Four Steps to Unlocking Your Marketing DNA

There are 7 billion people on the planet. And unless you're selling bottled water or running a social media empire, most of them aren't going to be your customers.

Good news: you don't need them to be.

Because here's what most manufacturers get wrong–you don't need thousands of customers to hit your growth targets. You need the right customers. And the fastest way to find them is to stop trying to appeal to everyone.

I know what you're thinking. "We can't afford to turn away business." But you're already turning away business every day–the wrong business. The work that's too small, too complicated, or too far outside your wheelhouse. The customers who nickel-and-dime you on every quote because they don't value what you actually do well.

So let's flip the script. Instead of chasing every RFQ that hits your inbox, what if you focused on the customers who actually need what you're best at–and are willing to pay for it?

That's where your marketing DNA comes in.

To grow past where you are now, you need to get laser-focused on four things: who you're selling to, what problem you're solving, why you're better at solving it than anyone else, and how to communicate that in a way that makes customers choose you.

Let's break it down.

Step 1: Define your target market.

You can't sell to everyone. And if you try, you're wasting time and money marketing to people who will never buy from you.

So who's your ideal customer? Not "anyone who needs machining" or "companies that need parts." Get specific.

What industry are they in? What size are they? What kind of work do they need done? What's their approval process like? How much are they spending annually?

Here's an example. Let's say you're a contract manufacturer with strong capabilities in tight-tolerance work and complex assemblies. You could try to market yourself as a general job shop. Or you could narrow it down: medical device companies and aerospace suppliers who need low-to-mid volume production with strict quality requirements.

Same shop. Completely different positioning.

The tighter you define your target market, the easier it is to stand out. Because instead of competing with every shop in your region, you're competing with the handful of manufacturers who actually specialize in what you do.

Step 2: Define the problem to be solved.

Now that you know who you're talking to, what problem do they have that you can solve better than anyone else?

And I don't mean "they need parts made." Dig deeper. What's the pain point that makes them pick up the phone and call you?

Maybe it's lead time. Maybe it's material expertise. Maybe it's the ability to handle both prototyping and production so they're not managing multiple vendors. Maybe it's certifications that most shops don't have.

Here's a real-world example. A mid-sized manufacturer I know was competing in the general industrial market and constantly losing on price. They had the capability to work with exotic alloys, but they weren't positioning themselves around that strength.

Once they shifted their focus to customers who specifically needed Inconel, Hastelloy, and other high-temp materials, everything changed. Those customers weren't shopping on price–they were shopping for expertise. And suddenly, this manufacturer wasn't just another option. They were the option.

The tighter you define the problem, the more valuable your solution becomes.

Step 3: Identify your key selling benefits.

Alright, you know who your customer is and what problem they have. Now: why should they choose you?

And no, "quality" and "on-time delivery" don't count. That's table stakes. Everyone says that.

What do you do that's legitimately different or better than your competitors?

Maybe you've got proprietary tooling or processes that competitors can't replicate. Maybe you control more of the supply chain so you're not at the mercy of outside vendors. Maybe you've got certifications that unlock contracts other shops can't even bid on. Maybe your lead times are half what the competition offers because of how you've set up your production flow.

Whatever it is, it has to be real. And it has to matter to the customer you're targeting.

Going back to the exotic alloys example–that manufacturer didn't just say "we can work with Inconel." They built their messaging around decades of experience with high-temp materials, proprietary fixturing that reduced setup times, and metallurgists on staff who could troubleshoot material issues in real time.

That's not a list of features. That's proof that they know what they're doing in a way their competitors don't.

Step 4: Wrap it into a unique value proposition.

Now take everything from steps 1-3 and boil it down into one clear statement that explains who you serve, what problem you solve, and why you're the best choice.

This isn't a tagline. It's the foundation of your entire sales and marketing message.

For the exotic alloys manufacturer, it might look something like this:

"We help aerospace and energy companies bring high-temp components from prototype to production–faster and with fewer material failures–because we've spent 20 years mastering the processes that most shops avoid."

That's specific. It's clear. And it tells the right customer exactly why they should be talking to you instead of someone else.

Your unique value proposition isn't about being everything to everyone. It's about being the obvious choice for the customers who need exactly what you do best.

The bottom line

Most manufacturers are stuck because they're trying to compete in a market that's too broad. They're quoting work they shouldn't take, losing deals they should have won, and watching their margins shrink because they're not differentiated.

But when you decode your marketing DNA–when you get clear on who you serve, what problem you solve, why you're better, and how to communicate that–you stop competing with everyone and start dominating a specific niche.

You don't need thousands of customers to grow. You need the right ones. And once you know who they are and why they should choose you, everything else gets easier.