Keep your Business Alive with Smart Marketing
Keep your Business Alive with Smart Marketing
Growth is the real goal
That is the litmus test of keeping your business alive. Look at nature. Everything that is alive continues to grow. Growing your business is the best way of keeping it alive in the long term. How do you continue to grow your business? Feed it, nurture it, invest in it and treat the business as a journey - not a destination. On your journey you must keep one eye immediately on the road in front of you and the other on the horizon.
Invest in your business success with smart marketing. Smart marketing does not entail expensive advertising campaigns. Instead it means managing all the messages you send about yourself and your business. Be aware of the unintended messages as well as your conscious messages. Test for your unintended messages by polling your best clients. Ask those who did not give you the business - why did they choose to go elsewhere.
Marketing for the long term
Marketing is a long term investment. Because of that, many get frustrated, and complain, 'I tried marketing and nothing happened.' The credibility you build today will help you gain business months or years later. It may seem tough to justify that. But don't stop running the day-to-day activities - just invest a little in your future
Marketing is like planting bamboo. In the first six years the seedlings only grow about 12 inches high. It could be very discouraging to the bamboo farmer. Then 'suddenly' in the seventh year the bamboo sprouts to 6 feet tall. In marketing nothing happens suddenly. It takes time for results to appear. Prospects need to see your name many times before they remember you and recognize your value. You may think nothing is happening because you don't see the growth. You are the bamboo farmer.
Not only is marketing sometimes a slow pay back. It is uncertain. Not everything works all the time. It's been said that half of your marketing efforts are wasted. The problem is to discover which half. You don't know - so do it all.
Personal marketing
Make your marketing personal. Relate to people because people buy. Companies don't buy. But don't take rejections - real or imagined - personally.
One of my good clients stopped returning my calls. I continued to call and send information. I felt discouraged. I thought she didn't like me any more. A year later she called to say, "I had a major operation and I did not feel like talking to anyone." Boy, did I feel stupid for thinking it was about me. Often when we don't hear back from our clients and prospects -we think it is us. How can we be so self centered. The world does not revolve around us. Just ask any teenager - it revolves around her.
Fine-tune your database of clients, prospects and contacts. Treat your best clients special. Offer them special services. Airlines do this with their frequent flyer points and special status. Stay close to your best clients, keeping them informed and staying informed about them and their business.
Be unique. Discover the 'unwritten rules' of your business then break them to be different. Dell broke the 'rule' that computers must be sold through dealers. Dell is now a leader in computer direct sales. Stand out from the crowd. Watch for changes in your industry that may threaten your market. If the crowd goes down you don't have to go with it. The leaders in any market do well even in downswings.
Network with leaders in other businesses. Learn about the changes, threats and opportunities in their industries. These are people who may or may not actually buy your product - but you gain information, prestige and inspiration from them. You might partner with them for a joint promotion. It builds your credibility to be seen with leaders.
Be seen as the expert
Build your credibility as an expert with the help of the media. Develop your media contacts. You will get the best results from appearing in print. Print has the greatest credibility and you can photocopy it for those who did not see it. Build relationships with editors, writers and reporters in the publications your prospects and clients are most likely to read - or respect. Include these media contacts in your database and treat them like your best clients. Keep them informed of changes in your business. Meet them for lunch or coffee. Offer to introduce them to some of your other contacts that they might be interested in meeting.
Write articles about your expertise for the publications. Don't expect to be paid for the articles - you want to get your name out often. The easiest articles to write are tips lists. Editors like them and readers love them because they are easy to read and use. Once you get published recycle the article and offer it to other publications. Photocopy the article and send it to everyone on your database - or at least to your best clients so they receive useful information and note you as the expert. You must be an expert if your words are in print!
Keep your business alive; invest in your growth through smart marketing.
Keep your Business Alive with Smart Marketing - To learn more about this author, visit George Torok's Website.
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As long as you eat and breathe you will stay alive. But is that really living? In a crisis that might be enough. If your business is in crisis - deal with it. But the magic potion to keep your business alive is growth.
Growth is the real goal
That is the litmus test of keeping your business alive. Look at nature. Everything that is alive continues to grow. Growing your business is the best way of keeping it alive in the long term. How do you continue to grow your business? Feed it, nurture it, invest in it and treat the business as a journey - not a destination. On your journey you must keep one eye immediately on the road in front of you and the other on the horizon.
Invest in your business success with smart marketing. Smart marketing does not entail expensive advertising campaigns. Instead it means managing all the messages you send about yourself and your business. Be aware of the unintended messages as well as your conscious messages. Test for your unintended messages by polling your best clients. Ask those who did not give you the business - why did they choose to go elsewhere.
Marketing for the long term
Marketing is a long term investment. Because of that, many get frustrated, and complain, 'I tried marketing and nothing happened.' The credibility you build today will help you gain business months or years later. It may seem tough to justify that. But don't stop running the day-to-day activities - just invest a little in your future
Marketing is like planting bamboo. In the first six years the seedlings only grow about 12 inches high. It could be very discouraging to the bamboo farmer. Then 'suddenly' in the seventh year the bamboo sprouts to 6 feet tall. In marketing nothing happens suddenly. It takes time for results to appear. Prospects need to see your name many times before they remember you and recognize your value. You may think nothing is happening because you don't see the growth. You are the bamboo farmer.
Not only is marketing sometimes a slow pay back. It is uncertain. Not everything works all the time. It's been said that half of your marketing efforts are wasted. The problem is to discover which half. You don't know - so do it all.
Personal marketing
Make your marketing personal. Relate to people because people buy. Companies don't buy. But don't take rejections - real or imagined - personally.
One of my good clients stopped returning my calls. I continued to call and send information. I felt discouraged. I thought she didn't like me any more. A year later she called to say, "I had a major operation and I did not feel like talking to anyone." Boy, did I feel stupid for thinking it was about me. Often when we don't hear back from our clients and prospects -we think it is us. How can we be so self centered. The world does not revolve around us. Just ask any teenager - it revolves around her.
Fine-tune your database of clients, prospects and contacts. Treat your best clients special. Offer them special services. Airlines do this with their frequent flyer points and special status. Stay close to your best clients, keeping them informed and staying informed about them and their business.
Be unique. Discover the 'unwritten rules' of your business then break them to be different. Dell broke the 'rule' that computers must be sold through dealers. Dell is now a leader in computer direct sales. Stand out from the crowd. Watch for changes in your industry that may threaten your market. If the crowd goes down you don't have to go with it. The leaders in any market do well even in downswings.
Network with leaders in other businesses. Learn about the changes, threats and opportunities in their industries. These are people who may or may not actually buy your product - but you gain information, prestige and inspiration from them. You might partner with them for a joint promotion. It builds your credibility to be seen with leaders.
Be seen as the expert
Build your credibility as an expert with the help of the media. Develop your media contacts. You will get the best results from appearing in print. Print has the greatest credibility and you can photocopy it for those who did not see it. Build relationships with editors, writers and reporters in the publications your prospects and clients are most likely to read - or respect. Include these media contacts in your database and treat them like your best clients. Keep them informed of changes in your business. Meet them for lunch or coffee. Offer to introduce them to some of your other contacts that they might be interested in meeting.
Write articles about your expertise for the publications. Don't expect to be paid for the articles - you want to get your name out often. The easiest articles to write are tips lists. Editors like them and readers love them because they are easy to read and use. Once you get published recycle the article and offer it to other publications. Photocopy the article and send it to everyone on your database - or at least to your best clients so they receive useful information and note you as the expert. You must be an expert if your words are in print!
Keep your business alive; invest in your growth through smart marketing.
Keep your Business Alive with Smart Marketing - To learn more about this author, visit George Torok's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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