Here are a few questions to get you started: * How does that particular feature bring value to customer? * Will they sleep better, eat better, make more money, or what better because they have it?

Next, contact some prospects or past customers (not current customers). Ask them to identify benefit they see in your product/service. Usually they can give you benefits you could not see. This is usually an eye-opening experience so don't skip over it.

Now, number each of benefits in significant order from prospect's perception. You can number them and then e- mail ten or so prospects, present and past customers, and ask them to number them. Then you can see how well you know your prospects. If you are way off to their perspective, then at least you know you need to get to see things from their viewpoint and you can work on that.

Finally, yet importantly, choose top, number one, ultimate benefit that stands out. THAT, my friend, is foundation of all of marketing and writing marketing copy. This isn't end, now you need to build your marketing strategy around this ONE, repeat ONE, benefit. Don't make mistake juvenile marketers make by expressing all benefits. This only confuses buyers. Moreover, if your prospects are responding, "I need to think about it" more frequently then you prefer -- let this be your clue.

* Viral marketing is going to get easier, prove to increase its usefulness and will triple its popularity for promoting products and services. Expected numbers are predicted to be off charts.

* Referral or Word of mouth promotion is still number one answer to marketing in 2004. There will be big increase in referrals, joint ventures, and strategic alliances.

* Bragging will be on increase and will become even more sociably accepted in sales than in 2003.

* Fierce competitor competition among services companies will decline just slightly as companies run to catch up on learning to marketing cleanly.

* Web sites going e-commerce will double its numbers from 2003.

What part of this prediction affects your business in 2004. What plans have you made to "adopt and adapt" your marketing strategies to handle these variables.

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