PostcardPerfect.com/blog

About six months ago, a friend of mine asked for help in setting up a marketing plan for his graphic design business. After discussing his work, I advised him to use a narrow focus and go after one of the specific types of design he had described.

The logic was this: specialists make more and are better respected than generalists (the same principle applies for both products and services). I told him to set himself up as the source for this niche service. He didn’t really listen, and I’m thankful. In hindsight - it wasn’t very good advice.

Let me qualify that a little. From a branding perspective, narrow focus is good business. Think of a restaurant that serves a little of everything. Ever recommend it to anyone? Probably not. By trying to have something for everyone that restaurant forfeits their opportunity to really stand out.

So, if narrow focus is a good thing, what was wrong with my advice?

The problem is that there was no proven market for that type of design. Logically, it made sense that there would be people that would need it - but without a track record it would have been pretty risky to bet the farm on it right out of the gate.

I made the same mistake launching PostcardPerfect kiosks. I was so sure about how the process and distribution should work that I went in headfirst without much data to back it up. Things haven’t worked out as planned, and the aftermath of my initial unwavering focus is making a strategy change more cumbersome than it should be.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try new things. The point is that when getting into uncharted water - it’s better to feel around a little to find out what works. Once you figure out what is working - THEN you can go after it with narrow focus. In hindsight, I would have been better off not perfecting every detail prior to proving the business model.

Redbox, the now famous $1 per night DVD rental company, is a great example. They actually started with four automated “stores” that sold everything from milk to sandwiches. The DVDs were just one of many items available. The store concept flopped but the DVDs showed promise. They relaunched with just movies and, after a period of testing and refinement, set out to conquer the entertainment world. They now have more locations then Blockbuster.

My point is that if you want to be cutting edge, it makes sense to wade in with an open mind and a contingency plan. Test the waters a little and get user feedback. The original plan may be perfect - but more than likely it will need refinement. For me, it was an expensive lessen to learn. For you, it’s free advice. Good advice this time, too. I think.