Small Business Resource Power Point Series CUSTOMER FOCUSSED Marketing Basics

Welcome This PowerPoint introduces a variety of marketing related approaches, some from people who have already applied these successfully in their own businesses. This PowerPoint should be viewed as a springboard to generating ways to develop your own business.

Be Innovative To get new business, you must strive to be innovative. For example, an insurance agency, offered a free lunch at ….if it couldn't save any person money on their car insurance. The customer flow was dramatically increased. The bottom line? Dozens of new customers and tons of new cash flow - and all they had to do was fork out the cost of a free lunch – costed into the equation of course. This may not sound original now – you need to find your own spin.

Test And Cost But one restaurant offered a two for one deal by cutting out a coupon from a newspaper BUT a party of six turned up with one coupon and only had to pay for 3 – why – the wording of the advert and coupon was misleading. Thus the need to learn from one’s mistakes and the mistakes of others is VITAL.

Hit The Target One of the toughest target in marketing and sales is getting to the right people inside another company. Addressing mail to “Marketing Manager" or worse still to the Occupier on the outside of the envelope is ineffective. Hitting the target is the challenge which means making contact with the right individuals and is the only way to make the sale. Taking time to be highly targeted in business communication is essential and this means RESEARCH.

Research Is Vital Market and marketing research are vital skills to hitting the target. To learn more about this see our other PowerPoint on market research. Suffice to say whether it is permission marketing, direct mail or telesales, personalisation is vital – know your prospect!

Make Prospect Identification Your Mission The single most important daily activity in any business is prospect identification. By making prospecting a continuing process, companies produce a steady flow of new sales leads. They never stop asking, "Who do we want to do business with if we have the chance?" Then make sure all prospects are entered into a database so they can be cultivated over a period of time.

Be More Creative Pushing direct-mail pieces out the door or sending a dull with an even duller subject will not work well. Ask yourself: "Will anyone be intrigued enough to read the mailer before tossing it in the bin?“ A highly creative approach is necessary to be different and distinctive. Creativity may cost you money. But, if more people read the copy sent, you have accomplished the goal and if they buy you have definitely hit the target. Need creative help – visit

Write Customer-Centred Letters Most business letters have cold, impersonal words. "As per our conversation...“ "Pursuant to our agreement..." When was the last time you heard anyone talk this way at lunch? There is no reason why business letters should not be warm, friendly, conversational, interesting and customer-centred. Write as if you were the one reading it. Again personalisation is vital.

Focus On What Customers Care About Have you asked your prospects and customers what they think about your business and what it sells? Whether creating an advert, a brochure, or a sales presentation, knowing what the customer wants, needs and expects is that works. So every opportunity is a research opportunity that can help you be more creativity and more targeted.

Tell Customers How To Think About Your Company People come to conclusions by making comparisons. If you don't let customers and prospects know why it is in their best interests to do business with you or buy your product, they won't. Market driven companies spend time and effort consciously influencing the way they are perceived by customers, prospects, and other stakeholders.

Make Your Offers Outstanding Customers are cautious. They don't like being put on the spot; they don't want to make a mistake. This is why offers are essential. "Try it for 30 days...free." "We won't charge your credit card for a month." "Your satisfaction is guaranteed." "Try the product for the weekend and use it all you want." The goal is to overcome the customer's reluctance and then ultimately close the sale – make it easy to say yes.

Be In The Right Place At The Right Time Do you say to yourself "Oh, well. I can't be in the right place every time." Wrong. Being in front of the customer is today's assignment. Developing a promotional mix for staying in front of customers regularly is the challenge, for example, promotional mix of seminars, newsletters, bulletins, fact sheets, special events and informative articles to name but a few will keep you in the customers' minds.

Name Your Product Or Service One of the best ways to differentiate your products or services from all the rest is to give them distinctive names. For example “hitsnclicks” is designed to suggest more hits and clicks = more visitors = more sales. The idea is to imbue ordinary ideas with new meaning thereby separating your company from your competitors. Make sure, however, that the name appeals to your customers and not just to you.

Follow Through Persistence is power in marketing and sales. Far too many firms fail in their efforts because they don't follow through long enough to produce proper results. Marketing momentum comes from a consistent effort. For example, once you start a newsletter, issue it on schedule. It takes time for customers to comprehend what you are doing and for prospects to get acquainted - and comfortable - with a business.

A Customer Perspective Do you find that most company publications, adverts, letters, brochures, and other sales materials are filled with words, photographs and information that are of little interest to the consumer? If yes REVIEW your own! A better approach is to ask prospects what they want to know about your company and give it to them – RESEARCH is VITAL TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR PROSPECTS

Understand Your Customers For example you buy a car – one dealer insists you collect it and the other says I will deliver it – which would you prefer? One dealer is clearly sending a signal that he doesn’t understand his customers and the other sends a powerful message - our customers are important. Thus try and find a way that adds value that is recognised by your customer.

Build Trust Do everything you can to share everything you know with your customers. This is the only way to become a valued resource to your them. When people use your ideas, they will buy what you sell and come back for more and recommend you to others – satisfying needs builds trust.

Don’t Forget Your Corporate Identity How a company presents itself makes a difference. Is the logo appropriate? Is it dated? Does it communicate the right message and the correct image? Is the president the only one who understands it? What about the company colours? Do the letterhead, mailing labels and business cards convey a strong, positive message? Or, are they dull and ordinary looking? If you don't think this is important, your competitors may have an advantage. Corporate identity is the face you put on your company for potential clients to see.

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