By Glenn Mosser
The facts show that Network marketing has a 90% rate of failure. Newbie's do not realize that coming into this business should not be taken lightly. There has to be a serious intention and desire to make Network marketing a success.
Do you know of many every day businesses that started out selling to friends and family that were successful? The old system of approaching your family, friends as your "warm market" is out. You and others know that it did not work before and it will not work in the future! Would you want to have products, service or an opportunity pushed on upon you? They did not like it either. The new approach and reality is you need to start selling to people who actually want to purchase your product, service or opportunity. What is the public demanding, what are the demographics? Have your researched your prospective business? In addition, is it a product that you will promote?
By using suitable, authentic, established marketing values, you can reach targeted clients who are actually interested in your opportunity. The technology of today, the Internet is a valuable tool in generating leads. Using the internet, you can create systems that can be duplicated.
Getting traffic to your homepage or site is your main objective. There are blogs, forums that can help get your circulating. You want to sell to people who are like of mind, who have already expressed in interest in your opportunity. Make friends, be honest and have an honest product, service or opportunity. Do not make a failure of all of your efforts trying to sell to people who are simply not interested.
The growth of your network marketing business can grow only with solid marketing values and make your dreams come true. Do not become one of the statistics in the 90% failure.
Glenn Mosser is an expert Online Marketer, known as "The Meetings Millionaire". He and his team have produced in the excess of $10,000,000 in revenue in the home-business industry combined. Glenn is a very sought after speaker and trainer to some of the biggest earners in the Home Business and Online Industry. To see what Glenn is up to visit http://www.ActualSuccess.biz
Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Build a Successful Marketing Plan - 15 Key Business Success Factors
By Kris Bovay
Every marketing plan needs to include an industry analysis. Why? Because it is of critical importance to understand the industry you operate in, and to identify and track your performance to key business success factors (KSFs) for your organization.
Understanding your industry and identifying your KSFs will help in building a successful marketing plan; one that is based on measurable progress and results. A key success factor is an element of a whole that affects your business' ability to do well in your market.
Most businesses focus on between three and five of the most important (to their business) success factors. From time to time, or year to year, these key success factors may change, as the industry or the market changes.
15 Examples of Key Business Success Factors (and this is not a comprehensive list) are:
For example, if retaining your existing customers is a key success factor, your business objective must be to grow sales with your existing customers. How do you do that? First, do a customer satisfaction survey to assess how satisfied your existing customers are (or aren't). Then determine what needs to be changed and what you need to focus on. Make sure that you understand how your customers chose between competitors: is it price, service, quality, knowledge, reliability, relationships, or all of these factors? What product or service attributes are most important to your customers? What is the unique difference between your product or service and your competition's product or service (from your customer's perspective)?
Once you have identified your key success factors; built measurement devices to track them; assessed and compared your competitors' KSFs - and the industry's; built your strategies and objectives into your marketing and business plans(phew!); you need to act! Build your business on these key success factors.
Strategy and analysis is a key part of any marketing plan. Check out a sample swot analysis to see how to do your own swot analysis for your business. Kris Bovay is the owner of Voice Marketing Inc, a business and marketing services company. Kris has 25 years of experience in leading large, medium and small businesses. For more pricing strategies and other small business resources and services go to http://www.more-for-small-business.com/Copyright 2008 - 2009 Voice Marketing Inc.
Every marketing plan needs to include an industry analysis. Why? Because it is of critical importance to understand the industry you operate in, and to identify and track your performance to key business success factors (KSFs) for your organization.
Understanding your industry and identifying your KSFs will help in building a successful marketing plan; one that is based on measurable progress and results. A key success factor is an element of a whole that affects your business' ability to do well in your market.
Most businesses focus on between three and five of the most important (to their business) success factors. From time to time, or year to year, these key success factors may change, as the industry or the market changes.
15 Examples of Key Business Success Factors (and this is not a comprehensive list) are:
- Number of new customers per year;
- Number of lost customers per year OR the number of customers retained (it is important to understand and measure the potential customer lifetime value for each customer on a regular basis);
- Hire and retain excellent employees (measured by employee turn-over, job vacancies, customer satisfaction);
- Successful new product introductions (measured by sales and costs);
- Successful promotional programs (measured by sales and costs);
- Good/healthy financial indicators: for example, working capital, acceptable ratios (in particular debt to equity ratios), profit margins, cash flow, receivables and more;
- If in the manufacturing industry, high operating capacity utilization;
- Strong supplier network;
- Strong distribution network or channel;
- Successful product positioning;
- Low cost structure;
- Niche product/service - track the number of competitors entering and/or leaving the niche. Is the cost of entry into the market high or low?
- Market leader or follower or challenger, and is your relative market position and why? Are you able to support that position if under 'attack'?
- Product differentiation: Do you have technology or service advantages that others can't easily copy? How unique and differentiated is your product or service?
- Time to market: is your product or service able to be delivered quickly and easily; from the first point of contact to the time shipped and subsequently invoiced?
For example, if retaining your existing customers is a key success factor, your business objective must be to grow sales with your existing customers. How do you do that? First, do a customer satisfaction survey to assess how satisfied your existing customers are (or aren't). Then determine what needs to be changed and what you need to focus on. Make sure that you understand how your customers chose between competitors: is it price, service, quality, knowledge, reliability, relationships, or all of these factors? What product or service attributes are most important to your customers? What is the unique difference between your product or service and your competition's product or service (from your customer's perspective)?
Once you have identified your key success factors; built measurement devices to track them; assessed and compared your competitors' KSFs - and the industry's; built your strategies and objectives into your marketing and business plans(phew!); you need to act! Build your business on these key success factors.
Strategy and analysis is a key part of any marketing plan. Check out a sample swot analysis to see how to do your own swot analysis for your business. Kris Bovay is the owner of Voice Marketing Inc, a business and marketing services company. Kris has 25 years of experience in leading large, medium and small businesses. For more pricing strategies and other small business resources and services go to http://www.more-for-small-business.com/Copyright 2008 - 2009 Voice Marketing Inc.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Business Cards - Your True Blue Best Friend
By Mary Theresa McLean
What would it mean to the profits of your business if your business card became your best friend? You may find that it's possibly one of the smartest and most profitable relationships you'll ever make. If you use your business cards everyday, you already know what I mean.
Like a true friend, business cards love to introduce you to others.
As an example, have you ever made a great new friend and the next thing you know, they're inviting you over to meet their circle of family and friends?
Business cards do the same thing!
By extending your own friendly business card to a new contact or giving away the business card of a colleague or friend, that card is simply saying "meet my friend, Bill" or "Cathy, I want you to get to know Martha - the products in her shop will make your life more fun and by the way, she's been in business for over seven years!" or best of all "I provide a service that can help you and we want to earn your business".
Like a true friend, business cards love to tell others all about your good points.
You may not know this secret, but your friends love to tell others about you! Your "friendly business card" is no different. When you give someone your business card, it gets right down to brass tacks and tells the other person:
Like a true friend, business cards love to talk about the good things you do.
Business cards are just like a best friend. They love to tell people the nice things you do for others, how reliable you are and how just knowing you will make them happier and their life easier.
People everywhere get truly excited when they meet a first class, genuinely nice person who was introduced to them by someone else ( in this case, your trusted business card).
Best of all, people really pay attention to what business cards have to say about you. Often times, they'll ask for a second card and use it to introduce you to another and tell them about your good points. And rave about all the good things you do!
Business cards are downright friendly, wouldn't you agree?
Mary Theresa McLean helps people learn new ideas about business cards by sharing what she has discovered through dedicated research and asking questions. Find out more about how you can make your business cards more effective in your marketing at http://www.BusinessCardGifts.com
What would it mean to the profits of your business if your business card became your best friend? You may find that it's possibly one of the smartest and most profitable relationships you'll ever make. If you use your business cards everyday, you already know what I mean.
Like a true friend, business cards love to introduce you to others.
As an example, have you ever made a great new friend and the next thing you know, they're inviting you over to meet their circle of family and friends?
Business cards do the same thing!
By extending your own friendly business card to a new contact or giving away the business card of a colleague or friend, that card is simply saying "meet my friend, Bill" or "Cathy, I want you to get to know Martha - the products in her shop will make your life more fun and by the way, she's been in business for over seven years!" or best of all "I provide a service that can help you and we want to earn your business".
Like a true friend, business cards love to tell others all about your good points.
You may not know this secret, but your friends love to tell others about you! Your "friendly business card" is no different. When you give someone your business card, it gets right down to brass tacks and tells the other person:
- The fine business you represent
- The great service you'll provide them
- How easy it is to contact you
Like a true friend, business cards love to talk about the good things you do.
Business cards are just like a best friend. They love to tell people the nice things you do for others, how reliable you are and how just knowing you will make them happier and their life easier.
People everywhere get truly excited when they meet a first class, genuinely nice person who was introduced to them by someone else ( in this case, your trusted business card).
Best of all, people really pay attention to what business cards have to say about you. Often times, they'll ask for a second card and use it to introduce you to another and tell them about your good points. And rave about all the good things you do!
Business cards are downright friendly, wouldn't you agree?
Mary Theresa McLean helps people learn new ideas about business cards by sharing what she has discovered through dedicated research and asking questions. Find out more about how you can make your business cards more effective in your marketing at http://www.BusinessCardGifts.com
Effective Marketing For Your Business
By Charen Smith
Each year, businesses spend much for ad campaigns to make them appealing to their target clients. Big budgets and so much time are dedicated to marketing to generate new leads and solidify old ones. For the holiday season, I'm very sure that many companies made printing greeting cards a staple in their ads and good wishes.
But how come you do this every year but still you lack the return you expect from your investment? You've spent so much but you've barely touched on the results you've set for your marketing campaign?
You need an effective marketing campaign then to change the outcome of your custom greeting cards, for example. Here are a few suggestions to make your ad stick to the minds of your clients, even when the season for printing greeting cards is over and done with.
Irresistible message- If you want to be remembered, you should provide your target clients with a message that is valuable to them. And what kind of message is that? A message in your custom greeting cards that gives them the answer to an issue or a particular concern. Remember that when you give value to your clients, you get something valuable in return. And that is their loyalty to your product or service. Start with your headline and end with a compelling call-to-action. When you give your elements worth, your clients will know that you value them, so much so that you would want to give them only the best of what you have to offer.
Irresistible benefits- Whether you're marketing or selling your product or service in your custom greeting cards, your purpose is to get your target clients to spend time with your ads. The more time to spend, the better it is for your target clients to remember your message. And what better way to make them interested is by offering benefits. Who doesn't want benefits? Provide them when printing greeting cards and you'll surely get your target clients wanting to stick to your ad and read more.
Irresistible color and contrast- Apply brilliant colors and contrast to your custom greeting cards and see how well it works as an attractive strategy to gain new clients for your business.
Irresistible size- Bigger ads often get more attention than small ones. Bigger is generally better. Your clients would have a hard time ignoring you if you create bold and overwhelming designs when printing greeting cards. Even in such as limited space, you can always appear larger than life with designs that are daring.
So for an effective marketing campaign, you need to provide an ad that would be hard for your target clients to resist. Irresistible ads bring forth one thing- more clients you can ever imagine.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit Printing Greeting Cards and Custom Greeting Cards
Charen Smith writes articles about Internet Marketing. She has an extensive knowledge and experience when it comes to business strategies, techniques and business solutions.
Each year, businesses spend much for ad campaigns to make them appealing to their target clients. Big budgets and so much time are dedicated to marketing to generate new leads and solidify old ones. For the holiday season, I'm very sure that many companies made printing greeting cards a staple in their ads and good wishes.
But how come you do this every year but still you lack the return you expect from your investment? You've spent so much but you've barely touched on the results you've set for your marketing campaign?
You need an effective marketing campaign then to change the outcome of your custom greeting cards, for example. Here are a few suggestions to make your ad stick to the minds of your clients, even when the season for printing greeting cards is over and done with.
Irresistible message- If you want to be remembered, you should provide your target clients with a message that is valuable to them. And what kind of message is that? A message in your custom greeting cards that gives them the answer to an issue or a particular concern. Remember that when you give value to your clients, you get something valuable in return. And that is their loyalty to your product or service. Start with your headline and end with a compelling call-to-action. When you give your elements worth, your clients will know that you value them, so much so that you would want to give them only the best of what you have to offer.
Irresistible benefits- Whether you're marketing or selling your product or service in your custom greeting cards, your purpose is to get your target clients to spend time with your ads. The more time to spend, the better it is for your target clients to remember your message. And what better way to make them interested is by offering benefits. Who doesn't want benefits? Provide them when printing greeting cards and you'll surely get your target clients wanting to stick to your ad and read more.
Irresistible color and contrast- Apply brilliant colors and contrast to your custom greeting cards and see how well it works as an attractive strategy to gain new clients for your business.
Irresistible size- Bigger ads often get more attention than small ones. Bigger is generally better. Your clients would have a hard time ignoring you if you create bold and overwhelming designs when printing greeting cards. Even in such as limited space, you can always appear larger than life with designs that are daring.
So for an effective marketing campaign, you need to provide an ad that would be hard for your target clients to resist. Irresistible ads bring forth one thing- more clients you can ever imagine.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit Printing Greeting Cards and Custom Greeting Cards
Charen Smith writes articles about Internet Marketing. She has an extensive knowledge and experience when it comes to business strategies, techniques and business solutions.
Small Business Marketing Ideas - Profile the Customer
By Perry Webbing
One of the most important small business marketing ideas is to profile the customer. You don't know what the heck you're doing until you do this because you don't know who you are selling to otherwise.
It is true that you want to target your market, but there is this misconception about targeting and that is the fact that people feel that will bring in the right people rather than trying to go to the right people.
So here's the deal. You need to find out about your customers. Do an online survey, send out postcards that can double as questionnaires, and simply flat out ask them. Go to forums and online groups and ask people, "What is it that you want in a business like mine?" Let them know that you want to know what it is they want. You might be quite surprised at the replies you get, but you will find that what you find out will help your bottom line.
You may see all of these fancy terms about customer profiling, but the truth is that it doesn't have to be that hard. You can feed your data into a database to see what it is most people want. You can even appeal to those who are not with the majority. By putting things into perspective, you're making a world of difference in your business.
So if this is something that you haven't already done, you need to do it. You might be quite surprised at how much better this helps your business in the performance area. Your customers will be a lot happier as well.
If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.
Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program.
Quickest-way-to-make-money-on-earth.com
One of the most important small business marketing ideas is to profile the customer. You don't know what the heck you're doing until you do this because you don't know who you are selling to otherwise.
It is true that you want to target your market, but there is this misconception about targeting and that is the fact that people feel that will bring in the right people rather than trying to go to the right people.
So here's the deal. You need to find out about your customers. Do an online survey, send out postcards that can double as questionnaires, and simply flat out ask them. Go to forums and online groups and ask people, "What is it that you want in a business like mine?" Let them know that you want to know what it is they want. You might be quite surprised at the replies you get, but you will find that what you find out will help your bottom line.
You may see all of these fancy terms about customer profiling, but the truth is that it doesn't have to be that hard. You can feed your data into a database to see what it is most people want. You can even appeal to those who are not with the majority. By putting things into perspective, you're making a world of difference in your business.
So if this is something that you haven't already done, you need to do it. You might be quite surprised at how much better this helps your business in the performance area. Your customers will be a lot happier as well.
If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.
Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program.
Quickest-way-to-make-money-on-earth.com
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Differences Between Marketing Your Business Online Vs Offline
By Chris Simpson
There are several differences between marketing your business online vs. offline. The first thing that you should do in order to effectively understand the differences between these two modes of advertising is to make certain that you have a sound understanding of what each is.
Offline media sources operate a tad differently than online sources. In many instances, individuals use a fine mix of marketing that is offline, as well as online in an effort to maximize their exposure to potential prospects. Here, you will learn the differences between marketing your business online versus marketing your business offline.
What is Offline Advertising?
There are many different forms of offline advertising that are very effective to many different companies. As a matter of fact, three of these advertising venues are quite popular among individuals who are looking to promote a certain good or service. These include television, radio, and even in print.
Many individuals have commercials created for radio and television, and others may have advertisements listed in classified advertisements. The whole idea behind offline advertising is to acquire the attention of leads that may not know your website is out there. Then, once the potential customers are alerted to your website, they are drawn to visit it.
What is Online Advertising?
Most of the time, when it comes to internet marketing, online advertising is the process in which a particular banner, flash animation, article, or video catches the attention of the potential consumer. The marketing endeavors, or messages, are intended as an attractive lure to the customer in which a particular website wants to attract. These messages typically place a visitor on a "landing page" or a "squeeze page" of a website. There are many different ways in which this can be done:
* Blog Marketing
* Video Blogging
* Social Networking Websites
* Online Classifieds
* Article Marketing
* Email * Rich Media
Online advertising is not just effective in attracting individuals to websites. There are many different businesses that are offline that work to attract individuals from the internet to their business in a certain community.
The Differences?
When it comes to similarities, the goal of both online and offline advertising are much the same - to simply attract business. However, when it comes to differences, there are quite a few. Advertisements online, for example, must be more visual as rich media holds a stiff competition. In addition to this, the process of search engine optimization and other techniques must be considered. In offline advertising methods, one must be creative, but not to the extent of online venues of marketing.
Conclusion
If you are working to ensure that you have a well rounded target audience, it is important to utilize both online marketing and offline marketing in order to optimize your potential for success. By ensuring that you have both components to your marketing strategy, it is much more likely that you will experience a higher ratio of profits to overall losses.
All it takes is a little creativity and a little bit of time, soon, you will have a whole pile of prospects that are seeking out what goods and services that you have to offer!
Chris Simpson is dedicated to helping people find honest and legitimate work at home jobs and home based business ideas. Find legitimate work from home jobs and many other great opportunities to make money online today at: http://www.HomeNetPro.com
There are several differences between marketing your business online vs. offline. The first thing that you should do in order to effectively understand the differences between these two modes of advertising is to make certain that you have a sound understanding of what each is.
Offline media sources operate a tad differently than online sources. In many instances, individuals use a fine mix of marketing that is offline, as well as online in an effort to maximize their exposure to potential prospects. Here, you will learn the differences between marketing your business online versus marketing your business offline.
What is Offline Advertising?
There are many different forms of offline advertising that are very effective to many different companies. As a matter of fact, three of these advertising venues are quite popular among individuals who are looking to promote a certain good or service. These include television, radio, and even in print.
Many individuals have commercials created for radio and television, and others may have advertisements listed in classified advertisements. The whole idea behind offline advertising is to acquire the attention of leads that may not know your website is out there. Then, once the potential customers are alerted to your website, they are drawn to visit it.
What is Online Advertising?
Most of the time, when it comes to internet marketing, online advertising is the process in which a particular banner, flash animation, article, or video catches the attention of the potential consumer. The marketing endeavors, or messages, are intended as an attractive lure to the customer in which a particular website wants to attract. These messages typically place a visitor on a "landing page" or a "squeeze page" of a website. There are many different ways in which this can be done:
* Blog Marketing
* Video Blogging
* Social Networking Websites
* Online Classifieds
* Article Marketing
* Email * Rich Media
Online advertising is not just effective in attracting individuals to websites. There are many different businesses that are offline that work to attract individuals from the internet to their business in a certain community.
The Differences?
When it comes to similarities, the goal of both online and offline advertising are much the same - to simply attract business. However, when it comes to differences, there are quite a few. Advertisements online, for example, must be more visual as rich media holds a stiff competition. In addition to this, the process of search engine optimization and other techniques must be considered. In offline advertising methods, one must be creative, but not to the extent of online venues of marketing.
Conclusion
If you are working to ensure that you have a well rounded target audience, it is important to utilize both online marketing and offline marketing in order to optimize your potential for success. By ensuring that you have both components to your marketing strategy, it is much more likely that you will experience a higher ratio of profits to overall losses.
All it takes is a little creativity and a little bit of time, soon, you will have a whole pile of prospects that are seeking out what goods and services that you have to offer!
Chris Simpson is dedicated to helping people find honest and legitimate work at home jobs and home based business ideas. Find legitimate work from home jobs and many other great opportunities to make money online today at: http://www.HomeNetPro.com
Marketing Automation and Business to Consumer Strategies
By Paddu Govindaraj
Marketing automation is a popular method of using modern information technology tools and internet to automate the marketing process. Marketing planning, budgeting, interaction and management can all be automated to a great degree. Automating the marketing processes can boost productivity by making routine processes out of an otherwise long and tedious manual process, and add more possibilities to the mix, as well. Automating your consumer marketing strategies can have a serious positive impact on your customer base, and help you manage your time much more efficiently.
Effectively marketing to new customers and existing clients are both crucial to the longevity of your business. Consumers are more interested in finding the information they need quickly and efficiently, and aren't willing to waste time waiting for a response. Effective marketing automation tools can respond to consumers immediately, giving them exactly what they're looking for to pique their interest until they can get to a live person.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of marketing automation is that it can deliver personalized answers instantaneously, something not even a marketing expert can do. Automated marketing can be customized to your company's specific needs, and be used to give certain responses to certain inquiries. Used correctly, consumers may not even be aware that they aren't dealing with an actual service representative.
Automated marketing can also help you maintain and manage your leads and prospects much more effectively. This affords you the opportunity to track and respond to the sales inquiries quickly and efficiently, and flag important leads for further review. This can save you time and money in the process, by saving you from wasting effort on weak leads. Marketing automation can help you weed out leads that aren't worth pursuing, or that don't need you to focus as much attention.
With an automated marketing software system, you can keep your entire team of employees on the same level with regards to your marketing leads. The chances of leads being accidentally ignored, or contacted multiple times, will be drastically reduced by using a good software system. Employees will be able to manage all of your company's leads from one central place on the web, and reduce the amount of time they waste, which will boost your marketing efficiency and save you money at the same time.
Marketing automation solutions are available with a wide variety of features to meet your company's specific needs. It has also become increasingly affordable within the past few years, making it an excellent investment and a great way to improve your current consumer strategies without making a big change to your marketing practices. Marketing automation will allow you to maintain continuous contact with your leads, help you better retain your current customers, and show you where you can make improvements in your marketing techniques. Even the most seasoned marketing expert can benefit from the features that marketing automation has to offer. For the best results, just remember that marketing automation software is by no means a replacement for your current consumer marketing (also referred as B2C) strategies, but rather, a way to increase your efficiency and ease the current struggles that many businesses deal with in regards to sales and marketing operations every day.
Paddu Govindaraj, architect of LeadPro, specializes in Email Marketing, Auto-responder, Lead Management and Marketing Automation Software solutions, tools and resources for Small and Medium Businesses to embrace online marketing. He provides design, consulting, customization and implementation services in Email Marketing and Lead Management areas. He blogs on Sales Lead Management Best Practices, Web Analytics and Email Marketing subjects.
Please take a look at the features of LeadPro to see how it will help you grow your business by visiting the LeadPro Lead Management and Email Marketing services website. Request a free consultation and find out how to use LeadPro marketing automation tool for capturing leads, nurturing prospects using email marketing, and automate lead tracking processes for your business.
Marketing automation is a popular method of using modern information technology tools and internet to automate the marketing process. Marketing planning, budgeting, interaction and management can all be automated to a great degree. Automating the marketing processes can boost productivity by making routine processes out of an otherwise long and tedious manual process, and add more possibilities to the mix, as well. Automating your consumer marketing strategies can have a serious positive impact on your customer base, and help you manage your time much more efficiently.
Effectively marketing to new customers and existing clients are both crucial to the longevity of your business. Consumers are more interested in finding the information they need quickly and efficiently, and aren't willing to waste time waiting for a response. Effective marketing automation tools can respond to consumers immediately, giving them exactly what they're looking for to pique their interest until they can get to a live person.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of marketing automation is that it can deliver personalized answers instantaneously, something not even a marketing expert can do. Automated marketing can be customized to your company's specific needs, and be used to give certain responses to certain inquiries. Used correctly, consumers may not even be aware that they aren't dealing with an actual service representative.
Automated marketing can also help you maintain and manage your leads and prospects much more effectively. This affords you the opportunity to track and respond to the sales inquiries quickly and efficiently, and flag important leads for further review. This can save you time and money in the process, by saving you from wasting effort on weak leads. Marketing automation can help you weed out leads that aren't worth pursuing, or that don't need you to focus as much attention.
With an automated marketing software system, you can keep your entire team of employees on the same level with regards to your marketing leads. The chances of leads being accidentally ignored, or contacted multiple times, will be drastically reduced by using a good software system. Employees will be able to manage all of your company's leads from one central place on the web, and reduce the amount of time they waste, which will boost your marketing efficiency and save you money at the same time.
Marketing automation solutions are available with a wide variety of features to meet your company's specific needs. It has also become increasingly affordable within the past few years, making it an excellent investment and a great way to improve your current consumer strategies without making a big change to your marketing practices. Marketing automation will allow you to maintain continuous contact with your leads, help you better retain your current customers, and show you where you can make improvements in your marketing techniques. Even the most seasoned marketing expert can benefit from the features that marketing automation has to offer. For the best results, just remember that marketing automation software is by no means a replacement for your current consumer marketing (also referred as B2C) strategies, but rather, a way to increase your efficiency and ease the current struggles that many businesses deal with in regards to sales and marketing operations every day.
Paddu Govindaraj, architect of LeadPro, specializes in Email Marketing, Auto-responder, Lead Management and Marketing Automation Software solutions, tools and resources for Small and Medium Businesses to embrace online marketing. He provides design, consulting, customization and implementation services in Email Marketing and Lead Management areas. He blogs on Sales Lead Management Best Practices, Web Analytics and Email Marketing subjects.
Please take a look at the features of LeadPro to see how it will help you grow your business by visiting the LeadPro Lead Management and Email Marketing services website. Request a free consultation and find out how to use LeadPro marketing automation tool for capturing leads, nurturing prospects using email marketing, and automate lead tracking processes for your business.
Business Gifts - Perfect For a Raft of Scenarios
By Imogen Brown
There are various reasons why company executives utilise promotional products. The major one, though, is to enhance or solidify a customer relationship. If you have business dealings with a client that extends over many years, you gift corporate branded business gifts to say thanks to that customer for their loyalty to your business. You might also want to give a business gift when a brand new customer begins to spend money with you. You might also want to distribute a promotional business gift to show your appreciation. In fact, you may even think about passing out promotional business gifts to your staff.
Informing people, including your colleagues, know that you value them and their custom is a major part of the relationship process. It is human nature to want to feel appreciated and it is not really that tough to make someone a long standing customer or employee, just by handing them a token of your appreciation.
So when do you decide to hand out these corporate business gifts? Is there a rule of thumb to help you to determine when you purchase corporate business gifts and distribute them? The answer to these questions is yes, there are some key times when corporate gifting is appropriate. Set out below is a good guide you can use. Promotional gifts are a good idea when:
1. You need to kick off some competition and challenge employees to stretch to make a quarterly or monthly target so you arrange what is universally known as an Incentive Program. Incentive Programs, when perfectly put together create a healthy sense of competition and frequently improve moral. If you peek into Incentive Programs you will find there are in effect two types:
1) you purchase a business promotional gift or reward and it is won by the first employee who meets the target you put before them, and
2) you start a program where each and every employee who meets the target is rewarded the business gift.
The choice of promotional gift(s) you buy depends on how many you are intending on distribute. If you are gifting only a single product you can purchase a proportionally more costly corporate gift; for instance a three - day excursion somewhere or tickets to a concert etc. If you are intending to provide numerous people with the corporate gift, you may need to go for those that are not as costly.
2. An alternative time, when promotional gifts might be appropriate, is during various holidays. You need to do this carefully as it would be culturally insane to offer Xmas promotional business gifts if you have members of staff or clients who are not Christian.
3. Thanking clients and employee birthdays is another time when business gifts can be handed out. If you are handing out a business gift for a birthday to a member of staff, you must make sure that you do the same for all employees. Nothing will lower moral faster than treating one member of staff different than the others. If you are handing out client's corporate gifts on their birthdays, you could consider vouchers for a reduction off of their next purchase.
4. We all like to thank members of staff who are retiring and a corporate retirement product is an excellent way to say goodbye and thanks. If you have a sizable company, you may start up a variety of different types of retirement promotional for various numbers of years served. It would be unprofessional to give someone who had been with the company for 25 years the same keychain that the retiree who has been with the organisation 2 years receives.
Without a shadow of a doubt, there really are no absolute, written in stone, times when promotional gifts should be distributed. It is a matter of what suits what organisation best.
Imogen Brown is the marketing manager for Clickpromogifts one of the UK's premier suppliers of promotional keyrings and promotional keyrings.
There are various reasons why company executives utilise promotional products. The major one, though, is to enhance or solidify a customer relationship. If you have business dealings with a client that extends over many years, you gift corporate branded business gifts to say thanks to that customer for their loyalty to your business. You might also want to give a business gift when a brand new customer begins to spend money with you. You might also want to distribute a promotional business gift to show your appreciation. In fact, you may even think about passing out promotional business gifts to your staff.
Informing people, including your colleagues, know that you value them and their custom is a major part of the relationship process. It is human nature to want to feel appreciated and it is not really that tough to make someone a long standing customer or employee, just by handing them a token of your appreciation.
So when do you decide to hand out these corporate business gifts? Is there a rule of thumb to help you to determine when you purchase corporate business gifts and distribute them? The answer to these questions is yes, there are some key times when corporate gifting is appropriate. Set out below is a good guide you can use. Promotional gifts are a good idea when:
1. You need to kick off some competition and challenge employees to stretch to make a quarterly or monthly target so you arrange what is universally known as an Incentive Program. Incentive Programs, when perfectly put together create a healthy sense of competition and frequently improve moral. If you peek into Incentive Programs you will find there are in effect two types:
1) you purchase a business promotional gift or reward and it is won by the first employee who meets the target you put before them, and
2) you start a program where each and every employee who meets the target is rewarded the business gift.
The choice of promotional gift(s) you buy depends on how many you are intending on distribute. If you are gifting only a single product you can purchase a proportionally more costly corporate gift; for instance a three - day excursion somewhere or tickets to a concert etc. If you are intending to provide numerous people with the corporate gift, you may need to go for those that are not as costly.
2. An alternative time, when promotional gifts might be appropriate, is during various holidays. You need to do this carefully as it would be culturally insane to offer Xmas promotional business gifts if you have members of staff or clients who are not Christian.
3. Thanking clients and employee birthdays is another time when business gifts can be handed out. If you are handing out a business gift for a birthday to a member of staff, you must make sure that you do the same for all employees. Nothing will lower moral faster than treating one member of staff different than the others. If you are handing out client's corporate gifts on their birthdays, you could consider vouchers for a reduction off of their next purchase.
4. We all like to thank members of staff who are retiring and a corporate retirement product is an excellent way to say goodbye and thanks. If you have a sizable company, you may start up a variety of different types of retirement promotional for various numbers of years served. It would be unprofessional to give someone who had been with the company for 25 years the same keychain that the retiree who has been with the organisation 2 years receives.
Without a shadow of a doubt, there really are no absolute, written in stone, times when promotional gifts should be distributed. It is a matter of what suits what organisation best.
Imogen Brown is the marketing manager for Clickpromogifts one of the UK's premier suppliers of promotional keyrings and promotional keyrings.
Maximize Marketing Tools For Business Growth
By Joan Marcus
In today's difficult economy, you need to find the most cost-effective ways to grow your business if you want to succeed. When you develop marketing tools, from websites to brochures, electronic newsletters to direct mail, maximize their value. Here's how:
Develop a hard-hitting message. Your prospects and clients need to know three things about your products and services to make a purchase: what need or pain point you address, your solution to their problem or need and what makes your solution better than other options. Summarize these thoughts in a memorable statement of 25 words or less. Use this message in all of your marketing tools as well as in networking situations.
Amplify your story. Your marketing message is the core of what you do and why you believe customers should do business with you. Your message should elicit questions and spark a desire on the part of customers and prospects to learn more. Amplify your story by answering these questions. Use this copy in a variety of ways, such as on your website and in brochures, newsletters, email campaigns, proposals and presentations.
Develop a professional look. At the very minimum, every company should have a professionally designed logo with standardized colors. You should have your logo saved in an electronic format that allows you to use it in email and other programs that you use on a regular basis. Your marketing tools - print and website - should complement one another, in message, style and color. Use the "cringe" test to honestly evaluate your marketing tools. If you cringe every time you need to use your logo, hand out a brochure or send someone to your website, your marketing tools need an overhaul.
Be open to new perspectives. Change is the only constant in life. If you are marketing your company the same way you were ten years ago, you are probably missing out on a lot of opportunities. While your core product or service may be the same, find new ways to tell your story. You will be glad that you did.
Copyright 2008. Joan B. Marcus Communications LLC
May be reprinted with the following, in full: Joan B. Marcus, president of Joan B. Marcus Communications LLC, is a pro in all forms of writing -- from website copy to grant proposals, brochures to electronic newsletters. She helps small businesses and nonprofit organizations achieve their goals by developing and delivering their marketing message with impact. Sign up for a free newsletter and learn more about Joan B. Marcus Communications at http://joanbmarcuscommunications.com
In today's difficult economy, you need to find the most cost-effective ways to grow your business if you want to succeed. When you develop marketing tools, from websites to brochures, electronic newsletters to direct mail, maximize their value. Here's how:
Develop a hard-hitting message. Your prospects and clients need to know three things about your products and services to make a purchase: what need or pain point you address, your solution to their problem or need and what makes your solution better than other options. Summarize these thoughts in a memorable statement of 25 words or less. Use this message in all of your marketing tools as well as in networking situations.
Amplify your story. Your marketing message is the core of what you do and why you believe customers should do business with you. Your message should elicit questions and spark a desire on the part of customers and prospects to learn more. Amplify your story by answering these questions. Use this copy in a variety of ways, such as on your website and in brochures, newsletters, email campaigns, proposals and presentations.
Develop a professional look. At the very minimum, every company should have a professionally designed logo with standardized colors. You should have your logo saved in an electronic format that allows you to use it in email and other programs that you use on a regular basis. Your marketing tools - print and website - should complement one another, in message, style and color. Use the "cringe" test to honestly evaluate your marketing tools. If you cringe every time you need to use your logo, hand out a brochure or send someone to your website, your marketing tools need an overhaul.
Be open to new perspectives. Change is the only constant in life. If you are marketing your company the same way you were ten years ago, you are probably missing out on a lot of opportunities. While your core product or service may be the same, find new ways to tell your story. You will be glad that you did.
Copyright 2008. Joan B. Marcus Communications LLC
May be reprinted with the following, in full: Joan B. Marcus, president of Joan B. Marcus Communications LLC, is a pro in all forms of writing -- from website copy to grant proposals, brochures to electronic newsletters. She helps small businesses and nonprofit organizations achieve their goals by developing and delivering their marketing message with impact. Sign up for a free newsletter and learn more about Joan B. Marcus Communications at http://joanbmarcuscommunications.com
Friday, October 10, 2008
Business Marketing - The Top 10 "Game-Changers" to Boost Sales in Any Economy
By Taylor Hunt
Need the inside scoop on "exactly" how to market your business? Tap into the professional resource for insider game-changers to market your business, product or service on ANY budget. Join the A-List and other smart marketers -- grab the edge over your competition >>> http://GoldCircleInsider.com
- Over deliver -- In a world filled with businesses who have a "whatever" attitude, if you deliver more than you promise you will stand out. Give a little unexpected bonus or gift with their purchase. You will attract loyal customers like teenagers to an iPod sale.
- Increase customer service -- After purchase follow-up with your customer. Think of your customer service department as a marketing center. How many businesses even send a follow-up email or note to their new customers or check in with them? Do it. Your customers will love you for it. How do customers show their love? The buy, stay and refer other customers.
- Move your marketing budget to measurable methods -- Online marketing can be laser targeted, trackable and provides more bang for your buck. The Direct Marketing Association reports email marketing returns $50.45 for every $1 spent. This means if you only have $100/month to market, you could see sales of $5,045 if you spend it on email marketing.
- Re-contact previous customers -- Failure to follow-up with contacts and customers is the number two reason businesses fail. The average business loses 50% of their customer base every year. It costs 5 times more to sell to a new customer than an existing one.
- Build relationships with your contacts and customers -- When someone contacts your business for information or makes a purchase -- be sure to keep in contact with them. Sign them up for your newsletter, collect their email address and continue to provide them with valuable information to position yourself as the one they talk about when they say "I got a great person for that".
- Ask current customers for referrals -- You do not have to rely on organic referrals. Ask for referrals. Make it easy. Put a "forward to a friend" link on your website. Put up a sign all your customers see that says: "Know someone else who needs a great _________? Let them know about it and you both get a $50 Best Buy card when they become a customer." This is just an example, you can tweak it. The key is to make it so great your customers start thinking hard about all the people they could refer to get a bunch of those great gifts.
- Joint venture with other businesses to create offers to customers no competitor can match -- What businesses could you team up with who offer products or services that complement yours? If you are a plumber or a home service business how great would your customer feel if you left a wrapped sample brownie from a local baker or a single flower and card from a local florist on the counter when you are done? You could arrange with one of these kind of local providers to get these free or at cost in exchange for leaving their card with the little gift. Might cost you $2 at most per customer. What might that generate in goodwill, future business and referrals?
- Run a contest for customers and contacts -- You can run a contest to draw in customers. Use the joint venture idea above in #7 to get a bundle of prizes from other local merchants and create a win-win all the way around. Build the contest around your business. Own a small retail store or restaurant? Build the contest around your "solutions". Have your customers and contacts interact with what your products and services: a simple quiz about the products you offer, or a recipe contest to create a brand new desert you name after them.
- Write articles to establish you as a expert in the solution your contacts care about -- Use your articles to distribute them on your website, the Internet and in your print newsletters. Over time you build up a reputation, and a bank of quality content you can reuse to create booklets and helpful tip sheets your customers refer to again and again (don't forget to put your business information on them!)
- Give your marketing copy a makeover - Great copy increases sales, period. You cannot go wrong studying copywriting or hiring a professional copywriter.
Need the inside scoop on "exactly" how to market your business? Tap into the professional resource for insider game-changers to market your business, product or service on ANY budget. Join the A-List and other smart marketers -- grab the edge over your competition >>> http://GoldCircleInsider.com
Growing Your Construction Business Through Effective Marketing
By Jassen Bowman
If you are a trades person, then you most likely think that you first and primary line of business is the trade that you are in. However, whether you are an electrician, a plumber, a handyman, a remodeling contractor, or anything else, it is important for you to realize that your first and foremost job in business is being a marketer and a salesperson. This may seem strange, but think of it like this: If you don't make sales, you don't have anything to work on.
So how do you go about doing inexpensive but effective marketing for this type of business? Let's discuss three methods that are inexpensive and will work in any area for any construction business.
Bandit Signs
Bandit signs, or yard signs, are commonly seen items for real estate investors and politicians, but they work just as well for the home repair business of any sort. The key to using yard signs is quantity. When you order yard signs, order laminated paperboard or corrugated plastic signs that are weather resistant. With metal sign holders, you'll spend $5 or $6 per sign. Get yourself 100 or 200 of them. Then, put them everywhere. Put them in the yards of the homes you're working on, put them in friends yards, put them anywhere you can get permission to do so.
Yard signs are what we call disposable advertising, because they will get stolen and destroyed by people. But if you have an effective marketing message on them, you will get phone calls.
Classified Ads
Classified ads are another inexpensive, but highly effective marketing method for construction trades. In particular, check out the service directory section of your local newspaper classifieds. For people that are specifically looking for a handyman or other contractor, they are most likely to look in this section. Also, check out your local Penny Saver, Thrifty Nickel, or American Classifieds. These classified papers are usually published weekly and are very inexpensive to advertise in, but can be very effective for the small contractor.
Business Cards
You may not think of business cards as a marketing vehicle, but they can be used very effectively. In particular, have business cards printed with a marketing message on them, rather than just your business name, address, phone number, etc. You can then use these business cards to network with, but also, more importantly, you can leave them in random places. Leave them on the counter at businesses you frequent. Leave them in telephone booths. Leave them as free bookmarks in home remodeling related books at your local bookstore. Simply developing the habit of leaving them everywhere you go will eventually get you business from this extremely cheap marketing method.
Remember, these marketing tips are only effective if you actually use them. So, start putting together some headlines and marketing messages, and get to marketing to grow your contractor business.
Jassen Bowman is a speaker, trainer, and writer in the field of how to earn extra money. The How To Earn headquarters site provides you with the resources to earn extra money in your spare time, reduce debt, and get your financial house in order. If you are a contractor or handyman, learn more about growing your construction business.
If you are a trades person, then you most likely think that you first and primary line of business is the trade that you are in. However, whether you are an electrician, a plumber, a handyman, a remodeling contractor, or anything else, it is important for you to realize that your first and foremost job in business is being a marketer and a salesperson. This may seem strange, but think of it like this: If you don't make sales, you don't have anything to work on.
So how do you go about doing inexpensive but effective marketing for this type of business? Let's discuss three methods that are inexpensive and will work in any area for any construction business.
Bandit Signs
Bandit signs, or yard signs, are commonly seen items for real estate investors and politicians, but they work just as well for the home repair business of any sort. The key to using yard signs is quantity. When you order yard signs, order laminated paperboard or corrugated plastic signs that are weather resistant. With metal sign holders, you'll spend $5 or $6 per sign. Get yourself 100 or 200 of them. Then, put them everywhere. Put them in the yards of the homes you're working on, put them in friends yards, put them anywhere you can get permission to do so.
Yard signs are what we call disposable advertising, because they will get stolen and destroyed by people. But if you have an effective marketing message on them, you will get phone calls.
Classified Ads
Classified ads are another inexpensive, but highly effective marketing method for construction trades. In particular, check out the service directory section of your local newspaper classifieds. For people that are specifically looking for a handyman or other contractor, they are most likely to look in this section. Also, check out your local Penny Saver, Thrifty Nickel, or American Classifieds. These classified papers are usually published weekly and are very inexpensive to advertise in, but can be very effective for the small contractor.
Business Cards
You may not think of business cards as a marketing vehicle, but they can be used very effectively. In particular, have business cards printed with a marketing message on them, rather than just your business name, address, phone number, etc. You can then use these business cards to network with, but also, more importantly, you can leave them in random places. Leave them on the counter at businesses you frequent. Leave them in telephone booths. Leave them as free bookmarks in home remodeling related books at your local bookstore. Simply developing the habit of leaving them everywhere you go will eventually get you business from this extremely cheap marketing method.
Remember, these marketing tips are only effective if you actually use them. So, start putting together some headlines and marketing messages, and get to marketing to grow your contractor business.
Jassen Bowman is a speaker, trainer, and writer in the field of how to earn extra money. The How To Earn headquarters site provides you with the resources to earn extra money in your spare time, reduce debt, and get your financial house in order. If you are a contractor or handyman, learn more about growing your construction business.
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