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Who’s Jumping On Your Small Business Band-Wagon?

Guest post by: Jessica Swanson

Article Overview: In today’s over-crowded, wildly competitive marketplace, your prospects have the choice of jumping on a variety of band-wagons. So, how can you ensure that YOUR band-wagon is the one they choose? Let’s take a few cues from Mr. P.T. Barnum himself:

Who’s Jumping On Your Small Business Band-Wagon?

I want you to think back to the mid-19th century for just a minute.

Envision the P.T. Barnum and Bailey Circus marching through your streets. Cymbals are clashing, horns are blaring and the circus workers are sweeping cheering bystanders into their decorated bandwagons.

These circus processions weren't just for fun. P.T. Barnum trained his workers to attract paying customers with a razzmatazz of glitz and glamour. He was a masterful marketer and he knew a thing or two about getting customers to jump on his bandwagon.

If P.T. Barnum were to stand in front of you today, he'd most likely demand, "What are YOU doing to ensure that paying customers are jumping on your bandwagon?"

And, as you likely know, it's not such an easy question to answer. In today's over-crowded, wildly competitive marketplace, your prospects have the choice of jumping on a variety of band-wagons.

So, how can you ensure that YOUR band-wagon is the one they choose? Let's take a few cues from Mr. P.T. Barnum himself:

1. Think big. As Barnum once said, "If I shoot for the sun, I may hit a star."

Even if you're a local mom and pop shop in Hicksville, Indiana, you can still think BIG. If your thinking is completely local-minded, you're leaving good money on the table. How can you use the internet to capture more customers? How can you expand? How can you sell additional products and services to your existing customers? You need to think big to get big.

2. Treat your customers well. Barnum suggests, "Men who drive sharp bargains with their customers, acting as if they never expected to see them again, will not be mistaken. They will never see them again as customers. People don't like to pay and get kicked also."

As a small business owner, your customers are your greatest asset. If you treat them like royalty, they'll remain forever loyal, purchase from you again and become your biggest fans. Insist on giving your customers more than they bargained for; in turn, your customers will make you a success story.

3. Get friendly with the media. Barnum knows that, "Without promotion a terrible thing happens...nothing!"

Barnum was a master of public relations. He knew that it was infinitely more important what others said about him than what he could say about himself. As a small business owner, befriend the media, send out press releases and get quoted in your local newspapers. Good PR campaigns have skyrocketed the profits of many small business owners.

4. Don't skimp on marketing. Barnum warns that, "Advertising is like learning...a little is a dangerous thing."

As a small business owner, you may find that marketing is last on your long list of "to-do's." But, if that's the case, your business isn't going to survive too long. It takes a persistent and consistent marketing campaign to gain visibility, generate leads and make sales in our over-crowded marketplace.

5. Work hard. As Barnum points out, "Ambition, energy, industry, perseverance, are indispensable requisites for success in business."

Small business success doesn't happen overnight. Ever. It's an accumulation of dedication, hard-work and passion. Unfortunately, the high-rate of business failure suggests that many entrepreneurs give up when the going gets tough. If you're determined to be a success story than promise yourself that you won't give up.

As you implement a bit of P.T. Barnum's philosophy into your small business, you'll soon find loads of paying customers happily jumping into your bandwagon.

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Article Tags: shoestring marketing, small business marketing, small business success



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