Over the 32 years I've been involved in sales, marketing and management, I've discovered that there are two fatal marketing mistakes made by business owners. They are?
· Lack of focus
· Lack of implementation
There's certainly no shortage of ideas and information ? the world is full of it ? but what are you doing with it all? Let's do a quick reality check here and now:
· How frequently do you get in touch with your customers?
· How far up your hierarchy of buyers do you go?
· What actions are you taking to make next week, next month or next year better?
Pick one thing you've always meant to do and do it tomorrow to start marketing your business more effectively.
It may be to focus on a market sector, write an article to gain you more exposure as an authority in your industry or it may be to write a better Yellow pages advert.
The more you do now, the more you will have to do down the road. There are all kinds of lame excuses and I've heard most of them. Excuses like "I don't have time" or "Maybe when I'm less busy"
Here's a blinding flash of the obvious ? the best time to market yourself IS when you're busy. Why? Because one day you won't be? You see, how you get less busy is by NOT marketing yourself.
To make sure you have a constantly increasing flow of customers, develop and implement marketing processes that you can put on autopilot. They run whether you're busy or not.
Of all of the things you've read or heard that you could or should do, how many have you actually done? You know what it's like ? you go to a seminar or read a book and say, "I should do that" but you never do.
Successful strategies are based on solutions and information. Your customers don't really care about you or your company ? what they care about is what you can do for them. Yet sadly, far too few companies bother to tell their prospects what they can actually do for them.
No, they're far too busy "getting the name out there" or "promoting our logo" If this is a little too close for comfort, consider this provocative statement:
"If you're advertising for any other reason than to generate leads or sales, you're wasting your money"
Run this checklist over your Yellow Pages advert and see how well it rates. Score 1 point for each Yes. Those points may save your ad from oblivion?
1. It looks like an article instead of an ad
2. It has a strong, benefit-rich headline
3. It includes a personal photo
4. It promotes benefits NOT facts
5. It uses testimonial(s)
6. It states your performance guarantee
7. It contains an irresistible offer
8. It has a strong call to action
9. The phone number is clearly displayed
10. The Company name and logo play a very small part
How many did you score? Six or more? Good, your advert might work for you. Less than four? Good luck?
© James Yuille, Brisbane, Australia, 2004.
About the author:
James Yuille is a sales and marketing consultant and trainer with over 32 years experience. He is based in Brisbane, Australia. His free weekly sales and marketing newsletter provides topical information for business owners and salespeople. Find out more at http://www.jamesyuille.com
Most brochures that businesses put out today end up doing... Read More
You've decided to try advertising your business with post cards.... Read More
When advertising, you need to sell your opportunity, your products... Read More
Classified ads do not have the big market appeal that... Read More
Would you like to get your new or existing Internet... Read More
Electronic display signs are used nowadays in great extent to... Read More
The success of a business plan stands or falls on... Read More
When my daughter complained recently about the prohibitive cost of... Read More
Digital printing has revolutionized the sign industry. Current printers can... Read More
Lets examine the use of Giorgio Armani Company's advertisements for... Read More
Too many small business owners today run ad campaigns that... Read More
Newspapers are considered the PRIMARY advertising medium by 99.4% of... Read More
If you're interested in improving the selling results of your... Read More
Aggressive business card marketing isn't about handing your business cards... Read More
Doesn't that just grab you by the eyeballs and make... Read More
I caught myself wracking my brain over what kind of... Read More
Here's a neat trick to get lots of radio advertisement... Read More
Your marketing and advertising won't be effective if your potential... Read More
Choosing a Classified Website and creating your advertisements.The internet has... Read More
As technology continues to improve, the quality of digital prints... Read More
From my experience, I've been on many discussion groups and... Read More
Cable has grown from 13 houses connected together in 1948... Read More
Oh Grand and Glorious Southern Guru, I am perplexed. What... Read More
Tired of pouring endless money into advertising? Do you wonder... Read More
How To Gain FREE Advertising That Will Make You Rich!Okay-Just... Read More
Choosing a Classified Website and creating your advertisements.The internet has... Read More
To succeed in today's crowded marketplace where most of the... Read More
The logo and graphic elements that you include on your... Read More
It was two days before our shoot. I was in... Read More
In this article, we want to explore the idea of... Read More
Classified ads do not have the big market appeal that... Read More
100 Excellent Words Absolutely. Amazing. Approved. Attractive. Authentic. Bargain.... Read More
The internet offers you the opportunity to seek out jingle... Read More
Business cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive... Read More
What many may consider the most important part of advertising... Read More
In this lesson, we will create a business card, using... Read More
If you have a computer and a printer, preferably one... Read More
Here are a couple of tips for creating an eye... Read More
Q: I've never really done much advertising for my business;... Read More
Advertising is not for every company. But some require it... Read More
What's the cheapest, most under-used marketing tool you have?The answer's... Read More
Many of the most memorable ad campaigns around tend to... Read More
Yahoo Groups: I see countless marketers on shoestring budges turn... Read More
So many of us who have decided to do business... Read More
You've decided to launch your advertising campaign but you have... Read More
Let's face it - most brochures go straight into the... Read More
Good Advertising creates more production, thus greater consumption, faster turnover... Read More
Often considered as "plain Jane's" of the print world, trade... Read More
Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad... Read More
Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said,... Read More
Advertising Advertising |