Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Small Business Marketing Ideas – Be An In-House Speaker

You are an expert in your industry or field of business aren't you? Then you have a great opportunity to use that to educate the public about your industry and establish yourself as an expert in your industry.

Just like having your own free mini-seminars, becoming an in-house speaker is a great way to educate consumers, establish your credibility and help market your products and services.

Take a look at your local Chambers of Commerce. Chambers are always looking for more benefits they can offer to their Chamber members and your educational seminar or workshop is just one more thing that they can add to their list of benefits. Ask them if they would like you to come and speak at one of their events. You could have a talk about the dangers in choosing a professional in your field. We all have scam artists in our own fields. Educate their members about the scams that are out there and how they can spot these scams and save their hard earned money.

You can also look at trade associations. They are similar to Chambers of Commerce but are organizations geared to businesses in one specific industry. You could become the specialist in working with HVAC business owners, or Home Remodeling businesses. I know these two groups do have have their own trade organization. Check around and see what other industries have organizations like this and contact them. Most of the time, they really want to help their members out any way they can and if your talk will help educate their members, they'll be very grateful to have you speak at one of their events.

When it comes to your presentation and what to talk about, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. Here's a checklist to help you get things as organized as possible and make your presentations a hit every time.

Your time frame
Most of the time, there is a standard time frame that each group might have. It's best to make a list of topics you can talk about and figure out which of these topics will fit into specific time frames. Generally, most organizations will want you have a presentation for one of the following time frames: 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, and 90 minutes.

Most of the time they will only have time for 10-30 minutes depending on the event itself so you don't have to worry about the bigger ones for now.

Outline your presentations so you can set up your presentations to fit in to each of these time frames. Trust me from experience, it's no fun to run out of time and have your great presentation cut off. You want to be able to complete your presentation and have room for a few questions at the end in order to make the best impression on the attendees of the event.

Let's say you are asked to talk for 30 minutes on your topic. You should plan your presentation roughly around the following time frame. 25 talking about your topic and educating the attendees, 3 minutes to answer questions and the final 2 minutes could be a small pitch for your own products or services.

Notice that I didn't say 30 minutes of pitching your products. You need to establish yourself as the expert and build the relationship before you start trying to pitch anyone. Your purpose for speaking at these events is to establish yourself as an expert in your industry and educate the attendees on the best practices in working with someone in your industry. You could also give them a few things that they can do for free even if they don't hire you. This will endear you to them and you will quickly become an established authority to them. Then, when they are ready, they will be much more likely to chose you to hire than someone else that hasn't done anything to build the relationship.

Be sure to also allow time after your presentation so you can meet the members and talk with them one on one. Many times, if you educated and entertained them, they will want to come meet you after you are done with your presentation. Be sure to make time for this as this is where you have one more chance to build the relationship and really make a great impression on them. Answer their questions, thank them for having you and don't be afraid to feel a bit like a celebrity. It can happen and that's ok. Just don't let it go to your head too much. (grin)

Speaking at local organizations is a great way to establish yourself and your company in any market and if you are looking to niche to a specific industry, this can be the most effective way to do this. Just remember, to educate, not pitch or sell to them. Once you have established your credibility to them, they will be much more likely to buy your products and services and your marketing efforts will have paid off much quicker.


Download the free Quickstart Guide "Step by Step: Writing Ads That Actually Work!" by visiting http://www.MaximumProfitsMarketing.com to learn how to write a more effective ad to promote yourself either online or offline.

Ely Delaney has been teaching people how to market their businesses since 1997 and teaches how to market your business online and offline to boost sales, by teaching what you should do, why you should do it, and most importantly how to do it.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Marketing Ideas – Volunteering Does Good And Helps Build Your Small Business


One very overlooked way that a small business owner can help to market their business is to volunteer in a community organization. As a volunteer with a local organization, you not only are helping out the community and making a difference for others in your community, but you also get to network with other business owners and prospects, building your relationships with them.

Community organizations are always looking for people to volunteer to help their organization. Many do look for donations for their fund raising events and such but many times, most of them really need people that would be willing to donate a few hours of their time to help with their events and causes.

Donating a little bit of your time can really help their cause and help you contribute to your community. At the same time, you will have the opportunity to be part of your community and help develop better relationships with the other volunteers. Many of these volunteers are also business owners and managers just like you. Networking with other people that are all working for a similar cause can really help you as a business owner build trust with your community and the side effect of this is more people that would be happy to refer your business to anyone that might need the services or products you supply.

Great businesses are built from great people and the relationships you and your employees have with your community can position your business as more than just a company providing a service but a company with high ethics and a real purpose in your area.

Remember that everything you do has a cause and effect in the image and promotion of your business.

Let's look at a few great ways you can contribute to your community.

1. Be active in Your Chamber Of Commerce - Chambers Of Commerce are a great way to help contribute. They are filled with businesses. Most are small businesses just like yours. The great thing about Chambers is that they not only work with business owners for promoting their businesses, but most of them are part of several charities that they help contribute to. Talk to them about the organizations they work with and volunteer to help out with their next fund raising event.

Many times, there are sponsorship opportunities available for donating a set dollar amount to the event. This is great to do if it's in your budget but remember it's not about just giving them money to place your logo on a flyer or a banner at the event. It's about really giving. Ask them how you can participate in the event itself.

Can you help stuff bags that are being handed out at the event?

How about helping check people in at the next Charity golf outing?

This is more about building relationships and really helping out, not just getting your name out there.

2. Join a local service organization
- Local service organizations are a great way you can get involved. Kiwanis International, Lions Club, and Rotary Club are just a few places to start. These groups meet on a regular basis and their entire purpose is to work on ideas and events to help raise money for local community charities. This is like a networking group with the purpose to help your community. Be active, look at one group that you see would be a great fit for your beliefs and ideals and you will make a great contribution to their cause.

Again, this is hands on stuff, your involvement with these groups is about being involved and helping the community, not about promoting your business. The relationships you build will give you the side effect of more business and more sales.

3. What cause is close to your heart?
- Most people have at least one thing that is near and dear to them and there are always charities based around those causes. Maybe it's a Cancer Research Group, or an Animal No Kill Shelter. What is important to you? See what groups are available in your area that you can volunteer with and help them out.

Again, many of these organizations have other business owners just like you that are there to help because of their own personal interest in that cause. You have something in common with those people right away and that's the start of a relationship.

The biggest thing to remember is that you should not be joining any type of charity organization or community organization for the soul reason of getting more business. The business your get is a byproduct of your involvement and giving to your community for the greater good. Trust me on this one. If you give from your heart and really contribute to your community and society in general, the return you get from it will be tenfold.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Are You REALLY Promoting Word of Mouth In Your Marketing?


When most small businesses are asked where the majority of their business comes from, the answer is Word of Mouth. Anyone that is a small business owner knows that Word of Mouth marketing can be the lifeblood of any business you have, but most business owners don't really think about HOW to promote Word Of Mouth as a conscious marketing tool for their business.
  • Yes, you provide a great service.

  • Yes, you provide great products.

  • Yes, you have exceptional Customer Service.

But, what do you do to actually create Buzz around your business?

Word of mouth isn't just about doing a great job and expecting you customers to tell someone else about the job you did.

Word of mouth can become much more than that. It should become Viral. Let's take your basic Word of Mouth marketing and boost it in to a full on conscious Viral Marketing piece of your entire Marketing Mix.

What makes you stand out?
Providing exceptional services and products should be a given. Enough said there!

What you need to do is find the thing that makes you stand out from everyone else in your industry and create buzz about your business.

What can you do that will become viral?

Can you give away something that everyone that gets one will want to tell all of their friends about?

We have a business course that we give way for free to create buzz about our business. We're helping small business owners with their marketing and at the same time it helps promote our business. We encourage anyone that registers for the course to forward the email to their friends to download too. Since we are business to business, this really helps as many small business have good networks of other small business owners that they know. Most of the time, they all want to help each other out when they can, and this is a way for them to help out their friends.

This has become viral in just a matter of weeks because people have been excited about the free course that they get and they keep telling others about it because of the great information they get out of it.

Can you give something like this away for your business?


Have you ever seen a retail store that has an anniversary sale with big ticket items like TVs or DVD players for $10 for the first XX number of people? This is the same type of viral marketing. People will tell their friends about these types of sales. They even make it an event and groups of people will come together to make sure they all get to take advantage of the sale.

You might be thinking that you can't afford to do something like this but you need to think about the long term value of a customer. Once they come in and buy something from you the first time, how much will they spend with you in the future? Even on the day of the sale, will they come in and JUST buy the sale item. Most likely not. Many times, they spend so much more on additional products that they more than pay the cost of the sale item before they even leave.

But now you've added a new customer to your list that you can build a long term relationship with resulting in future sales for maybe years down the road. It's 10 times easier to sell to an existing customer than to find a new customer. Take advantage of your new relationship and nurture it just getting a new customer to building a raving fan.

Word of Mouth or Viral Marketing should be more than a passing thought. If your business relies on Word of Mouth Marketing to keep you going strong like so many other businesses, you need to bring it to the forefront of your marketing mix and actually devise a plan around what you do to make it more effective. Spending a little time planning this in your marketing plan will boost your sales and marketing efforts allowing you to spend less of your hard earned cash on other more expensive advertising and marketing ideas.

Your existing customers are your best asset and with a little work you can turn them from the occasional word of mouth fan to a full on raving fan and create your own mini sales force. Encourage them to talk about you. Stand out from the crowd and keep on top of their minds.

With the proper Word of Mouth marketing planning added to your marketing mix, you can see an exponential explosion in your customers and sales for your business.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

How Can Marketing CD or DVD Salesletters Explode Your Sales?


People generally wouldn't even consider reading 90 minutes of sales copy but they will listen to it or better yet, watch it. If you send someone a 16 page sales letter, they may read it IF you've done an excellent job of writing it but most will just skim over the main points. A CD or DVD on the other hand, has a higher perceived value and is more likely to be watched.

With Video becoming so powerful both online and offline, you can take your sales presentation to a whole new level and make a lasting impression on your new prospective clients.

Which do you think would make a better impact, a printed sales pitch talking about your product or a video that shows a demonstration of the product? What it is, how it works, how to use it. And, what if you added testimonials to the video? Instead of a bunch of written testimonials from faceless people, your new prospect can see the reactions on their faces and the true excitement they have about your product or service.

So let's talk about a few key things that you can use in your CD or DVD Salesletter that will really make an impact on your prospects.

1. A Good Introduction -

Make your prospects connect with you and the leader of your company. If you are the owner of the company, you should do a short introduction video with an overview of who you are, why you started the company and what your vision is for you and your customers. Help them make a connection with you. This will help them feel like they know you and this will help them trust you even more.

Remember, people buy from people that they know, like and trust. Even if this isn't professionally done video, just be genuine and your prospects will feel more at ease with you and your company.

2. Demonstrate The Product -
Nothing can sell a product or service better than seeing it in action. Show the prospect how the product works. How does it save them time? How does it save them money? How does it make their family happier? Show the step by step process. A real demonstration of the product will really give them the nuts and bolts of your product or service. You can tell people about your product and what it can do but if you show them, you'll see the WOW in their eyes and really make a lasting impression.

If you can show a sample of another customer of yours using your product, that's even better. If your prospect sees another person “just like them” using your product easily and having a good time doing it, you've made your sale even easier. One of the biggest hold backs many people have with buying a product is the fear of not knowing how to use it correctly. Set their mind at ease and show your other customers or clients using the same product with a big smile on their faces.

3. Be Sure To Include Happy Customer Testimonials
- No one can sell your product better than a happy, excited existing customer. You should be using testimonials on all of your marketing no matter what it is. Video is no different and is even more powerful that anything else out there. Video not only says what your happy customers are thinking already but your prospects can see the excitement in their expressions. It puts a real face to a name and adds credibility to your testimonials. The more excited your customers are, the more believable they will be. No matter how good the testimonial is, you'll never get the same impact from a text only testimonial as you would from a video with your customer talking about how great your product really is.

The great thing about a CD or DVD salesletter is that you don't have to spend a fortune to create them. If it's in your budget, I would recommend hiring a professional but if you don't have a budget for it, you can create your own CD or DVD with software you might already have on your computer and a basic camera that shoots video or an inexpensive camcorder like a Flip Video.

Cameras and Video editing software have come down on price so much that you can could start creating your own DVD salesletter for under $200 for everything anymore.

Don't forget that you can also use the same videos you created for your CD or DVD on your website too. Adding Video to your website can make a huge impression on your prospects and do most of the selling for you. You could have them learn about your product, watch a demonstration video and watch a ton of testimonials... All before you even talk to them!

You don't have to have a big budget or a big fancy Video Production team to make use of video on your CD or DVD salesletter to really make an impact on your new prospects and impress them with your products and services. Your CD or DVD salesletter is sure to make a big impact on your prospects and make your job easier when it comes to selling your product to them. Your CD or DVD salesletter could easily be the most productive piece of your marketing mix.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Using Thank You Letters In Your Marketing Mix For Repeat Business


How many times have you actually received a Thank You letter from someone that you bought something from? I'm betting, not very many times. Your existing client list is over 10 times more likely to spend more money with you than someone that never has purchased form you before.

Whether you send a gift certificate, a 2 for 1 special, a free gift or even just a simple Thank You letter appreciating them for choosing you over the other businesses they could have picked, these types of letters are always memorable and encourages your customers to return to you before looking elsewhere. It also helps them feel good about you and they will be more likely to refer you to their friends and business associates.

Let's look at a few ideas that can make Thank You letters more effective for your marketing mix.

Immediately after the sale, send the customer a simple thank you letter.

This should be a personalized thank you letter or card telling them how much you appreciate their business. If this is a service business where there is a project in phases, you can even explain to them what they can expect over the duration of the project.

This not only educates them on the process and attention to detail your company has but also reassures them of their purchase. Some people can get buyer's remorse after making a purchase. Especially if this is a large investment. This simple follow up Thank You letter will put their mind at ease and make them feel much more comfortable about their decision of choosing you to work with.

Monthly Thank You follow ups
Remind your customers about the great service and experience they received with you.

A simple reminder Thank You can remind customers about the wonderful experience they received from you. Remember that people are busy and it's your responsibility to remind them of your products and services. You want to keep on the top of their minds and build the relationship with them. Let them know how you you value them as a customer.

Not only should you remind them of their value to you as a client but show them you mean it. You can include discount coupons or gift certificates to invite them to come back again. You could include a 2 for 1 discount and invite them to bring a friend with them. This will really encourage them to bring in referrals and show other people how great your products or services are.

Send them a discount on a new product you have to offer. Just because someone ordered one of your products, doesn't mean they know about the other products or services you offer. This is another way to not only thank them for doing business with you but to also educate them on your other products and encourage them to use your services for those products as well.

Don't loose touch with your existing customers.
They are the lifeblood of any business and using a simple thank you letter or card can really make a difference and keep you in the top of their minds, build the relationship and help them want to give you referrals. This lifetime value can dramatically increase the sales from any one client if done correct.