The secret to successfully growing a business is no secret at all. That was the big reveal with marketing consultant Carrie Hartunian in a recent interview with Small Business Trendsetters. Hartunian was well aware that readers were expecting her to discuss some magical marketing formula that would guarantee success, but instead, she told her fans that the best way to ensure business success is to get back to the basics of business and marketing. According to Hartunian, “There really is no secret weapon. It’s about specifying your audience, choosing a platform, and increasing clientele retention rates. There is no one single strategy, online or offline platform, that’s better than another out there.”

For Hartunian, the first step is clearly identifying and understanding the target audience. That is such an essential part of the marketing process that she prefers not to work with clients who do not embrace that simple concept. As she puts it, “If you have not identified your specific audience, then it’s like you are out there with a big megaphone talking into the wind. People hear noise, but they don’t hear your message.”

Second in the process, according to Hartunian, is being able to effectively communicate with clients by speaking about the things they are interested in hearing. That can only happen with a clear definition of who the client is, and when combined, these two elements allow businesses to build their client base quickly, leading to more sales and faster growth.

Hartunian also touches on why she has been so successful over the years. As a top marketing consultant she has worked with clients worldwide, but she does not differentiate between her clients. Both the largest and the smallest clients are given that same level of service and the same attention to detail. It is, in fact, the level of detail that Hartunian brings to her work that sets her apart and that has driven her success.

Perhaps the most valuable information gleamed from the interview is Hartunian’s opinions when it comes to the many media platforms available to businesses today. Again, Hartunian emphasizes the basics and reveals that the latest and greatest platforms are essentially useless if a business doesn’t know their clients and doesn’t know what message to send them.

To learn more about Carrie Hartunian, visit her Certified Professional profile.