|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
Business Marketing Strategy that Double Results through 5 Simple Questions
| Guest post by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith |
Article Overview: Do you have a proven marketing formula as you construct your marketing messages? Believing simplicity is best; maybe it’s time to rethink your marketing strategy by asking yourself these 5 questions?
 |
Free Download - How to Craft an Engaging Message That Highlights What You Do to Increase Sales By Leanne Hoagland-Smith |
Business Marketing Strategy that Double Results through 5 Simple Questions
Many small business owners, remember small is defined as companies with under 500 employees, fail to market themselves and consequently continue to lose market share. The inability to increase sales revenue goes beyond the expertise of your sales staff and is directly tied into your marketing plan.
First, do you have a marketing plan to deliver your marketing message? How are you marketing yourself and your business? Even if you are a Single Office Home Office Business (SOHO) or home based business, you need a marketing plan. Obviously if you are a larger organization, you understand the value of having such a plan. HINT: If you don’t have a plan or have been procrastinating about writing a plan, STOP right now. Find; hire someone to help you write that plan. These plans should be directly tied to your strategic plan of Who Does What By When within your business plan. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not have a plan, you are on someone else's plan.
Second, does your marketing message interrupt your prospect or suspect? What makes your message stop your prospects’ behaviors to want to further listen to what you have to say? Look to those now infamous Super Bowl commercials or even the ever-changing ones on television. Why does one commercial literally STOP YOU? Is it the graphics? Is it the music? Is it the content within the message? HINT: Use some measurable term such as double your results, triple your business, increase profits by 100% to interrupt your prospect.
Third, does your marketing message engage your prospect or suspect? OK, now that you have your prospect's attention, how do you keep it? This engagement may be just for a few moments as in those 30-second sound bites we hear every day. Engaging your prospect is critical to the success of your marketing strategies. HINT: At this point, you should be providing some benefits that create the What's In It For Me?
Fourth, does your marketing message educate your intended audience? Can you provide some solid education in your message? Citing proven, documented data or statistics helps to solidify your message. For example, within our business services, we provide a student leadership development and interpersonal skills program (America’s Rising Stars). We let parents know that: "According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average national timeframe to earn a 4 year degree is 5.3 years. Many universities report that it will take 6 years to earn a 4 year degree." If you are a parent with a college bound student, would this not be a valuable piece of education? Imagine how much more money the parents are envisioning that they will be spending and if they have more than one college bound student, the numbers are incredibly high and very, very expensive. HINT: Connect the education to the needs of your prospect.
Fifth and final question, does your marketing message provide an immediate offer? How many times do you hear? "If you call right now, we will reduce the price by $50?" or "Call right now and you will receive 2 for the price of one." The offer is clearly stated. Why, because the seller, that being you, wants the buyer, that being your prospect, to take action right now, not later, but right now. HINT: Be creative with your message by offering a substantial discount if one buyer secures 10 other buyers.
Remember, you absolutely need a marketing plan where your marketing message interrupts, engages, educates and offers. If your current message is not delivering these 5 objectives, then take some time to rework your plan. You will be simply amazed by how quickly your results double.
Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, www.processspecialist.com
This article may be freely published. Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).
Questions that Make Money
Jump Start Your Marketing Brain
The Right Real Estate Offer
Marketing Plan
Ten Critical Questions to Ask about Your Marketing Strategy
|
About the Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith RSS for Leanne's articles - Visit Leanne's website Her book, Be the Red Jacket is a no-nonsense and quick read to help discover potential gaps that may be keeping you from your goal to increase sales. The forward is by Evan Carmichael of EvanCarmichael.com Remember if you think you cannot or you think you can either way you are right. (Henry Ford). Sales Coaching Tip: Change your thoughts; improve your results. Click here to visit Leanne's website   Business Building Check List Leadership Assessment Leadership Audit For Business |
Related Forum Posts
Book: Secrets of Six Figure Women
- Secrets of Six Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to up your earning and change your life
Barbara Stanny, 2002
Jacket:
Maybe you've noticed - a subtle trend is gathering steam. Quietly and steadily, the number of women making six figures or more is increasing, and it continues to rise at a rate faster than for men. From entrepreneurs to corporate executives, from white collar executives to free lancers and part timers, women are forging careers with considerable financial success.
Through extensive research and hundreds of interviews, including dialogs with more than 150 high earners whose annual incomes range from $100,000 to 7 million, Stanny discovered that ...they all had certain traits in common:
1) a profit motive
2) Audacity
3) REslience
4) Encouragement
5) Self-awareness
6) Non-attachment
7) Financial knowhow
She amplifies on these in the book itself.
Table of Contents
Intro: Welcome to the era of the six-figure woman
1. The Queen in the Countinghouse
2. The Lowdown on low earners
3. Raising the bar
4. Strategy 1: The Declaration of Intention
5. Strategy 2: Letting go of the ledge
6. Strategy 3: Get in the Game
7. Strategy 4: Speak Up
8. Strategy 5: The Stretch
9. Strategy 6: Seek Support
10. Strategy 7: Obey the rules of money
11. Claiming our power
Appendces:
Resources and websites
Tips for getting out of dent
Investing Basics: Wealthbuilding 101
Re: Email Marketing, Permission Based
- Double opt in is the way to go - but I think you make a great point, even when you subscribe, when they take advantage or email you way more than they stated they would be...
Re: Fill in the blank: The best decision I ever made with my bus
- Focusing on my Internet Marketing Business
Starting a New Business
- Congratulations on the first step of deciding to create your own business.
First, you have to ascertain if you are going to be selling your products or services to people or to businesses.
People purchase products and services for three basic reasons:
•To satisfy basic needs
•To solve problems
•To make themselves feel good.
You have to determine which of these three categories your product or service is the solution to. Businesses, unlike individuals, buy products and services for three reasons as well:
•To increase revenues
•To maintain the status quo
•To decrease expenses.
Knowing the reasons why people/businesses buy, you should have a picture emerging of who you think your "Target Market" (or ideal customer) is. Once you have zeroed in on your solution, you are ready to create your Marketing Strategy.
If you look at any company that has grown rapidly over the past few years, (i.e. WestJet and Starbucks), it should demonstrate to you the importance of Marketing. In simple terms these companies have:
•Clearly defined what makes them different;
•Who their ideal customer is;
•How to reach them;
•Why customers should buy from them;
•And most importantly why customers should come back again.
It is strong Marketing Awareness that singles out the best companies.
I can not stress enough how important it is to create a "living" Marketing Plan before you even start.
I hope this helps a little in the creation of your plan. All the very best of luck.
Remember: "A Goal without a Plan is just a Wish"
Miles of Smiles,
Marketing Maven
My entry
- 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read
- this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody.
2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto.
3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book
Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
by: Casey Gollan, Melbourne Business Coaching
4 Building Blocks of an Effective Talent Management System
Simon Fuller Quotes
Lesson #3: “Tell ‘em quick and tell ‘em often”
Searching for the Stars: How Yang and Filo Took Their Business to New Heights
Salesperson Wimp-Out: I Need Help 
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Email Marketing Made Easy #11 - Avoiding Spam
Fear Factors in Small Business: Sales & Marketing
Unspoken Yet Important Rules for Book Proposals
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.