It’s too easy for a business owner to fall into a false sense of security when they hear from a young marketing graduate that they have a marketing strategy. Marketing strategies are worthless unless they produce sales.

Marketing people without a successful track record of selling view their job as a short term “apprenticeship” before a managerial role. The marketing strategy is only 20% of the job. Making sales is the other 80% and that’s where the imposters are separated from the real thing.

If you’re looking for more sales look for someone who loves, sleeps and lives making sales. Pay them plenty of money based on Read the rest of this entry »

Some businesses work hard to secure more business and struggle to find a successful a marketing strategies for small business that work for them.

Many business owners, reps and advertising agencies believe that the goal of marketing is to build brand. They waste money on building the brand and not securing sales. Before I became aware of this mistake I had spent over $26,000 on building brand awareness. Never again.

Everything in your small business should be focused on either getting a sale, capturing a lead or procuring prospect’s names. I call this being focused on reaction marketing. There is a subtle difference between direct mail and direct response marketing. I’m talking about getting a reaction ‘result’ from every part of your marketing campaign.

Here are the 5 tips to do that:
1. Develop a powerful unique selling point (USP).
This is the #1 reason your prospect or customer will buy from you. If you don’t have one in your business, get one ASAP. Put it on your headlines of articles, websites, leaflet drops, fliers and in your reaction marketing campaigns.

2. Learn to sell.
If you know how to sell you know how to treat customers. Don’t learn about customer service from so called Gurus because most of that is wrong. All you need to know is how to sell and the customer service will come naturally.

3. Create a database for every new customer.
Become a card collector. Get their business card or name, address and contact details and store it in an excel spreadsheet. Build this list to 1,000 and it will turn your business into a profit generating machine. You will have a wild horse on your hands that needs taming.

4. Contact your data base once a week. Send either:

a) Sales promotions to up sell existing customers
b)  Sales promotions to attract new customers.

Keep your name in front of your customers regularly.

Use special offers, gift cards and invitations to ‘VIP events’. Send thank you letters to customers for their loyalty and past purchases from you. Get them back to your business.

5. Create a referral program.
Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals and give away something in return. It can be as simple as giving coded coupons. For each one redeemed, the referring client receives a gift.

These marketing strategies for small business are a few I use in my business and are powerful ways to increase cash in the door within a few days.  More information can be found on my website.