Often I hear at least one person who believes that their
company is too small to market who they are and what they do. They say: “I
don’t have enough customers.” “We aren’t big enough.” “Marketing is for big
companies.” Marketing is for companies with more money.”
Have you used these excuses? Perhaps your best friend is
hiding behind these excuses. If you do not have a marketing plan, you are
committing business suicide. Practicing some Gratitude Marketing should fit
into your business plan and budget.
If you do not let people know who you are, what your product
or service is, how to get in touch with you, or how to order from you, you will
never get the business that you should. I do not care what your website looks
like, how your telephone number spells out your name, or what color your
business card is. If people do not know that your business exists, they will
not be your customers. We all must market our businesses and keep marketing
every day.
Assuming that you were intelligent in the forming of your
business, with a business plan, picking a name, having a logo designed, and
even having a website designed, next comes your marketing. Otherwise you will
sit in your chair and wait for customers to magically find you and for business
to fall out the sky. That does not work.
You must get out into the world and market your business. It
may begin with telling your neighbors and family that you have started a
business and what it is. (If you don’t want those two groups to know what you
do, why are you ashamed of your business?)
The next step is to tell more people and expand the ring of
persons who know about you. The more people who know you, the more people exist
who will tell others about you. Maybe you don’t have any customers yet, but you
do have prospects, some that you have not even met.
The cheapest, or most frugal, form of marketing is
networking. Get out of your initial sphere and tell others who you are and what
you do. People
do business with people that they know, like, and trust. More important, they
will refer customers to those same people.
Therefore, go to networking groups and let others get to know you.
Meet them afterwards one-on-one and get to know each other
better. Get comfortable and establish a networking relationship and try to
mutually help each other grow your businesses. Just be yourself and treat each
other as human beings, not prospects or potential sources of business. Practice
Gratitude
Marketing.
As you build your network of relationships, you will gain
customers and referrals as people get to know you, what you offer, and how you
do business. Remember the principles of karma. You will receive back whatever
karma you put forth, not directly but you will receive it back. Let your karma
be positive and supportive of others, and what you receive back will be the
same. As a result, your business will grow and prosper.
Do you still believe that you are too small to market your
business? Still believe that you cannot afford or should not try to market your
business? Let me know what you believe and if you agree or disagree. Email me at Jim@SOC4Now.com,
or call me at 360-314-8691.
We can always discuss means of marketing that will help grow your business. We can also discuss how to work smarter, not harder, to keep your customers as you gain them.
We can always discuss means of marketing that will help grow your business. We can also discuss how to work smarter, not harder, to keep your customers as you gain them.
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