Small Business Marketing Tips and Ideas

If you read my blog and ezine, there is a good chance you're not getting the marketing results you want. You might think marketing is difficult and requires a set of skills you simply don't possess. Perhaps there's some insider's secret you haven't been able to discover yet.

But, I know otherwise. I know that you already know most of what you need to know to get great marketing results. You just need a better, more systematic approach to begin attracting all the clients you need.

You need to find your marketing formula. Don't panic. I'm not talking about coming up with the secret formula to Coca-Cola or anything.

In fact, when I let you in on the formula that I've found to work consistently, you won't believe how easy it is. You'll see that 80 to 90% of your marketing success just comes down to taking a common sense approach. The most difficult part about discovering this formula will be your courage and willingness to actually put it into practice for your business.

Here are the things you need to know to discover and create your own marketing formula:

1. Target Focus - You must be crystal clear on what makes for an ideal client for your business. If you are not clear, how could you expect anyone else including prospective clients to be clear?
2. The Problem - Can you identify the key problems, issues, and challenges you believe your clients are facing? The things you're clients are challenged by or struggling with are the things they're searching for solutions to address.
3. The Outcomes - What are the key outcomes or results that you could deliver by providing your services? If you can paint a picture of a better future that's possible by your company providing solutions, prospective clients can begin to see the true value of your services.
4. The Benefits - Be able to state the various ways that your services help your clients. This helps prospective clients understand what they'll get from your services.
5. The Differentiator - Find out what makes you stand out from everyone else who provides a similar service to yours. More importantly, find a way to communicate your uniqueness in a way that makes it easy to understand how that makes a real difference for your clients.
6. The Action - Don't forget to figure out what key action you want someone to take when they're exposed to your marketing. When you make it clear what steps they should take next, it's more likely they will actually do something.

OK, are you ready for the marketing formula? I just gave it to you.

Your job it to go back through the elements I've described and work them out for your business. Then begin applying the formula throughout you marketing including your 30-second introduction, your brochure, your web site content, your sales letters, your proposals, etc., etc., etc.

February 16, 2007 13:58 - More Referral Marketing Questions Answered...

The Question:

When is the best time to ask for referrals?

Marketing Coach Answer:

The best time to ask for referrals is before it's too late. Let me explain what I mean by that almost smart-aleck answer.

Most small business people wait until the job is over. The service has been delivered and final payment has been made from the client. Now all of the sudden asking for referrals becomes uncomfortable.

You might feel like you're asking for something that isn't really owed to you. After all you provided what you said you would and the client paid what they said they would. So that makes you all squared up right? "I certainly don't want to impose on my client by asking for more now," you might say.

You've waited until it's too late to ask for the referrals. Why not make it an expectation of doing business with you in the first place.

At the very beginning of your buisness relationship, set the expectation for referrals. Tell your new client that they are going to be so happy with the work you do for them that you will expect them to provide three referrals within the first couple of months.

You just created the expectation that them giving you referrals is part of the arrangement. But, you also just created the expectation that you are going to work very hard to satisfy them as a client and earn those referrals. Everybody wins.

Here's another Referral Marketing Question:

Is it ever too early to ask for a referral?

Marketing Coach Answer:

Absolutely. It's too early to ask for a referral if you haven't done anything to earn the trust of the person you are asking.

Just like people prefer to do business with those they know, like and trust - the same applies to referrals. People prefer to refer business to those they know, like and trust.

That's the importance of having a referral marketing system in place. As you identify potential referral sources, it is incumbent upon you to demonstrate your credibility and trustworthiness by providing useful information, resources, connections, etc. In doing so you build up the know, like and trust factor.

Be proactive in earning trust. Then asking for referrals will become a much more productive strategy.

Ready to create and implement your own referral marketing system? Check out the ultimate system from John Jantsch: Referral Flood - How to Create a Flood of New Business Without Spending One Dime on Advertising.