Absolute Marketing Tips

We have all been there… Attending networking events, meeting new people - telling them all that we will call them within two days.  

Come on, admit it!  Sitting on your desk right now is a number of cards from people you have met recently and promised to call, but you haven’t.  I will be the first to put up my hand and admit that on my desk right now there are four cards, ok really there are six.

But we dohave a process to follow up on leads and by Monday these people will be in that process. 

Does your business have a process for following up on leads?  How successful is that process?  

Have a look at this post by Jon Miller to learn more about how to manage your leads.  But most importantly, to make sure money isn’t walking out of the door.

Success as always.

Really like this story about how a coffee shop doubled it clientele using Twitter  The Coffee GroundZ.  

Looking for lots of tips on twitter?  Then check out this article by Mark Nunney.

Especially the link to the article on how someone turned off their lights using Twitter! 

Interested to hear how you use twitter in your business and the effect it has had, drop me a comment.  I would love to hear from you.

This weekend I wore a coat that has been in the wardrobe since last year.  The sun was shining and I just needed something that was going to keep me warm as I went for a walk up the seafront with my son.  

We left the house and as I walked up the road, I put my hands in my pockets and I found a £10 note - WOW! Now we could go for a walk and have ice cream, drinks and a bag of chips (the diet was out of the window!) 

This got me thinking.  Can you remember that feeling of finding something that you wasn’t expecting?  

Now, hold that feeling and think about your business.  Imagine how your customers would feel if you could give them something today, this week or over the next month that they weren’t expecting. How would they respond?

Giving is really a simple task and can also be an inexpensive way to instantly improve your relationship with customers and prospects.

Ideas for you to think about

• Free tips
• Newsletter
• Sample
• Trial offers
• Free report
• Free white paper
• Short video

Make that extra effort and give your customers more then they were expecting.  You will be surprised by the results.  I am off to put together a Top Tips on Marketing.

Have a lovely day.

Kingsmill has opened a cafe - the Kingsmill Breakfast Kitchen.  On Little Portland Street in London.

It is serving free tea and wholegrain toast to communters to raise awareness of its “Wake up to Wholegrain Breakfast Campaign”

The secret to marketing is to take your produce to where your customers are and get them to sample it.

Opening a cafe is expensive, but I would be interested to see their sales results over the coming months and also their market share value.

Times are changing, customers have more power today.

How is your business adapting to this change of power?

Customers are being very selective with their time and with advancements in technology, they are able to seek out and find all the things that are important to them.  Plus they can find reviews and feedback on everything from CD’s to holidays.

One of the best ways to get involved is to join the online conversation using social media.

I am asked daily, what does social media involve.  All it really is any way that you can have a two way conversation with your customers, friends and family using technology.  Think about Facebook, My Space, review sites like Amazon, Forums, Blogs, Twitter, MSN and your own Website.

Here are my five top tips to getting involved:  Find out where your customers and potential customers hang out.  Listen to their conversations and then join in.

1. Observe - listen to the conversations.  Find out what their problems are.  Identify ways you can solve them.
2. Don’t Jump In - Think about how you can take part in the conversation.  You don’t want to come across as saleys, this will give the wrong impression and potential will lock you out of the conversation.  If the talk is negative, look at how you can put it right.  Be honest and supportive.
3. Be Social - Don’t talk about you, all the time! Engage your customers, take an interest.
4. Give - Always offer something of value.  Most importantly do it for free>
5. Do it - Don’t wait, perfect as you go.  Ask yourself what the cost would be if you don’t get involved.

Yesterday, I had lots of fun recording a five minute audio on How to Grow your Business Online at the fabulous Space Studios in Cardiff.  We are going to use it on our website, make it available to download via an MP3 and also put it on a CD for people to listen to in the car.

From one product, I can use this to market my business in three different ways.

Let me know how you use social media in your business.

Do you know how your customers are treated when they call your business?

This week I have been undertaking a large research project for a client.

This has involved me make a lot of telephone calls to a number of businesses.  I am not a fan of cooled  calling, but this didn’t seem too bad because all I had to do was call up and ask for general information, I wasn’t selling anything.

The majority of companies were really helpful and provide me with more information then I requested, but there was a number of companies who were just rude.  The people answering the phones had no interesting in talking to me or find out why I was calling.  One production company in London, actually put the phone down on me three times.  This I saw as a challenge, so I kept calling back.  On the final call I asked the person who answered the phone, why she felt the need to put the phone down.  She told me it was because I was trying to sell them something they didn’t want.  Interesting, as I wasn’t selling anything.

So, what did I learn this week.  My experience made me think about the companies and how they interact with people.  Sometimes the phone is the first port of call and it is generally the first point of contact that someone has with your business.  Do you really know how your staff answer the phone.  More importantly do the people who answer the phone realise the importance of their job.  Due to my experiences this week, it has affected how I think about some of the companies I have spoken too. Especially the production company in London!

Your phone is a very powerful marketing tool.  It can create and break your brand.  It should be used to generate a positive picture of your business and reflect your brand values.

Tip: Find out how your staff really answer the phone, get your friends to call up and ask a difficult question or ask if they can be put through to you.  Get some feedback on how your brand is dealt with over the phone.

Let me know how you get on.

I have recently started using Twitter and I am on a very quick learning curve.

This article is helping at the moment.

http://www.businesszone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=193915&d=1095&h=1097&f=1096

If you come across any other tips, please share.

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/ShamaineR

This follows on from the last tip.   There is no doubting that we are in a different economic climate then this time last year.  The marketing tactics that you used last year, may easily destroy your business this year.

The key is to focus on your strenghts and what the business is good at.  Really go back to your core products and services and look at what your customers really needs. 

Business who provide similar services and products as other business are closing their doors every day.  Look at Woolworths.

Do you remember when you were at school and your teacher would make you concentrate on your weaknesses?  I was always good at cooking, but awful at sport.  My sports teacher would really push me to try harder…. did this make me a better sports person. NO! I actually hate exercising, but that is a totally different blog story then this!  If I had, had the time to focus on my cooking, I better I would be giving Gordon Ramsey a run for his money… Well I can dream. The plain truth is that when we focus on our strengths we excel.  A hidden passion surfaces.

Tip:  Identify your businesses core products and services.  Focus on these areas and either drop all other bits you are doing or archive them for a time when the economy is stronger.  Give your customers what they have always bought from you and get better at it. 

Hope this helps?  I really would welcome your feedback.

Let me ask you a question.  It is Monday morning and time to go back to work, did you jump out of bed today and think, right I am going to XYZ to help my business… or did you jump out of bed and think, OMG, where do I start?

Peter Jones from Dragon’s Den was on the Chris Moyles show this morning talking about business and the current recession.  It was like a breath of fresh air, at last, someone who is being positive about our economic climate.  It was wonderful to listen to the radio and not hear the doom and gloom stories that the press have been putting out recently.

Don’t get me wrong, I know better then anyone that times are difficult - but it really is all down to your mind set.  Do you see this time as a way to grow you business or are you struggling to make ends meet and are thinking “Why am I bothering”?

Tip: Think back and remember one thing that you did that grow your business, was it sending out a letter, going networking, pick up the phone or simply just asking a good client for a referral?  Choose just one thing and do it this week.  Don’t overwhelm yourself with ten things to do, just do this one thing and make sure that your mindset is positive about what you are doing.

My one thing this week, is to update my blog three times.  With interesting tips and facts.

Let me know your comments and feedback.