Building a small business that grows
steadily in size and profits is like building your dream
house. First, you identify what kind of home you
want, then you and your architect plan and create blueprints
for your house, then you’d build it, move in and
enjoy it.
Now imagine that you didn’t
have the time to plan your home but went ahead and hired
a builder to get started.
How would he know what to build? Without a plan,
the result would be unlikely to meet your needs and you’d
have wasted a lot of time and money.
Everyday I get calls from frustrated
owners of small businesses. Their marketing isn’t
helping them generate a steady stream of new clients
or bring in the revenue that they
think they should be making.
My conversation with Ken, from Toronto, was typical. I
asked Ken to describe his business and his business goals.
I asked him to tell me about his target market and what
he is doing to market his business.
He easily described his technological
and design expertise, his Web services and the ads and
mailings he was using
to promote his business. Then I asked the question
that stumps almost everyone who calls me for advice:
I asked Ken if he had a marketing plan and what it was.
He didn't have one.
Do you?
You know what your goals are and where you want to take
your business. You also know that marketing involves activities
such as building a web site, mailings, advertising and
phone calls to prospects. But without a plan tying these
efforts together, these activities by themselves may do
little to help you achieve your goals.
Discover how to put together your small business marketing
plan to generate a steady stream of new business with "The
Insider Secrets to Highly Effective Marketing" manual.
In the “5
Principles of Highly Effective Marketing”plan
manual you’ll learn how to get more attention,
generate more leads and get more business. Use this
link to order your copy of this Small
Business Marketing Manual.
You need a well thought out blueprint for your
marketing, just as you would for your dream home. Here’s
how to start putting your marketing plan together.
1. Identify Your Marketing Goals
What specifically does your marketing need to achieve
for your business to grow? You can state this in terms of
the number of qualified leads generated each week, the percentage
of leads converted to sales, total revenue, and profit.
What are your marketing goals?
2. Define Your Marketing Strategy
This is your overall approach and positioning relative
to your goals and your competition. My marketing strategy
is an educational one. It is based on giving people ideas
and information they can use as a means of getting their
attention and demonstrating the value I provide.
What is your small business marketing strategy?
3. Set Up Your Marketing System
Develop a plan of action. To increase sales, your
marketing activities and the media you use need to reflect
your marketing strategy and work together as one.
I use articles and pay-per-click ads to get people to
my web site, a free marketing guide to generate contacts,
forms to generate leads, and follow up with autoresponders,
my ezine and phone calls. Each individual activity supports
and works in harmony with the others to bring me a lot
of business.
What is your marketing system?
Find out how to use your web site
as the core of your marketing system with "Creating
Web Sites that Sell". You can use this
step-by-step web
marketing handbook to attract more prospects
to your site, increase lead generation and convert more
prospects to clients.
"Creating
Web Sites that Sell" gives you a
proven system for generating more leads and sales
with your web site. Use this link to order your copy
of the Web Marketing Manual: Creating
Web Sites that Sell.
4. Map Out Your Marketing Activities
Now flesh out the details. You’ve decided
what your marketing activities will be; now for each marketing
activity you’ll need to determine who will create and
implement it and when.
Who will be responsible for developing, implementing
and maintaining your marketing?
5. Sharpen Your Marketing Tools
Each marketing activity involves using one or more
marketing tools. These include everything from your web site
to your phone scripts to your marketing messages. To cut
through the information clutter and get your prospect’s
attention you’ll want finely honed tools.
Could you sharpen your marketing tools?
Plan your marketing like you would
your dream home. The
time you spend developing a marketing plan - your
blueprints - based on your business goals, a clear strategy,
and a coordinated system will pay off.
Use your marketing plan
in conjunction with a set of sharp marketing tools
and you’ll be building
your client base and profits in no time at all.
Discover how to sell more even
if you dislike selling with "More
Sales with Less Selling". Yes, you can
become an expert marketer even if you never felt comfortable
in your role as a sales person.
Use this link to order your copy of More
Sales with Less Selling
"... I
used to see marketing as a puzzle; now all the pieces
are falling into place.
Your marketing
manuals contain a wealth of information that simplifies
what I do. They have helped me be more productive and
get many more clients. Highly recommended."
Susan Robichaud, Visual Communications Inc.
Charlie
Cook helps service professionals and small
business owners attract more clients, reduce costs,
make more mo.ney and be more successful. Learn how
to Get Attention, Position your business and Sell more
products and services.
Call 1-800-795-1858 for more information. Or visit
http://www.marketingforsuccess.com/marketing-coaching.html
WHICH TOOLS DO YOU NEED
TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?
Use the links below to learn how to Get Attention, Generate Leads,
Position your products and services and Sell more.
"Your manual helped
me double traffic to my web site in just 2 months! I've published 23 books and hundreds of articles on
leadership, but until I read your manual, I didn't
have a comprehensive system for using them to generate
leads. Your manual showed me how to structure a marketing
campaign using my articles on the web. An outstanding
marketing tool."
Brent Filson, Action Leadership
|
