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Marketing isn’t an option
today. It’s not some fancy
“department.” It’s the lifeblood
of your business. You’re in the
marketing business first
and your primary trade, second.
To
start attracting more clients
and more business review these
12 Marketing Secrets and
practice putting them to work
today.
12. Make sure everyone
understands what kind of
business you’re in. Are you
using technical mumbo-jumbo or
industry jargon? Worse, are you
forgetting to share your real
results and accomplishments with
your prospects or clients? Be
clear. How do you expect people
to call you if they don’t
understand the benefits you
provide them? I call this an
audio logo.
11. Explain to people in a
single sentence why they should
buy from you. Why do most
marketing communications fail?
Because people fail to tell you
what their point is and why you
should buy from them. When
reviewing your marketing
material, ask yourself, “What’s
my point? And do people know why
they should buy from me?”
10. Write your marketing
materials using benefits, not
features. Fact: prospects and
customers could care less about
your pretty bells, assorted
colors or other product
features. They want one thing:
the benefits they’ll get by
hiring you. Time savings, less
headaches, ease of ordering,
guaranteed quality. These are
all benefits. When you forget to
share your benefits and your
results, you’re guaranteed not
to get the business.
9. Avoid gimmicky headlines or
direct mail trickery. You’re in
the service business.
You’re selling the promise
that at some time in the future
you’re going to do something. So
in other words, what you’re
selling is your honesty. Tricks
and gimmicks aren’t honest.
They’re downright tomfoolery.
They tell your prospects you’re
willing to trick them now and
fool them again in the future.
No tricks, ever.
8. Get a real web site and
protect it from dust. Apple pie
is meant to be homemade, not
your web site. Hire a real web
design team and avoid pages
under construction, jumbled
navigation, huge graphics and
silly animated Flash
programming. They’re all
killers. And NEVER add annoying
music or sounds to your site.
Finally, make sure the color,
fonts and design styles match
your overall company look. Keep
the site updated at least
quarterly.
7. Spell check and proofread
everything three times. Don’t
you hate it when somebody spells
your name wrong? Do you want to
do business with them? Probably
not. So if you’re whipping out
every proposal, email, fax, or
brochure as fast as you can,
watch out.
6. Stay late only to network and
meet people. Let’s face it, if
you’re going to be working late,
you ought to be doing something
to round up new business. Proper
networking will let you meet
others in person and explain
what you can do for them. You
must make yourself familiar to
prospects and you must get out
there and share your expertise.
Familiarity breeds business.
So spread your word whenever - -
and wherever - - you can.
5. Write articles and do public
speaking to enhance your
credibility. Do you consider
yourself good at what you do?
Pat yourself on the back. But
that’s not good enough. You have
to demonstrate to the world what
you really know. Lectures,
seminars, speeches, contributing
writing are all avenues. You can
think of others.
4. Pay attention to the subtle
impressions you’re making. Use
20# copy paper, ink-jet business
cards, and cheap brochures and
your prospects will notice. Live
by the rule of last impressions.
Don’t be concerned about what
people think of you when you
enter the room, but when you
leave. Each impression you make
– temporarily, at least – be the
last one you’ll make. And it
will give your prospect a reason
to call on you again (or not).
So make it strong.
3. Close your mouth, listen to
prospects and ask questions. If
you hog the conversation,
interrupting people to show them
how much you know, you’re dead.
Save the long, detailed
explanation on all the boring
technical aspects of your work.
The goal is to leave the meeting
understanding what the prospect
needs. A prospect doesn’t have
to be impressed with your
knowledge - - they’ve already
agreed to meet you.
2. Tell the truth and strive for
excellent work. Simple advice,
but we all can remember people
who were less than honest and
only provided mediocre work. Did
you go back and use them again?
1. Always stay visible.
Visibility is the key to more
business, yet few people
practice it. Most businesses end
up disappearing from their
customer’s sight and mind once a
job is finished. In today’s
sped-up, time-consumed society,
you’re quickly forgotten --
unless you stay visible. Your
goal should be to help your
customers and prospects select
you by reminding them you are
still around.
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