[Indizine]

We all know there are lots of different ways to market a business, but not everyone is able to effectively implement every type of activity for their own business. See if there is something you are not doing, could do better, or could review and revive your current approach.

1. Look after your existing and previous customers. Keep in regular contact with them, send them extra special offers for being a customer. Always thank them for their custom. Send them regular updates and information on related products via a newsletter and keep reminding them you are here and make them feel part of your 'community'.

2. Max out the free search engine listings and link building which you can do yourself. Also start a blog and link to social networking sites. Make everything relevant where possible, as well as interesting.

3. Set up your own Referral system. If you don't have one in place already, consider how you can reward those who refer business to you. Commission, bonus, credits and points are all mechanisms you can consider. Remember to ask current and previous customers to recomend a friend or associate and let them know how they will be rewarded.

4. Copy Success. Look at what your competitors do. If they do it regularly then it probably works. Especially if they have continued growth. Take note of their marketing methods and where, how and when they communicate these methods. Make a list of your top 3-5 competitors activity and see if and where you can copy the same success.

5. Measuring and Testing your marketing methods. It's no good repeatedly hammering out the same fliers, going to the same events and mailing the same prospects if your results are not converting from marketing to enquiries. Try split testing your adverts, direct mailshots, autoresponders and circle of events/network. Compare the results and see where your best efforts are producing new enquiries which convert to sales and makes you a profit. New methods can become weary after time so refresh and revitalise your materials and the content, but stay true to your brand. And don't confuse the customer with overkill.

6. Are you clearly stating your USP and benefits of your product/service? Make it absolutely and immediately clear to your potential customers exactly why they should buy from you. List the benefits to the customer. Don't bore peope to death about your company and what is often irrelevant information, at the point of trying to capture their interest. Stick to valid points concerning how they will benefit if they buy this particular product or service and why they should buy it from you and not someone else.

7. When did you last send out a Special Offer? Make sure you send out regular special offers. Perhaps one a month with maybe 1 or 2 annual big specials, depending on the relevance, season, etc. Reward different special offers to past, current and potential customers. You ccould also link them to your incentives for referrals at the same time, making their offer extra special. Make sure you give a clear end date to your offer so it becomes enticing. Dont make these offers too often of the same type or they dont become an offer any more and might make you look desperate. Plan them for the year ahead and stick to them.

8. Where can you upsell? MacDonald do it all the time. "Do you want to Large it for an extra 30p?". Think of ways in which you can upsell to your customers and at what point you would do this. Add it into quotes, special offers, at the till - wherever suits for your business. Remind the customer the upgrade or extra's are there. Around 20/30% of people Large it, apparently!

9. Make sure you have a clear and precise Sales process. If you can show your custoemrs you are efficient and professional through your conduct you are instilling confidence and trust. Behave erratically and disorganised and they will disappear. List your process, make it clear to the customers, ensure T & C are in place plus any warranties and guarantees are stated and used as a USP if they are favourable to the customer. i.e. Free P & P, 30 day no-quibble refund, and so on.

10. Get your pricing right. Believe it or not many people undersell themselves and therefore lose sales and profits. There are always the customers that want the cheapest, the ones that want the most expensive, and those that hand somewhere in between. I also say offer 4 options. If you offer one its not enough. Offer two and they like neither. Offer 3 and they can't decide. Offer 4 and they will take one and perhaps more, depending on what you are selling. If it's a package of any description, always have the 'exclusive' option. The best. The elite. There are customers who will only want the best of whatever is available regardless. Don't doubt your product or service capabilities by under pricing. The customer will also devalue your product/service and it can make you look desperate. One of the biggest mistake made by people going into business is to think they can enter the market and undercut their rivals by being cheaper. However, your rival has been doing it longer and will have cashflow to undercut you, wheras you will have entered at rock-bottom and cant afford to drop any more without losing profits and even your wages!

Now go away and consider 3 things you can do and get started right away. Much of this wont cost you anything but your time.

[stephendoyle]

hi indizine,

a very good post; very chris cardell like.

good information and enough to start most businesses with a decent
marketing plan.

regards
steve doyle

[Indizine]

He he I gleaned a lot from him and another guy. I assembled my own notes from the masses.

[Fuzzy]

Wicked stuff Indi - thanks x