Time and time again, you always hear terms like “my business is different” or “that won’t work for my business”.  I am talking about marketing your business, products, or services.  When you get right down to it, marketing does work if it is done correctly.

Here is a formula to use when marketing any business, service, or product.  It’s called the 3 P’s of Marketing.

P #1- Passion.  Whatever you are doing, what ever business you are running, whatever product or service you are selling, you better be passionate about it or else you are in big trouble. If you don’t love what you are doing, if you don’t believe in what you are selling it is very difficult to get others to buy into it too.  Whether you are training a staff member or directly selling to potential buyer, if you are not behind what you are doing, the results will be bleak.  Think to yourself why are you doing what you do?  If you are a business owner, go back to why you wanted to be a business owner in the first place?   What was the passion behind you starting your own business.  If you represent a product, you better be passionate about it or maybe you are selling the wrong thing.

P #2- Purpose.  Before you doing anything in your business, whether it be creating an advertisement, website, or marketing materials you first have to answer one major questions…”What is the purpose of ___________?”  If you are building a website for example, what is the purpose of your website?  Is it to give away information?  How about collect leads?  Is it to sell something?  Or is to have them pick up the phone and call you?  If you don’t have a purpose, it is difficult to create something.

It amazes me how often I speak to business owners and sales professionals about various marketing strategies and when I look at their materials, it is not very clear what you want them to do.  Websites are notoriously bad at this.  People say well I have a website.  That is great to have a website but what is your websites purpose?  Many times this question can not be answered.  Make sure that for all your advertising and marketing that you can answer this simple question.  Once you answer it, make sure your marketing piece clearly matches your purpose.

P #3- Profitability.  The reason for being in business is to make a profit.  Even non-profits need to make money (profits) so they can give those profits to their cause. If your company makes 1 million dollars in revenue but your operating costs are 1 million dollars, there is no profit.  Same for if your company makes 100 million dollars and your operating costs are 100 million dollars.

The same holds true for any of your marketing.  The purpose of marketing anything is to get a return on your investment.  If your marketing is not being profitable, it is not being effective.  There are many reasons this can happen that we won’t get into here but the bottom line is whatever you are doing in your marketing efforts it needs to be profitable for you in the long run.

So there is the 3 P marketing formula.  If you have all 3 of these, you will have a business that will be around for a long time.

Marketing your products and services is critical to your business growth and long term success.  Make sure that you are doing the right things in your marketing efforts to make that happen.

If you are in business today, one of the most powerful things you can do to prove how great your products or services are is to let other people say it.

That’s right, I am talking about testimonials. Testimonials are one of the most powerful tools any business owner, or company can use, but also one of the most under-utilized. Testimonials are not limited to any one type of advertising or promotional media.

Television ads, radio announcements, newspaper layouts and infomercials all make use of testimonials in one form or another.

Often times today, celebrities are used to promote certain products, especially when national or large scale exposure is involved.

That is generally referred to as an “endorsement” rather than a testimonial, but the principle is pretty much the same.

It happens when another person makes a positive statement or recommendation about a certain product or service, business, or company.

In marketing, it’s sometimes known as creating a “Herd Mentality.” Dr. Robert Cialdini calls it the “Principle of Consensus.”

That is, if other people who are like me say this product or service is good, it improves the probability that it will be good for me, too.

Your own clients and customers are some of the best sources of endorsement you could possibly want. Especially if they are known to those you are marketing to or if they have something else in common with them.

You can have all types of testimonials as well. Video is great. You can post video testimonials on your website or have them playing on your tv in your office. You can also do audio testimonials and written. They are all good but the more real the testimonials are the better. Video for example shows a real person recommending your products or services. There is a connection in video that does not happen with written words.

Perhaps they live in the same town, have similar businesses, or belong to the same organization or association, etc. At any rate, when people hear that other people, much like them, who have similar interests, needs, wants, or desires have benefited from a certain product or service, the chances of them wanting to know more are dramatically increased.

In reality, there are really only three reasons people don’t buy from you:

1. They have no use for your product or service.
2. They can’t afford your product or service.
3. You haven’t developed the level of trust, believability, or credibility they need in you to do business with you.

There’s not much you can do if a prospect can’t use or pay for your services. But there is a lot you can do to help wipe away the underlying layers of skepticism they bring to the relationship and establish the trust level they need to say “Okay” to your offer.

People don’t like to be the first to do anything… especially if it involves parting with their hard-earned money.

If they can see that others have done what they are being asked to do, or that others are currently doing it, they tend to feel more safe and will be more likely to participate. You first have to relieve any nervousness they may have of being “taken.”

Testimonials are not difficult to get. If fact all you really need to do is ask for them.  One of the most effective ways is to send users of your products or services a questionnaire  or evaluation form that asks for their feedback on how they’ve benefited from using it.  Even better is to have people fill it out when they are in your office (if you have that type of business).

The questions should be in “open-ended” form, and ask for them to write their feelings… not just for yes or no answers.

Remember, when getting others to say something about you, it’s not enough for them to say something like, “Thank you for all your help. You helped me save a lot of money, and I’ve really enjoyed doing business with you.” These are too vague.

It would be far better to have testimonials that pointed to a specific benefit you’ve helped them achieve. Something along the lines of “I’ve been shopping for [this particular item] for more than 6 weeks. Everywhere I’ve gone, I get the runaround. No one has wanted to be of much help, and the prices seem so out of line. Thanks to you, I found exactly the size and color I’ve been looking for, and you helped me save $132.64. Thank you very much!”

Using testimonials… specific testimonials, is one of the most effective ways you can eliminate fear, increase the believability and credibility of your offer, and add to the number of sales or inquiries to your advertisements or promotions.

Whatever you do, don’t overlook this important and valuable tool. But before you use anyone’s comments, make sure you get their permission. An easy way to do this is by using a simple permission or consent form like the one shown here.

This is one the easiest and cost effective ways to help you market your business and increase your sales.

If you don’t have testimonials or you only have a few, you should make it a priority to get them.  They should be included in all your marketing, advertising, websites, brochures, radio commercials, tv commercials,  and anything else your prospects can see or hear for that matter.

Work on becoming a testimonial collecting machine!

Have you ever noticed that there is a real disconnect these days between a business and it’s consumers?  It doesn’t matter what industry or profession you are in, business principles are all pretty much the same.  You want people to buy a product or service from you.  So why is it that the communication between the company and the consumer is so far off the mark?

You are bombarded by information each and every day about all types of products or services.  The question is, are you putting out the right message?  So much of what is being done out there is about “I” or the company, how selfish.  Here is a newsflash, consumers and prospects don’t care about that.  While visiting several websites over the weekend it was quite clear that the message these companies and businesses were sending out was about them.  This is great, if they are going to sell something to themselves.  After all, isn’t the goal to offer something of benefit to others so people will want to buy something from you and your company?  There were no benefits or reasons why someone should be doing business with them.  The whole focus was about their company, how long they have been in business, their accomplishments, what services they provided and so on.  This is all great but so what?

You see there really should not be an “I” in business.  No, I am not talking about the spelling, that would be silly.  There needs to be an “I” to spell business, but you need to stop focusing the attention of  your ads, website, and brochures on your company.  When a prospect visits your website or views an advertisement where should the focus be?  Here is a hint.. it should not be about you.

While eating at the diner this morning (I love a good diner), I noticed that they have those table mats with all the advertising on it. Since it was in front of me I looked over it.  There were probably 20 little advertisements on there.  So I searched through each one and it was clear that each advertisment was almost identical in nature.  They all had different names of companies but all of them focused on their business name.  That was the first thing and the most prominent aspect of each advertisment.  I had no idea about any of these companies let alone what they can do for me.  Sure I knew that the fence company had something to do with fences, but there was nothing in there about why I should give them my business.  Why should I want to do business with that company?  What is compelling about what they do?  I am not sure because all they were focused on was there company…not the benefits of working with them or the problems that they could solve.

You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of your prospects so you better make sure there is a compelling reason to make your prospects want to read your ads or website more.

Here are five quick tips to make sure that you capture the attention of your prospects:

1.  Make sure to have a benefit rich headline front and center

2.  Talk about the problems that your prospects are dealing with

3.  Focus on what the prospect wants not your business

4.  Give away information that could benefit the prospect

5.  Have  a clear call to action of what you want the prospect to do next

If you do these 5 things, your prospects will have a better understanding of what you can do for them.

Take a look at the messages you are currently sending to your prospects.  Does it focus on the prospect or does it focus on your company?

The most important thing you can do is to get rid of the “I” in your business!

Your past customers… those who have done business with you in the past, but are no longer considered “active.” That is, they haven’t purchased from you recently. Something happened. They’ve quit coming back. Maybe they’ve outgrown their need for your products or services. Maybe they’ve gone to another competitor. Maybe they moved out of your marketing area. Whatever the reason, they’re no longer doing business with you.

Remember, these former customers at one time liked and trusted you enough to purchase from you. It may have been a certain sale or offer that you ran. It may be that they did business with you because you were conveniently located to them. Or it may be that they were referred to you by a friend, a family member, a neighbor or a relative. Whatever the case, they, at one time, did indeed, buy from you. Now, just because they haven’t purchased from you again recently, doesn’t mean all is lost.

First, you need to determine when a customer or client is no longer considered current. This will depend entirely on your business. For example, a car salesman knows that many customers get a new car every 5-7 years. In this case, you want to continue to follow up with these customers during this time. Conversely, if you sell vitamins that time period might be 2 months before they would need more product. If that customer bought a 2 month supply of something and they haven’t been back in after 6 months, that could mean they are now a ‘former customer’. Just make sure that you define these in your business for your particular situation.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is that they fail to keep in touch with this group of customers. If you’ve run your business properly, they’ll remember the way you did things, how you treated them, and the quality of products and services you sold them. And it won’t take much to get them back to do business with you again. But what if you didn’t do things the best way? Perhaps they had a bad experience with your business or a certain person that worked for you.

Well, an apology or an explanation of the circumstances and what you’ve done to correct the situation can do nothing but help re-solidify an old relationship. You can use the same planning and contacting sequence that is listed above when determining how best to contact this group of customers. Whatever you do, don’t let this valuable resource fall through the cracks. If these customers left your business to go with a competitor, it won’t be long before they have some type of negative experience with that competitor, believe me. It’s just so rare that you find… in any type of business, industry or profession… a business that is on top of all things all the time. And most often, you’ll find that nearly every business is product-oriented, and not customer-focused.

Once you “get your act together,” and begin delivering more than the benefits that the products or services you sell provide, you’ll find that this group of customers can turn out to be a real profit center for you.  So take a look today at your past customers and tap a new resource!

Interested? Want more?  Visit my website – www.automaticprofitsolutions.com

Part 2 of a 2 part series -

The Yellow Pages are a primary source of information because most people expect to find certain types of businesses listed there. They are the preferred choice of both a consumer and business buyer looking for products and services that aren’t required on a regular basis. But here’s what really makes the Yellow Pages such an effective marketing tool:

People use them when they are ready to buy!

3.  Decide on the size of your ad before you begin the design. Then, create your ad to that exact size. Use whatever zoom function your software program features to make your ad the full size of your screen. This will help you make the smallest of adjustments quite easily and will prevent mistakes that are routinely overlooked at a scaled-down size.

4.  Give information. Give your prospects the information they need at the “moment of truth” when they’re ready to make a purchasing decision. Most Yellow Pages readers are ready to buy NOW. They only reach for the Yellow Pages and refer to a specific category when they are serious about finding a solution to a problem.

They want to know who can best help them. Therefore, it stands to reason that your message should be based on solutions, advantages and customer benefits. Focus your message on what you do and how you benefit customers, rather than on who you are.

5.Create an original look.  Design an ad that clearly and succinctly state your unique advantages and gives prospects a reason to call you. Your advertisement should answer a vital question: “What’s special about your company and why should people call you?”  

Take the time and make the effort to create an ad that works hard for you the whole year long. Focus on creating a distinctive, benefit-oriented ad.

(For steps 1-2 please see previous post.)

www.automaticprofitsolutions.com

The Yellow Pages are a primary source of information because most people expect to find certain types of businesses listed there. They are the preferred choice of both a consumer and business buyer looking for products and services that aren’t required on a regular basis. But here’s what really makes the Yellow Pages such an effective marketing tool:

People use them when they are ready to buy!

There are only two downsides to advertising in the directory. First, and largest, is the cost. Yellow Page ads are expensive. And the other negative factor is that you are advertising along with all your competitors at the same location. So you had better look good and your ad had better do well against the competition.

If you’re going to run any kind of advertising… print, mail or voice, you should do all you can to make it pay off. After all, it costs the same to run an ineffective ad, as it does to run a super-responsive one.

A quick look through the Yellow Pages directory or newspaper from any city reveals an abundance of weak, under-performing, look-a-like ads. Most of these advertisers are spending hundreds of dollars every month on ads that are totally unresponsive.

Here are five tips and tricks that will in most cases double or triple the results of your advertising efforts. Read these ideas carefully, then put them to use. You’ll be amazed at the results.

1.  The essential elements for a profitable ad. Create an outline of your ad using the 4 ingredients of a powerful print ad:

                        Captivating Headline

                        Unique Benefits

                        Enticing Offer

                        Contact Information

2. Check other city directories and advertising media. Study publications. You can find them at your local library or online. Look up your own specific category and observe how others have approached the same marketing challenges you’re facing. Also, browse through categories that are completely unrelated to your field.  Keep your eyes open for ideas, concepts, strategies, or tactics that may be transferable to your industry.

Check back tomorrow for elements 3 -5!

Don’t forget to visit our website at www.automaticprofitsolutions.com