What is Marketing? Videos, Websites, Email Campaigns, Materials, Vehicle Wraps, Etc.

Patrick McFadden

In this post, I recap my conversation with the VP of Sales for a successful commercial service firm and it was a great reminder of strategy before tactics.


One of the questions this VP of Sales asked was “What is marketing beyond videos, websites, email campaigns, materials, vehicle wraps, and any other tactic?”


Others in business may have this same question so, in order to help alleviate some of the marketing confusion, I’ve created an outline for you in this post.


Marketing Is Defining & Choosing to Work With Ideal Clients

First, you need to separate ideal customers from non-ideal — this is the top 20% of your clients. This doesn’t mean that you throw out the 80%, but experience tells me that if you are working with customers and clients today, some percentage of them are not profitable for your business.


Marketing Is Uncovering The Real Problem You Solve

Now that you know who your ideal customer is, the next step in defining what is marketing is to figure out what problem you are actually solving for your customers. So instead of just selling a service, communicate that you understand their problem. Help them see that your service is the solution to their problem.


Marketing Is Guiding Customers Through the Buying Process

Customers have buying questions and objectives, and these will change along the various stages of their journey with your company. It’s your job to guide customers through the journey, taking them through the logical steps of getting to become aware of your company, educated about your company, sampling your company’s expertise, purchasing your company services, and referring your company.


Marketing Is Making Content a Relationship-Building Workhorse

The last stage in understanding what is marketing is content. Customers don’t need a description of your solutions or service initially. Sure, once their experience with your company deepens and they begin considering their purchasing options, they’ll want to know the details. But for now, they want to see how they can build a relationship with your company. Treat content as a branding tactic, not a marketing tactic. Content is how to get people to know, like, and trust your brand.


So now you have it. Marketing beyond tactics is how you work with profitable clients, create a clear marketing message, guide the buying process, and plan to stand out from your competition in the minds of your ideal customer.

Forget “Perfect Workspaces.” Customers Want Perfect Installation Days — Here’s What Happened When One Furniture Installation Company Got That Right

By Patrick McFadden • March 31, 2025
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.

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