It goes against the grain, especially for those of us used to "business at the speed of light." But bear with me. I'm not trying to teach you Zen philosophy. But I am going to show you how working backward can move your business forward.
Let's start with a purchase. That's a great place to be, isn't it? The moment when your prospect has become your customer. When money changes hands and your widget or service finds a new home. It's beautiful.
But what got your customer to this point?
I can actually hear a few of you saying, "Who cares? All that matters is that she's here." Well, that attitude may work for a garage sale. Or even a going out of business sale. But if you want more customers, and more moments like this one, it really helps to know what got us here.
So you can do it all over again.
Go ahead and ask her some questions. Get her to fill out a survey. Analyze your web logs. Act like a secret agent if you have to and find out what brought her to you. Find out things like:
How did you hear about us? You absolutely have to know what methods of promotion are working, and what isn't. Otherwise you waste money.
Of course, there are ways to track responses to your marketing without asking. If you're using direct response. If your ad/ commercial/ sales letter asks your prospect to call, use a different number for each ad. Then see which ads bring in the most phone calls. Use coupons, and put a code on each one that tells you where it ran. Have special landing pages on your web site for each and every ad or commercial you run, and track the traffic.
Now you can see what marketing messages are working, and should be increased. And, what isn't working. That you can cut out.
What made you choose us over our competitors? You both know competitors exist, so there's no point in denying it. But your customer has rejected them in favor of you. Why?
Use what you discover here to differentiate yourself in your marketing. That doesn't mean attacking your competitors. It just means calling attention to your more favorable aspects.
What put you in the market for a widget? Find out what problem your product or service is solving. Don't just guess, get the facts. You may be surprised at what you discover. Use this powerful information to craft sales messages that speak to the needs of your prospects.
There are all kinds of ways to get this information. If you have a retail store, you can train your employees to strike up a conversation and ask. You can always give out surveys, and a few customers will fill them out. Offering an incentive, like a discount on their next purchase, is a great way to get more.
Finding out what led your customer to your cash register takes a bit of time and effort. But once you know where the journey started, you can meet others there. And you'll have a much better idea how to guide them to a purchase of their own!
Does your marketing forge an emotional connection with your prospects? It can. Lisa Packer delivers persuasive, targeted copywriting that dramatically increases your business. Unleash the power of words on behalf of your business by visiting http://www.dramatic-copy.com today.
To be your own marketing expert you first need to... Read More
What's in a name?Think of your business name as an... Read More
Color is one of the most difficult parts of a... Read More
December is a month in which many organizations make plans... Read More
New to a sales career? Want to market yourself but... Read More
How many times have you been asked to participate in... Read More
Whether you're creating a sales letter, a brochure, a newsletter,... Read More
I want to share with you a story. This story... Read More
First, some background on today's topic. I've had a terrible... Read More
The telephone enables a credit manager to make many contacts... Read More
It was probably first discovered out there in the caves... Read More
There is a big payoff in being different. When you... Read More
What Really Makes Your Postcard Mailing Successful? The biggest single... Read More
Today, more than ever, the success of meetings relies heavily... Read More
A marketing tag line is the one or two line... Read More
There's no such thing as a captive audience--any of us... Read More
As Freud cautioned, it's insanity to keep doing the same... Read More
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCEThe Oscars will be handed out soon, and... Read More
When it comes time to print your brand identity materials,... Read More
THE GREAT MAIL ORDER MYTH There are a number of... Read More
Celebrities are the tastemakers that drive brand awareness and usage.... Read More
A powerful consumer market with annual spending power exceeding $350... Read More
1. Print your best small ad on a postcard and... Read More
Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a range... Read More
Are you trying to promote your business with a tiny... Read More
I nearly panicked recently! Well, maybe a slight exaggeration but... Read More
There's really only one thing that separates Image advertising from... Read More
Here are three alternatives to increase your testimonial numbers or... Read More
Starting a business, whether it's retail products or services, must... Read More
"There is only one way to judge the effectiveness of... Read More
Yesterday I was sitting on a train going into London... Read More
In early 1992, President George H.W. Bush was riding high.... Read More
For years now we have been inundated with offers of... Read More
60% of all small business owners, sales and solo-professionals claim... Read More
Special event and a special recipe- hand it out on... Read More
Too often we small business owners get caught up in... Read More
Have you ever noticed how many times it's the simplest... Read More
For generations people have been saying that laughter is good... Read More
Do sales come from your ezine regularly? How many well-written... Read More
For centuries and most of the decades in the 20th... Read More
One of the most cost effective marketing strategies you can... Read More
Want a simple, low-cost way to boost your sales? Just... Read More
A lot of advertising and mailings promise to reveal the... Read More
According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (the trade... Read More
Most companies ask themselves this question: "How much will this... Read More
Article marketing is the latest buzzword for marketers... Read More
Does it make sense to clap for your customers? It... Read More
Traditional marketing and advertising assumes that all of your customers... Read More
Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a range... Read More
Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online?... Read More
Marketers have a wide variety of media at their disposal.... Read More
The other day I received an e-mail from an internet... Read More
Would you like to learn the lessons of the businesses... Read More
Every professional or consultant knows that clients typically hire people... Read More
You've had one thousand of the finest, most eye-catching business... Read More
This article is meant to be a brief review and... Read More
Do you know how effective each of your individual marketing... Read More
One of the best ways to get a restaurant free... Read More
The secret to increasing sales doesn't lie in choosing just... Read More
Dear Friend,You're ripping me off.How? You may be thinking, "We... Read More
Picture this. You develop some product or service, spend countless... Read More
In "Developing a Marketing Plan", we covered the first steps... Read More
Good marketing, whatever form it takes, always meets certain criteria.... Read More
Viral marketing involves the use of surf-exchanges, and if you... Read More
Whether you're a former retail store owner known for your... Read More
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't... Read More
Marketing |