[MUSIC PLAYING] I'm not going to sugarcoat anything in this course. I want to tell you straight what works and what doesn't. Now here's the number one secret to great branding and marketing-- a great product. The truth is, no amount of branding or marketing is going to save you if your product stinks. Now if you've got a killer product and you know it, head to the next lesson to get started. If you're a little worried about your product, I've got some tips for you. When I first started making sauces and rubs, they weren't perfect, award-winning products from the beginning.
There were a few duds in there. The key is progress not perfection on any product. Even the best products in the world continue to test, refine, and change. So how do you know if you actually have a winning product? Here are three ways I recommend. Number one, repeat customers. Do you have a good amount of customers who come back again and again? This is a sign you've got something good. Number two, word of mouth.
You'll hear more about this later in the course. But I've got to share with you that word of mouth was a marketing tactic that worked from day one and continues to work to this day. If your customers don't talk about in person or online, you may need to go back to the drawing board and make a few tweaks to your product. Remember that negative feedback isn't terrible. There can be really great insight and ideas in the feedback if you're open to listening. Number three, focus groups.
I love focus groups. Now you may think for a focus group, you need to rent an office space, and it has to follow a rigid structure. That's not the way I do it. My focus groups are backyard cookouts. And the truth is my guests didn't know they were in a focus group. I kept the events casual and fun, that I was sure to check in with all attendees on what they liked and didn't like about my products. I definitely recommend, no matter how you run your focus group, to make sure you feed your guests.
So now you know the secret to great branding and marketing is a great product. And you know your product doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to be good. Before you spend time, energy, and money on branding and marketing, ensure you have people who want to love your product. Now join me in the next module to get started on branding.