Get Business Now: Play by the Marketing Rules

Get Business Now: Play by the Marketing Rules
By Charlie
Cook

Marketing a business is like any game. If you know the rules
you are much more likely to win. All to often small businesses
spend their limited time and money on advertising, networking,
making calls, mailings, meeting with prospects, yet only
achieve middling results. The problem isn’t that they don’t
know their business or provide high quality products and
services, its that they don’t know the rules of the marketing
game.

Marketing To Win

To win the marketing game, you need to know the rules. The key
rules to getting the clients you want are: Market
Solutions Target Your Market Demonstrate Value Build Your
Network Stay in Touch

1. Market Solutions

Most service professionals focus their marketing on their
expertise, their approach and the products and services they
offer. While competence is a key to doing the work, most
clients` primary concern is getting problems solved and having
their spoken and unspoken needs met. Instead of marketing your
credentials, your processes and methodology, market your
knowledge and the solutions you offer.

Marketing is about making connections, specifically between a
client`s unmet need and the solutions you provide. The best
way to impress clients is to show them you understand the
problems they are experiencing. If you want to leverage your
credentials, mention past clients when you provide examples of
how you solved similar problems.

2. Target Your Market

Are you getting a positive response to your marketing efforts?
If not, then you may not have targeted your market and their
specific needs and interests precisely enough. Independent
professionals or small business owners often try to do the
impossible and be everything to everybody. Instead define your
niche market and get the attention of this group.

3. Demonstrate Value

Actions speak louder than words. If you want clients to be
aware of the value of your products or services, you will need
to give them a test drive. Open the door with newsletters,
workshops, a free session or articles found on your web site.
Over time demonstrating the value you provide will convince
prospective clients of your ability to solve their problems
and help position you as a trusted advisor.

4. Build Your Network

The objective is to know who is interested in your products and
services. Networking is a good idea because people like to buy
products from people they know and trust. If they’ve met you
or been referred to you they are more likely to trust you.

Depending on the business you are in, you can build your
network of prospects through conventional networking or
through your web site and email. Either way the more qualified
prospects you have in your network the better.

5. Stay in Touch

Memories are short. Once we hit middle age most of us can`t
remember what we had for dinner two days ago, much less the
host of services various firms provide. In most cases its safe
to assume your target market has forgotten about the range of
solutions you offer, if they remember you at all.

Stay in touch with your target market on a monthly or, at a
minimum quarterly basis. When you contact people be clear
about the action you want prospective, existing and past
clients to take.

Win the Marketing Game

Once you know the rules to marketing you can apply them to map
out your marketing strategy, and to select marketing tactics
that will leave your competition in the dust.

Paul White is a 42 year old former teacher. He now helps people
all around the world to become wealthy online. Whatever you
are selling, visit the popular site: http://www.profitmountain.
com (http://www.profitmountain.com) and if you subscribe to
Profit Mountain`s FREE wealth building newsletter, you will
also receive FREE advertising for the next 12 months! (Worth
$200!) as well as loads of other things!