De-mystifying Marketing 

First Ros took the time to learn about the company, and the team who ran it. Basing her recommendations on EPM’s budget, resources and needs she worked with them to develop a robust marketing plan that would be achievable.

Ros customises her marketing advice to each client by following a thorough and systematic process. She strongly believes that every customer-facing person in a business should understand the fundamentals of marketing and, at EPM, taught Edward’s team how people buy.
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Ros explains:
 “A lot of people think of as marketing as a ‘dark art’, but the way people buy isn’t a mystery: it can be clearly described in the Sales Funnel model. All a business owner needs to know is how to apply it and how to support their customers through the buying process.”

A consistent, coherent brand 

To make sure she had a deep understanding of the business from the outset, Ros ran a workshop that looked at the products and services that EP Morris offered, the benefits those products provide to their customers, and the value of each and every purchasable item that EP Morris sold.

Having gained clarity on the value of each product and service EPM offer, Ros and the EPM team then looked at the size of the market, their market share, and set realistic targets. From this, it was then clear to see which opportunities EPM should prioritise.

Edward described the process:
“Ros immediately got to the real issue and incisively analysed what the problem was. She taught us how to look at the market and decide which bits to go for.”

Integrating marketing through the whole company 

Next Ros helped EPM create a 12 month marketing and PR plan, which has been regularly reviewed and updated since then, according to how the company changed and grown. Being independent from the company, Ros was able to see objectively what was working well and what could be improved. She followed a methodical process and implemented systems that not only changed the function of the business but also altered the behaviour and philosophy of the entire workforce. The experience was one not just of implementation but also of education.

Edward commented:
“I’ve noticed changes in my staff, who are keener, more confident and more professional. They’ve followed what Ros said and put it into practice. She’s given us a sense of direction and a structure to work from. She’s shown us how it should be done – it’s taken away a stress and a doubt.”

Ros puts a strong emphasis on ensuring her clients understand how marketing works and how it should be integrated throughout the whole business.

Edward explains:
“Ros has helped us understand the “sales funnel” and how people buy.  She has made us think about what we’ve got to do to make these people understand what we want them to do next. We plan our presentations in more depth now, how we’re going to present and help the client understand what we want them to do. We know why we’re doing things now. Marketing isn’t just something done by me and the Directors, it’s anyone in the company who comes into contact with our customers.”

Challenges and rewards

EPM is now reaping lasting results from the process.
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Edward concluded:
“Ros has been excellent to work with because she knows what she’s talking about. She doesn’t let anyone settle too much. She’s always pushing us to keep improving. It is not a comfortable process but it was necessary and it’s worked really well.”