What Is Marketing?        

Outlining the four phases

By Andrea Hill

I learned a poignant lesson about marketing nearly a decade ago. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of one of my children. We lived in a place where public education was frightful and the availability of effective private schooling was shamefully slim. So my son—at the ripe old age of 11—competed to gain entry to the few private school seats available at the beginning of middle school. But we were ready. Portfolio from elementary school? Check—straight As. Interests? Check—accomplished in music and sports. Entry exam? Check—extremely high scores.

He didn’t get in.

Why? Because the 20 minutes he was given to market himself—the private school interview—derailed him. He was too shy to pull it off.

You might have a business like this. Excellent product? Check—it’s desirable and of high quality. Sound operations? Check—you can deliver on time and very fast when needed. Service mentality? Check—you are focused on providin...