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 email 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
email 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 http://www.copywriters.net
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.
PowerPoint Content
As such, the contents should not be relied upon and
professional advice should be taken in specific cases.
In addition, none of the content of this PowerPoint or
related publications or links will form any part of any
contract between us or constitutes an offer by Strategic
Marketing Ventures Ltd
Powerpoint User Guidelines
These Power points are for the personal use of members of any
of the online marketing resource centres provided by Small
Business Resource Ltd.
Members may download these Power points and re-brand and
amend provided the following attribution is stated at the end.
“This Powerpoint has been sourced from Small Business Resource
Ltd.”
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