Never Hide From Your Customers

Writen by Marte Cliff

Years ago I attended a Realtor's convention where one of the booth themes was "Don't be a Secret Agent." The whole idea was that when you're in sales you'd better let everyone in your sphere of influence (and beyond) know, or they'll use someone else and you'll have hurt feelings and an empty bank account.

Lately I've been thinking about how that applies to each and every business in the universe. And the fact that there's more to it than that.

People may know about you, even want to do business with you, but if they can't find you easily, they'll go elsewhere.

You have to make yourself "Easy to Get."

Just the other day I needed to find an acquaintance that has a small side business. I knew the name of the business, but it wasn't listed in the phone book. I knew her first name… no help there. Finally her last name popped into my head and then I only had to remember her husband's name to find them in the phone book. I persisted because I knew she was the only person nearby who could provide what I wanted. But if there had been someone else in the Yellow Pages…

You get the idea.

So what can you do? First of all, if you have a local service business, hand out your cards all the time. Never assume that since you gave them out once, people still have them. They probably don't. Or if they do have one, they won't remember where they put it when they need you. Give your cards to friends and ask them to pass them along. Give them to every new person you meet. Post them on the bulletin board along with the others at the local café. If you leave a great tip after dinner, leave your card with it. When you pay a bill with a local merchant, include your card.

When you do a mailing to prospective customers, include your card. They might not keep the whole letter, but the business card might go into their card file. At the same time, make darn sure that letter has all your contact information on every page. That includes your phone, fax, e-mail, and mailing address. If you use your cell phone often, include that too.

The same goes for e-mail. Never assume that everyone wants to communicate electronically. Add a signature to all of your email that shows what you do, along with your phone numbers and your postal mailing address, as well as your return email address.

Then there are print ads. Every once in a while I see a newspaper ad that was a complete waste of money. The ad might have gotten my attention, but they forgot the address of the business and/or the contact information.

In short, make it easy for anyone to find you … no matter which method they prefer.

Never hide from people who want to give you money.

Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter with many more tips to share. Visit her at http://www.marte-cliff.com/ and sign up for a free monthly advertising ezine. Marte also offers a no-obligation critique of your present advertising.

Marketing Your Service Business

Writen by Gail Metcalf

Marketing any business is a science professional marketers follow to get results. There are three principles that are most important to the small business owner and should be adopted and used:

1. Benefits - Most people make the mistake of telling everyone the features of their business. This is not what your customers are looking for. They want to know why they should give you the job and not your competition.

2. Business Purpose - Are you sure you understand what your business purpose is? Most people start a business to make money. But your real job is to satisfy your customer needs.

3. Market Testing - Most small business owners run advertising because they've heard that's what you do to get customers. But they fail to track their ads to learn what is working and what is not. The natural response to a failed ad is to decide the ad did not work due to the publication or timing. This may be part of it, but only by tracking and measuring the results of each ad will you discover if it's even worth spending the money.

Benefits After defining your new business, it's only natural to want to tell everyone what your business does and how the service is performed. Not everyone is interested in that, especially in your advertising. Those are the features of your service but real people that need your service want to know how they will benefit. A Pest Control service is just like any other, right? They come to the property and spray the inside on the initial appointment and spray the outside on every appointment. Not much to tell anyone except maybe you get behind, up high and in the corners. But that still doesn'ttell me anything. By getting behind, up high and in the corners, what is the benefit to me, your customer?

- "We sweep down cobwebs so you don't have spiders multiplying in your living area."

- "Your attic is thoroughly inspected for crevices and holes which allow squirrels and mice to live. We'll seal these up to prevent these critters from multiplying and storing food supplies and scaring you in the middle of the night, running down the outside wall."

- "We clear all vaulted roof and ceiling areas of bees and wasps so you're not caught in a swarm while enjoying your nice evening on the patio."

These are all benefits that cause the reader to start thinking they really do need your service. These are people that would have never called you because they were not aware of these problems. Now they're worried because they've never looked for these problems and how many do they have? They can't get to their phone fast enough. You've managed to convey some of the problems people could have on their property and you've stirred them to action with a little fear. Understand how important this is as compared to some of the features you may be inclined to advertise.

Purpose Are you in business to make a profit or to add value for your customers? This is the most effective sales tool you have. How many times have you called a company and have been dissatisfied just with the person answering the phone? They seem indifferent to your needs, shallow, uncaring. People sense this right away and will assume the service you offer is run with the same indifference. People want to know you care about them. And it's really not hard to do. If you are running your business with the joy of providing a service your customers need, people will be attracted to your business and will refer you to their friends and family. Get clear about why you are running your business. If it's only to make a profit, then you need to do something else because you will never succeed at a pace that allows you to have a lifestyle and a business.

Testing Even if you knew to test the results of your ad campaign, would you find the time to do it? Probably not, because you're busy running the details of the business. But what if I told you this could save you a lot of money in useless ads? Most advertising is useless because small business owners don't understand the basic concepts to make it successful. Good ads don't just happen. Even professional marketers make sure they test every aspect of every ad. A minor change to the headline, the body or the call to action could make a major difference in the campaign results; as high as 100-300%.

Gail Metcalf built her cleaning business from the ground up. She currently sells The House Cleaning Pro Turnkey Success System. Permission is granted to reproduce this article but credit must be given to the author. No part of the article content can be modified, and a link must be provided to: http://HouseCleaningPro.com

Portable Trade Show Booths

Writen by Kevin Stith

One good reason for getting a portable display trade show booth is because it can save you a lot of money without compromising on the goal that you plan to achieve with it.

Transporting a conventional booth can be a rather expensive proposition; opting for a portable one can many a times be a sensible option. Shipping costs for big and heavy tradeshow booths can get uncomfortably high, unless the show is taking place somewhere nearby. You can easily overcome this problem with a portable booth.

Most of these booths fit in one box, making them easily manageable by one person. One person is usually enough to set up as well as pack up and store the portable booth. A single person can often easily transport these types of booths, saving financial resources that could be targeted at more productive endeavors.

Another advantage of a portable trade show booth is that its use is not restricted to trade shows alone. The fact is that you can opt to use your portable booths as effective marketing tools inside as well as outside a trade show. A marketing team usually identifies locations where trade show booths can be used for promotions. Your trade show booth can be put up at local festivals, within your office, or, if your product line permits, then even at a mall. You might even consider using it in a rented park space as long as it is proper to do so.

Although the initial costs of getting a portable display booth can appear to be larger than those of a normal booth, any promoter must consider that the maintenance and shipping costs of regular booths is much higher. In effect, if trade show promotions are a marketing strategy you intend to use, then portable booths easily make it a cost-effective step in the long run.

Trade Show Booths provides detailed information on Trade Show Booths, Trade Show Display Booths, Trade Show Booth Design, Portable Trade Show Booths and more. Trade Show Booths is affiliated with Custom Trade Show Displays.

Being Visible On A Budget

Writen by Claire Cunningham

Once upon a time a company introduced a new product. They didn't want their competition to know, so they didn't advertise or even send out a news release. Sales of the new product were disappointing. The manufacturer was unhappy. What went wrong? Any thoughts?

My answer is that this kind of "stealth marketing" doesn't work. You need to be visible to sell something. When this manufacturer started promoting their new product, sales picked up.

So visibility is good for business. But how do you get visible with limited resources? Here are some programs I recommend.

1) Postcard marketing - Use postcards to ask for referrals, announce events, build website traffic, say thanks, and more. Of course, for best results you need a good list.

2) News release program - Does your company bring new products or services to market? Publish literature? These are great subjects for news releases. Send releases to editors at relevant publications regularly to get more than your fair share of coverage. Public relations activities like this are time-intensive, but cost much less than advertising.

3) Feature coverage - Getting major coverage in the right media outlet can enhance visibility and credibility quickly. Use research and planning to ensure your topic is timely. Then target specific editors.

4) Case history articles - Highlight your company's capabilities with problem/solution articles. Well-written case histories are in demand -- by readers and editors alike. These stories make great website content, too.

5) Internet - Creating and maintaining a website is relatively low cost, especially compared to printed pieces like brochures. If you need to reach young adults, teens or business people, the Internet is where you need to be. E-mail marketing can be a good tool, too, but be sure to get the recipient's permission.

6) Newsletters - Developing a good newsletter takes market intelligence and careful planning. Then you need discipline and skill to crank out something worthwhile on a schedule. But it's worth it! A good newsletter can gain you loyalty, credibility, and – oh yeah – visibility.

7) Identity - Maintaining a consistent identity is a low-cost way to maximize impact. Consistency and professionalism help any business over time. Consistency means repetition. That's what solidifies ideas in our brains. Professionalism is about looking good. If you want to be taken seriously, present a professional image.

Whatever you do, repeat, repeat, repeat! A single mailing (for example) may get disappointing results. Don't be surprised or discouraged. Keep at it with a consistent look, message and audience, and over time your message will sink in.

©Copyright 2005 Clairvoyant Communications, Inc.

About the author

Claire Cunningham, president of Clairvoyant Communications, Inc., helps companies jumpstart their sales with increased visibility. Claire shares her marketing communications expertise at http://www.clairvoyantcommunications.com and through monthly e-newsletters Communiqué and Communiqué-Small Business. Avoid costly errors with Claire's "Top Marketing Communications Mistakes Companies Make." Call 763-479-3499 or e-mail claire@claircomm.com for a copy.

Attendee Walking The Aisles 6 Trade Show Tips For 06

Writen by Julia O'Connor

Are trade shows in your marketing plans for 2006? There are times when smart exhibitors don't exhibit but visit shows as attendees to gather new ideas, scope out the competion and look for opportunities.

Walk the aisles, see what's new, plan purchases for the coming year? Is this the show when you pull out the order book or checkbook and make a commitment? Trade Show Training, inc. offers these 6 quick tips for those who are not exhibiting but who form the reason for any trade show – YOU - the Attendee…

1. LOOK FOR THE COMPANY….
While sales people are paid to be persuasive, you want to do business with The Company. Review the pre-show information and read the program about exhibitors. Select those that match your requirements in terms of longevity, products, services and guarantees.

2. LOOK AT THE STAFF….
Are you asking general questions or do you need an expert? Understand your needs or your company's requirements before you step on the floor. Ask around your firm – how can you help while you are at the show – before the show.

3. PLAN YOUR ROUTE….
Each show has a floor plan. Use it. If you don't have the info you need, contact show management. Map out those exhibitors you want to see. There are two ways to do this – by aisle or by product. Review your requirements and hit the main ones first. TSTi suggests you go down every aisle. Because you never know who is a new competitor.

4. BE OPEN TO NEW STUFF….
You will never be able to absorb everything at one show. There will always be a new company, product, service, concept… something that will be unexpected. Maybe it is in a small, ugly exhibit stuffed in a corner with the hottest new product to be introduced at the show, and you don't know about it. Or a new #1 competitor that cracked your business and knows everything about your hottest product.

5. LEARN TO S-M-I-L-E, then SMILE….
Whether you are attendee or exhibitor, there should be politeness on both sides of the aisle. Personality, expertise, social graces, appropriate business manners and tenacity are important for everyone at trade shows. Remember to S-M-I-L-E – See-Meet-Introduce-Listen-Engage

6. FOLLOW-UP ….
If you are interested in an answer, you may need to follow-up yourself with the company. Despite all the fancy lead trackin systems, it is still true that about 80% of leads are not followed-up and it has nothing to do with you personally. Why? Now there are many more opportunities to slice-and-dice your info to oblivion. Not an excuse but today's reality.

On the other hand, it pays to be polite. If you gave your information to an exhibitor – RFP, RFD, badge swipe, business card, form for a gift, attendee list, etc. – then be gracious about follow-up contact from that company.

Do you know that you gave permission? As an attendee, you are fair game for any exhibitor. Enjoy the show.

Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - writes about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of Trade Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 10th year, she works with companies in a variety of industries to improve their bottom line and marketing opportunities at trade shows.

Julia is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment and uses this expertise in sales training and management seminars. Contact her at 804-355-7800 or check the site http://www.TradeShowTraining.com