The
Marketing Guy.
By: Craig Valine
craig@biznetonline.com
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The
Marketing Guy. |
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THE SEVEN MOST DEADLY MARKETING MISTAKES THAT EVERYBODY MAKES, AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID THEM!
It's a certain fact...business is more competitive than it's ever been! To stay alive in these uncertain times, you can't just offer a quality product at a fair price...you have to know how to market effectively. You should demand that you get the best results from every dime you drop into marketing!
Unfortunately, most businesses have no idea of how to get the most out of every marketing "dollar" that they spend. Most companies spend more time planning their company Holiday party than they do creating powerful, persuasive, marketing communications.
Now there’s a way to stop this. Below are the 7 "most" deadly marketing mistakes and how you can overcome them.
Mistake # 1: Your Business Focuses On Itself, And Not On Your Prospects' And Customers' Needs. Most businesses are "self-centered". They don’t realize they’re in business for the customer, not for themselves. Remember this phrase: "It’s all about them! It’s never about you." Live by that, and your customers will feel wanted.
Mistake # 2: You Fail To Test Your Marketing Communications. Very few companies ever test any portion of their marketing, and then compare the test results. They "place all their bets" on arbitrary, prejudiced decisions and conjecture. This is unfortunate and unwise for a number of reasons. In real estate, the three most important words are, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! In marketing, it’s TEST, TEST, TESTS. Do yourself a favor, and test everything you do.
Mistake #3: You Fail To Determine Specifically Who Your Market Is And What Their Wants And Needs Are. Ninety percent of the businesses out there rarely make the attempt to determine who their market is, and what their market's desires, needs, wants, and passions are. If you don’t know who your market is and what they really want, your business is sure to fail. Take the time and do your market research. It’s one of the key foundations you need to run your business effectively.
Mistake #4: You Fail To Capture Your Customers & Prospects Names And Addresses. Of all the marketing mistakes to make, I feel that this has caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars every month more than any other. Yet it is by far the simplest mistake to correct!
1) Sponsor some kind of information-based event. A workshop, seminar, luncheon with guest speaker, etc. Anything that would be of interest to your customers and prospects.
2) Send a postcard announcing a private sale with special discounts or added services exclusively for your loyal customers.
3) If you work with businesses, send them information that will help them become more successful along with a personal note..."I thought you might benefit from this".
4) Send a postcard with problem-solving tips on it for easy, quick reference.
Mistake #5: You Don't Try To Sell Your Customers Something Else On The "Back End". Your hottest prospect is someone that has just bought from you. This is your best opportunity for another immediate sell. The key to successfully doing this is having products that offer solutions to problems that your prospects have. Related problems and related solutions equals increased opportunity for sales.
Mistake #6: You Fail To Make Doing Business With You Convenient, Easy, Appealing, And You're Not Ready To Sell When Your Prospects Are Ready To Buy. Most businesses almost make it difficult for a prospect or customer to buy from them. Most businesses do business from 9 to 5. That's fine. BUT, you must be prepared to do business when your prospects are ready to do business. With technologies that are now available, there's no excuse for a business not to have a 24 hour phone service center. Even a simple answering machine can work wonders in this area if utilized as a marketing and sales tool.
Mistake #7: You Don't Determine What It Is About You That Makes Your Prospects/Clients/Customers Want To Buy From You Because They Can't Get What You're Offering Anywhere Else. (Establishing Your Unique Selling Proposition...Very Very important to you!) What advantage is there for your prospects or customers to do business with you? What makes you unique? Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the unique advantage you hold out in all of your marketing, advertising, and sales efforts. It's something that a customer usually can't get anywhere else.
If you would like to know more about how to market your business effectively, email the "Marketing Guy" at MktgSquared@earthlink.net