Recently I was told by someone whom I had just met that they
did not have enough money to market their business since they had no customers.
My response was one of shock. How does anyone expect to gain prospects, turn
prospects into customers, and turn customers into clients if they do not market
themselves and their business?
Many businesses decrease, or eliminate, their marketing efforts
in slow financial times. In fact, when financial problems are prevalent, we all
may need to expand our marketing efforts.
When a business cuts its marketing effort, their public
presence diminishes. The general populace believes that the business is going
out of existence. When a business increases its marketing effort, the public awareness
is increased and people believe that the business is viable and stable. They become,
or continue to be, customers of that business.
The person to whom I referred in the start of this blog does
not respond to attempts to meet to get acquainted, does not respond to any type
of correspondence, and does not even answer the phone, or respond to
voicemails. How does anyone expect to have business success by following this
plan?
Maybe deceasing, or increasing, your marketing effort is not
the solution. Maybe you should use your current budget better rather than
throwing more money into your efforts. Work smarter not harder. This is a rule that
should apply to everything that we do in business, including our marketing. Using
the correct tools is working smarter, especially when it may be easier, faster,
and make you look better to your clients.
We all need to take an intelligent look at out marketing efforts
and how we are applying our budgets to maximize our return on investment. Just
as we should maximize the return on investment on all our expenses, we need to
do the same with our marketing efforts.
So how does Gratitude Marketing apply to marketing efforts
and maximizing our return on investment? Sometimes the simpler methods are the
most reasonably priced and the easier ones to implement and use. Tom Hopkins,
the author of How to Master the Art of
Selling, advocates the art of the thank you. Simply, he encourages everyone
to thank everyone
for whatever they may do.
Everyone includes anyone that you do business with, your
customers, your suppliers, your contacts, businesses that you patronize each
and every day, people that you meet, whether on purpose or by chance. How does
this help improve our customer base? Maybe these people become customers; maybe
they know others that can become customers; maybe they just become our
networking partners.
The list of people to thank can be long. It includes your
daily contacts, no matter the subject of any conversation. It also includes
contacts after a marketing call on your or even their part. It includes
customers after their initial purchase, and after any repurchase. Perhaps a
customer sends you a referral who might become your new customer; perhaps they
introduce you to a new supplier who saves you money on their product or
service. Maybe the recipient of your thank you is just someone who has touched
you, or someone you know, in a special way.
Don’t forget to include people who you have not connected
with in some time, and don’t forget to include the contacts that fail to become
customers. They will appreciate your efforts and remember you when someone else
needs your service or product. Have we left anyone out of this list? Everyone
includes everyone
that you know or that you meet or you remember in a moment of reflection.
Isn’t this expensive; doesn’t this cost money, time, and
effort? Yes and no. It might replace a marketing effort that costs a lot more
and brings you nothing in return. It might take less time and effort than you
believe. Look at everything in your marketing plans with the return on
investment question in your mind. Then look at the public perception of you and
your business.
What people believe you to be will shape their future
business with you. People do business with those that they know, trust, and
perhaps like. Maybe you need to use that philosophy in building your client
base, retaining the clients that you have, and obtaining referrals from those
people that you know. It will make a difference in your business life. In
addition it will make a difference in your personal life; the two are more
connected than you think.
Do you want to chat with someone about your marketing and
how it can be improved? Give me a call at 360-314-8691 so we can connect and help each
other. Email me with your ideas and thoughts at Jim@SOC4Now.com, or leave your comments here for
others. I am always looking to expand my networking partnerships.
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