Thinking Outside The Box
Graham Winmill - 13th November 2008
-
Look At Your Marketing In A Totally New
Way
Today I want to share with you one of the key ingredients for
your business success.
It's Free and you can do it right now but I can guarantee that
virtually none of your competitors are doing it.
What is it?
It's thinking outside the box. It's taking a step back from
your business and looking at your marketing in a totally new
way.
Let me explain. Most businesses are trapped in a
prison.
It's the prison that says they have to market in the same way
that everyone else in their profession markets. So all the
plumbers advertise in the yellow pages, all the hairdressers
advertise in the local paper, all the double glazing companies
use telemarketing etc etc.
If you are similar to 95% of businesses, you probably use just
one or two primary ways to market and grow your business.
Perhaps it's advertising. Perhaps it's referrals, or direct
mail. I understand why you're doing it but you need to know
that only using one or two marketing approaches is seriously
limiting your profits and your potential.
So here's my question for you:
What would happen if over the next few months you doubled that
to four or five prime ways of marketing?
Then, over the next few months you were to double it again, so
that you were using up to 10 prime ways of marketing to
maximise your customer base and your profitability?
I'll tell you what will happen. You'll achieve what everyone
continually tells me is 'impossible.' You'll increase your
profits by 50% or 100% or more.
I've seen it happen again and again with my clients and those
rare business owners and managers who are willing to decide to
make Marketing excellence their top priority.
At this point people normally start coming up with excuses. 'I
haven't got time' or 'I don't understand Marketing' are the
most frequent. Great, so start with the simple
stuff.
Let me give you an example:
When did you last get an email from your hairdresser? Instead
of putting all their efforts into advertising, what would
happen if your hairdresser took your email address next time
you visited and sent you the occasional email making you a
special offer, or asking if you would like to make an
appointment, or asking for referrals?
If they did that continually across the business they would
probably increase their re-booking rate by 20-50% and their
rate of referrals could easily double. And it will have cost
them virtually nothing.
So here's what I do when I start working with clients and I
would like to offer it to you as a gift now.
Have a look at this list of ten prime ways of marketing. If
you're serious about growing your business, pick at least two
that you're either not doing, or not doing very well - and
MAKE A DECISION to add them to your marketing
mix in the weeks and months ahead:
-
Direct Mail
-
Internet Marketing
-
Email Marketing
-
Pay per Click Advertising
-
Newspaper / Magazine
Advertising
-
Telephone Marketing
-
Direct Sales
-
Strategic Alliances
-
Up-selling existing
customers/clients
-
Referral Systems
-
PR
It all boils down to the extent to which you are prepared to
'step outside the box' and test new and innovative marketing
approaches.
Most businesses are not willing to do this. It's all too much
effort and they're more interested in wallowing in their
marketing ignorance, which is why most businesses in the UK are
living examples of mediocrity in action.
I believe that you are more than that - otherwise our paths
would not have crossed. Your thinking is one of the key factors
in determining your levels of success so 'Think Differently'
and have some fun. That's all, now
get back to work.
Graham Winmill AInstIB
Stuarts Green Consulting
Tel: 01562 887590
Mobile: 07956 375572
Email: graham@stuartsgreen.com
http://www.stuartsgreen.co.uk
http://www.iib.ws |
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