Whichever way you look at it small business owners are always on the lookout for more leads, customers and sales that produce profits.
If you want to catapult your small business to the next level you had better look at marketing through the eyes of someone who has been successful in the past. That may involve you looking at marketing differently. There are only two prominent goals in business and they both involve marketing:
- Completing a sale.
- Securing a lead or prospect.
Some businesses work hard to secure more business and struggle to find a successful marketing strategy that works for them.
Many business owners, reps and advertising agencies believe that the goal of marketing is to build brand. They waste money on building the brand and not securing sales. Before I became aware of this mistake I had spent over $26,000 on building brand awareness. Never again.
Everything in your business should be focused on either getting a sale, capturing a lead or procuring prospect’s names. I call this being focused on reaction marketing. There is a subtle difference between direct mail and direct response marketing. I’m talking about getting a reaction ‘result’ from every part of your marketing campaign.
Here are the 5 tips to do that:
1. Develop a powerful unique selling point (USP).
This is the #1 reason your prospect or customer will buy from you. If you don’t have one in your business, get one ASAP. Put it on your headlines of articles, websites, leaflet drops, fliers and in your reaction marketing campaigns.
2. Learn to sell.
If you know how to sell you know how to treat customers. Don’t learn about customer service from so called Gurus because most of that is wrong. All you need to know is how to sell and the customer service will come naturally.
3. Create a database for every new customer.
Become a card collector. Get their business card or name, address and contact details and store it in an excel spreadsheet. Build this list to 1,000 and it will turn your business into a profit generating machine. You will have a wild horse on your hands that needs taming.
4. Contact your data base once a week. Send either:
a) Sales promotions to up sell existing customers
b) Sales promotions to attract new customers.
Keep your name in front of your customers regularly.
Use special offers, gift cards and invitations to ‘VIP events’. Send thank you letters to customers for their loyalty and past purchases from you. Get them back to your business.
5. Create a referral program.
Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals and give away something in return. It can be as simple as giving coded coupons. For each one redeemed, the referring client receives a gift.
These strategies are a few I use in my business and are powerful ways to increase cash in the door within a few days.
Your partner in business success
Dan
Helping people and business to be the best they can be now! If you liked this information and want more get the:
6 steps to get more business quickly http://www.leadbuildingsystems.com
Thinking about Starting a business and want to know how
http://www.startingabusinessnow.com
Want to Grow a Small Retail Business fast
http://www.howtogrowasmallbusiness.com
The Commando Business System
http://www.commandobusiness.com
Small Business… Collect Money for Nothing and Cheques for Free
The problem with starting a small business is that owners feel they want to be seen as the nice guy with their customers by extending them credit. Take an honest look at your cash flow.
Guide to Starting a Small Business
Fear of starting a business can be overwhelming but is achievable without a lot of risk. This is a guide to starting a small business using ideas from the Internet.
Success and Success Rules!
Success and Success Rules! Life as in business there are rules to live by. Sometimes if you break the rules there are severe penalties to pay. Here a...
