It's often said that no matter how efficient a business owner may be in the art of creating and perfecting a service, such effort goes to waste if there is no market available to buy it.

Marketing is the ability to put your services in front of the people who wish to buy them. It is not strictly limited to advertising, although advertising may be one part of your marketing approach.

Knowing who your customers are should be your prime marketing objective. Remember that your customer profile will vary geographically.

What's good for your customer around the corner may differ from the customer halfway across town, even if they're buying the same service. You need to draw a portrait of what these people look like and indelibly etch it into your mind.

Analyze Your Market

Anyone who fishes will tell you that "fish aren't just fish." They come in many varieties and colors, and live in different environments. Some like worms, some like flies and some like crawfish; they all swim in different schools.

The idea is the same when applied to your customers. If you want to market a service, you first need to build a very clear picture of whom you want to "catch" as your customer. Where do they hang out? What do they like to do? And when do they like to do it?

Once you know the type of customer you want to attract, it's time to choose your "hook and bait." In marketing, this is called "packaging your message."

Pick the best place to cast your line and catch the most fish for the least effort and cost. That's "positioning."

Don't make the mistake of simply copying what your competitors are doing. When you market, as when you fish, look for that special spot no one else has claimed.

Think creatively about what makes your wash or detail shop -- and the services your offer -- different. If you understand your unique advantages, you may be able to find a completely different way of attracting customers that will put you ahead of the competition.

Unlike fish, your customers can talk, and the best way to find out about them is to ask. You should be talking to your customers every day, not only to determine why they like your product, but to find out what sort of people they are.

Marketing is all about communication. If you listen, your customers will let you know how best to tell them of your products and services. They can provide you with a ready-made customer profile and marketing plan.

Don't fall into an all-too-common trap: you find that a lot of your customers like gardening, so you rush out to book an ad in a gardening magazine. Instead, think about why they like gardening. Maybe it's because your customers have environmental interests, or because they live in the suburbs.

"Hook" Them Again

The business that is successful delivers their promises and service nearly every time. That's why people keep going back.

The carwash business, obviously, relies heavily on customers coming back. Customers should be nurtured, and that's another facet of marketing. Being properly cared for is a pleasurable experience, and people always return to where they feel good.

So go get them! To do this, fully employ these three approaches: publicity, advertising and promotion. Depending on your business, you should be prepared to budget 10 percent (or more) of your revenue for these functions.

Publicity

Contrary to popular opinion, publicity isn't free. But it is worth what you pay.

Start at the beginning. Have you told everyone where you are? Most newspapers will do that for free, so ask your business editor. Next, speak to the environmental editor and offer your professional knowledge if there is ever a question on articles about water conservation or polluted runoff that runs into streams. Also talk to the editor of the automobile section and offer tips on maintenance and the importance of preserving an automobile finish.

Provide the media with a press kit describing who you are and what you do, as well as the services you provide. If you don't enough time and/or skills to do it alone, hire an expert. If you can't afford the best, find an enthusiastic beginner who is just starting out. There are plenty of people available, even in less populated areas.

As with any supplier, make sure the people you hire know their business. Tell them exactly what you want, and if they don't have some interesting ideas about how to reach your particular kind of customer, move on.

Advertising

Advertising does not have to be expensive, but it can quickly waste a lot of money if you aren't focused clearly on your specific customer.

Your advertising need not set the world on fire, but it should at least pay for itself. Your ads should appeal to your customer, not necessarily to you. Don't rush to change an ad that is still drawing customers.

Never place all your ads within one media. Spread them around and plan to do so throughout your fiscal year. Don't be afraid to try television. You might be surprised at how inexpensive it can be.

Radio should never be used on its own, but coupled with a form of print advertising such as newspapers. It is very useful for special offers. Also, consider direct mail. This is expensive, but if you can develop ways to reach your target customer, it may be the most successful form of advertising.

Evaluate all your advertising very carefully. Media representatives are salespeople. They should have detailed audience statistics; find out how much of their audience matches your customer's profile.

If your advertising does not result in enough sales to pay for itself, stop. And if you have several forms of advertising running at once, devise a study to determine which advertising your customers are responding to.

Once again, you may want to seek advice from an expert. Explain how much you will spend on advertising during the entire year, and ask how that amount will best work for you and what sort of results you can expect. Insist on a detailed plan.

Promotion

There are a variety of ways to promote. Speak at civic meetings -- go to automobile show go anywhere there are people interested in cars. That should be just about everywhere.

Other Marketing Facets

Your marketing outlook should consider the sales side of your business from two angles: what are you selling, and how you are selling it?

Offer a range of services so that you can satisfy the customer's needs. If you don't have the space to offer services like express detailing, find a detailer who will work with you and form a mutually beneficial alliance. This type of partnership represents true service to the customer. This arrangement could also work with windshield repair technicians, dent and scratch repair specialists or the owners of shops who offer pinstriping, sunroofs or other automotive extras.

Analyze the costs and results of your sales approach. What are your distribution methods? After expenses (include with this figure advertising, printing (coupon) and administrative costs), how much profit do they generate for you? Do your marketing projects have any particular weaknesses which you should address? What are the pros and cons of your policies on returns or refunds?

Staff need to be informed about your company, its personnel and the services it offers. They should be kept abreast of achievements.

The attitude of your employees will determine how your customers and potential customers view your company. A vision-and-mission statement helps everyone understand where you are all headed.

Once you have determined your best approach to marketing, you will need to take some action. Write down the first steps to take, such as talking to customers and getting advertising quotes. With the crackdown on polluted water run-off and the push to conserve water, carwashes and the environmentally friendly service they offer may soon be in high demand. Your company's part in possible boom is up to you. Stay focused, find your market, and reel 'em in.

John Rawson is president of The Water Doctor, a water treatment marketing consulting firm based in East Brisbane, Australia.