Marketing

Testing And Tracking Your Business

2005-10-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

By Anne Ahira

Before you run your first ad, before you send out your first email, there are two important questions you need to answer.

1. Who is your target market?

2. What makes them buy or sign up with an organization?

The easiest and cheapest way for you to find the answer to these two questions is through testing and tracking. These methods will highlight your advertising strengths and weaknesses and allow you to maximize your marketing dollar.

Testing:

The purpose of testing is to increase the response rate to your ad or offer. For instance, you could write a sales letter and test out different headlines for the ad. Often a headline can make all the difference in your response. Many marketers have increased sales by as much as 200% simply by changing their headline. Remember, even if your ad is producing steady sales, you should always test. A small change could move your sales from steady to overflowing!

Tracking:

You should keep track of everything you do in your business. Not just your profit and expenses, but also your promotional and advertising campaigns.

Let's say, for example, you're running an ezine ad. What kind of information should you keep track of? The most essential are:

Where you placed the ad including the name of the ezine and date the ad was run

How many subscribers to the ezine

The cost to you

The number of responses generated by the ad - Dividing this into your cost will show you how much you paid for each response

The number of sign ups you got as a result

Contact person and email address for ezine

The URL of the ad you used. This is especially important if you promote more than one program

Any comments or notes you'd like to keep

Headline used in the ad

You could also keep track of other items, depending on how detailed you would like to be. The important thing is to study the numbers. Some ads may produce great interest but if no one buys, your profit is zero. Other ads may produce only a few click throughs but generate more sign ups. Which ad was worth the most to you? Obviously, the second one.

You will also probably use other forms of advertising, such as maybe a pay per click program, and it is just as essential that you keep track of these numbers as well. Set up a spreadsheet in Excel or keep one on paper. Every dollar you spend on marketing should be tracked so you don't waste precious money on things that aren't working.

Also, don't forget, if you have a prospect and you're not sure how they found you, ask them! You must keep track of all your leads.

Do not underestimate the power of testing and tracking! By following these techniques, you'll know exactly where you're making money online.

By: Anne Ahira

Editor The BEST Affiliate Newsletter

http://www.thebestaffiliate.com

Five Tips for Integrating Marketing and Sales

2005-10-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

By Diane Hughes

There are big rewards when sales and marketing are effectively integrated — not least of which are improved operating performance and outstanding financial results. These five tips will help.

Tip #1: Beware of the quick fix... Most organizations have been using band-aid approaches such as integrating data sharing or changing incentive compensation systems without looking at the whole picture. Stop the knee jerk reaction to solve it NOW. Take a breath and create a long-range plan to address a complex set of barriers.

Tip #2: Promote people who are cooperative team members... Some might say that sales and marketing "personalities" are two very different animals. They think differently and act differently and approach the same customers with very different points of view. Added to that is the unspoken habit they each have of "looking down" on one another.

When integrating these divergent cultures, have marketing and sales both report to the same department head. The simple proximity of people, with joint department meetings and problem solving teams, helps to break down barriers that no new technological fix could achieve. And then promote those who are cooperative team members.

Tip #3: Offer opportunities for joint message development and training... To avoid the chaos, internal conflict, costly duplication and appalling service that can result from a proliferation of touch-points with the customer and prospects, joint message development and communication training is needed.

Tip #4: Reward behavior that builds trust... To help change attitudes and actions, incentives must be given to the desired actions that enhance integration.

Marketing receives incentives to interview prospects and customers every week to better craft and target marketing messages. Marketing incentive program must include rewards for regularly going on sales calls to keep up-to-date on what tools are needed for demonstrating, proposing and closing sales. The sales team receives incentives to report back on the results of the sales leads from marketing so they can eliminate the efforts that don’t work and concentrate efforts where they will produce more high-quality leads.

Tip #5: See the end game and take one step at a time... While all the changes needed to bring about real integration between sales and marketing may take a long time, it is best to address the need to change using the principles of continuous improvement. You know if you do nothing, there is little hope for improvement. By taking small steps to address the big picture of needed changes, you can be assured of making great strides. Sales and marketing integration needs an evolution not a revolution. Take a long-term view. One step at a time will get you there.

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com
FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

Sales and Marketing: Numbers Rule

2005-10-31T09:42:00.000-08:00

By Don Baldwin

Let's talk about some numbers and how they relate to network marketing. They are equally applicable to marketing on the internet or to offline marketing.

Specifically, we are going to talk about the 80/20 rule, the rule of 2, the rule of 7, and location, location, location.

Huh? That last one isn't about numbers!

Well, it sorta is. We'll get there in a while.

In the meantime, let's start with the 80/20 rule.

Several years ago, a major financial services institution conducted a study to determine WHY its top sales people WERE top sales people. Once they waded through all the data, and threw out the immaterial items, they were left with one fact glaring in their faces. The top sales people were the top sales people BECAUSE they made the most calls and contacts, and handed out the most brochures and business cards. As a result, they gave the most presentations and...you guessed it...made the most sales.

Other studies throughout the years, as well as some of our own experiences seem to bear this out. Ever been in an organization where 20% of the people seemed to do 80% of the work? Oddly enough, that's roughly the percentages the study I mentioned came up with.

Not only were 20% of the sales force generating 80% of the sales, it seemed that, in general, out of 100 contacts, they got to do about 20 presentations. Out of 100 presentations, they got about 20 sales.

Now these figures are not gospel, and merely indicate a trend, but they can be used to our profit. In the area of statistics, it is known that it is difficult to get an accurate analysis or prediction from a small sample. The larger the sample, the more accurate the results!

Okay, so if the 80/20 rule is true, and if I have a decent product and presentation, and if I remember to brush my teeth and put on clean underwear before making my pitch, I should nail 20 out of 100?

Well, again, this figure is merely indicative of a trend, but if you make a large number of pitches...er, presentations, you should expect to see some of them translate into sales, hence the "location, location, location" crack. Or maybe I should have said, "locations, locations, locations"?

Lots of locations

The more ads you place, the more brochures you hand out, the more links you provide to your offer, etc., the more inquiries, presentations, and sales you can hope to make. Remember, by the way, on the internet, your website is probably your presentation.

What we are talking about is volume, or bigger numbers. Volume is measured by numbers. See, I made it fit into the numbers thing.

Just to make my point, I had two friends become millionaires in two different network marketing programs. In both instances, they were nice but ordinary persons, and neither was by any stretch of the imagination a sales whiz. However, for over 3 years, each of them handed a brochure to everyone they met and answered questions as best they could. For 4 years, I worked on some websites when and where I could find a few minutes, and eventually, though I was working a 60 hour work week elsewhere, I began receiving WEEKLY commission checks in excess of $2,000.00.

What my two friends also found, as did I and most other network marketers, was that the 80/20 rule also applies to our downlines. Most will do nothing. Some will do a little. A rare few will be winners, but usually not by their own innate genius or greatness, but simply by a willingness to put in the necessary effort for the required length of time.

Now, the rule of 7.

While you are making all these presentations, handing out brochures, buying ads, etc., be aware that many people will not respond until they have seen that ad, or received that information 7 times. While there will be a few early adopters who see the info once or twice and buy in, most of your potential sales will come from those who have seen your ad several times. So don't assume that simply because you sent someone a great ad and they didn't respond, therefore all is lost. Send them the info again, or post the ad again.

Finally the rule of 2.

This applies mainly to ventures with a multi-level marketing program. You and I are each only one, and if we work very hard, we can only make a limited number of sales. If our income depends only on our personal sales, we are likely to make what is quaintly referred to as a pittance!

However, as is often pointed out in multi-level marketing literature, if I recruit 2 people, and they recruit 2 people, and they....on thru 5 levels, let's say, I will have a downline of 62 people producing income for me. Depending on the program, this could be a lucrative proposition! Many multi-level organizations go much deeper than 5 levels. Our goal IS to build as large a downline as possible, so getting 3 on each level does even more. In fact, if each of us gets 3 in our downline instead of 2, our downline changes from 62 to 363!

Also, the type of program and its payouts will also influence your income. For example, one program with which I am affiliated would pay me $490 if each of my 2 members each made only one sale. In this particular program, however, my downline makes that and more each week, and those are only NEW sales. A program with residual income provided by re-orders can increase those figures immensely.

Just remember, however, to get those 2 GOOD producers, I will probably have to have a field of 10 or more recruits from which they can rise. In most network marketing ventures, the unfortunate truth is that I will probably need a few more than 10 recruits to get 2 GOOD ones!

But! Once I have those two good ones, and they have their two good ones, etc., there is no stopping me.

The author is retired from the Army after 21 years of service, has worked as an accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, and instructor. He has been a member of Mensa for several years, and has written and published poetry, essays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40 years. He has been an active internet marketer since 2000, and now makes his living online. To view some of his other articles, please visit http://donovanbaldwin.blogspot.com/. To learn about network marketing training, please visit http://xtramoney4me.net/internet_marketing/course.html.

Promoting Your Business Offline

2005-10-31T09:40:00.000-08:00

By Anne Ahira

Offline promotion for your Internet business is important. Use traditional marketing channels and media. Incorporate your Website URL (web address), phone number, and mailing address into all of your printed and promotional materials. This increases your penetration into your targeted market, as well as the general population.

Business Cards

These are one of the most effective marketing tools. Business cards act as mini billboards that reflect your business image. Extra business cards in your wallet, purse, or briefcase increase your chances to spread the news about your business.

Distribute business cards to happy prospects, place your business card in classified sections of publications such as newspapers and magazines, employ the help of your family by giving them business cards to pass out to their friends and business associates, pass cards out at parties, and exchange business cards with friends. When you are at an appointment, leave your business cards at an office, beauty salon, etc. Tack your business cards on bulletin boards at schools, in your local grocery stores, health clubs, libraries, and community bulletin boards. When you send mail, enclose business cards, even in your bills! :-)

Think creatively! I went into a bookstore the other day and was browsing through the section on network marketing and ways to make money online. Almost every book had a business card placed somewhere in the pages. This is a great example of targeting your market and thinking a little ‘outside the box’.

Flyers

Flyers offer an inexpensive way to jumpstart your marketing efforts with a small or nonexistent budget. A well-designed, business flyer is equivalent to your target market perusing a full-page ad. A simple and to-the-point business flyer catches your prospective customer's eye within the first few seconds! Aggressively distribute your flyers on car windshields, under doors, on counters, bulletin boards and light poles. Get youth groups to distribute door to door for you or exchange flyers with other businesses.

Print Ads

Ads in daily newspapers can become very costly. Small, cheaper ads in Sunday issues can increase marketing productivity. Contact media and public relations departments of media you are interested in advertising with and ask for a rate card.

Broadcast Advertising

Broadcast Advertising with radio is an inexpensive way to target specific age groups and lifestyles. Local Cable television is also a low-cost alternative that gives you access to a wide audience; rates are similar to radio advertising.

Brochures

Brochures and other printed materials are high-impact ways to increase your company's exposure. Use printing companies that offer professional quality at lower prices.

Postcards

Postcards are a cheap and effective way for prospective consumers to get your marketing message without even opening an envelope.

Besides the above, there are still lots of ways for you to promote your business, such as letterhead, calendars, bumper stickers, magnetic signs, direct mail, even t-shirts !

Promote your business everywhere, team! And Never Give Up! :-)

By: Anne Ahira

Editor The BEST Affiliate Newsletter

http://www.thebestaffiliate.com

How To "Predict" Your Goods And Services Will Sell...Before You Start Selling Them!

2005-10-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

By Craig Garber

How would you feel if you got your ass kicked by a frog?

Because that's what happened to the new Coldplay CD that just came out over in the UK this week -- it was immediately handed its first setback -- by a frog.

Seems that neither 2 years of pent-up demand from fans nor several million dollars worth of promotion by Parlophone records (in the UK) or Capitol EMI (here in the U.S.) could save X & Y (the new Coldplay CD) from being knocked off the top of the charts... by a mobile phone ringtone.

According to mobiletracker.net, "A ringtone made its way to the top of the British singles chart this Sunday, topping Brit-rock group Coldplay. Ringtone Crazy Frog Axel F outsold Coldplay's Speed of Sound 4-1, making for a disapointing opening weekend for the popular band.

Crazy Frog Axel F is based off the revving sound of a Swedish mo-ped. It marks the first time a ringtone made it to the singles chart for conventional music sales.Interestingly enough, most of the ringtone's sales have come from a CD, not from digital download."

"This song is incredibly irritating and puerile and we're still trying to understand why people like it," said Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for (British retailer) HMV.

This just goes to show you, you must sell to "wants" and not to "expected wants" or "needs" if you want to come out ahead.

And remember this: You can't "create" demand. It's already
out there, all around you -- and believe me, there's plenty of it.

All you can do is tap into it, and then use your sales copy to "build" this already existing demand, into a hot sweaty frenzy.

So hop to it.

Now go sell something,

Craig Garber

http://www.KingOfCopy.com

P.S. Check out all the prior archives you've been
missing, right here at:
http://www.kingofcopy.com/tips/tiparchives.html

If you want to know how to consistently attract a steady stream of fresh new prospects, who are pre-qualified, eager, and excited about buying from you, then Craig Garber -- recognized by his peers as America's Top Direct-Response Copywriter -- can show you exactly how to do this, step-by-step. Garber's written winning promotions across a HUGE variety of industries and you can see them all for yourself on his website at http://www.kingofcopy.com

3 No-Fail Strategies for Promoting Your Business

2005-10-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

By Dave Wells

In a funk because other sales people seem to be winning all the new business opportunities? It’s time to start claiming your share of the market. By implementing 3 key promotional strategies you’ll be able to enhance your credibility, get established as the preferred business of choice, and get super exposure even if you don’t win the business this time.

Here are 3 tips that will boost your business development promotional efforts and help you to get noticed.

Extra-Value Proposition. In developing your marketing message, it's very helpful to develop a Unique Selling Proposition, or and Extra-Value Proposition.

What is a USP? The USP very clearly answers the question, "Why should I do business with you instead of your competitors?"
There are two major benefits in developing the USP. First, it clearly differentiates your business in the eyes of your current and potential customers or clients. Second, it focuses your team on delivering the promise of the USP, helping to improve your internal performance.

There are several questions to ask about your business to determine a USP:

1. What is unique about your business or brand vs. direct competitors? You'll probably find a whole list of things that set you apart; the next questions will help you decide which of these to focus on.

2. Which of these factors are most important to the buyers and end users of your business or brand?

3. Which of these factors are not easily imitated by competitors?

4. Which of these factors can be easily communicated and understood by buyers or end users?

5. Can you construct a memorable message (USP) of these unique, meaningful qualities about your business or brand?

6. Finally, how will you communicate this message (USP) to buyers and end users? Marketing tools to communicate USPs include media advertising, promotion programs (e.g., direct mail), packaging, and sales personnel.

Risk Reversal. In every business transaction there's a risk involved. 99% of the time it's the person or business who buys your service who takes on this risk. This risk is what prevents many people from buying.

Therefore, if you lower or eliminate the risk, your sales will multiply in direct proportion to the amount of risk you are willing to share with your prospect. Implement extended guarantees, free trial periods, and special introductory packages. The offer should be something so outstanding that you become the logical choice.

The concept is simple. As long as you provide a good service to your clients then Risk Reversal will draw prospects to you like a magnet!

Testimonials. The most effective advertising strategy ever is to put testimonials all over your marketing. The good comments customers give you are worth their weight in gold.

All of us see so much advertising that we tend not to believe much of it. If you say your services are great, not many people are going to be impressed about it. However, if your customer touts how they were helped by your services, well that is more powerful than anything else.

Make sure you go out and ask everyone of your past and present clients to give you testimonials. Explain that they are the key to helping you break the sales resistance barriers and that you would really appreciate their help.

Very few people will turn you down when you ask if you can put their words on your marketing materials. Most are flattered.

You can sweeten the offer by including their name, city, and web site address along with the testimonial. Not only does this help promote your customer, but people are more likely to believe a testimonial is genuine if it carries the name and location of the person who said it.

These 3 promotional elements are the foundation for an extremely effective business development and marketing campaign. Use them to define your sales solution, reduce or eliminate the prospect’s fear of the unknown, and establish you as the logical solution to their business problems.

David Wells is a business development expert, speaker, trainer, consultant and founder of http://www.emdco.com a provider of business-to-business lead creation, data confirmation and integrated marketing solutions. You can subscribe to "The Business Promoter's Tips of the Week" ezine at subscribe@emdco.com.

10 Ways to Make More Money in Business

2005-10-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

By Chet Holcomb

Don’t you just love Paul Simon? The lyrics to his songs are not only pleasing to the ears, but can be inspirational. Imagine yourself enjoying the warm autumn sunlight while listening to Paul's song, “50 Ways to Leave your Lover”. Now, stretch your imagination just a bit and think about how many "Ways" you can come up with for saving and/or making more money in business...

“The problem is all inside your head
She said to me

The answer is easy
If you take it logically”

So, let’s look at the problem logically for a minute. Here are four basic ways you can increase your profits:

1. You can charge more for your products or services.
2. You can sell more of your products or services to your existing clients.
3. You can find additional clients.
4. You can find ways to cut back on your business expenses.

"Slip Out the Back, Jack" (Simple ways to save money):

So, if you’re on a shoestring budget (and who isn’t these days?), then obviously you need to do everything you can to save as much money as possible, and make as much money as possible, as quickly and easily as possible. Here are 10 simple ideas you can use:

1. Know your target market. Who are your “ideal” customers?
Where do they shop? What do they read? What solutions are they looking for that your business provides? The more you know about your customers, the better you’ll be able to target your promotions towards them, which will increase your bottom line two ways – it will save you spending money on advertising that doesn’t work, and it will increase your sales, because you’re offering your customers what they really want.

2. Get double duty out of any contact with your customers. If you sell products, put your contact information on everything –products, bags, invoices sales receipts. Make it easy for everyone to find you. Give away something free. If you have a Website (and if you don’t, then get one), give your customers something for giving you their contact information. Free Ebooks, reports, or software are all good choices (just make sure it’s relevant to your customers). Anytime you send your customers anything – a product, a newsletter, an invoice –include a coupon or information about your latest products or services. To save money on postage, if you have a brick and mortar store, put a copy of your latest newsletter or an informational flyer in your customer’s bag after each sale.

3. Reward your customers. Set up a reward program. Offer them a reward for anyone they refer who becomes a customer. Or give your customers a free gift when they spend $50 (or whatever amount makes sense in your business). When they’re eligible for the free gift, offer them an upgrade to something bigger or better for a few dollars more. Start a customer loyalty program. Provide “customer only” sales, or promotions. Let your customers earn points, or “magic money” that they can use to redeem your products or services.

4. Get ready for your close-up. When you’re brainstorming about creating a promotion or advertising campaign, don’t forget about your local cable TV channel. You may be pleasantly surprised by how low their rates actually are. Create your own television commercial or infomercial. Although you may not be ready for prime time, you can still target your ad to reach your customers.

5. Get involved in your community. Find a nonprofit organization that is doing work you believe in, and either publicly support their program, or be one of their sponsors for an upcoming event or fundraiser. Use the advertising spot to let people know about the fundraiser (and, incidentally, your business). You could put together an inexpensive ad campaign that will help those in need, increase your visibility and let your potential customers know that you're supportive and aware of the needs of the community.

“Make a new plan, Stan” (Business Planning Basics):

6. Beef up your business plan. If you don’t have a business plan, make writing one a priority. Your business plan is more than just a way to interest investors. It’s a road map that will help you get from where you are now to where you want to be. That old saying, “If you fail to plan then you’re planning to fail” really is true when it comes to business.

"No need to be coy, Roy" (Ask your customers):

7. Get testimonials from your satisfied clients. But don’t stop there. What about creating your own television commercial that you can run in your store? (With a video camera and a little ingenuity, you could even create your own infomercial that shows customers how to use or get the most out of your products or services. If you’ve got a Website, put an audio testimonial on there. (And don’t forget to include pictures).

8. Speak up. Again, keeping in mind who your ultimate ideal customers are and what their most pressing problems are, write an article, offer a free seminar, or offer to be a speaker at local chamber of commerce or other organization or community meetings. Being perceived as an “expert” is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to get the word out about your business, and bring in more customers.

"Just hop on the bus, Gus" (Expand your business potential)

9. Create joint ventures. Even if your primary business is a brick and mortar one, you can still create a joint venture that will help you save money by sharing the costs for advertising. What about creating a special “sidewalk sale” with other business owners on your street or in your neighborhood? Or finding businesses with complementary products or services to yours, and creating a “package deal”? If your business is only online, look for ways you can partner with other businesses – maybe you could create solo ads and promote each other’s products or services in your mailing lists. There are a lot of ways you can save money and increase your client base if you’re willing to get creative.

"Just drop off the key, Lee" (Provide the key solutions)

10. Let your customers know you know what their problems are. It's sad but true that your customers don't care how good your products or services are. They only want to know two things: do you understand what their problems are; and can you solve them. Give your customers the "key" to their problems, and you'll have evangelistic customers who come back again and again.

Chet Holcomb of http://www.internetpromotions.biz is a successful marketing expert providing advice for web marketers and webmasters on how to promote your website, or product using marketing tools that work.

Promoting Your Local Business #1 - Preparation

2005-10-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

By James Deibele

Own a small business? Want more customers? It’s easy, fast and very inexpensive to promote your business on the internet.

Things that you should have ready:

#1: accurate, current information on your business. Much of the data online about local businesses comes from phone books. The phone books are either scanned and optical character recognition (OCR) used to read it or the pages are physically or via a scan to low-wage parts of the world. There the pages are keypunched into a computer. Even with a second or third person keypunching the same data and doing comparisions to catch errors, errors still creep in. The bigger your business, the more likely this is to happen.

Even with a small business, it’s a good habit to check that your name is exactly the way you want, the categories are appropriate and the phone numbers and addresses are correct. This isn’t very exciting, so having the information in front of you is a good way to make sure you do it at each site.

#2: a website. I strongly, strongly, strongly encourage you to get a domain name if you don’t have one already. We now have “local number portability” for cell phones and land lines. We’ve had toll-free number portability for a long time. Those mean if you can get serious savings with another provider or having serious service issues with your current provider, you can move. Having an address at any provider, like CitySearch or Yahoo, means that you’re locked-in. You do NOT want this. You want people to be able to come to your domain and add that to their bookmarks or address book.

The website doesn’t have to be fancy. You want your name, address, hours of operation and a couple of pictures. A little information on your business - see #5. You also want to put your email address online. More on that in #3.

#3: You need an email address with good anti-spam measures. From personal experience, Hotmail and Gmail are both very good. I find Hotmail more familiar with how I’m used to working (folders, delete messages) but it’s a little clunky compared to Gmail. The ads are more intrusive and they have more steps to do things so they can show more ads.

Some sites will conceal your email address completely. A prospective customer would have to click on a form to send you email. Spiders used by spammers won’t be able to use these addresses at all - the address is never shown to the customer. Some sites will conceal it from people with a bit of javascript so that they can register a keyclick. For the directory, this is useful information. We show a page on tires 100 times, which links do people click on? But the spiders don’t do javascript and so they see the address in the clear. And other sites just publish your email address.

So rather than worrying about doing tricky things on your website to hide your email address, figure that the bad guys, the spammers, are going to get it. Make it as easy as possible for the good guys - your customers - to talk to you. So don’t use “jdeibele(at)mypages.com” or post it as an image or whatever. Just put “jdeibele@mypages.com” out there.

#4: Have 1-3 pictures of your business that you like. Post them wherever you can. People like to see pictures of your business. Or of you. Or happy customers. Or “before” and “after” pictures of a job you’re particularly pleased with.

#5: Description of your business. This is another thing that’s good to have written out. A history about your business would be nice - who are you? How’d you get into this line of business? The more detail you can give, the better. But having 2 or 3 paragraphs to start with is a big help.

Tomorrow, we start with the first site to put this information.

Note: This is the first article in a series of articles on how to promote your local business. If you’d like to add information or have me explain in more detail, please contact me. I think you can find my email address. :-)

James Deibele is President of MyPages.com, the online yellow pages designed for small and local businesses. MyPages.com has won awards including "Cool Site of the Day" for its clear layout and fast presentation of relevant information.

Own a small business? List your business free!

Want to hear more from Jim? See Jim's Blog

Is Database Marketing A Good Thing?

2005-10-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

By Leon Chaddock

Database marketing is an important field. It allows the business to take advantage of names of individuals who may be interested in their products. These databases of people are often some of the best potential customers out there because they have already made purchases or shown interest in the products and services that you are providing. But, not everyone like these options and not everyone like database marketing.

Database marketing is information that is compiled about people from their previous histories. For example, people who fill out such forms as charity forms, subscription forms, credit card inquiries and free products have their names and information gathered. This database of information helps companies to figure out what other potential product they may be interested in. Their names, addresses and other information is gathered and stored in a database that then will be sold to others.

what makes database marketing so keen is that it provides people with advertising and promotional information that has their name on it. This helps to strengthen advertising opportunities giving individuals the belief that the product was picked for them. It is an excellent way to stay profitable because you are connecting with customers that have already shown an interest in this type of product.

Thos against database marketing claim that there is a need for protection from junk mail and spam and that it is a violation of privacy to have individuals send them this advertising. Yet, companies who use database marketing feel that it is something that people want and even have requested. It is a great way for people to connect businesses and services to the customers who want them.

Whether you take advantage of these opportunities to nor is really up to you. But, many businesses find it to be an excellent way to reach solid customers. And, because the information provided is not sensitive information, many people find no reason to not be in database systems.

for more information please see http://www.database-marketing-info.co.uk

In Business-to-Business Direct Mail Sales Letters, Make It Easy To Respond

2005-10-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

By Alan Sharpe

I have a client who wanted to drive prospective
customers to his online store using a
business-to-business postcard. Great idea, I
thought, and cost
effective.

He had a terrific product, a compelling offer, and a
sound business model. He had just one problem. He
wanted to make all website visitors register before
they could browse his product catalog. Big
mistake.

So I, along with his business partner, managed to
talk him out of the idea. And he will be glad that we
did.

That’s because one of the fundamental requirements
of business-to-business direct mail is that you make
it easy for your prospects and customers to respond.
The word to remember is “convenience.” You must
make responding as convenient as possible. Here are
some ways to do that.

BUSINESS REPLY CARD

Pre-print your prospect’s name and address on it.

If prospects must complete the card, give enough
space for company, job title, address and city.

Pay for postage so prospects don’t have to hunt
for a stamp.

If you need to qualify prospects, ask as few
questions as possible.

COUPONS

Place coupons at the outside corners (not in the
gutter or the middle of the page), where they are
easy to tear out.

CALCULATIONS

Make the math as easy as possible so that
customers can quickly and accurately add shipping,
handling and sales tax to their order.

PAYMENT

Offer as many payment options as possible
without paralyzing your reader. One of the most
attractive payment plans (and one likely to boost
response, if you can afford it) is the “send me an
invoice” plan.

Accept all the major credit cards.

Accept orders by telephone (toll-free, of course).

Accept orders on your website.

LEAD GENERATION

If you are after a lead and not a sale, make the next
step in the sales process as convenient and as
painless as possible for your prospect to initiate.
Some prospects are reluctant to respond by phone
because they fear they will hear a sales pitch.
Others dread responding by email because then you
will know their email address. Through testing,
discover which response methods work best for your
target audience.

One of the beautiful things about shopping by mail is
the convenience. You don’t have to battle traffic,
hunt for a parking spot or wait in line. But that is
only true if the direct mail ordering experience is also
convenient. Use some of these methods to improve
your convenience quotient and your customers will
thank you for it—with their orders.

----

About the author

Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.

What Motivates Your Customers To Buy?

2005-10-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

By Chet Holcomb

Seems like a pretty simple question, right? Not really, when you dig deeper under the surface. How you answer is critical to the success of your business.

To begin, understand one simple fact: prospects and clients buy for their reasons, not yours. They could care less about your company and your mission statement or the long list of product features you so skillfully articulate.

They only care about the outcome your offer provides them. They want the benefit, the impact, the improvement, the comfort, or the security it will deliver. Most small business marketing fails to address these crucial client needs directly. Instead, they focus on the greatness of their product or service and miss what is important.

Small business marketers are often their own worst enemies. Frequently, they are not communicating on the buyer's level of motivation. They are too busy figuring out how to "sell" the product than finding out the reasons the client "buys".

The problem comes down to the marketing strategy that is employed. Are you pushing your product or are you pulling the client through the marketing process?

There is a very important distinction here. Since buyers only care about their needs and take action for their personal reasons, why should they pay attention to why you think your product is so great?

When you push your products, you are essentially telling the client that they should buy from you because of your reasons. With this egocentric approach you often run into a stone wall of objections and delays. Pushing the product forces them out of their comfort zone and places unnecessary pressure on their decision making process. A relentless assault of closing techniques pushes them away from a purchasing decision on their terms.

Pulling a buyer through the purchasing process is much more effective. When you pull you are leading them to the purchase like leading a horse to water. You gently guide them through your features and benefits and come to a decision on their terms. If they resist you have not educated them enough with information to motivate them or you haven't addressed their objections sufficiently.

The buyer will only make a decision when they are comfortably satisfied your offer has met all of their purchasing criteria. As a seller, you must pull them through the process and always let them stay within the limits of their comfort zone. It's by staying within these boundaries that trust is established and a long term relationship is built with the client.

Also remember that the purchasing process is completely rooted in the perceptions of the buyer. They have ultimate control over the process, not you. Your job as a marketer is to develop all your communications to make them comfortable and lead them to the best outcome...purchasing your product or service.

Always be aware of which method you are using - push or pull - and adopt it to the buyer's personal reasons for purchasing and you will enjoy continuous success.

Chet Holcomb of http://www.internetpromotions.biz is a successful marketing expert providing advice for web marketers and webmasters on how to promote your website, or product.

Marketing Online? Time to Think Christmas!

2005-10-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

By Rob Sullivan

It seems that every year I have to remind my e-tail clients to prepare for the upcoming season because while it’s still sunny and warm out, they aren’t thinking Christmas (conversely, they aren’t thinking summertime in the middle of February either).

But from a search engine perspective one must prepare a few months in advance of the season to ensure they reach their full potential.

All to often business has to be turned away because an online retailer comes to my company in November hoping to compete organically for the Christmas market. When you tell them that they won’t even begin to rank until January they get very upset.

But this is the reality of today’s search engines. It can (and usually does) take 2 months or more for changes to be registered and begin competing. In competitive markets it can take even longer. While in the most competitive markets it can take years to establish oneself as an authority figure.

So at the very least, now is the time to get your campaign in order.

That means researching keywords, re-optimizing if necessary and ensuring your site is found in all the major search engines and directories. So let’s look at the steps necessary:

Step one – research the keywords your customers will use

As I mentioned in a previous article, you first need to know who your customers are. Only then can you perform a proper keyword analysis.

And I suggest that you do have to perform such an analysis, even if you know what keywords were used last year. This is because trends change, and people’s search habits change as well.

Last year your customers may have been new to the whole online shopping experience. But this year, they are much more experienced and are likely more able to search and find what they are looking for.

Also, search engines have changed from what they were a year ago. Not only is MSN a new engine, but Yahoo! and Google have also changed their ranking algorithms somewhat in the past year.

That doesn’t mean that you should totally forget about last year’s referrals however. No, I’d use them, but use them as a starting point.

Now since you are going to be researching for future traffic, you can’t really use existing tools such as Yahoo!s keyword suggestion tool or Google’s AdWords sandbox as effectively because they report on historical search trends.

They can help you create a larger keyword basket, however. One that you can then use to help refine your keyword choices and pick phrases which should drive traffic to your site.

Therefore you also can not rely on the search volumes provided by such services. You should have a pretty good idea (again based on last years traffic) what types of phrases will drive visitors to your site. In this case it is safe to rely on your gut and judgment as there is nothing else to help guide you.

Optimizing existing content

Once you’ve created your list of phrases it is time to re-optimize some pages for those terms you think will drive the most traffic in a few months. Remember, you are doing a little forward thinking here, trying to anticipate what your future customers will do.

Be sure to follow the optimization guidelines provided in the article I mentioned earlier. You can also follow the guidelines set forth by Google as they generally apply to all engines.

However you do it, try to optimize pages that perhaps aren’t performing as well as other pages. You don’t want to harm existing traffic, you only want to increase the potential of future traffic.

To be sure you don’t harm existing traffic, take a look at your analytics to find out what phrase are currently driving traffic, and which pages people are landing on. These are the pages you don’t want to change unless you absolutely have to. Instead, look for those pages which may apply to your new phrases and optimize those pages for the phrases.

Create new content

Chances are you won’t be able to do too much to the existing site without harming current rankings. Therefore it may be time to create new content suited to the new keywords you’ve chosen.

Try to create useful pages, however. Don’t make them too promotional and be sure to link them to other pages within your site, such as product pages, or pages with more information. Don’t just copy an existing page and re-word it either. It’s best to create fresh new content and work it into the existing site.

Plan a PPC budget

I can almost guarantee you there will be more websites this year than last year competing for that online market space. As more and more retailers find out just how inexpensive online marketing is compared to other forms of marketing they will begin to invest heavily in a web presence. This makes it harder for everyone else to rank competitively. After all, there is only so much screen space to go around.

If this happens to you and you find someone like Walmart or Sears moving into your space, it might be worthwhile to invest in a PPC campaign, at least through the Christmas season.

Consider starting just after Thanksgiving, and watch when you get the most clicks (and sales) through the campaign. Then as the weeks go on you can modify the campaign advertising only when you get the most exposure. This will help you keep costs down as you won’t be paying for clicks at off peak times which drive little sales to your site.

This type of bidding, often referred to as day parting, is an effective way to maximize your cost per click, and return on investment.

Also, be sure to end your campaign before the last day you can promise shipping. In other words, if you know that it takes 5 days to ship your product to your customer, then quit your PPC campaign on the 18th or 19th. This way you don’t have upset customers who can’t get their gifts by the 24th. This will also save you some money as in some cases the last few days before Christmas become the most active PPC spendings days.

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst

As with any online venture, there is the potential for failure. Your web server could fail, or your site could go down just at a crucial crawling period. While these types of things rarely do happen, they none-the-less do occur from time to time.

Therefore you shouldn’t focus just on the holiday season. You must also try and prepare for the times after Christmas when you will still get customers. That is why I said earlier not to mess too much with existing rankings or keywords. Why shoot yourself in the foot?

It’s best to try and prepare for what’s coming a few months down the road.

In the end, planning for Christmas shopping online isn’t much different than what a store has to go through. They want to keep their Halloween product on the shelves until Halloween yet they have to balance that with the Christmas gifts they could be selling at the same time.

Balance is required with your website as well, you don’t want to alienate existing customers by focusing on Christmas sales, just like you don’t want to lose Christmas sales preparing for boxing week.

So, as you move forward planning your Christmas online marketing campaign be cognizant of the other efforts you could be exploring, such as a PPC campaign for those phrases which you won’t be able to compete for effectively. Because you never know what other potential lies out there waiting for you to discover it.

About the author:
Rob Sullivan - SEO Specialist and Internet Marketing Consultant. Any reproduction of this article needs to have an html link pointing to http://www.textlinkbrokers.com

Marketing Strategy: 7 Steps to Market Segmentation

2005-10-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

By Otilia Otlacan

Market segmentation is widely defined as being a complex process consisting in two main phases:
- identification of broad, large markets

- segmentation of these markets in order to select the most appropriate target markets and develop Marketing mixes accordingly.

Everyone within the Marketing world knows and speaks of segmentation yet not many truly understand its underlying mechanics, thus failure is just around the corner. What causes this? It has been documented that most marketers fail the segmentation exam and start with a narrow mind and a bunch of misconceptions such as "all teenagers are rebels", "all elderly women buy the same cosmetics brands" and so on. There are many dimensions to be considered, and uncovering them is certainly an exercise of creativity.

The most widely employed model of market segmentation comprises 7 steps, each of them designed to encourage the marketer to come with a creative approach.

STEP 1: Identify and name the broad market

You have to have figured out by this moment what broad market your business aims at. If your company is already on a market, this can be a starting point; more options are available for a new business but resources would normally be a little limited.

The biggest challenge is to find the right balance for your business: use your experience, knowledge and common sense to estimate if the market you have just identified earlier is not too narrow or too broad for you.

STEP 2: Identify and make an inventory of potential customers' needs

This step pushes the creativity challenge even farther, since it can be compared to a brainstorming session.

What you have to figure out is what needs the consumers from the broad market identified earlier might have. The more possible needs you can come up with, the better.

Got yourself stuck in this stage of segmentation? Try to put yourself into the shoes of your potential customers: why would they buy your product, what could possibly trigger a buying decision? Answering these questions can help you list most needs of potential customers on a given product market.

STEP 3: Formulate narrower markets

McCarthy and Perreault suggest forming sub-markets around what you would call your "typical customer", then aggregate similar people into this segment, on the condition to be able to satisfy their needs using the same Marketing mix.
Start building a column with dimensions of the major need you try to cover: this will make it easier for you to decide if a given person should be included in the first segment or you should form a new segment. Also create a list of people-related features, demographics included, for each narrow market you form – a further step will ask you to name them.

There is no exact formula on how to form narrow markets: use your best judgement and experience. Do not avoid asking opinions even from non-Marketing professionals, as different people can have different opinions and you can usually count on at least those items most people agree on.

STEP 4: Identify the determining dimensions
Carefully review the list resulted form the previous step. You should have by now a list of need dimensions for each market segment: try to identify those that carry a determining power.

Reviewing the needs and attitudes of those you included within each market segment can help you figure out the determining dimensions.

STEP 5: Name possible segment markets
You have identified the determining dimensions of your market segments, now review them one by one and give them an appropriate name.

A good way of naming these markets is to rely on the most important determining dimension.

STEP 6: Evaluate the behavior of market segments

Once you are done naming each market segment, allow time to consider what other aspects you know about them. It is important for a marketer to understand market behavior and what triggers it. You might notice that, while most segments have similar needs, they're still different needs: understanding the difference and acting upon it is the key to achieve success using competitive offerings.

STEP 7: Estimate the size of each market segment

Each segment identified, named and studied during the previous stages should finally be given an estimate size, even if, for lack of data, it is only a rough estimate.

Estimates of market segments will come in handy later, by offering a support for sales forecasts and help plan the Marketing mix: the more data we can gather at this moment, the easier further planning and strategy will be.

These were the steps to segment a market, briefly presented. If performed correctly and thoroughly, you should now be able to have a glimpse of how to build Marketing mixes for each market segment.

This 7 steps approach to market segmentation is very simple and practical and works for most marketers. However, if you are curious about other methods and want to experiment, you should take a look at computer-aided techniques, such as clustering and positioning.

Otilia Otlacan is a young certified professional with expertise in e-Marketing and e-Business, currently working as independent consultant and e-publisher. She developed and teach her own online course in Principles of e-Marketing and is also a volunteer Economics teacher.
Contact Otilia through TeaWithEdge.com, her Marketing articles portal.

Online Advertising Versus Traditional Media Advertising

2005-08-31T00:35:00.000-07:00

By Andre Plessis

Before I compare today's online advertising with traditional media advertising I will make an analogy.

If you've been on the Internet for as long as I have, you probably noticed that things have changed dramatically. About 6, 7 years if you were using online dating sites it was a lot easier to connect with people that were genuinely interested in chatting with you and then meeting you if things were going well. Nowadays things are much different. People do not hesitate to chat online with you but suddenly stop. They might even give you their phone numbers, but if you attempt to call them, they won't return your calls and you'll never hear from them.

When you advertise on the Internet and that you get online inquiries the exact same thing happens. If you try to email or call someone after they inquired about your products or services at your site, you may leave them messages and 9 out of 10 times they won't even bother returning your calls or emailing you back.

The Internet is the most impersonal thing you'll ever come across in your lifetime. People go online, browse sites but although they may inquire at your site they do not commit to anything. They don't see you, you can't see them thus there are absolutely no commitment on their part.

More importantly, the negligible cost of posting an ad on the Internet or blasting an e-mail promotion has attracted a lot of unsavory characters to the web. Some make all kinds of ridiculous and irresponsible claims. Others are nothing more than rip-off artists.

As a result, I strongly believe that prospects are far more skeptical of promises made in online sales copy than they are of benefits promised in direct mail, television, radio, or print.

Also in direct mail, you have a much better opportunity to address all important points about your offer. A brochure or a special report gives you a lot more to present your headline and proof elements than you get on a web page or in the subject line of an email blast.

And of course, direct mail pieces tend to be longer copy and have a longer shelf life in your prospect’s home than web based campaigns do, so response differentials driven by the added copy, credibility elements and so on can be significant.

Online advertising is a lot cheaper than direct mail advertising. There are close to 12 billion pages and about 10 millions being added daily. You don't need much money to operate an online business. You can get a website for almost nothing. Online advertising is really saturated with mortgage, insurance, debt consolidation and other offers.

People are bombarded everyday with solicitations

It is very well known that online mortgage lead providers resell their leads so many times that it is not unusual to hear someone say that their online inquiry resulted in 20 or more calls. How can you possibly close a deal when that occurs?

When people seek information on a product or service online, search engines come up with hundreds of thousands of websites if not MILLIONS. It is so easy for someone to click on a text link ad, a banner or a pop ad and place an inquiry. If an online user makes 10 inquiries it means that each company has 10% chances of closing that lead. That is assuming that it is a serious inquiry. Since 1 out of 10 does not even bother replying to your emails or returning your calls, I would say that you may need 100 inquiries to close one of them.

The fundamental difference between online advertising and direct mail is that when you send a postcard or a letter to a recipient it is between you and them. They can read your offer and if they like what they see, they WILL MAKE THE EFFORT TO CALL YOU. This is an important step forward that shows a genuine interest in learning about your offer. Unlike online inquiry where online users simply fill out a form, it does not commit them to anything AT ALL. They do not interact with you, they cannot ask you questions, and thus you cannot remove their objections. If you cannot build a report with an online user NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.

People buy from people they like and trust.

When someone reads your mail piece, the only way they can find out more about your offer is by CALLING YOU. The fact that they call you shows that they are more serious about their inquiry. Once you can speak to them, they can ask you questions and you can answer their objections. That is the only way a sale can happen.

If everything goes very well, they may move forward on your offer without shop around. As a matter of fact this past Friday an individual in New York called me and inquired about marketing services. At the end of the conversation he was so pleased about our conversation that he told me: "You are the first one I talk to and I will not call anybody else". BANG!!!

That is why you should never underestimate the power of direct mail, radio, and TV advertising. When you advertise using those mediums people have to call you and at that time you get a real chance to prove that your have a fabulous offer that they cannot decline or they'd be foolish. You can build a report with the individual and if everything goes well people won't even bother shopping around, and if they do, they will certainly not call 10 companies.

The Internet offers none of that. I talked to another individual this past Friday, we had a great conversation. I taught him a lot about online lead generation companies. As I was did that he started asking me if I had heard of 5, 6 companies. Most of them I had never heard of. I couldn't believe all those companies he was trying to contact to get mortgage leads. That conversation just proved me that I was right in my thinking. Search engines come up with a long list of companies so it is very easy for online users to contact many advertisers. That dramatically reduces your chances of closing a deal.

Shared Direct Mail Advertising

Sure direct mail, or radio advertising is a lot more expensive but it is also a lot more effective. You should seriously think about using Shared Direct Mail or Media Insert advertising to cut your cost of advertising.

I found a local newspaper that offers me 10,000 8,5 x 5,5 full color inserts for just $370. And guess what? I am going to ask another company to advertise on the other side of the flyer and we will split the cost. Where can you find 10,000 flyers printed and distributed for just $185? Everywhere as long as you keep searching for good ideas.

What do I mean by good ideas? COST EFFECTIVE MARKETING SOLUTIONS that can give you great return on your investment.
As online advertising space keep being more and more crowded everyday and as search engines keep changing their algorithm, you should NOT depend on online advertising to build a long-term business. If you do so , it could mean serious trouble sooner or later. Remember that technology changes very fast.

Andre Plessis
Author & Marketing Expert
http://smartbizconnection.com

10 Start Up Marketing Tips

2005-08-31T00:31:00.000-07:00

By Gisela McKay

This list has been compiled as a result of years of working with business owners who didn't quite lay the right groundwork when they started up, and ended up paying for it later. Sometimes, what seems like a means of saving money actually ends up costing more in the long run. Some of these tips work for all different kinds of businesses, while others are more relevant to consultancies.

1. Always get your logo in multiple file formats.

It will probably cost you extra, but it will save you a whole lot of trauma and expense later. Make sure you receive:

- a high-resolution TIFF file

- a web-ready JPEG

- vector version - preferably Illustrator

- a layered version (PSD)

2. Have a copy-less brochure designed - one that can be run through your laser printer.

You can have a letter or legal-sized brochure created in colour with only your company name and logo, address, and USP (or tag line) plus a nice watermark done in full colour (uncoated, no folds) that allows you to print the copy as you need it. This way you can create custom brochures as you need them, instead of having a thousand copies (or more) of a single brochure that might get changed.

3. Get business cards for all staff - even part-timers.

People love to hand out business cards. Can you find a cheaper advertising method?

4. Invest in blank business card stock.

The same way you can have your brochures printed without any copy on them, you can have your printer set 8.5 x 11 sheets set up for business cards, which you can use for people who are representing your company on a contract basis.

If you are placing anyone at a client site, they should have a business card with your company information.

5. Have an MSWord document template designed, at the same time as your letterhead and other marketing collateral.

Make sure it has a cover page as well. It will be good for proposals, quotes, white papers, specifications, faxes, notices, and so on. You can also use this to generate polished and professional PDFs for your website.

6. If you give presentations, have your own PowerPoint template designed as well.

7. Have your own domain name.

Even when you start with only a one-page placeholder describing your company, make sure it is on your own domain name, unless you are part of an industry association website that clearly states what you do. When I receive email addressed from businessname@LargeInternetServiceProvider.com it really appears as though this person does not understand the Internet, or is too cheap to get his own domain name. A domain name can cost you as little as $7 US for a year, and you may be surprised how inexpensive hosting will cost. Look into it - it will make your business seem more solid.

8. Make sure every employee has an email address at your business domain.

This is one of those peculiar areas, as with business cards, where companies tend to skimp out as though saving a few pennies in server traffic, is worth the cost in professionalism and name placement. There have been many times when I have received an email from someone I don't know, or a message that has been forwarded to me by someone I know, and I have typed in the domain name (the part after the @ sign) out of pure curiosity. It's a perfect opportunity to showcase your company for surprisingly little - and you never know who it is going to reach.

9. Create a standard company email signature.

Everyone working for your company should have a standard email signature attached to every email message that goes out the door - that is those four or five lines that follow all email correspondence. Most email clients have a function that will automatically insert the specified text. Everyone who receives mail from you or your employees and representatives should be given an easy way to find out more information and to contact your company.A standard email signature file might consist of:

[or some way to signify this is the end of the message body]
[Full name of the person sending the mail][, Title optional]
[Company name]
[Phone number]
[Web address]
[Company USP (Unique Selling Proposition or "tag line"]

10. Get training.

Learn how to use your office tools efficiently. If it's not you managing the administrative side of operations, pay to have that person trained. For the investment of a day or two, knowing how to use the software will save many many hours of frustration and lost document.

How is this marketing-related? How do you think it looks or sounds to your client to have to say, "I can't do that," or, "just a minute - I just lost the record."

© 2005 Gisela McKay. Gisela McKay is Chief Technology Officer of pixcode Inc., an Internet Property Management company, with such properties as NaturalHealthcare.ca, CanadaEventsCalendar.ca, and BusinessPartnerships.ca.
Gisela works with businesses of all sizes - helping them devise the right online marketing strategy and then matching the technology to the strategy.

Simple Marketing Idea - Big Marketing Results!

2005-06-27T03:24:00.000-07:00

By Kevin P. Dervin

Have you ever noticed how many times it's the simplest concepts that end up working the best?

The same is so true when it comes to marketing. I'm constantly amazed at just how powerful some of the simplest concepts are. I've seen simple marketing ideas that cost next to nothing and really require little to no additional extra work begin to make a company an extra thousand or more a month - every month.

Unfortunately, the problem with simple marketing ideas is that many are so quick to excuse them as, well, "too simple to possibly work." Intelligent small business owners and independent professionals just like you mistakenly believe an idea has to be sophisticated and intricate to be really valuable.

WRONG! In fact, it's completely the opposite that's true. The more complicated the idea, the less chance you have of making it work. If you can even get the idea implemented that is. Simple does not mean well thought out. It just means not complicated.

OK, where am I headed with all of this?

Well, one of the simplest marketing ideas I've ever come across I believe to also be one of the most powerful. Incredibly successful professionals have shared that this one technique has been primarily responsible for completely filling their business pipeline.

It has been called the "Number One" strategy for generating word-of-mouth business. And remember that when I ask people where most of their business comes from, 99% or more say that it's from word-of-mouth. I wonder how many of them use this strategy consistently.

Even though most people know about this powerful method, it's surprising how few people actually use it consistently. Perhaps because it's just too simple and business owners are always looking for fresh, new, and more sophisticated (i.e., perceived to be higher value) ideas.

So many marketing ideas, where do you start?

There's no doubt that there are a seemingly endless number of ways and variations of ways to market your business. But doesn't it just make sense to start implementing the simplest methods first? You may even find that some of these simple techniques are all you really need to grow your business to the levels you want.

I've seen it time and time again both in the companies I've worked for and the clients I've worked with. You are given the simplest, most effective solution to your marketing or management problem, and you don't put it into practice because it just seems too simple, too darn easy to work.

After all, if the simple, easy ideas really worked then wouldn't everyone be using them? Well you would think, but even the simple solutions take some work on your part to be successful. And too often, people want the results without having to do the work.

Simple does not mean you don't have to do the work. It just means not complicated.

So what is this simple yet incredibly powerful idea that can help you generate significantly more business? What is this marketing technique that is so simple and inexpensive that I believe everyone should be doing it from the very first day they go into business?

Drum roll please...ba, da, ba, da, ba, da, ba, da, ba, da...

Commit to sending out personal hand-written notes - Thank You notes or Cards.

What's that? You were expecting something a little more sophisticated and intricate than this? Don't hit the 'delete' key just yet. I really think you're going to want to hear this.

The great salespeople and successful business owners want to be in front of their customers, prospects, referral sources and alliance partners as much as possible. And one of the primary keys to staying top of mind with these folks is to find ways to do it in a positive and non-threatening manner.

Personal hand-written notes certainly fit this criterion.

When someone hires you to do work for them, or someone else refers some business your way, they expect you to produce results, deliver quality service, and get the job done. Therefore, if you do all of these things, all you've done is meet expectations. But guess what, your competitors are typically able to meet those expectations as well.

If you want to create raving fans that will help you really grow your business, then you have to give them more than they expect. And the power of a personal hand-written note is a perfect way to do that. Think about the last time you received a hand-written note of appreciation. How did that make you feel? Didn't it make you feel good?

The unwritten part of the message is that this person cared enough to take the time to write a note to ME! That is precisely the reason that this simple but powerful idea works so well. Try it and you'll find that the more you use them, the better they'll work and the better you'll feel.

The reasons to send personal notes including "thank you" notes are practically endless. But this is a lost art in the world of business anymore. Even though personal attention is always more effective, email and voice mail are just so much quicker and therefore make it ineffective in some peoples' minds.

I just have to shake my head when I hear comments like, "That won't work for my business. My clients expect me to be more technically advanced." Don't get me wrong, email and voice mail certainly have their place. But, the personal touch is what will set you apart from others competing for your clients' attention.

Consider How This Might Work For Your Business...

Imagine how a scenario like this might work for your business... A client makes a small purchase from you and receives a personal, hand-written thank you card in the mail within a few days. Then they receive another hand-written card 30 days later just checking in to make sure they're happy with their purchase and reminding them how they can access customer service. Then they receive another personalized card 60 to 90 days after that making a special offer only available to current customers.

Do you see how powerful a simple campaign like this could be for your business?

For more reading on the subject, check out my "Thank You Notes... Use Them To Build Business Consistently" article at www.proven-small-business-marketing-solutions.com.

(c) - Kevin P. Dervin, KPD Marketing

About the Author:

Kevin Dervin is focused on helping small businesses that are ready to grow, but struggle with how to consistently attract more clients. He has created http://www.proven-small-business-marketing-solutions.com to be an online resource for small business owners to share what he has learned and continues to learn. Visit his site for more great marketing information you can put to use in growing your business today.

You can also find Kevin's Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow. Everyone who subscribes will get a copy of his free report "Five Fundamentals To Help You Boost Your Service Business And Increase Your Satisfaction!"

The 5 Minute Marketing Plan

2005-06-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

By Denise Ryder

If I were to ask you right now, what marketing tactics have you used, umm, say in the last month, could you tell me?

Chances are you probably could rattle them off quickly enough.

Now, say if I asked you if you knew the results those tactics brought. Meaning do you know specifically what each tactic brought in as far as sales, new leads and/or new subscribers, could you tell me that?

If you can, then fantastic!!!

If you can't, then know that you aren't alone, many business owners fall into the trap of not planning and tracking. When you think about it though, the word "plan" seems so, daunting, doesn't it? I mean really, all you want to do is "get at it," right??

What if I gave you a little tool that would take about ten minutes to set up and it would give you a clear picture of where you are, what is working and what isn't?

Doesn't seem so daunting now, huh??

Ok... hang with me for a bit and I will give you a tool that I use and many other successful marketers are using as well ;o)

First of all, why do you need to set a plan of action in the first place?

I think we all know "why" we should be doing it. In order to know what is working and what isn't. If you are paying for advertising and you aren't tracking the results, then how do you know if that investment is paying off? If you knew the answer to that, then you could decide a few things:

1. If it is working then of course you continue on with it.

2. If it isn't then you let it go and spend that money elsewhere.

You should track EVERYTHING...yes even the free classified ads you place. People will dispute this with me and say "what for, it's free, if I get a hit, cool, it didn't cost me a thing!"

Valid point...but consider this...what is YOUR time worth? Sure, it's free, but the time you take in submitting to the "free" stuff, takes you away from the other tasks that could be making you money. We call that "opportunity cost." Your time then is not FREE. If you have a "submitter" and it takes a few minutes, you just click and it runs then fine, you should try and always automate as much as possible. However, if you are posting on an individual basis...and it takes you an hour or more and you aren't getting anything out of it...is it really worth it???

Put a price on everything, even your time ;o)

Ok, let's get to the Plan.

This Plan can be used for each and every tactic that you put into place or you can use it as a General Plan as an overall game plan, the idea is to at least use it.

--------Sidebar------
Note that this mini-plan is NOT the same as a Marketing Plan you would need to provide to your Banker for securing a loan. They require much more information that what is here. This is a tool to be used "in-house" only
--------------------------

-------Start-----

Mini Plan For: _____________________________

Dated: _________________

1. Purpose (what is the purpose of your marketing, ie to add subscribers to my list)

2. Target Audience (the specific group that you are trying to capture, ie start up eBusiness owners, pet owners..etc).

3. What Tactic Are You Using (if it is a classifed in a newsletter, then be specific, provide a sample of the ad and what newsletters you have put this ad in).

4. What Is Your Budget

I have this much time per week ___________

I have this much money to spend: $________

5. What Is Your Schedule (break it down into steps of the things you need to have in place for this particular tactic)

6. Results (log to day your ad run or the day tactic was implemented from there track your results. Day 1 ad placed no hits, Day 2 received 2 hits).

7. Final Evaluation/Notes (once the particular campaign is over, then you look at the purpose, if it was to add subscribers, how many did you receive in the then and based on that was it worthwhile to spend the money you did. Also are there things you had to do during the process to adjust for and any other notes that you want to keep track of if you decide to use this down the road again)

8. Samples - I personally keep a folder that has all the advertising samples that I have used along with a results log (like the one in step 6). I keep a running log for each piece of marketing I use so that later on if I want to use the same piece again - then I can quickly look and see how succesful it was in other similar newsletters that I ran it in...saves me having to look through past plans to find the ad, keeps things all in one place.

You can make this as easy or as elaborate as you wish, this is your plan and its purpose is to serve you. The important thing to understand is that you use it to track the successes of tactics so you know if it is worth it to you to use again.

A mini-marketing plan like this keeps you organized and on track. You can tell very quickly which of your campaigns worked and from there determine if you want to re-use it again.

Good luck!

Denise Ryder is a Marketing Coach writing from her home office in Northern Ontario (Canada). Hey... are you a do-it yourself marketer? Are you struggling a little? Need just a little help??? Can you imagine how far your business could grow with a Marketing Coach in your pocket? Take a no cost Test Drive TODAY!

http://www.profitspace.com/coach

5 Tips to Heat Up Your On-Line Marketing Using Off-Line Tactics

2005-06-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

By Denise Ryder

The internet of course brings a huge arena of marketing opportunities for you. The ability to do business with people around the world has now been made readily available through a web site and email. It truly has leveled the playing field and has provided ALL of us with the opportunity of taking our business to the global level.

How powerful is that!!

While everyone is focusing on their "eBusiness" they are missing the potential that exists in using off line marketing approaches to boost their online marketing efforts.

Here are five things you can do to heat up your efforts.

Articles

Actually if you are already using Articles as a marketing tactic for your on line marketing efforts, use the same articles for off line publications as well. Publishers regardless of the fact they are on or off line are ALL looking for good, valuable content.

Advertising

You know the effects that advertising on line can have for your business. You already have an ad that pulls for you on line. Then why not give it a shot off line and see if you can tap into another possible market.

Again, with the local newsletters in your community and any small business groups there are. Check out their rates and start using off line advertising to generate some exposure from off line sources.

Remember that you have to pay for this advertising so in that regard, advertising in something that you can afford and afford for a long period of time.

Networking

By attending a networking mixer you are getting the best of both worlds. You get the chance to get out and break out of that bubble AND you also get to spread the word about your business by talking with others!!

Depending upon the format, many of these mixers are of a referral nature. Meaning they allow only one business from each industry and through each member's dealings if they find someone looking for your service or product... then you will get a referral to follow up on.

Business Cards

A business card can end up in more places than you can even dream possible. They are a cost effective marketing tool. How many places do you go to on a regular basis where you could just leave a few business cards on a counter??? Now even if you are an eBusiness owner you can still use this to your advantage.

Here are a few things to consider when getting your cards done.

1. Do not go with black printing on a white card. It screams cheap and newbie. If money is tight, understandable, but go for a coloured card stock with a matching coloured print. It is still inexpensive and it doesn't scream new, or "Herb Tarlick" marketing practices.

2. Include your business name, contact name, phone number, site address, web site address and of course your address. If for security reasons you don't want to include your home address then that's fine. However, make sure you have ALL possible ways for a potential customer to do business with you.

3. USE THE BACK OF THE CARD...what a waste of potential marketing opportunities. So many people forget about this. A business card is a mini- billboard...use it ALL. On the back you could have a few tips and then the email address to your autoresponder for them to get more info. I had an Accountant use the back of her card by providing all the applicable phone numbers to all the tax offices that a business owner would need. Another client of mine is a travel agent and he included all the 1-800 numbers for the prime airlines and car rental agencies. The idea is to make your card a keeper ;o)

Business Alliances

Ok, on line we refer to these as Joint Ventures, Business Alliances is the same thing, but only the name has been changed.

Leverage yourself by finding another business owner off line, where you can set up an alliance and piggy back each other's marketing efforts. This one takes a little time and effort to set up, but, once it is again you are tapping into prospects that would never have found you otherwise.

There you go, five quick tips and in some regards you can use the same tactic in both on and off line marketing...so why not???

Denise Ryder is a Marketing Coach writing from her home office in Northern Ontario (Canada). Hey...are you a do-it yourself marketer? Are you struggling a little? Need just a little help??? Can you imagine how far your business could grow with a Marketing Coach in your pocket??? Take a no cost Test Drive TODAY!

http://www.profitspace.com/coach

Seven Common Marketing Problems Solved by Marketing Operations

2005-06-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

By Gary Katz

Corporate marketing groups - especially bandwidth-challenged small-to-mid-sized departments - can be so focused on tactics and fire fighting that they jeopardize their marketing investment. There is a tendency to overreact to events, to tackle symptoms rather than underlying fundamental problems and to jump at the opportunity to please the boss. Many times, this kind of tactical knee jerking may be fatal.

Without great marketing, companies won't flourish, especially those in highly competitive markets. Yet the chaotic nature of emerging or dynamic growth companies and the tendency to place the marketing burden on too few individuals is a setup for failure. Promising companies may be left in the dust, or at least handicapped at the starting gate.

Marketing Operations is emerging as an important discipline for improving performance and measuring ROI in admired technology companies (like Intel, IBM and Amazon) who have refined and fine-tuned their marketing organization with an operational focus. Given the demands that these organizations face today, an innovative approach is central to solving critical issues like results measurement, bandwidth constraints and creativity limitations, and building value-added outsourced supplier relationships and effectively managing budget. Many of the best practices, efficient processes and systems approach from large company Marketing Operations can and should be applied by emerging companies that are serious about their marketing investment. Here's why:

PROBLEM #1

Ill-defined metrics

Today, more than ever, corporate marketing departments need to justify their existence. The need to measure results is unavoidable. However, the instincts and skills that make an outbound marketing practitioner great-action-orientation, verbal and written acuity, persuasiveness, the ability to build strong relationships- often don't translate into an ability or willingness to scientifically and objectively evaluate success. Add in broken systems and the organization's unwillingness to pay for marketing evaluation, and it's no surprise that many marketing departments are unable to define meaningful success metrics.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations ensures that the right processes are in place to establish meaningful metrics at the front-end of marketing process, enabling the measurement of success at key intervals, and as each program concludes.

PROBLEM #2

Slammed resources

The prevailing attitude of "doing more with less" can leave key people discouraged, overwhelmed, near burnout, and eventually, circulating their resumes. The consequences for organizations are costly mistakes, high turnover, and collapsed programs when key people leave, and missed opportunities to leverage the "ugly-stepsister-Cinderella-in-waiting" programs that never get off the ground because of a lack of ownership.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations addresses these resource limitations by ensuring workload is effectively allocated, roles are clearly defined, interdependencies are understood, team members feel satisfied with their jobs and the programs and additional resources, whether through additional headcount or outsourcing, can be successfully justified to executive management.

PROBLEM #3

Sketchy institutional memory

Marketing is dependent on accurate information, a historical view into past successes and failures, and the ability to recognize patterns that link seemingly unrelated data points. Unfortunately, knowledge in many marketing organizations is scattered all over the company. It's in the heads of individual workers, on shelves, on people's hard drives, in long forgotten filing systems. When people leave, a big piece of organizational knowledge goes with them. Information loss is a huge productivity killer for marketing teams. Lost insight that must be regained or reacquired wastes previous marketing investments.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations facilitates knowledge sharing, an enduring repository of information and greater decision-making based on fact, as opposed to hunch.

PROBLEM #4

Constrained creativity

The best creativity comes from many brains working together in collaboration. A consequence of the age of the "individual contributor" director is constrained creativity. When the entire creative burden falls mostly on one outbound marketing person, the ability to think out of the box can be severely impacted. Creative synergy results from many minds thinking as one.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations enables the creative process to benefit from the synergy of team.

PROBLEM #5

Failed supplier relationships

Most successful companies can point to strong, long-term marketing supplier relationships as integral to their success. Likewise, a pattern of failed supplier relationships is often an indicator of marketing department failure, rather than poor vendor performance. Unfortunately, companies that have had consistently bad relationships with outsource suppliers often react by seizing control and bringing everything in house. While this strategy may provides the illusion of control, it lets marketing managers deflect blame for failures, rather than teaching them how to manage their outsource suppliers by taking responsibility for the results. In addition, this strategy won't scale with the growth of the organization.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations helps set realistic expectations and mutual accountability between suppliers and the organization, increasing the effectiveness of outsource partners by empowering them to act as an extension of the internal team.

PROBLEM #6

Lost discretionary budgets

Use it or lose it. Misuse it and lose it anyway. Many corporate marketing departments are leaving discretionary budget on the table or allocating it to the wrong initiatives. This discretionary marketing budget "Catch 22" occurs because:

• It's very time consuming to manage the budget effectively, especially in companies with broken financial systems

• Each marketing spend-decision creates more work for the one-person or small- team marketing department in terms of project management, measurement, supplier management, etc.

• Doubt persists about the ability to successfully justify the expenditure to management

• Focus is instinctively on high-visibility marketing activities and C-level executive "requests" over fiscal management (marketing people are more inclined toward marketing than finance)

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations facilitates implementing the system support infrastructure and financial management discipline needed to protect precious marketing budgets.

PROBLEM #7

Narrow marketing mix

Many companies align their fate with the success of too few marketing programs. Whether it's lead generation, public relations, trade shows or advertising, the over- reliance on any one particular program can derail a company-especially if a key program unexpectedly loses momentum. In the meantime, programs that could have had strong leverage never get a chance to prove their mettle and are forever relegated to the "B" list.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations puts the means in place to launch potentially high-value marketing programs that would never otherwise get out of the starting gate.

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, Marketing Operations is an organization's best bet to:

• Ensure that success can be measured and replicated • Leverage systems and processes to enable consistently excellent performance

• Encourage great marketing departments to stay together

• Allow the marketing organization to flourish, despite the unexpected, but often inevitable, loss of a key employee.

Gary M. Katz, APR, is president and CEO of CommPros Group, a Santa-Clara, Calif.- based firm that provides marketing operations services to help companies leverage their marketing investment, plus a variety of outsourced marketing program management services to support lean marketing departments. Gary is a veteran with more than twenty years of experience in the technology industry where he directed corporate marketing, communications, public relations, lead generation and qualification, investor relations, and employee communications programs. He has served as director of communications for ShoreTel, director of corporate marketing for Aplix Corporation, senior manager of corporate communications for Insignia Solutions, and as a director, account supervisor, or preferred subcontractor for more than a dozen leading public relations and marketing communications agencies. A past president of Silicon Valley PRSA, he holds a master's degree in organization development from the University of San Francisco and a BA degree in public relations from San Jose State University.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Common-Marketing-Problems-Solved-by-Marketing-Operations&id=44916

Keeping Marketing Simple / Ten Simple Steps

2005-06-20T02:04:00.000-07:00

By Jay Conners

1. Business Cards

It is very important to market yourself via business cards. You should be making a conscious effort to hand out ten per day at the very least. Have them on you at all times, and keep a supply in your car just in case. When doing business with someone, don’t give them just one business card, give them two, and ask them to refer someone to you.

2. Mailers and Reminders

Keep a tickler file handy on all of your customers birthdays, kids birthdays, and anniversaries. Send them a card to wish them well on their special occasion. They won’t be expecting it, making them all the more appreciative, it also keeps you in their thoughts, reminding them that they know a mortgage specialist that they can refer should the topic ever arise. It also gives you a reason to send out more business cards and keep them circulating. Remember, the average home owner refinances, or purchases on average every three years, so it is important to stay in front of your customer.

3. Phone Numbers

Giving your phone number to your customer seems obvious, but it is equally important to give them your cellular phone number as well as your work number, and let them know that they can feel free to call you at any time, this will personalize the relationship you have with your customer and give them a comfort zone where they feel as though they can really trust you.

4. Become Active

Become active in local organizations and charities, here are a few examples:

• Chamber of Commerce
• Rotary
• Lions Club
• Networking Groups
• Church
• Local Youth Athletic Associations

5. Apparel

Wear your company’s logo, It doesn’t hurt to have a few polos or dress shirts in your wardrobe with your company logo on it for attending special events or just going out to lunch, lets face it, it’s free advertising, and it shows that you take pride in the company that you work for.

6. Body Language

Your body language can speak volumes. Always smile when it’s appropriate, and speak clearly and slowly so that people will understand you. Eye contact is also very important when talking to people, it lets your client know that you are very confident in what you do, and that you believe in what you are saying. It is also important to be empathetic when appropriate as well, sometimes it is better to listen than to speak. Not everybody is in the ideal situation, so it is important that you understand where they are coming from, and exactly what they will need.

7. Tag Lines

When your answer the phone, make sure you answer it in a professional manner and state your name. You can also add a tag line promoting a product or promotion. Here are a few examples.

• Hello, thank you for calling XYZ Mortgage Company, this is John Doe, how may I help you?

• Hello, thank you for calling XYZ Mortgage Company, this is John Doe, have you heard about our interest only loans?

8. Partnerships

Partner up with a few Realtors in you area, this way you can attend their open houses, this is a great way to make contacts and make people aware of all the programs you have available. Remember to be prepared with plenty of business cards and literature.

9. Product Knowledge

This is perhaps one of the most important marketing tools that you can posses. It is so important to have the ability to be able to speak off the cuff when asked about a particular product. It sends a clear message to the customer that you know what you are talking about, and the better you know the product the more confident you will be. Remember, your client is considering perhaps the biggest financial decision they will ever make, they need to trust you and believe in you! Take ten minutes out of every day to learn some of the benefits of the programs your company offers. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you become an expert.

10. Show them your appreciation

Over the course of the loan process, it is fair to say that you have built a very good relationship with your customer, and like all relationships you want this one to last. Once the loan is closed, take the time to thank them by sending them something to let them know that you appreciate their business.

It could be a thank you card, or a small care package.

My suggestion would be to send them a small care package, preferably to their work place, this way, all of their fellow employees will want to know who sent it and why, this is a great way to get them talking about you, which could easily lead to lots of referrals.

Jay Conners is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource center for all of your mortgage needs. He is also the owner of a mortgage lead company http://www.callprospect.com specializing in exclusive and non-exclusive leads.

Be Prepared for Marketing

2005-06-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

By Greg Roworth

For most businesses, making a sale is all important. However, despite the amount of effort and attention given to getting sales, there is often no attention given to developing and effectively implementing a systematic marketing process. There are many things that can go wrong between the point of the customer first developing an interest in your product or service and the time of making the sale. Despite knowing this, very few businesses actually take proactive steps to nurture the progress of a sale. In sales and marketing, as in life, preparation makes a world of difference.

Be Prepared to Initiate

In many businesses there is no real attempt to initiate action towards a sale. Many sit and wait for customers to come in or for the phone to ring. They hope the customer will initiate the action. This is OK when things are busy, but what happens when trade slows down? Often the first thought is that we had better do some advertising. Unfortunately, random, unfocused, one off type advertising rarely achieves good results. You need to know what initiates action from your customers and then consistently and regularly set that process in motion. This takes a degree of preparation and planning, by analysing customer needs, preparation of a targeted marketing message and delivery through the right media to attract the appropriate amount of attention from the right customers.

Be Prepared to Measure

Is there anything worse when not making enough sales than to spend money on advertising that doesn’t work? The trouble is, many people don’t actually know whether their advertising is working or not. They don’t take the time and effort to monitor and measure the response to advertising. Every time a new customer makes an enquiry or purchase, you should be asking why they came to you. Then note and keep track of the answers. If you can’t tell what advertising works and what doesn’t, you will end up wasting a lot of money. When you spend money on advertising, be prepared to monitor and measure the results. No one really knows what will work and what won’t. You need to measure results and fine tune your advertising so that you do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Be Prepared to Respond

Even worse than doing advertising that doesn’t work is to be unprepared to deal with the enquiries that do come in. Nothing kills off sales quicker than not giving customers what they expect. You need to be prepared with follow up marketing materials, stock to sell and people who are trained to deal with the enquiries. Sales staff need to be trained and prepared to be customer focused. They should be able to lead the customer in a helpful manner towards making a decision in such a way that no pressure is ever exerted by the sales person or felt by the customer. My experience is that very few sales people ever achieve this level of expertise. How about yours? How much training do you give them?

Be Prepared to Help

Customers hate to be sold, but love having their needs met. In these days where customers are much better informed, most of the old sales techniques of the last decade no longer work. Customers are put off by tired and over used sales techniques. Today selling is about being helpful, providing advice and assistance to customers in matching specific products or services to the customer’s specific needs. You need to be good at discovering those needs to be able to offer helpful solutions. Many sales people jump too quickly over the process of discovering needs and skip straight to the “solutions” stage. This makes selling difficult. When you spend most of your time discovering needs, you build a lot of trust that means when it comes to offering the solution it is usually obvious that it is the right one for the customer and they buy with minimal hesitation. It all comes down to being prepared to help, not sell.

Be Prepared to Compete

Do you worry about your competitors and feel that they are getting too many sales that you should have won? Well, don’t just worry and get annoyed about it. Be prepared to fight back. Find out what the competition does and learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Then get proactive. Attack their weaknesses and downplay their strengths in your marketing and sales efforts. Do a better job of marketing your business and products or service than they do theirs. If you can’t do it yourself, get help.

Be Prepared for Objections

You have probably noticed that most sales don’t go through the process smoothly without the customer raising some objections. Despite this, many sales people seem to be caught out when customers have a problem or need an answer to a concern they have. This is often the case when the same types of objections are raised repeatedly. Good preparation can help in overcoming objections. Get your salespeople to write down objections that stump them. Find the best way to overcome those objections and prepare your sales people to answer them effectively. This is best done by answering the objections before the customer raises them. Do you know what a difference it makes to a sales person’s confidence levels when they feel prepared to tackle objections? It’s enough to make your sales graph go through the roof.

(c) 2004, Greg Roworth, Progressive Business Solutions Limited

Greg Roworth is the Managing Director of Progressive Business Solutions Limited, a business development consultancy firm with branches in Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand. Greg has created a unique business development program that assists business owners transform their business from a state of total dependency on them to a state where the business works so well they don't have to.

Greg is also the author of "The 7 Keys to Unlock Your Business Profit Potential," which descibes the fundamental keys a business needs to achieve this transformation. Find out more, get 2 free chapters, or buy the book online at http://www.small-business-success.ws

What’s Next? A Guide to Marketing Your New Business

2005-06-14T05:14:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Payne-Gale

Coming up with an idea, seizing the opportunity, and setting up a business was the relatively easy part. Now you are ready for the challenge of finding your customers, or at least make it easy for your customers to find you. Here are some tips for marketing your new and growing business.

Know & Understand your Customers

Find out or decide who your customers will be. Then find out as much as possible about them. Consider the needs of customers, and make sure your business or product fulfils those needs. Look at factors such as where they live, their age, their gender, how much they earn, their interests and pastimes. Detailed knowledge of your customers will help you to be more precise in your marketing.

Reach your Customers

There are many different types of media out there. Choose and use a media that you know will reach your target audience, and is preferred by them.

Consider approaching newspapers and magazines if you feel you have a good story, ideally involving a reference to your business, a planned event, or a special offer. Convey a message that will be of value to the reader and editor – this will promote interest in you and your business/product at the same time. Avoid blatant advertising.

If you are limited to, or looking to target local audiences in a specific geographical area, consider producing flyers and placing adverts in shop windows.

Television and radio advertising are the more expensive methods, and are designed to reach audiences on a mass scale. However, the returns are normally very small in comparison to the expense.

Highlight your Benefits

Most customers will focus on the value and convenience of choosing your product or service, before they will consider the actual features of that product or service. Therefore, it is important for your marketing campaign to concentrate on selling the benefits, before the features. Features are best marketed when linked directly to a great benefit.

For example, a small business selling their own brand of home computers would make a greater first impact by focusing less on features such as 2.3Ghz processors, 1GB RAM, 100GB Hard Disk, and 128MB Graphics cards, and focus more on the benefits of ‘faster performance’, ‘ideal for multitasking’, ‘plenty of storage’ and ‘great for games and photo editing’.

Use the Internet

Of all the available mediums, the Internet puts businesses on the most equal footing. Your image and appearance on the Internet represents your business – this can be understated and straight-to-the-point, or it can be flashy and highly interactive. It is best that it matches your style of business, but you are not restricted if you wish to invest in making a big splash.

The Internet should be used to support your other forms of marketing, unless your business is specifically suited to the online market. If you are able to create a website for your business, do so as soon as possible. If you cannot do this yourself, pay for someone to create one for you, as it will be a worthy investment if used correctly.

Use other methods, such as joining newsgroups or forums related to your business or product, sign up to business networking communities, give free advice and answer questions. It will attract others to your offering (as everyone wants something for free), while building trust in you and confidence in your product and expertise.

Avoid using these for blatant advertising, unless the forum specifies that this is acceptable. Otherwise, you may be asked to leave and your reputation could be damaged in that field.

Be Consistent

Unless you have a product or service that everyone needs and no one else offers, your marketing efforts will need to be ongoing. Your audience needs to hear about you and your offering over and over again before they are ready to acknowledge and accept you. Therefore, be consistent with your marketing methods.

Avoid deviating dramatically between mediums, as this can confuse customers, or cause you to lose others who only focus on one of your selected mediums.

Make sure you know how much, and how often you can spend, when working out your marketing budget. Don’t plough money into campaigns that you cannot afford to maintain. For example, an expensive, one-page spread in a glossy magazine will look nice and catch the eye, but unless you can afford to do this every week or month, the readers will quickly forget you. Choose a method that you can afford to repeat as often as is necessary to get yourself noticed (i.e.: flyers, local adverts, attending networking events). Otherwise, you may find that your marketing budget is used up before you’ve made an impact.

Measure & Review your Campaigns

Make sure you are able to measure the outcomes of your efforts. Items for measurement could be sales, number of enquiries, number of new clients, level of customer spend per occasion, for example. If you choose to run a campaign in a publication, consider adding a reference number to the piece, requiring the customer to quote this reference when contacting you. If using contact forms on a website, request the customer advise you on how they heard about you.

For each marketing campaign you undertake, use your chosen measurement tools to assess the effectiveness of that campaign. This will help you to refine your future efforts to get the best results. Even when you think you have perfected your campaigns, continue to review on a regular basis to accommodate any changes in the market and its buying behaviour.

Marketing is important to every business, and when used appropriately for your chosen customers, the returns can be very rewarding. Consider these tips when putting together the basis of your marketing plan.

Michelle Payne-Gale, owner of Essence Business & Admin Support Services, specialises in virtual administration, marketing, research & creative support for start-ups and growing businesses. Additional articles are available at: http://www.essence-services.co.uk

The Five Most Common Joint Venture Marketing Mistakes To Avoid

2005-06-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

By Habiba Abubakar

Joint Venture marketing has become a highly popular way for small businesses to maximize their profits. When two or more businesses combine their resources synergistically, it creates greater marketing impact and bigger profits than either can have alone.

Doing joint ventures has many benefits, but there are also many mistakes that can be made. These mistakes can be costly, not only in revenue, but in credibility with your client base.

These are not the only joint venture marketing mistakes made by small businesses, but as these are the most common, avoiding or correcting them will certainly put you on the right path.

Here are the five most common mistakes to avoid:

1. Not taking the time to ensure that your partner has great-quality products and services and a solid reputation.

When you choose a partner, it is imperative to choose one that has high-quality products and services as well as a good reputation within the industry. Sometimes, a company may look better on the surface than it really is. Your credibility is at stake if you partner up with a company that has sub-standard products and services or one that is popular for bad customer service. Do your research about your potential joint venture partners and review their products and services before endorsing them as these issues will reflect on you and your business!

2. Offering your partner too small of a deal

There has to be an incentive for your partner to engage with you, and offering too small of a deal won’t make it worth their time and effort. Remember that endorsers with a large, targeted and loyal client base are the most wanted joint venture partners. They’ll partner with others if you offer a percentage of the profits that’s too low. So make this mental note... if they are worth pursuing, they are worth sharing the profits with.

3. Simply handing over your client list

This can constitute breach of contract with your clients if you have committed to their privacy. You’ve also worked very hard to build your client list, and this forms part of the value you have to contribute to the joint venture relationship. If you simply hand over your client list, you have no point of leverage.

4. Not devising an exit strategy

Even the best of relationships can go sour, or simply not work. Make sure you have an open door to leave the joint venture if for any reason it is not working out.

5. Committing to a long term relationship from the beginning, without testing your strategy first

Any joint venture should involve a trial period to see if profits will show a real upwards trend, or if the idea is a valid one. If you sign a long term contract, you may be stuck in a no-win situation with no way to escape. As with any marketing strategy, test in small numbers first, before rolling out fully.

Joint Venture marketing is very lucrative, and with some forethought and planning, can help springboard your business to new success levels. Just make sure to do your homework right from the start, and avoid these pitfalls to ensure high returns on your investment of time, money and effort.

Copyright © 2005 by Habiba Abubakar and Emprez. All rights reserved.

Note: You are welcome to republish this article as long as the resource box at the end is included fully and unaltered.

Habiba Abubakar, a.k.a. The Profit Diva, specializes in helping small business owners who are struggling to increase their client base and are tired of earning mediocre profits. The tips in this article have been excerpted from her home-study program, "Joint Venture Profits For Small Business Owners."

To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up FREE for her revealing Mini eCourse, "The Easiest Way To Skyrocket Your Profits In 90 Days Or Less," visit http://www.profitdiva.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

The Most Powerful Marketing Strategy Available To Small Businesses

2005-06-14T04:51:00.000-07:00

By Habiba Abubakar

Most small business owners want to generate huge profits, with little effort and in the least amount of time. If you fall into this category then joint venture marketing is the fastest, easiest and most profitable way to do that.

Joint venture marketing involves two or more businesses combining their resources to work towards a common goal, and create a win-win situation for all parties involved. It’s about partnering with another business to leverage on resources that your small business wouldn’t otherwise have.

While it appears to be more popular with online businesses, joint venture marketing is still implemented by offline businesses, and it certainly works just as well in the offline world. In fact, one of the reasons why many industry giants like Southwest Airlines are so successful is because they implement joint ventures.

Doing joint ventures has many benefits, but I’ll focus on the top seven benefits for small business owners.

Here are seven reasons why joint ventures are the most powerful marketing strategy available to any business, and why every small business should be doing joint ventures:

1. You’ll pay for results only

When you place an ad or you rent names for a direct mail campaign, you still pay the publication or list broker, whether you generate responses or not. With joint ventures, you only give your joint venture partner a cut of the profits based on the sales made as a result of the joint venture. If no sale is made then your joint venture partner gets nothing. That eliminates potential losses. How’s that for low-cost marketing?

2. You’ll increase credibility

Your joint venture partner probably spent years building a good reputation within their industry. They therefore have influence and credibility with their clients. By partnering with them, you’ll be tapping into this resource. You can piggyback on your joint venture partner’s credibility and shine in their glow.

3. You’ll be adding value and getting more profits

By endorsing products and services of great quality, you’re creating new, hassle-free profit outlets for your small business. You’ll also be offering your client base a larger variety of products and services. This means you’ll be adding value to what you already offer, and increasing your profits at the same time.

4. You’ll increase visibility

You’ll be exposed to new markets that you may not have been able to reach on your own. I strongly believe in dominating a niche market. However, I also believe that you shouldn’t throw business away when it comes from other industries/sectors that can benefit from what you have to offer, even though you may not necessarily target that market. By doing joint ventures you’ll easily get introduced to other potential markets, and this will in turn increase your visibility in the market place.

5. You’ll build long lasting business relationships

Through wise endorsements, you’ll strengthen relationships with your clients and increase your network of business associates. This is great for future joint ventures, getting testimonials and other marketing opportunities.

6. You’ll save time and money

Joint Venture marketing is a very low-cost and sometimes even no-cost strategy. This enables you to protect your cash flow. You’ll save time on production and save money on operational costs by offering your clients new products and services (from your joint venture partner) that you didn’t need to create yourself. You’ll also slash marketing and advertising costs by sharing these costs with your joint venture partner.

7. You’ll survive any economic climate

It doesn’t matter if there’s a downturn in the economy or whether the political climate is unstable. You’ll survive all seasons and a slow economy… and even during wars, joint ventures will have you laughing all the way to the bank!

Joint ventures can mean the difference between mediocrity and millions in a small offline business and any business for that matter. Start today by doing simple, short-term joint ventures and you won’t regret it.

Copyright © 2005 by Habiba Abubakar and Emprez. All rights reserved.

Note: You are welcome to republish this article as long as the resource box at the end is included fully and unaltered.

Habiba Abubakar, a.k.a. The Profit Diva, specializes in helping small business owners who are struggling to increase their client base and are tired of earning mediocre profits. The tips in this article have been excerpted from her home-study program, "Joint Venture Profits For Small Business Owners."

To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for your FREE copy of her revealing Mini eCourse, "The Easiest Way To Skyrocket Your Profits In 90 Days Or Less," visit http://www.profitdiva.com

Define Marketing

2005-06-09T04:11:00.000-07:00

By Amarendra Bhushan

American Marketing Association Definition

The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives.1

American Heritage Dictionary's Definition of Marketing

The commercial functions involved in transferring goods from producer to consumer.2

Merriam Webster's Marketing Definition

1 b: the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service

2: an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer

3: Marketing Definition From MSN Encarta Dictionary

the business activity of presenting products or services to potential customers in such a way as to make them eager to buy. Marketing includes such matters as the pricing and packaging of the product and the creation of demand by advertising and sales campaigns.

What has changed is the business environment. Companies compete with more efficient technologies. Customers have better access to their cost options and they communicate to each other in ways not conceivable in the pre-Internet age.

In some industries, the Internet has lowered the cost of entry so that entrepreneurs - many times from a home office - have entered the competition. The changes in competitive environment are numerous. What have also changed are marketing strategies and the marketing programs we have available to implement those strategies.

These have changed, but the basic marketing definition has not. Superior marketing is and always has been analysis, then action. It is strategy development, then logical and thought-out tactical implementation. It is the way to customer satisfaction and increasing profit.

Steps to successful marketing and implementation include:

1) Analyzing your customers and the business environment in order to

2) identify key opportunities to better and more profitably meet customer needs,

3) figuring out how to act on those opportunities, and then

4) implementing your plan.

The process doesn't have to be cumbersome. Five-year plans and novel-length documents are not required. The logic of the action is what is important.

By applying the basic marketing process, rather than a tactic here and a technique there, your chances of success skyrocket.

Meet Amarendra Bhushan, A leading Strategic Human Resource Consultent, MBA from American university of athens, greece, also editing The European journal of NRI finance magazine (The TRIBUNE).As one of the leading article writer, and corporate hotel professional. Advisor to various organizations and hotels. He is an elected member of south Indian hotel and restaurant federation. Now staying at ancient city of Athens Greece.PH-0030-6947667507 abdhiraj@mail.gr