it is that you do

You market by the products or services you sell - by their quality and style, effectiveness, or usefulness. You market by your service. Do you really serve the needs of your customers and clients? And of course, you market by your communications to others: The quality and content of your advertising or direct mail. The attitude of the people who do your cold calling. The usefulness and quality of your promotional items (like pens, calendars, and T-shirts).

Marketing is how you treat others: your staff, your customers and clients, your shareholders, your community, and the environment. It's the relationships you build. The value or caring you invest. It is even the attitude that lies behind what you do and how you communicate it. Do your employees like what you produce, or do they think it's rotten? Would you personally use it? Are you honest or deceptive in the way you advertise and market your product?

All of these factors express to the world what you think of your product or service, your customers, and yourself. And all of them get noticed. The old advertising slogan, "You tell two friends, and they'll tell two friends, and so on, and so on," truly applies for every business. It can be a slow process; but it does happen.

To some, the idea that others are talking about them or their product may sound scary. But it really is an opportunity. Think about how many ways you can market without spending any more money! The better you treat all your stakeholders - including yourself - the better your "marketing" will be. (And others will be doing it for you.)

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing