Discover 7 Hidden Profit Producing Secrets

Would you like to learn the lessons of the businesses that struggled last year without having to follow in their footsteps? I’d like to share with you seven of the mistakes that are among the most common that are made. This information is value critical if you intend to see marketing efforts drive sales increases.

Since all successful relationships, professional and otherwise are based on meeting mutual needs, both parties have to leave the metaphorical table feeling satisfied that their needs have been met. Anything less and the relationship is less than successful. This is the reason that relationship marketing forms the framework for the mistakes and the solutions to them offered here.

1. Market and Sales Departments must move along parallel tracks. Effectiveness depends on both being under the control of a knowledgeable marketer to ensure both short and long term growth.

This actually gives one-person small business operations an advantage over larger corporate entities. One of the major reasons this advantage exist is the increased ability to respond quickly to changing market climates or in implementing new information. In this case, coordinating sales and marketing to produce consistent results.

2. Using invented words to function alone in branding. Instead attach made up words to a defining tagline. To get maximum value of this kind of branding strategy, make sure your tag line tells prospects about your value proposition.

3. Marketing an exclusive message that caters only to a specific group, such as IT managers or engineers, when your sales will demand you have a broader reach. Remember that the decision maker may not be a technical expert.

Along those same lines however, there are many small software developers who market primarily to the internet home based market when they could significantly increase revenue by targeting traditional small business owners who can’t afford large CRM (customer relationship management) applications offered by software giants.

4. Promoting technical innovation instead of its value to potential customers. This actually ties in with number two because avoiding this “faux pas” is another function of your value proposition.

5. Introduce new products and technical development with articles in professionally prepared press release and article directories. Your articles must inform the public of your products value and benefits to their bottom line or essential needs. Focus on increasing business profits & an individual's success and you’re definitely on the right track.

Those articles and press releases begin to form the basis of stronger sales material and direct mail campaigns. Build on this publicity by employing focused placement advertising in publications and events that will enhance the credibility your product.

6. Use clearly understandable language rather than industry jargon to communicate value and context for application. Of course that is not to say you should not attempt to educate your prospects, it is a matter of how it is presented.

Rather than alienating audiences with insiders terminology, explain any terms that may be unfamiliar. In fact, taking an educational approach can work effectively as part of a marketing/sales strategy, but as many of the failed dot-com(s) taught us the business model must be designed to drive sales, not just demand or interest.

7. Trendy creative advertising often fails to reach the target audience though it may make people pause and look. Maximum ROI (return on investment) demands that promotions focus on user benefits and how your product will drive sales for their company, directly or indirectly. If your focus is not on the btob market, then you must concern yourself with otherwise solving your customers problem. Helping them to meet the need that prompts them to purchase your products.

Increasingly it appears that a greater number of companies are looking to technology to help drive sales, rather through product expansion or increasing internal efficiency. Success depends on approaching advertising as a component in your relationship marketing strategy. Each promotion effort should further or establish your rapport with customers. This in turn requires understanding their evolving needs. The advice offered here and a simple plan for your strategic marketing endeavors will help drive not only your revenue, but increased profits and much success.

Yvette Dubel is the founder of http://www.enhancementconsulting.net and creator of the Simple Plan System© featuring Clarity Relationship Valuation. Enhancement Consulting publishes “Elements of Simple Plan for Success” e-zine. Request information about online events by email (events-survey@freeautobot.com)

---

Marketing with Special Reports. 5 Ways to Develop Content Your Prospects Cant Wait to Read

So you've decided to start publishing an e-newsletter, or you'd... Read More

Peddling Your Own Wagon Through Local Exposure

In my e-book "Articles That Sell", I've shared the secret... Read More

Time for A Marketing Tune-up

If you have been in business any length of time,... Read More

Have You Sold Your Internal Customers?

You can make the sale. You know your core message.... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 5

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Marketing... Read More

CRM Star Wars: When Marketing is from Venus and IT is from Mars

Inherent tensions exist between marketing and IT. This is often... Read More

Take It To The Customer

In the past, purchasing ad space was the solution to... Read More

Sum of Its Parts

I just spent a week at the beach with my... Read More

Direct Mail Leads - Brand Identity Guru

Direct mail can be one of the most effective tactics... Read More

Top 9 Strategies To Attract More Clients Now

1. Advertise in trade journals, ezines, and web sites that... Read More

Creative Emulation

In business we have a number of ways or tools... Read More

Qualify Prospects Using Direct Mail Marketing

When a prospect responds to your lead generation sales letter,... Read More

How to Earn the Right

"How to Earn the Right..."Marketing your professional services is a... Read More

People Pleasing Postcards

Why are more businesses turning to full-color postcards as a... Read More

Marketing Strategy 101: 10 Marketing Strategies I Learnt From My Oral Surgeon

This is how the conversation went on my follow-up visit... Read More

Chamber Of Commerce Meetings

If you run a small business you should be a... Read More

10 Elements Every Direct Mail Piece Should Have

Don't want your direct mail to end up in the... Read More

Grab Your Audience by Focusing on Benefits

Have you ever chosen to pay attention to someone just... Read More

Marketing Strategy - Shift the Focus

Most of the service providers I've worked for or with... Read More

The Seven Keys to Marketing Genius: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Marketing IQ

How smart is your marketing? Do you follow the crowd... Read More

Marketing as a Spiritual Practice II: Unearthing Your Potential

Marketing as we know it is over. Done. Finito.People the... Read More

Financial Services Marketing Insights: A Marketing Compass

What we now call "marketing" began long before the name... Read More

Telemarketers Dont Like Them? Heres An Idea For Ya!

Telemarketers... ooohhh... I'll bet we've all got a nice story... Read More

Making the Intangible Real

How do you make the intangible real? How do you... Read More

Direct Mail Still Works!

Direct Mail CampaignsDespite the proliferation of communication facilitators--mobile phones, faxes,... Read More

Are You Ready To Research Your Market?

Picture this. You develop some product or service, spend countless... Read More

The Five Most Common Joint Venture Marketing Mistakes To Avoid

Joint Venture marketing has become a highly popular way for... Read More

How to Take Your Law Firm to the Next Level

How to Take Your Law Firm to the Next Level... Read More

Matrix Web Sites - Scam or NOT?

While I am not talking about the movie "Matrix", you... Read More

One-A-Day Marketing Vitamins

Is your business growing, or are you on a plateau... Read More

How Can I Break Into Cliques?

Have you ever gone to a networking function and seen... Read More

10 Steps To Getting Paid For Your Marketing Materials

How many times have you heard the same sound bites... Read More

10 Proven Ways To Accelerate Your Profits

1. Make copies of your web site in many different... Read More