You know those bad habits we get. Like raiding the chocolate biscuits during late night TV shows. Or slouching we when we sit. Or biting our fingernails.
Before we know it we’ve let a new behavior creep into our routine. Now we’re a slave to the bad habit. It’s hard to resist. We’re tempted. We get that short-lived surge of satisfaction when we do it.
Well, marketing is pretty much the same. Except you can get into good marketing habits that will actually help you. And it won’t hurt. Good marketing habits can make you feel really great.
Think about this.
* When you introduce yourself, are you in a good habit? Do you have an easy-to-understand introductory statement, or maybe a snappy 30-second intro?
* When you meet people do you follow up? Are you in the habit of sending them a thank-you note for meeting with you? Or maybe you could send them a useful article (written by you or some other authority).
* Do you have good sales habits? Are you in the habit of asking the right questions? Can you automatically lead prospects towards doing business with you?
* Are you in the habit of regularly communicating with prospects and clients? Communication has never been easier with options like newsletters, updates and blogs being so easy to publish. Do you stay in touch?
* Are you in the habit of writing informative articles, stories, case studies, or helpful hints for your clients? This helps to demonstrate your expertise and is a key element of building trust with potential clients. It also gives you great content for your marketing materials and web site.
* Are your advertising and promotional activities a good habit? Do you follow a plan to avoid the “feast or famine” cycle? Or do you relegate promoting your service to a low priority in the rush to “do the business”?
Good News
The great news is that like bad habits, good marketing habits will also give you a surge of positive feelings. You’ll get hooked on:
- The adrenaline rush of new clients asking for you.
- The positive relationships that seem to magically develop with new clients.
- The extra confidence you’ll feel when people listen to what you say.
- The satisfaction of getting results.
- The constant knowledge that you are making progress.
You can eliminate your dread of marketing. And getting into good marketing habits is easy. Just like getting into bad habits. Do it a bit at a time. But keep doing it.
Slowly you will build up new behaviors. Results from your marketing efforts will improve. You’ll feel more confident. You’ll reinforce the good marketing habits.
How To Get Others to Market Your Product or Service for You
Marketing can be expensive and most small business owners don’t have big marketing budgets. So looking for targeted ways to get free marketing exposure is a great solution. You may have considered public relations as a low cost marketing tactic, but what if you can’t write or you don’t have the time to sit down and create a press kit or even write a press release?
Well, there’s an easy way to get publicity that does not even require you to write a press release. Try donating your product or service for an auction or door prize. Very often, associations, groups and charities conduct live or silent auctions at their events. Or they give away door prizes to attendees to encourage attendance. Why not donate your product or service and benefit from the free marketing exposure it can generate. Typically you will receive promotion during the event, and in the event program. You benefit from the implied endorsement of the group conducting the event, and goodwill associated with giving away your product or service. You may even be able to write off the cost as a business expense. (Please check with your tax advisor).
And, not only will you receive free exposure, you will also gain a new customer. Who could tell a few friends, who could tell a few friends, who could tell a few friends ... you see where this is going. It’s a great way to get free exposure for your products or services and start to generate new customers. Not sure what groups or charities you should donate your auction item or door prize to?
You will want to choose an organization whose members, and event attendees, closely match your ideal customer. Take a look at your customers and prospects. Then try to find groups and associations who service these types of people.
Perhaps there is a health club in your area that is celebrating a grand opening, or a consumer expo coming to town. Do you target middle-aged women with school-age children? How about hooking up with a school or PTA-sponsored event? Perhaps your local Little League or Soccer organization is looking for auction items to raise money for its upcoming season. Do you target corporate professionals in high-stress jobs such as finance, advertising and marketing, or technology? Look for the local chapters of trade associations servicing these industries. They typically hold monthly meetings, plus larger annual events. It really depends on who your prospects are. Your goal with any marketing activity is to gain exposure among your target audience. So select an organization or group whose member’s match your clients and odds are they will be interested in your services and your business will benefit from this highly-targeted marketing exposure.
