Whats Your Marketing Weak Link?

Your marketing weak link could be undermining the rest of your marketing. It is vital that each link in your marketing system supports and builds upon the previous link. Each link must bring your customer closer to the next sale. Any link that takes the customer further away from the sale, makes your marketing program inefficient and causes you to lose money.

There are many areas where the system can break down and cause expensive waste of potential. For example, I see many retailers who invest enormous amounts on advertising to bring customers into their store, only to lose potential sales through poorly trained sales people who don't know how to help people buy what they want. There are many examples of businesses advertising discount prices to attract customers because they haven't worked out how to be different from the competition. As a consequence, they only attract price sensitive shoppers who squeeze down prices and margins as low as possible. I frequently experience poor service in restaurants and cafes which puts me, and others, off returning to those establishments. All these weak links undermine the marketing effort and reduce sales and profits.

These examples of weak links in marketing are not only evident in small businesses. As an example, I recently experienced the results of some weak link marketing at the hands of a large international telecommunications company. Late last year I had taken up an offer from this company to use them for toll calls at a capped rate of a maximum of one dollar per call anytime to anywhere in New Zealand. This offer was due to end on 28th February. At the time, the telemarketing person did not know what would happen then, but as I make quite a few toll calls I took advantage of the offer. What happened on 28th February? Did I hear from the telecommunications company? No, nothing. If I just left things my toll calls would be charged at the full rate. What did I do? I opted to change back to the national company where I could have capped calls and pay a fixed monthly fee for favourite place calls to Auckland. About two weeks later, I had a call from the other company's telemarketing person, concerned that I had recently left them and to get me back, offered me the same deal as before. When I said that I would have preferred them to call me about this before I left them, I got an argument instead of a listening ear. In the end, I was so angered by the rudeness of this person that I will never use that company again, whatever type of deal they offer. I am sure I was not the only one who was in this position. This weak link is undermining the whole marketing strategy.

Is there a weak link in your marketing system? Have you developed clear and effective strategies at each phase of your marketing system. Is there a defined method which moves customers through each phase? What do you do to ensure that each stage builds on the previous stage as you:

· Generate leads,

· Convert leads to contacts,

· Conduct the selling process,

· Confirm the sale,

· Serve the customer and ensure they get what they want,

· Create customer delight by going beyond expectations,

· Follow up to ensure that customer comes back, again and again,

· Develop the relationship to make that customer an advocate who refers others to you.

If you fall down in any of these areas, that weak link will drastically undermine your potential for achieving the sales results and profits you could achieve. On the positive side, think about the potential results you could achieve by improving the way you approach all of these marketing links.

(c) 2003 Greg Roworth, Progressive Business Solutions Limited

Greg Roworth is the Managing Director of Progressive Business Solutions Limited, a business development consultancy firm with branches in Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand. Greg has created a unique business development program that assists business owners transform their business from a state of total dependency on them to a state where the business works so well they don't have to.

Greg is also the author of "The 7 Keys to Unlock Your Business Profit Potential," which descibes the fundamental keys a business needs to achieve this transformation. Find out more, get 2 free chapters, or buy the book online at http://www.small-business-success.ws

---

Top 5 Ways to Generate Qualified Leads for Your Small Business

Do you ever wonder if you could be doing a... Read More

What Does It REALLY Take to Be Making 6-Figures as a Service Professional?

Over the past 30 years, I've read so much on... Read More

Marketing Secrets #101- Your Most Important Sale

Which sale is the most important one you will ever... Read More

5 Ways to Market for Immediate Results

Sales are down, and I need more customers now! Sound... Read More

Are Corporate Awards and Corporate Gifts Beneficial for Your Business?

With the increased challenges that all companies are faced with,... Read More

The Great Direct Marketing Conundrum

Many a home business owner has spent sleepless nights thinking... Read More

Marketing in Business and Commerce in the New Consciousness

The point is what you give to another you give... Read More

The 5 Minute Marketing Plan

If I were to ask you right now, what marketing... Read More

Corporate Cleavage

I enjoy cleavage as much or even more than the... Read More

Coupons that Work

Turn a coupon into a business card (or vice versa).Coupons... Read More

To Be Successful Sell to Wants not Needs

My mother used to tell me, tongue in cheek, that... Read More

Postcard Marketing Done Right

Say it with a post card. A well designed, colorful,... Read More

The Seven Vital Steps You Must Know To Ensure Direct Mail Success

1. Your Most Valuable AssetA mailing list of valued customers... Read More

Money Making Real Estate Marketing Ideas

Real estate marketing is a lot simpler than most Realtors... Read More

Listen To What The Marketing Experts Say

But more importantly, watch what they do. If you do... Read More

The Surprise Inside!

Think about all those Cracker Jacks you ate as a... Read More

How to Use Flyers to Increase Your Business

What benefits will you get from flyers?Flyers are much different... Read More

What to Look for in Display Graphics and Trade Show Graphics

Display graphics are graphic images used for illustration or "display"... Read More

Nurture Sales Leads with Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mail is a cost-effective way to make sales and... Read More

Private Practice Marketing: 3 More Secrets I Wish I Knew When I First Started Out

Secret #4 - Get very comfortable asking for paymentOne of... Read More

Design Does Matter

The idea that good design can improve how people perceive... Read More

Competitive Research and Google

It all started out with an email message: "I am... Read More

Your Elevator Speech ? Have You Updated Yours Recently?

Do you have an elevator speech? Does it get people's... Read More

Fair Measures Corporation

A case study in online "thinking outside the box" The... Read More

How to Critique Your Own Yellow Page Ad

Forget what you know about your business Your goal is... Read More

Private Practice Marketing: 3 Secrets I Wish I Knew When I First Started Out

I don't know about you, but I am still waiting... Read More

Discovering The Benefits That Hook Your Prospect

Benefits! They're what marketing is all about. No doubt you've... Read More

How You Can Make Money From Competitors Easy

Are you market products and services using PPCs? PPC Advertising... Read More

Creating a Marketing Timeline That Works: 17 Simple Ideas for Marketing Your Small Business

"Goals are dreams with deadlines." -Diana Scharf HuntWhen clients come... Read More

SMS for the Estate Agent - Targeted Marketing Tool, or Legal Minefield?

Imagine having at your disposal a means to immediately inform... Read More

Nine Advance Networking Skills for Seasoned Networkers

A seasoned networker knows the real meaning of networking --... Read More

Ten Reasons Why Most Yellow Page Ads Fail -And Yours Does Not Have to

Grant Directory users are ready to buy Yellow Pages have... Read More

Mastering the ABCDs of Small Business Marketing & Selling

I believe that small business marketing and selling follows a... Read More