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Summer is Ending...Are You on Target to Boost Sales?
| Guest post by: Edward Abel |
Article Overview: How are your summer sales? Are you moving forward or have you become a victim of summertime sales slowdown? Sure, customers and clients go on vacation, you go on vacation, and life in general slows down during the summer. But to boost sales this fall, you need to do some work now�even if your sales are up. (You want to increase sales, don�t you?) Here's the one thing small business owners must do before summer ends...
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Free Download - Are Your Goals SMART? By Edward Abel |
Summer is Ending...Are You on Target to Boost Sales?
How are your summer sales? Are you moving forward or have you become a victim of summertime sales slowdown? Sure, customers and clients go on vacation, you go on vacation, and life in general slows down during the summer.
But to boost sales this fall, you need to do some work now-even if your sales are up.
(You want to increase sales, don't you?)
Are You Guilty of This One Big Marketing Mistake?
After listening to small business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, and professionals complain about poor sales results, I discovered they make this one big mistake: They believe EVERYONE should use their products or services.
I know this belief comes from the passion they have. Unfortunately, this belief results in frustration, stress, and failure because they put themselves in front of the wrong tarket market--people who are not ready,wanting or needing what they have to offer. What a waste of everyone's time.
Stop the Madness Now
So, how do you get your products and services in front of the people who want and need them? It starts with knowledge�the knowledge you gather about your target market. (Remember, knowledge wins.) You need to think like a top-notch copywriter and create a profile of your perfect customer. Can you do that?
To see how much you know about your target market, list the following:
Age
Gender
Education
Income
Hometown
Marital status
Children
Hobbies
Interests
Occupation or Profession
Position (Owner, Manager, Etc.)
Problems (things that keep them up at night)
Fears
If that was easy, dig a little deeper and provide the following:
What they read, watch, and listen to
What they buy
Where they buy
Why they buy
Why they buy your product or service
If your target market is business, instead of consumer, answer the following:
Their greatest challenge/problem
Products/services they use
Company or business that supplies products and services
Organizations they belong to
Where they network
If you had a hard time creating a customer profile, you need to do a better job of understanding what motivates your target market.
Your Best Customers Know Best
Whether you�re on target or you need to do more work, the more information you have about your target market, the more successful you�ll become at selling your products or services to the people who want and need them. (Remember, knowledge wins.)
A great way to get more information is to list three to five of your best customers. You know who they are. They�re not always the customers that spend the most; they�re your repeat customers�the customers that buy from you over and over again. They�re the customers that trust you and have a relationship with you.
Before the summer ends, take each one out to lunch (or dinner) and ask�
What they like about your product or service
What problem it solves
Why they call you
How your product or service has helped them in their business or personal life
What their perception is of you and your company
Why they do business with you instead of a competitor
Why they would recommend your product or service
The answers from your best customers will give you the information you need to narrow your focus and target your best prospects.
Besides, by thanking your top customers for their loyalty with lunch or dinner (tell them you want to take them to their favorite restaurant) because you value what they have to say, you�ll really make a hit. Can you recall a time when you were treated to lunch or dinner by a company you do business with? Do lunch�do dinner. Get the information that will put you in front of your target market while you give your best customers something to talk about.
Kick Into Fall
Beat That Sales Slump
Summer Is For...Prospecting?
Your Best Summer Ever
What benefits can advertising in major sports events bring?
Article Tags: business coach, business coaching, business consultant, business owner, business owners, business training, entrepreneur, ideas for small business, opening a start how to business plan
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About the Author: Edward Abel RSS for Edward's articles - Visit Edward's website Determined to find a way to educate and advise others in the construction and sustainability of a vital business, he founded ABEL Business Institute. Over the course of this process, he developed The SkillPreneur Business System, a systematic approach to the construction, maintenance, and growth of a business's--an approach that has become the philosophy and methodology of ABEL Business Institute. Ed is an adjunct professor of entrepreneurial studies at New York University (NYU) as well as the Director of the business division at the world class Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). At iPEC, Ed directs the business division that is responsible for supporting the graduate coaches in their business development process. Click here to visit Edward's website   How Does Your ServiceProduct Benefit Your Client Collect Your Good Marbles ARE YOU GUILTY OF THESE 7 BIG TIME KILLERS by Ed Abel Confessions of an Accidental Entrepreneur Are You Building Bridges of Influences |
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- Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz]
I second the request...
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- ignore this message IF it's already been stated. I haven't had a chance to read all the replies and i have to jet from the office...
I suggest marketing where ever your Target Market congregates. If it's a forum of concerned parents - go there. Strike up a deal with the forum owner (JV) and have him promote it to the list of members (Integration Marketing).
If you want to go with Forums then i would partner with a parent who is a frequent poster/moderator on a particular Target Market Forum and have him/her add your link to their signature.
That was just a thought but it's not as intense once you get buy in from the Forum owner or high ranked poster/moderator.
Hope that sparks some new ideas.
Re: Let me introduce myself, I'm Zacman
- Hi Zacman,
You are welcome to this great forum. How are you enjoying the cold. I prefer winter to Summer here in South Africa. The heat is so much that people nearly put on cloth here
Re: Top 5 Magazines For SEO
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Thanks for the update, I have checked out the others and as I think Jeff said earlier in this post, B2BM is the only free one as the rest are by subscription only although Target Marketing Magazine is free in the US only and there are some qualifying criteria to observe before you are accepted.
I can’t justify the subscription to all of them but I will sign up to B2B and if any members subscribe to any of the others then perhaps you could give us some feedback,
regards,
Mal.
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