SlideShare une entreprise Scribd logo
1  sur  8
Télécharger pour lire hors ligne
Marketing
secrets for
small
businesses


With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
Marketing secrets for small businesses




Table of Contents
                 2. Introduction
                 3. The 10 Most
                 Important Marketing
                 Secrets

                 3. Types of media
                 3. Planning your
                 marketing strategy

                 4. Additional concepts
                 5. Creative Marketing
                 5. Ways to save
                 marketing money

                 5 Ways to obtain free
                 research

                 6. Further Information




                                              1
  With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
Marketing secrets for small businesses



Introduction
                                                      Profits are very different from sales. Anyone
                                                      can obtain sales, but it takes a guerrilla to
Successful marketing can only be engaged              constantly turn honest profits.
once you have a marketing plan. When you
start developing a marketing plan you should          These profits will be achieved if you clearly
start to use the word positioning. Positioning        state your goals, all of them, including timing,
means determining exactly what niche your             budgets for everything, and projections.
offering is intended to fill.                         Without projections you won't have a
                                                      measuring stick.
You must then ask and answer: Who is my
Target Market?                                        You might want to consider what market
                                                      share you want, what key personnel may be
Three target markets have emerged in the last         necessary, what inside services you'll need and
decade: Women, Older people and ethnic                what outside services you'll need to negotiate
groups.                                               for the personnel for the inside services.

When you have clearly focused on your                 You should re-examine the marketing plan
market or markets, you can clarify your               yearly, whether brief or expanded. Your goal
marketing position. Once you zero in on that          should be to maintain it.
position for your product or service, you
should measure it against four criteria:              Marketing is a way of life - it's the oxygen that
1.   Does it offer a benefit my target really         allows your business to breathe and stay alive.
     wants?                                           That's why you should never stop marketing.
2.   Is it a real honest-to-goodness benefit?         To emphasise this, here's a list of good reasons
3.   Does it truly separate me from my
                                                      why you should continue with your marketing
     competitors?                                     initiatives:
4.   Is it unique and/or difficult to copy?           1.    The market is constantly changing.
                                                            When you stop advertising, you miss
                                                            evolving opportunities.
Until you are completely satisfied with your
answers, then you should continue searching           2.    People forget fast. Remember people are
                                                            bombarded with thousands of messages
for another position.
                                                            every day.

Your finished plan could be 10 pages long, but        3.    Your competition isn't quitting!
to start with make it one paragraph long. It          4.    Marketing strengthens your identity.
should be seven sentences long:                             When you stop marketing, you short-
                                                            change your reputation, reliability and
1.   The first sentence tells you the purpose               the confidence people have in you.
     of the strategy.
                                                      5.    Marketing is essential to survival and
2.   The second tells you how you'll achieve                growth. When you cease marketing you
     this purpose, focusing upon your                       are on the path to non-existence.
     benefits.
                                                      6.    Marketing enables you to hold onto your
3.   The third tells you the target markets or              old customers. Many enterprises survive
     market.                                                on repeat and referral business. If the
4.   The fourth (the longest sentence) tells                old customers forget about you, you're
     you the weapons you will employ.                       doomed.

5.   The fifth tells you the niche.                   7.    Marketing maintains morale.

6.   The sixth tells you your identity.               8.    Marketing gives you the edge over
                                                            competitors who have ceased
7.   The seventh tells you your budget,                     marketing.
     expressed as a % of your projected
     gross revenues.                                  9.    Marketing allows your business to
                                                            continue to operate. Marketing creates
                                                            the air that overheads breathe.
Remember - your marketing plan must be
simple to implement otherwise - guess what -          10.   You have invested money that you stand
                                                            to lose. If you stop marketing all the
it won't get implemented at all.
                                                            money you've spent is lost, and if you
                                                            want to start again, you have to start
Once you have given your plan the proper                    from scratch.
thought, brevity and focus, you can expand it
to those areas pertinent to your business.

While expanding it the prime purpose of
maximising profits must not be forgotten.


                                                                                                          2
                                      With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
Marketing secrets for small businesses



The 10 Most
                                                      must follow up with follow-up mailings,
                                                      with telemarketing and with unique
                                                      mailing packages.
Important                                            Outdoor signs and billboards:
                                                      Superb at reminding people of your
Marketing Secrets                                     existence and your reason for being.
                                                      However they do not work well
1.     You must have commitment to your               themselves except on very rare
       marketing programme.                           occasions. Works well with other forms
2.     You must think of that programme as            of Advertising. Worded and designed
       an investment.                                 right, they capitalise upon the
                                                      momentum generated by your other
3.     You must see to it that your program
                                                      marketing.
       is consistent.
                                                     Canvassing: Takes more time than
4.     You must make you prospects
                                                      other forms of Marketing. It is however
       confident in your firm.
                                                      highly effective.
5.     You must be patient in order to make
                                                     Yellow pages marketing and
       a commitment.
                                                      classified advertisements: These hit
6.     You must see that marketing is an              the very hottest of prospects. These
       assortment of weapons.                         people are taking the time to look up
7.     You must know that profits come                the kind of information you're offering,
       subsequent to the sale.                        so you don't have to expend much
                                                      energy getting their attention or selling
8.     You must run your firm to be                   the general benefits of your product or
       convenient for your customers.                 service.
9.     You must put an element of                    Brochures: Offer the greatest
       amazement into your marketing.                 opportunity to go into great detail
10.    You must use measurement to judge              about your product or service.
       the effect the effectiveness of your          Telephone Marketing: Allows you to
       weapons.                                       be even more intimate than radio
                                                      advertising. Very flexible.
                                                     Tiny signs on bulletin boards: These

Types of media                                        serve to make you part of the
                                                      community, increasing the amount of
The most important media lesson is this: You          confidence people have in you.
must run the right advertising in the right          Trade shows or exhibitions:
media. But how do you tell right from wrong?          Opportunity to make contacts with
Consider the different options open to you:           purchase minded people who are
                                                      thinking about the primary topic of the
     Radio: The most intimate form of                show or exhibit.
      media. Often on a one-to-one basis - in
      car or at home etc.                            Public relations, publicity or even
                                                      joining clubs and organisations: It
     Newspaper: Prime medium for                     fits in well with virtually all other
      spreading the news. Advertising in the          methods and often is the key to
      newspaper, other than in the classified         success. Publicity adds a great deal to
      sections, should be newsy, interruptive,        your credibility. However bad publicity
      and to the point.                               is harmful for your company and goals.
     Magazines: Media in which readers
      become involved. You can put forth

                                                 Planning your
      more information because readers will
      be more willing to take more reading a
      magazine ad rather than a newspaper
      ad.                                        marketing strategy
     Television: Most comprehensive of the      Planning is essential - it's easier to understand
      media. It enables you to convince your     if you remember that the word "strategy" is
      prospects by means of actual
      demonstrations. Cable and Satellite TV
                                                 derived from the military and means "the art
      has the put the medium within the          of the General". Choose the marketing
      reach of all advertisers. This is not an   weapons you can use well and list them in an
      invitation to play around with TV. It is   orderly manner. This can be best
      more of an invitation to give serious      accomplished using a marketing calendar
      consideration to what some describe as
                                                 which:
      "the undisputed heavyweight champion
      of marketing".                                 Enables you to plan your budget and
                                                      helps you avoid unforeseen
     Direct mail: Allows you take the most
                                                      circumstances.
      careful aim at your target audience.
      This can be very costly if misused. To         Protects you from marketing lapses.
      successfully overcome problems you


                                                                                                     3
                                 With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
Marketing secrets for small businesses


    Addresses the weeks of the year with                 the way that you articulated it. How
     particular dates such as bank holidays,              you articulate the offer is as important
     religious festivals etc not being                    as the offer itself. Abstractions do not
     overlooked.                                          work. You have to state the benefits to
                                                          the reader clearly so that they can
Who is the target audience? The more exactly              relate to it. Stating the benefits is not
                                                          enough. You have to state them in a
you know who your prospects are the easier it
                                                          way that the person can immediately
will be to attain accuracy with your marketing            understand and fully accept. It is up to
plans.                                                    you to make the offer real, exciting and
                                                          appealing.
Select as many marketing methods as you can.             Concept four - Getting leads from
Select only the ones you are able to do right.            your competitors - One of the most
And select the ones that will be read, seen or            audacious (and effective) marketing
heard by your targeted audience.                          techniques you can use for sourcing
                                                          leads is to get your competitors to give
                                                          you sales leads. They will often give
When Advertisers discuss media, they talk                 you the lead if they have exhausted its
about REACH and FREQUENCY.                                value to them and can now generate
    Reach: the number of people who will                 more income by selling it to you.
     be exposed to the message.                          Concept Five - Getting vendors to
    Frequency: the number of times each                  generate leads for you - Lead
     person will be exposed.                              generation can be an expensive
                                                          proposition. But there are ways of
                                                          doing it for no up front costs at all. One
Before you select a method of reaching the                way is to find vendors who already call
people, think of this... It is not necessary to say       on customers who could buy your
everything to everybody, nor is it possible.              product, and offer the vendors a
                                                          percentage of any sales that they
Instead we should strive to say something to
                                                          generate for you.
somebody! Your marketing message is the
"something" and the target audience is the               Concept Six - Joint Ventures - If you
                                                          need to advertise and don't have the
"somebody".                                               money...if you want to mail but do not
                                                          have the right list... if you have a great
The main idea is to combine the right                     marketing idea but can not afford to
marketing message with the right marketing                pay for a test...a joint venture may be
media.                                                    the answer. There is not set formula for
                                                          doing a joint venture. The only thing in
                                                          common is to find a partner who
                                                          supplies one or more of the ingredients

Additional Concepts                                       that you do not have and you and your
                                                          partner split the profits along the way.
    Concept One - Leveraging your                       Concept Seven - Pre-emptive
     expertise - Often we come across                     advertising - This is an offshoot of the
     people with enormous talent or                       "educate the prospect" concept. In pre-
     experience in a particular field who are             emptive advertising, you educate the
     pedalling frantically and achieving                  prospect about how your product is
     success, but not nearly tapping their                made even if everyone else makes it in
     potential...if only they knew how to                 the same way. Being the first to tell
     "leverage" what they've got. The                     people how your product is made, you
     expertise that you have gained in your               pre-empt the story, and it automatically
     present position could be worth a                    becomes part of your USP and no one
     fortune to others.                                   else's.
    Concept Two - Market your                           Concept Eight - Moving Parade - It
     successful concepts - Almost                         is almost trite to say that life is a
     everything that you have developed                   moving parade. But the marketing
     that works - successful ad headlines,                consequences of that are not trite at
     timesaving production processes,                     all. In practical terms, "moving parade"
     specific offers that have increased sales            means peoples need for change. And
     - should be of value to other                        that means never assume that a
     companies. You can actually licence                  customer's response is final.
     your ideas to others. By paying you a
                                                         Concept Nine - Up-Selling - Let's say
     licensing fee, they gain the benefit of
                                                          that you have a customer who says he
     your efforts without having to put in
                                                          is willing to buy from you. If all you do
     the time or the expense.
                                                          is write up the order then you are
    Concept Three - Articulation IS                      missing a golden opportunity to
     important - If you have tried making                 increase the amount of the sale. Think
     an offer and it did not work, the fault              about your selling situation and you'll
     may not be with the offer. It may be in              probably find that you can boost your



                                                                                                       4
                                     With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
Marketing secrets for small businesses


     profit significantly - with virtually no              someone who has what the paper
     effort - by up-selling something to your              wants. Therefore you could get your
     customers at the time of purchase.                    ads at a fraction of the price.
                                                          You can also save money by getting
                                                           access to co-operative advertising

Creative Marketing                                         funds - many large advertisers pay
                                                           cash fees to small advertisers who
Here is a 7-step programme to achieve success              mention the name of the large
in your marketing efforts:                                 advertiser or show its logo in their ads.
                                                           This could increase the credibility of
1.   Find the inherent drama within your                   your ads.
     offering - The reason why people will
                                                          Agree a P.I or a P.O arrangement with
     want to buy from you should give you a
                                                           an advertising medium (P.I: Per
     clue as to the inherent drama in your
                                                           inquiry, P.O: Per order)
     product or service.
                                                          People enjoy being asked about
2.   Translate that inherent drama into a
                                                           themselves and enjoy talking about
     meaningful benefit - Always
                                                           themselves - Take advantage of this by
     remember that people buy benefits not
                                                           asking questions of your customers.
     features.
                                                           This can give you expensive research
3.   State your benefits as believably as                  data for free.
     possible - There is a world of difference
                                                          Take advantage of "gang-runs" - This
     between honestly and believability. You
                                                           applies to your printers if you are
     must go beyond honesty, beyond the
                                                           patient.
     barrier that advertising has erected by
     its tendency to exaggerate, and state                Being in a rush is a deterrent to good
     your benefit in such a way that will be               marketing and to inexpensive
     accepted beyond doubt.                                marketing - Avoid rushes like the
                                                           plague.
4.   Get people's attention - People only
     pay attention to things that interest
     them.
                                                     There are three main variables in saving
                                                     money in marketing:
5.   Motivate your audience to do
     something - Tell them to visit your             1.    Quality
     shop, to phone the office etc. You want         2.    Economy
     to tell them exactly what you want them
     to do.                                          3.    Speed

6.   Be sure you are communicating
     clearly - Recognise that people aren't
                                                     To be truly successful the first two should be
     really thinking about your business and         selected.
     that they'll only pay attention half the
     time that they are reading your ad.
     Knock yourself out to make sure you are
     putting your message across.                    Ways to obtain free
                                                     research
7.   Measure your finished
     advertisement against your strategy
     - Your strategy is your blueprint. If you       Here are the main questions you should ask
     ad fails to fulfil the strategy, then it is a
                                                     about your potential customers:
     lousy ad.
                                                     1.    What should you market - your goods,
                                                           your services or both?
Now that you have creative marketing
                                                     2.    Should your marketing feature some
weapons, you must be creative in how you use               sort of price advantage?
them.
                                                     3.    Should you emphasise yourselves, the
                                                           quality of your offerings, your selection,
                                                           your service, or merely the existence of

Ways to save                                         4.
                                                           your business?
                                                           Should you take advantage of your
marketing money                                      5.
                                                           competition or ignore all competitors?
                                                           Exactly who are the competitors?
    Don't feel that you must constantly
     change your marketing plan - this costs         6.    Who are your best prospects?
     unnecessary production money and                7.    What income groups do they represent?
     dilutes the overall effect of your
                                                     8.    What motivates them to buy?
     marketing. Stick with one programme
     until it loses pulling power.                   9.    Where do they live?
    Make use of the concept of barter - If a        10.   What do they read or watch or listen to
     newspaper does not want what you are                  in the way of media?
     selling, perhaps you could trade with



                                                                                                        5
                                    With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
Marketing secrets for small businesses



                                                  Further Information
The correct answers to the above questions                                                            Important
would be invaluable, but would need great                                                             Notice
research. Here are some ways to obtain the        This guide is for general interest - it is always   © Copyright 2001-
research data at little or no cost:               essential to take advice on specific issues.        2010, Bizezia Limited.
                                                  We believe that the facts are correct as at the     All Rights Reserved.
    First, go to the local library and ask the
     librarian for the books that have a raft     date of publication, but there may be certain       This publication is
     of moneymaking information for you.          errors and omissions for which we cannot be         published on our behalf
     Some of these books will have market         responsible.                                        by Bizezia Limited. It
     studies that apply to you. Others will                                                           is protected by
     study products or services such as                                                               copyright law and
                                                  If you would like to receive further                reproduction in whole
     yours.
                                                  information about this subject or other             or in part without the
    Secondly ask your customers! Your                                                                publisher’s written
                                                  publications, please call us – see our contact      permission is strictly
     customers have the answers. Send out
     questionnaires.                              details on the next page.                           prohibited. The
                                                                                                      publisher may be
    Check for important data at your local                                                           contacted at
     chamber of commerce, any industry                                                                info@bizezia.com
     organisation to which you belong and                                                             (telephone 01444
                                                                                                      884220).
     all the industry publications.
                                                                                                      Articles and information
The information you'll get will be invaluable                                                         contained herein are
and can show you what kind of people your                                                             published without
                                                                                                      responsibility by us, the
prospects are, how to reach them through                                                              publisher or any
media, how to appeal to them etc.                                                                     contributing author for
                                                                                                      any loss howsoever
                                                                                                      occurring as a
                                                                                                      consequence of any
                                                                                                      action which you take,
                                                                                                      or action which you
                                                                                                      choose not to take, as
                                                                                                      a result of this
                                                                                                      publication or any view
                                                                                                      expressed herein.
                                                                                                      Whilst it is believed
                                                                                                      that the information
                                                                                                      contained in this
                                                                                                      publication is correct at
                                                                                                      the time of publication,
                                                                                                      it is not a substitute for
                                                                                                      obtaining specific
                                                                                                      professional advice and
                                                                                                      no representation or
                                                                                                      warranty, expressed or
                                                                                                      implied, is made as to
                                                                                                      its accuracy or
                                                                                                      completeness. The
                                                                                                      information is relevant
                                                                                                      within the United
                                                                                                      Kingdom. These
                                                                                                      disclaimers and
                                                                                                      exclusions are
                                                                                                      governed by and
                                                                                                      construed in
                                                                                                      accordance with English
                                                                                                      Law.

                                                                                                      Publication issued or
                                                                                                      updated on:
                                                                                                      14 July 2008

                                                                                                      Ref: 281




                                                                                                                    6
                                  With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
Paul Simister, Your Profit                  One-To-One Coaching And
Coach                                       Advice
I help small business owners find hidden    My main service is providing business
profits from overlooked revenue             coaching and advice on a one-to-one
opportunities and achieve a higher return   basis by telephone to UK businesses.
from the time, energy and money they
invest.                                     If you own a business based in the UK,
                                            I’d like to show you how I can increase
I am a Chartered Accountant, MBA and        your profit. I think it’s much more
Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach.        powerful to show you than tell you what
This blend of finance, strategy and         I’ve done for others.
marketing skills is a powerful
combination for increasing profit even if   Go to www.profitin30minutes.co.uk and
you hate marketing and selling.             book your free coaching test drive.

The Eight Pillars Of Business               Your Profit Club
Prosperity
                                            For those business owners who don’t
The business development process I use      want one-to-one coaching or are based
to increase profit is called the Eight      outside the UK, I am creating a low cost
Pillars of Business Prosperity:             membership site to teach you how to
                                            apply the Eight Pillars of Business
1. Your Key Numbers: how to measure         Prosperity.
   and manage your business for             See www.yourprofitclub.co.uk
   increased profit and cash.
2. Your Inner Game: how to create a         Your Profit Mastermind Group
   powerful vision for your life and
   business which flows through into        I have discovered the benefits of working
   everything you do.                       with a mastermind group of people
3. Your Market Position: how to stand       committed to achieving similar goals.
   out from your competitors in a
   profitable market.                       I am in the process of starting a number
4. Your Lead Generation: how to             of niche based or situation based
   magnetically attract your ideal          mastermind groups to work together one
   prospective customers and clients.       hour each week by telephone.
5. Your Lead Conversion: how to             See www.yourprofitmastermind.com
   quickly and easily convert prospects
   into paying customers.                   Your Profit Coach Blog
6. Your Revenue Regeneration: how to
   turn one time customers into regular     My business coaching blog is read by
   buyers.                                  thousands of business owners each week.
7. Your Winning Team: how to attract,       See www.yourprofitcoachblog.com
   build and keep a hard working and
   committed group of employees             Paul Simister BA FCA MBA CGMC
8. Your Systems: how to systemise your      44 (0) 121 554 4057
   key processes so your business works     www.plancs.co.uk
   efficiently without you.
                                            © Planning & Control Solutions Ltd 2010



    Your Profit Coach is a trading name of Planning & Control Solutions Ltd.
                         Registered in England No 3897173
   Registered office, 17 Beachburn Way, Birmingham, B1 2JB, United Kingdom

Contenu connexe

Plus de Lakesia Wright

White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2
White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2
White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2Lakesia Wright
 
What Are The Different Franchise Types
What Are The Different Franchise TypesWhat Are The Different Franchise Types
What Are The Different Franchise TypesLakesia Wright
 
Standard Operating Procedure For Hotels
Standard Operating Procedure For HotelsStandard Operating Procedure For Hotels
Standard Operating Procedure For HotelsLakesia Wright
 
Service Quality To Service Loyalty
Service Quality To Service LoyaltyService Quality To Service Loyalty
Service Quality To Service LoyaltyLakesia Wright
 
Service Marketing Secret
Service Marketing SecretService Marketing Secret
Service Marketing SecretLakesia Wright
 
Small Business Plan Template
Small Business Plan TemplateSmall Business Plan Template
Small Business Plan TemplateLakesia Wright
 
Spending And Savings Worksheet
Spending And Savings WorksheetSpending And Savings Worksheet
Spending And Savings WorksheetLakesia Wright
 
Sales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales Results
Sales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales ResultsSales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales Results
Sales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales ResultsLakesia Wright
 
Marketing Trade And Consumer Goods
Marketing Trade And Consumer GoodsMarketing Trade And Consumer Goods
Marketing Trade And Consumer GoodsLakesia Wright
 
Managing Sales In A Virtual World
Managing Sales In A Virtual WorldManaging Sales In A Virtual World
Managing Sales In A Virtual WorldLakesia Wright
 
Introduction To Hotel Management
Introduction To Hotel ManagementIntroduction To Hotel Management
Introduction To Hotel ManagementLakesia Wright
 
Franchising Sme Incaricom
Franchising Sme IncaricomFranchising Sme Incaricom
Franchising Sme IncaricomLakesia Wright
 
Challenges Facing Small Business
Challenges Facing Small BusinessChallenges Facing Small Business
Challenges Facing Small BusinessLakesia Wright
 
Current Trends In College Student Enrollment
Current Trends In College Student EnrollmentCurrent Trends In College Student Enrollment
Current Trends In College Student EnrollmentLakesia Wright
 
Allegiance Economicsof Customer Engagement
Allegiance Economicsof Customer EngagementAllegiance Economicsof Customer Engagement
Allegiance Economicsof Customer EngagementLakesia Wright
 
Basics Of Channel Management
Basics Of Channel ManagementBasics Of Channel Management
Basics Of Channel ManagementLakesia Wright
 

Plus de Lakesia Wright (20)

Valuechain
ValuechainValuechain
Valuechain
 
White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2
White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2
White Paper Unbanked Remittance 2
 
What Are The Different Franchise Types
What Are The Different Franchise TypesWhat Are The Different Franchise Types
What Are The Different Franchise Types
 
Food Distributions
Food DistributionsFood Distributions
Food Distributions
 
Tourism Distribution
Tourism DistributionTourism Distribution
Tourism Distribution
 
Standard Operating Procedure For Hotels
Standard Operating Procedure For HotelsStandard Operating Procedure For Hotels
Standard Operating Procedure For Hotels
 
Service Quality
Service QualityService Quality
Service Quality
 
Service Quality To Service Loyalty
Service Quality To Service LoyaltyService Quality To Service Loyalty
Service Quality To Service Loyalty
 
Service Marketing Secret
Service Marketing SecretService Marketing Secret
Service Marketing Secret
 
Small Business Plan Template
Small Business Plan TemplateSmall Business Plan Template
Small Business Plan Template
 
Spending And Savings Worksheet
Spending And Savings WorksheetSpending And Savings Worksheet
Spending And Savings Worksheet
 
Sales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales Results
Sales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales ResultsSales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales Results
Sales Leadership Linking Sales Strategy To Sales Results
 
Marketing Trade And Consumer Goods
Marketing Trade And Consumer GoodsMarketing Trade And Consumer Goods
Marketing Trade And Consumer Goods
 
Managing Sales In A Virtual World
Managing Sales In A Virtual WorldManaging Sales In A Virtual World
Managing Sales In A Virtual World
 
Introduction To Hotel Management
Introduction To Hotel ManagementIntroduction To Hotel Management
Introduction To Hotel Management
 
Franchising Sme Incaricom
Franchising Sme IncaricomFranchising Sme Incaricom
Franchising Sme Incaricom
 
Challenges Facing Small Business
Challenges Facing Small BusinessChallenges Facing Small Business
Challenges Facing Small Business
 
Current Trends In College Student Enrollment
Current Trends In College Student EnrollmentCurrent Trends In College Student Enrollment
Current Trends In College Student Enrollment
 
Allegiance Economicsof Customer Engagement
Allegiance Economicsof Customer EngagementAllegiance Economicsof Customer Engagement
Allegiance Economicsof Customer Engagement
 
Basics Of Channel Management
Basics Of Channel ManagementBasics Of Channel Management
Basics Of Channel Management
 

Marketing Secrets for Small Business Owners

  • 1. Marketing secrets for small businesses With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
  • 2. Marketing secrets for small businesses Table of Contents 2. Introduction 3. The 10 Most Important Marketing Secrets 3. Types of media 3. Planning your marketing strategy 4. Additional concepts 5. Creative Marketing 5. Ways to save marketing money 5 Ways to obtain free research 6. Further Information 1 With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
  • 3. Marketing secrets for small businesses Introduction Profits are very different from sales. Anyone can obtain sales, but it takes a guerrilla to Successful marketing can only be engaged constantly turn honest profits. once you have a marketing plan. When you start developing a marketing plan you should These profits will be achieved if you clearly start to use the word positioning. Positioning state your goals, all of them, including timing, means determining exactly what niche your budgets for everything, and projections. offering is intended to fill. Without projections you won't have a measuring stick. You must then ask and answer: Who is my Target Market? You might want to consider what market share you want, what key personnel may be Three target markets have emerged in the last necessary, what inside services you'll need and decade: Women, Older people and ethnic what outside services you'll need to negotiate groups. for the personnel for the inside services. When you have clearly focused on your You should re-examine the marketing plan market or markets, you can clarify your yearly, whether brief or expanded. Your goal marketing position. Once you zero in on that should be to maintain it. position for your product or service, you should measure it against four criteria: Marketing is a way of life - it's the oxygen that 1. Does it offer a benefit my target really allows your business to breathe and stay alive. wants? That's why you should never stop marketing. 2. Is it a real honest-to-goodness benefit? To emphasise this, here's a list of good reasons 3. Does it truly separate me from my why you should continue with your marketing competitors? initiatives: 4. Is it unique and/or difficult to copy? 1. The market is constantly changing. When you stop advertising, you miss evolving opportunities. Until you are completely satisfied with your answers, then you should continue searching 2. People forget fast. Remember people are bombarded with thousands of messages for another position. every day. Your finished plan could be 10 pages long, but 3. Your competition isn't quitting! to start with make it one paragraph long. It 4. Marketing strengthens your identity. should be seven sentences long: When you stop marketing, you short- change your reputation, reliability and 1. The first sentence tells you the purpose the confidence people have in you. of the strategy. 5. Marketing is essential to survival and 2. The second tells you how you'll achieve growth. When you cease marketing you this purpose, focusing upon your are on the path to non-existence. benefits. 6. Marketing enables you to hold onto your 3. The third tells you the target markets or old customers. Many enterprises survive market. on repeat and referral business. If the 4. The fourth (the longest sentence) tells old customers forget about you, you're you the weapons you will employ. doomed. 5. The fifth tells you the niche. 7. Marketing maintains morale. 6. The sixth tells you your identity. 8. Marketing gives you the edge over competitors who have ceased 7. The seventh tells you your budget, marketing. expressed as a % of your projected gross revenues. 9. Marketing allows your business to continue to operate. Marketing creates the air that overheads breathe. Remember - your marketing plan must be simple to implement otherwise - guess what - 10. You have invested money that you stand to lose. If you stop marketing all the it won't get implemented at all. money you've spent is lost, and if you want to start again, you have to start Once you have given your plan the proper from scratch. thought, brevity and focus, you can expand it to those areas pertinent to your business. While expanding it the prime purpose of maximising profits must not be forgotten. 2 With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
  • 4. Marketing secrets for small businesses The 10 Most must follow up with follow-up mailings, with telemarketing and with unique mailing packages. Important  Outdoor signs and billboards: Superb at reminding people of your Marketing Secrets existence and your reason for being. However they do not work well 1. You must have commitment to your themselves except on very rare marketing programme. occasions. Works well with other forms 2. You must think of that programme as of Advertising. Worded and designed an investment. right, they capitalise upon the momentum generated by your other 3. You must see to it that your program marketing. is consistent.  Canvassing: Takes more time than 4. You must make you prospects other forms of Marketing. It is however confident in your firm. highly effective. 5. You must be patient in order to make  Yellow pages marketing and a commitment. classified advertisements: These hit 6. You must see that marketing is an the very hottest of prospects. These assortment of weapons. people are taking the time to look up 7. You must know that profits come the kind of information you're offering, subsequent to the sale. so you don't have to expend much energy getting their attention or selling 8. You must run your firm to be the general benefits of your product or convenient for your customers. service. 9. You must put an element of  Brochures: Offer the greatest amazement into your marketing. opportunity to go into great detail 10. You must use measurement to judge about your product or service. the effect the effectiveness of your  Telephone Marketing: Allows you to weapons. be even more intimate than radio advertising. Very flexible.  Tiny signs on bulletin boards: These Types of media serve to make you part of the community, increasing the amount of The most important media lesson is this: You confidence people have in you. must run the right advertising in the right  Trade shows or exhibitions: media. But how do you tell right from wrong? Opportunity to make contacts with Consider the different options open to you: purchase minded people who are thinking about the primary topic of the  Radio: The most intimate form of show or exhibit. media. Often on a one-to-one basis - in car or at home etc.  Public relations, publicity or even joining clubs and organisations: It  Newspaper: Prime medium for fits in well with virtually all other spreading the news. Advertising in the methods and often is the key to newspaper, other than in the classified success. Publicity adds a great deal to sections, should be newsy, interruptive, your credibility. However bad publicity and to the point. is harmful for your company and goals.  Magazines: Media in which readers become involved. You can put forth Planning your more information because readers will be more willing to take more reading a magazine ad rather than a newspaper ad. marketing strategy  Television: Most comprehensive of the Planning is essential - it's easier to understand media. It enables you to convince your if you remember that the word "strategy" is prospects by means of actual demonstrations. Cable and Satellite TV derived from the military and means "the art has the put the medium within the of the General". Choose the marketing reach of all advertisers. This is not an weapons you can use well and list them in an invitation to play around with TV. It is orderly manner. This can be best more of an invitation to give serious accomplished using a marketing calendar consideration to what some describe as which: "the undisputed heavyweight champion of marketing".  Enables you to plan your budget and helps you avoid unforeseen  Direct mail: Allows you take the most circumstances. careful aim at your target audience. This can be very costly if misused. To  Protects you from marketing lapses. successfully overcome problems you 3 With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
  • 5. Marketing secrets for small businesses  Addresses the weeks of the year with the way that you articulated it. How particular dates such as bank holidays, you articulate the offer is as important religious festivals etc not being as the offer itself. Abstractions do not overlooked. work. You have to state the benefits to the reader clearly so that they can Who is the target audience? The more exactly relate to it. Stating the benefits is not enough. You have to state them in a you know who your prospects are the easier it way that the person can immediately will be to attain accuracy with your marketing understand and fully accept. It is up to plans. you to make the offer real, exciting and appealing. Select as many marketing methods as you can.  Concept four - Getting leads from Select only the ones you are able to do right. your competitors - One of the most And select the ones that will be read, seen or audacious (and effective) marketing heard by your targeted audience. techniques you can use for sourcing leads is to get your competitors to give you sales leads. They will often give When Advertisers discuss media, they talk you the lead if they have exhausted its about REACH and FREQUENCY. value to them and can now generate  Reach: the number of people who will more income by selling it to you. be exposed to the message.  Concept Five - Getting vendors to  Frequency: the number of times each generate leads for you - Lead person will be exposed. generation can be an expensive proposition. But there are ways of doing it for no up front costs at all. One Before you select a method of reaching the way is to find vendors who already call people, think of this... It is not necessary to say on customers who could buy your everything to everybody, nor is it possible. product, and offer the vendors a percentage of any sales that they Instead we should strive to say something to generate for you. somebody! Your marketing message is the "something" and the target audience is the  Concept Six - Joint Ventures - If you need to advertise and don't have the "somebody". money...if you want to mail but do not have the right list... if you have a great The main idea is to combine the right marketing idea but can not afford to marketing message with the right marketing pay for a test...a joint venture may be media. the answer. There is not set formula for doing a joint venture. The only thing in common is to find a partner who supplies one or more of the ingredients Additional Concepts that you do not have and you and your partner split the profits along the way.  Concept One - Leveraging your  Concept Seven - Pre-emptive expertise - Often we come across advertising - This is an offshoot of the people with enormous talent or "educate the prospect" concept. In pre- experience in a particular field who are emptive advertising, you educate the pedalling frantically and achieving prospect about how your product is success, but not nearly tapping their made even if everyone else makes it in potential...if only they knew how to the same way. Being the first to tell "leverage" what they've got. The people how your product is made, you expertise that you have gained in your pre-empt the story, and it automatically present position could be worth a becomes part of your USP and no one fortune to others. else's.  Concept Two - Market your  Concept Eight - Moving Parade - It successful concepts - Almost is almost trite to say that life is a everything that you have developed moving parade. But the marketing that works - successful ad headlines, consequences of that are not trite at timesaving production processes, all. In practical terms, "moving parade" specific offers that have increased sales means peoples need for change. And - should be of value to other that means never assume that a companies. You can actually licence customer's response is final. your ideas to others. By paying you a  Concept Nine - Up-Selling - Let's say licensing fee, they gain the benefit of that you have a customer who says he your efforts without having to put in is willing to buy from you. If all you do the time or the expense. is write up the order then you are  Concept Three - Articulation IS missing a golden opportunity to important - If you have tried making increase the amount of the sale. Think an offer and it did not work, the fault about your selling situation and you'll may not be with the offer. It may be in probably find that you can boost your 4 With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
  • 6. Marketing secrets for small businesses profit significantly - with virtually no someone who has what the paper effort - by up-selling something to your wants. Therefore you could get your customers at the time of purchase. ads at a fraction of the price.  You can also save money by getting access to co-operative advertising Creative Marketing funds - many large advertisers pay cash fees to small advertisers who Here is a 7-step programme to achieve success mention the name of the large in your marketing efforts: advertiser or show its logo in their ads. This could increase the credibility of 1. Find the inherent drama within your your ads. offering - The reason why people will  Agree a P.I or a P.O arrangement with want to buy from you should give you a an advertising medium (P.I: Per clue as to the inherent drama in your inquiry, P.O: Per order) product or service.  People enjoy being asked about 2. Translate that inherent drama into a themselves and enjoy talking about meaningful benefit - Always themselves - Take advantage of this by remember that people buy benefits not asking questions of your customers. features. This can give you expensive research 3. State your benefits as believably as data for free. possible - There is a world of difference  Take advantage of "gang-runs" - This between honestly and believability. You applies to your printers if you are must go beyond honesty, beyond the patient. barrier that advertising has erected by its tendency to exaggerate, and state  Being in a rush is a deterrent to good your benefit in such a way that will be marketing and to inexpensive accepted beyond doubt. marketing - Avoid rushes like the plague. 4. Get people's attention - People only pay attention to things that interest them. There are three main variables in saving money in marketing: 5. Motivate your audience to do something - Tell them to visit your 1. Quality shop, to phone the office etc. You want 2. Economy to tell them exactly what you want them to do. 3. Speed 6. Be sure you are communicating clearly - Recognise that people aren't To be truly successful the first two should be really thinking about your business and selected. that they'll only pay attention half the time that they are reading your ad. Knock yourself out to make sure you are putting your message across. Ways to obtain free research 7. Measure your finished advertisement against your strategy - Your strategy is your blueprint. If you Here are the main questions you should ask ad fails to fulfil the strategy, then it is a about your potential customers: lousy ad. 1. What should you market - your goods, your services or both? Now that you have creative marketing 2. Should your marketing feature some weapons, you must be creative in how you use sort of price advantage? them. 3. Should you emphasise yourselves, the quality of your offerings, your selection, your service, or merely the existence of Ways to save 4. your business? Should you take advantage of your marketing money 5. competition or ignore all competitors? Exactly who are the competitors?  Don't feel that you must constantly change your marketing plan - this costs 6. Who are your best prospects? unnecessary production money and 7. What income groups do they represent? dilutes the overall effect of your 8. What motivates them to buy? marketing. Stick with one programme until it loses pulling power. 9. Where do they live?  Make use of the concept of barter - If a 10. What do they read or watch or listen to newspaper does not want what you are in the way of media? selling, perhaps you could trade with 5 With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
  • 7. Marketing secrets for small businesses Further Information The correct answers to the above questions Important would be invaluable, but would need great Notice research. Here are some ways to obtain the This guide is for general interest - it is always © Copyright 2001- research data at little or no cost: essential to take advice on specific issues. 2010, Bizezia Limited. We believe that the facts are correct as at the All Rights Reserved.  First, go to the local library and ask the librarian for the books that have a raft date of publication, but there may be certain This publication is of moneymaking information for you. errors and omissions for which we cannot be published on our behalf Some of these books will have market responsible. by Bizezia Limited. It studies that apply to you. Others will is protected by study products or services such as copyright law and If you would like to receive further reproduction in whole yours. information about this subject or other or in part without the  Secondly ask your customers! Your publisher’s written publications, please call us – see our contact permission is strictly customers have the answers. Send out questionnaires. details on the next page. prohibited. The publisher may be  Check for important data at your local contacted at chamber of commerce, any industry info@bizezia.com organisation to which you belong and (telephone 01444 884220). all the industry publications. Articles and information The information you'll get will be invaluable contained herein are and can show you what kind of people your published without responsibility by us, the prospects are, how to reach them through publisher or any media, how to appeal to them etc. contributing author for any loss howsoever occurring as a consequence of any action which you take, or action which you choose not to take, as a result of this publication or any view expressed herein. Whilst it is believed that the information contained in this publication is correct at the time of publication, it is not a substitute for obtaining specific professional advice and no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy or completeness. The information is relevant within the United Kingdom. These disclaimers and exclusions are governed by and construed in accordance with English Law. Publication issued or updated on: 14 July 2008 Ref: 281 6 With the compliments of Your Profit Coach
  • 8. Paul Simister, Your Profit One-To-One Coaching And Coach Advice I help small business owners find hidden My main service is providing business profits from overlooked revenue coaching and advice on a one-to-one opportunities and achieve a higher return basis by telephone to UK businesses. from the time, energy and money they invest. If you own a business based in the UK, I’d like to show you how I can increase I am a Chartered Accountant, MBA and your profit. I think it’s much more Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. powerful to show you than tell you what This blend of finance, strategy and I’ve done for others. marketing skills is a powerful combination for increasing profit even if Go to www.profitin30minutes.co.uk and you hate marketing and selling. book your free coaching test drive. The Eight Pillars Of Business Your Profit Club Prosperity For those business owners who don’t The business development process I use want one-to-one coaching or are based to increase profit is called the Eight outside the UK, I am creating a low cost Pillars of Business Prosperity: membership site to teach you how to apply the Eight Pillars of Business 1. Your Key Numbers: how to measure Prosperity. and manage your business for See www.yourprofitclub.co.uk increased profit and cash. 2. Your Inner Game: how to create a Your Profit Mastermind Group powerful vision for your life and business which flows through into I have discovered the benefits of working everything you do. with a mastermind group of people 3. Your Market Position: how to stand committed to achieving similar goals. out from your competitors in a profitable market. I am in the process of starting a number 4. Your Lead Generation: how to of niche based or situation based magnetically attract your ideal mastermind groups to work together one prospective customers and clients. hour each week by telephone. 5. Your Lead Conversion: how to See www.yourprofitmastermind.com quickly and easily convert prospects into paying customers. Your Profit Coach Blog 6. Your Revenue Regeneration: how to turn one time customers into regular My business coaching blog is read by buyers. thousands of business owners each week. 7. Your Winning Team: how to attract, See www.yourprofitcoachblog.com build and keep a hard working and committed group of employees Paul Simister BA FCA MBA CGMC 8. Your Systems: how to systemise your 44 (0) 121 554 4057 key processes so your business works www.plancs.co.uk efficiently without you. © Planning & Control Solutions Ltd 2010 Your Profit Coach is a trading name of Planning & Control Solutions Ltd. Registered in England No 3897173 Registered office, 17 Beachburn Way, Birmingham, B1 2JB, United Kingdom