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Casual Articles - Principles of Marketing 101
Performance contracts. Performance management - useful or major challenges? They are easier if they are kept simple, through strong and trusting relationships built and people effectively managed through daily informal contacts - yet someone, sometimes isn't listening at all! Take a look right here...I wonder what you think of the 'invitation' to a performance review shown below. It is real, though some of the details have been amended, for the safety of recipients!As you read it, please see it through the eyes of someone who expected a 3-monthly review and has not set eyes on their appraiser more than once in six months!"Saturday, October 22nd, 2005 07:13PM6 month contract review for managersplease note the following dates for your contract review. they will be held in your base office (jackie, will you contact me and let me know which office you are in on the nomina
Ease of Doing Business
Having many ways for people to buy from you increases your chance of the first sale and subsequent sales. Your website should be easy to navigate. This includes having contact information on every page, multiple methods of paying you, product descriptions with customer benefits clearly spelled out, and an easy to understand return policy.
Many websites lose sales every day because they can’t be contacted with questions or their order forms are confusing. Look at all the business systems you have established. These include the ordering system, the communication system, and the feedback system. Test them from the customer’s standpoint. If you can’t be objective, have relatives and friends test your systems and provide you with feedback. Remove anything they complain about, no matter how small it seems to you.
It can be hard enough to grow a business under the best of circumstances. Don’t build your own roadblocks. Build networks instead.
N
1. You Need a Specific Target Market You need an easy-to-find and contact target market. Find out how to fast build a database of potential clients to promote to. Even better - how would you like to get into your prospects heads and know exactly what they are looking for?To teach you this I'm bringing in the BIG GUNS! A master of asking people what they want (so that you can give it to them every single time) will show you how to zero in on a market hungry for your product or service and how to learn the deal-clinching data you need to turn them into loyal clients.2. You Need a Magnetic Personal BrandWith the explosion of service businesses this should be your top concern - to differentiate yourself from the pack.WAKE UP CALL! Your prospects don't give a hoot about your titles, awards, and your prestigious office location! At the Small Biz Marketin
The seven underlying principles are Image, Differentiation, Repeat Business, Ease of Doing Business, Networking, Likeability, and Emotion. Let’s begin with image.
Image
Much like people have an image so does their business. Some people are informal and likeable, as are some businesses. Some people are formal and aloof, as are some businesses. Your image is wrapped up in your packaging. The clothes you wear, the haircut you sport, the weight you carry, and the age you are, all create your image. The same applies to your business.
Every way your business presents itself to your customers adds to or detracts from the image you are trying to create with your marketing efforts. Decide on the image you wish to convey to the public and design your business to support that image. Your business cards, letterhead, website, advertising materials, and every other portion of your business which will come into contact with a customer must reflect the same image.
If you sell a product, your image is also reflected in your packaging, the colors, the box, the website, the store -- everything. If you sell a service, your image is reflected in your writings, your website, your proposals and your presentations. Make every interaction with a customer or prospect reflect the image you have for your business.
However, remember, it is far easier to create an unforgettable image by differentiating yourself from the competition.
Differentiation
Be as different as a zebra in a herd of horses. You must be different from your competitors in order to stand out. And, you must be able to convey that difference in all your messages to prospects. If you know you are different and don't convey it, you lose. You must leverage your differences to your advantage.
If you can’t differentiate yourself, it’s because of two general reasons. You think you don't have any competitors. Or, you have copied your competitors to the extent you all look alike to your prospects.
Thinking you don’t have any competitors is a dangerous and na?ve position to take. Even if someone doesn’t sell the exact product you sell, they do compete with you for people’s money. If a potential customer is spending money with someone else, they aren’t spending it with you. Offer something different in product or service.
The second option, where you look just like your competition, is equally dangerous. In this situation, the only way to compete is by having the lowest price. Lowest price also translates to lower profit margin. This means you’re working harder to make money than you have to.
Differentiating yourself from the competition is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. It is also one with the largest positive impact upon your bottom line. Differentiating yourself will increase business. However, part of marketing is also hanging onto the business once you have it.
Repeat Business
A sale is great! But, two or more sales are even better!
A customer who buys once from you represents short-term revenue. Short-term revenue requires ten times more work. In this mode, you are in a constant search for new customers. A lifelong paying customer is your objective. If you offer a one-time event, you do not have a marketing process -- you have a single sale. A marketing process sells to clients over and over again.
One of the reasons businesses fail is because they don't stay in touch with customers. Frequency of contact can build trust and trust is a requirement for a sale. Set up a system to remind yourself to contact existing customers. This can be a regularly published newsletter, an email follow-up for input from the last sale, or a new product announcement. Keep in touch! Customers don’t want to be taken for granted. Make your customers feel special and they will return to you, time and time again.
Another proven method for encouraging that second purchase is to be a business that is easy to do business with.
Ease of Doing Business
Having many ways for people to buy from you increases your chance of the first sale and subsequent sales. Your website should be easy to navigate. This includes having contact information on every page, multiple methods of paying you, product descriptions with customer benefits clearly spelled out, and an easy to understand return policy.
Many websites lose sales every day because they can’t be contacted with questions or their order forms are confusing. Look at all the business systems you have established. These include the ordering system, the communication system, and the feedback system. Test them from the customer’s standpoint. If you can’t be objective, have relatives and friends test your systems and provide you with feedback. Remove anything they complain about, no matter how small it seems to you.
It can be hard enough to grow a business under the best of circumstances. Don’t build your own roadblocks. Build networks instead.
Ne
Custom shipping cases refer to the specialized containers that are customized to various sizes and materials according to the consumer's requirements. These cases are available in different colors and styles as well. The manufacturing of these cartons/cases involve several processes, as high-density materials are used in the production. Usually, the production processes involved are rotational, injection, or thermoformed.Nowadays, the custom shipping cases play a vital role in shipments to transit products safely to several places. These cases are used in several sectors, including industrial, commercial, and military services. A custom shipping case is available in varied types such as ultra star cases, super star cases, star cases (used in air traffic), carry star cases, and expo star cases. To improve the quality, these custom shipping cases undergo a variety of tests such as a vibration test, drop test, tumble test, and water spray t
If you sell a product, your image is also reflected in your packaging, the colors, the box, the website, the store -- everything. If you sell a service, your image is reflected in your writings, your website, your proposals and your presentations. Make every interaction with a customer or prospect reflect the image you have for your business.
However, remember, it is far easier to create an unforgettable image by differentiating yourself from the competition.
Differentiation
Be as different as a zebra in a herd of horses. You must be different from your competitors in order to stand out. And, you must be able to convey that difference in all your messages to prospects. If you know you are different and don't convey it, you lose. You must leverage your differences to your advantage.
If you can’t differentiate yourself, it’s because of two general reasons. You think you don't have any competitors. Or, you have copied your competitors to the extent you all look alike to your prospects.
Thinking you don’t have any competitors is a dangerous and na?ve position to take. Even if someone doesn’t sell the exact product you sell, they do compete with you for people’s money. If a potential customer is spending money with someone else, they aren’t spending it with you. Offer something different in product or service.
The second option, where you look just like your competition, is equally dangerous. In this situation, the only way to compete is by having the lowest price. Lowest price also translates to lower profit margin. This means you’re working harder to make money than you have to.
Differentiating yourself from the competition is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. It is also one with the largest positive impact upon your bottom line. Differentiating yourself will increase business. However, part of marketing is also hanging onto the business once you have it.
Repeat Business
A sale is great! But, two or more sales are even better!
A customer who buys once from you represents short-term revenue. Short-term revenue requires ten times more work. In this mode, you are in a constant search for new customers. A lifelong paying customer is your objective. If you offer a one-time event, you do not have a marketing process -- you have a single sale. A marketing process sells to clients over and over again.
One of the reasons businesses fail is because they don't stay in touch with customers. Frequency of contact can build trust and trust is a requirement for a sale. Set up a system to remind yourself to contact existing customers. This can be a regularly published newsletter, an email follow-up for input from the last sale, or a new product announcement. Keep in touch! Customers don’t want to be taken for granted. Make your customers feel special and they will return to you, time and time again.
Another proven method for encouraging that second purchase is to be a business that is easy to do business with.
Ease of Doing Business
Having many ways for people to buy from you increases your chance of the first sale and subsequent sales. Your website should be easy to navigate. This includes having contact information on every page, multiple methods of paying you, product descriptions with customer benefits clearly spelled out, and an easy to understand return policy.
Many websites lose sales every day because they can’t be contacted with questions or their order forms are confusing. Look at all the business systems you have established. These include the ordering system, the communication system, and the feedback system. Test them from the customer’s standpoint. If you can’t be objective, have relatives and friends test your systems and provide you with feedback. Remove anything they complain about, no matter how small it seems to you.
It can be hard enough to grow a business under the best of circumstances. Don’t build your own roadblocks. Build networks instead.
N
All of us have business cards. Most of us have standard-size cards, printed on one side. How much more mileage could you get from your cards by using both sides?There are lots of uses for the back of a business card. Why not try one (or more) of these? If you print your own business cards on the computer, you can make short runs of different types and see what works best for you.Put a map of your location on the back, with directions on how to get there.Print one or more client testimonials, with their names. To repay them for taking the time to give a testimonial, you could also list a web address or other info for them.List your specialties, topics, or other information about your products and services. For example, a massage therapist might list the modalities they employ.Show a picture of your book cover or product. The visual will help them to remember it.
If you can’t differentiate yourself, it’s because of two general reasons. You think you don't have any competitors. Or, you have copied your competitors to the extent you all look alike to your prospects.
Thinking you don’t have any competitors is a dangerous and na?ve position to take. Even if someone doesn’t sell the exact product you sell, they do compete with you for people’s money. If a potential customer is spending money with someone else, they aren’t spending it with you. Offer something different in product or service.
The second option, where you look just like your competition, is equally dangerous. In this situation, the only way to compete is by having the lowest price. Lowest price also translates to lower profit margin. This means you’re working harder to make money than you have to.
Differentiating yourself from the competition is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. It is also one with the largest positive impact upon your bottom line. Differentiating yourself will increase business. However, part of marketing is also hanging onto the business once you have it.
Repeat Business
A sale is great! But, two or more sales are even better!
A customer who buys once from you represents short-term revenue. Short-term revenue requires ten times more work. In this mode, you are in a constant search for new customers. A lifelong paying customer is your objective. If you offer a one-time event, you do not have a marketing process -- you have a single sale. A marketing process sells to clients over and over again.
One of the reasons businesses fail is because they don't stay in touch with customers. Frequency of contact can build trust and trust is a requirement for a sale. Set up a system to remind yourself to contact existing customers. This can be a regularly published newsletter, an email follow-up for input from the last sale, or a new product announcement. Keep in touch! Customers don’t want to be taken for granted. Make your customers feel special and they will return to you, time and time again.
Another proven method for encouraging that second purchase is to be a business that is easy to do business with.
Ease of Doing Business
Having many ways for people to buy from you increases your chance of the first sale and subsequent sales. Your website should be easy to navigate. This includes having contact information on every page, multiple methods of paying you, product descriptions with customer benefits clearly spelled out, and an easy to understand return policy.
Many websites lose sales every day because they can’t be contacted with questions or their order forms are confusing. Look at all the business systems you have established. These include the ordering system, the communication system, and the feedback system. Test them from the customer’s standpoint. If you can’t be objective, have relatives and friends test your systems and provide you with feedback. Remove anything they complain about, no matter how small it seems to you.
It can be hard enough to grow a business under the best of circumstances. Don’t build your own roadblocks. Build networks instead.
N
I’ve always had a sweet tooth, so when the sugar substitute, Equal, came along, I was an early adopter.Of course, the only problem with Equal is the price per packet, which I believe is about three times as expensive as the next well-known brand, the one in the pink wrappers. Naturally, I have to have expensive tastes. To me, the blue stuff tastes better.For years, I’ve been buying Equal in the restaurant size box, with 2500 packets. This lasts me for months, and it brings the price in line with the pink stuff. But now, the wholesale to the public market I use never seems to have it in stock.I’ve tried three different locations in the same day, hunting for it, to no avail. I’ve interrogated stockers, asking them when shipments were due. It’s getting to the point that I think it may be easier to find a large, cheap, rent controlled apartment in Manhattan.Down the street is a unit of Trader Joe’s, a small boutique mark
Repeat Business
A sale is great! But, two or more sales are even better!
A customer who buys once from you represents short-term revenue. Short-term revenue requires ten times more work. In this mode, you are in a constant search for new customers. A lifelong paying customer is your objective. If you offer a one-time event, you do not have a marketing process -- you have a single sale. A marketing process sells to clients over and over again.
One of the reasons businesses fail is because they don't stay in touch with customers. Frequency of contact can build trust and trust is a requirement for a sale. Set up a system to remind yourself to contact existing customers. This can be a regularly published newsletter, an email follow-up for input from the last sale, or a new product announcement. Keep in touch! Customers don’t want to be taken for granted. Make your customers feel special and they will return to you, time and time again.
Another proven method for encouraging that second purchase is to be a business that is easy to do business with.
Ease of Doing Business
Having many ways for people to buy from you increases your chance of the first sale and subsequent sales. Your website should be easy to navigate. This includes having contact information on every page, multiple methods of paying you, product descriptions with customer benefits clearly spelled out, and an easy to understand return policy.
Many websites lose sales every day because they can’t be contacted with questions or their order forms are confusing. Look at all the business systems you have established. These include the ordering system, the communication system, and the feedback system. Test them from the customer’s standpoint. If you can’t be objective, have relatives and friends test your systems and provide you with feedback. Remove anything they complain about, no matter how small it seems to you.
It can be hard enough to grow a business under the best of circumstances. Don’t build your own roadblocks. Build networks instead.
N
I’ve been both a CEO and a consultant, so I’ve seen from both perspectives what goes right and what goes wrong when a consultant comes in to a company. Generally the CEO or the manager who hires the consultant tells the consultant what he or she wants. Often the manager is frustrated with something that is happening at the company and expects the consultant will have the expertise to “just fix it”. While the manager needs to set the expectations, of course, the consultant rarely gets to voice what he or she knows would make the consulting engagement more successful for both.Here is what your consultant would love to tell you about making him or her successful working on your behalf:1. Please Do Your Homework before I Come InToo many owners and managers hire a consultant and then stop thinking. They present a list of general problems and expect the expert to conjure dramatic results. This approach almost always ends in frust
Ease of Doing Business
Having many ways for people to buy from you increases your chance of the first sale and subsequent sales. Your website should be easy to navigate. This includes having contact information on every page, multiple methods of paying you, product descriptions with customer benefits clearly spelled out, and an easy to understand return policy.
Many websites lose sales every day because they can’t be contacted with questions or their order forms are confusing. Look at all the business systems you have established. These include the ordering system, the communication system, and the feedback system. Test them from the customer’s standpoint. If you can’t be objective, have relatives and friends test your systems and provide you with feedback. Remove anything they complain about, no matter how small it seems to you.
It can be hard enough to grow a business under the best of circumstances. Don’t build your own roadblocks. Build networks instead.
Networking.
To increase sales, increase your network of contacts, both customers and suppliers.
We’ve discussed how customers can increase your business. They can return to purchase from you again. They will also tell others about you. But why network with suppliers?
Suppliers profit when you profit. They have a vested interest in your success. The smaller the supplier, the more they have invested in your success. If you establish a really good network with your suppliers, you will have first access to new products and special closeout sales. In turn, you will both be more successful.
This principle is also referred to as the principle of reciprocity. This works on the principle: "you scratch my back and I will scratch yours." It is not just about relationships, it is about the value of those relationships. Make yours count.
Likeability
People buy from people they like. This is a long proven sales axiom. If people don't know you, how can they like you? They need to like you before they will trust you. They must trust you before they buy from you.
Likeability is one of the most valuable assets you have. Does your marketing copy (on your website or in your advertising) come across as the type of person you would like? Would you do business with this person?
Is likeability subjective and emotional? Yes. But so are buying decisions!
Emotion
Marketing studies claim eighty-five percent of the buying decision is made from emotions. Buyers will then justify their purchase with logic. But emotion is where it starts! This means you must first connect with their emotions. Then give them the logic to justify what they bought. You cannot do one effectively without the other.
Your client’s perception creates the sale. So many business owners think their service or product is absolutely great. They cannot understand why it is not selling. It is because they developed their product or service according to their perceptions and not their prospects' needs. Keep your prospects in mind at all times and you will succeed.
Remember, marketing is the first step to the sale. Keep these principles in mind and you will succeed. Nice doing business with you!
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