Promoting
Your Lismore Business - Another Free Busines Article From
Lismore Lawyers
I often talk with business owners who tell me how
excited they are about a new product or service they are
offering ...or a new business they are launching. Their
comments usually include something like, "Everybody needs
this. I know I'm going to make a lot of money with it."
They sincerely believe it will be easy to generate
hordes of paying customers for their new venture.
Unfortunately, it's not going to happen that way. Building
a profitable business is hard work ...and most of that work
has to be devoted to finding customers.
Finding the number of paying customers necessary to meet
the financial goals of a business can be a tough challenge.
To do it successfully, you need to follow a proven,
detailed strategy.
By trial and error over many years, I developed the
following simple 5 step process that enables me to
successfully launch a new product or service almost every
time. You can copy this same proven process to successfully
launch your own new business activity.
Step 1: Identify Your Market
Determine who gains the greatest benefit from your
product or service. Concentrate on reaching them instead of
trying to reach a broadly defined general market.
Start by defining your ideal customer or client in
writing. List all of the characteristic s you would expect
to find in good customers. Be sure to include qualities
that make your product or service especially valuable to
them.
Analyze this list to identify your market ...and define
it in writing.
Step 2: Find Your Most Appealing Customer
Benefit
Exactly what is the most compelling problem you can
solve for prospects in your targeted market? Why is your
product or service the best solution to their problem? The
answers to these 2 questions reveal the customer benefit(s)
you need to stress in your sales approach.
Step 3: Develop A Few Motivating Offers
Develop 2 or 3 offers that motivate prospects to buy
immediately. For example, can you use a special discounted
price offer with a deadline? Are there bonuses you can add
if prospects order or sign up before the deadline? Can you
combine both into a "special price plus bonus" offer?
Decide which offer on your list is the most powerful.
Use it in your sales material and/or your selling
presentation.
Tip: A special offer providing
obvious value automatically boosts your sales. It's a
proven way to overcome buyer resistance and
procrastination. It also provides a logical reason in the
buyer's mind to justify what may actually be an impulsive
decision to buy.
Step 4: Decide How to Publicize Your Business
How will you introduce yourself to the prospects in your
market? Will you use classified or display ads in print
publications or on the Internet? Will you use direct mail?
Is broadcast media such as radio or TV appropriate ...and
cost-effective?
What networking can you participate in locally or on the
Internet to draw attention to your business? Are there ways
you can get some unpaid publicity? What other methods of
promotion can you use?
Prioritize each method on your list and develop an
action plan with deadlines for implementing them.
Step 5: Establish a Plan to Promote Customer
Loyalty
Decide what you will do to cultivate customers so they
continue to do business with you ...and give you
referrals.
For example, write or call your customers or clients
immediately after a transaction and thank them for their
business. Ask them if they're pleased with what they
received. Most will express their satisfaction. (That's an
ideal time to ask for referrals.)
Tip: Don't be afraid to uncover
unhappy customers. When you do, take whatever action you
must to make them feel good. Most dissatisfied customers
won't contact you about their problem. They just take their
business elsewhere ...and tell as many other people as they
can about their negative experience - costing you a lot of
future business.
This 5 step marketing process replaces guesswork with
proven procedures that get results. Use it the next time
you want to successfully introduce a new product or a new
service. You can even use it to successfully launch a new
business ...or to revive an existing business that is not
growing.
Copyright 2008 Bob Leduc