For most folks, owning your own business is
a dream come true. The freedom of being your
own boss and succeeding to the best of your
ability are facts of life for the small business
owner. Sure, there's more stress than what you
probably imagined when you were creating your
grand plans, but with a little strategy and
planning you can overcome any tough spot you
get in. There are 7 tactics developed by successful
marketers that are sure to make your business
as successful as theirs.
1. Create A One
of a Kind Selling Point
If you want to stand out from the crowd, create
a unique selling proposition that stresses the
benefits the customers will receive from doing
business with you. Will they get faster service?
Go ahead and dramatize it, but keep the customer
at the focus...”Get free overnight delivery!”
Hey, it tells the customer...you get quick service
and a discount on shipping. Two definite benefits
in one statement.
Why should someone buy from you and not your
competitor? I hate to deal a blow to your ego,
but it really has nothing to do with you , your
product, or your service. Yeah, its a little
self-centered, but customers are attracted by
offers that point out the things that benefit
THEM.
Don’t go out on a limb to create new
products and services to get attention. Just,
add a special benefit to the ones you already
have... maybe it’s quicker service. The
most effective things to emphasize are benefits
that your competition cannot or is not willing
to give.
2. Use Testimonials
Hey, we all know that business owners think
their product or services are the best thing
going, but it's what the current customers think
about it that really matters to your prospective
customers. They're the ones who see things from
their point of view... what they have to say
about the business has an impact.
Testimonials play an important part in advertising
- especially for small businesses. Yeah, big
businesses with well-known names don't have
to worry about it, but small companies can use
testimonials as marketing tools to build credibility.
Think about it...how else can we gain credibility
than by creating a group of satisfied customers
and shouting what they have to say? Let's look
at some ways we can make testimonials an effective
part of our marketing campaigns.
3. Upsell
Upselling is one of the most successful marketing
trends today. Everywhere you go, someone is
trying to get you to buy more. From McDonalds
with its supersize options to clothing stores
that try to sell you shoes to match your outfit,
everyone's jumping on the band wagon. Why? It
works!
Your customers already know that you have great
products and provide satisfactory service. They
trust you to come through for them. Think about
it... it’s much easier to make sales to
someone you already have a relationship with.
Use every opportunity to increase your sales
volume within the customer audience you already
have. Do you have a product that goes with the
one they are purchasing? Offer it to them at
the register. It’s a proven and effective
method for increasing sales. You may be shocked
at the additional sales you can generate from
those who are already buying from you.
4. Make Your
Price Seem Smaller
Divide and conquer... The old war tactic works
in marketing too! When the price seems too steep,
break it down into "buyable" size
bites. An $120 item is only 12 low monthly payments
of $10. A $365 purchase would only cost $1 per
day. Now that sounds affordable!
5. Paint The
Benefits Pretty
Customers buy because they want to enjoy the
benefits of the purchase. A lady might buy a
dress because she wants to feel sexy, or a man
will buy a book because he finds pleasure in
reading. Emotions are the key element that drives
purchases.
Use word pictures to stir up the emotions that
will instigate the sale. Let them “feel”
the benefits, and they’ll be more apt
to head for the cash register. Put them where
you want them.
6. Create Attention
Getting Headlines
Are you ready to capture your reader’s
attention with great copy? The headline is the
place to start. How often do you scan the newspaper’s
headlines before you decide whether or not to
read the article? Yeah, that’s where we
lose or gain the reader’s interest, so
it’s a pretty important part of the advertisement.
A good headline should telegraph its message
in twelve words or less. Double check those
headlines. Do they make a promise of a positive
benefit, or ask a provocative question? Don't
settle for less than attention grabbing statements.
7. Provide An
Offer They Can't Resist
Is your deal too good to pass up? If not, you
need to improve it. Hey, I'm not talking about
cutting prices even more...you've still got
to make a profit. You can make the deal sweeter
just by increasing the readers knowledge of
the value of the product, or adding bonuses
that are perceived as valuable, but cost you
little.
Motivate buyers with expirations. Yeah, an
open ended offer encourages procrastination...which
leads ...yep, nowhere. When the customer knows
he has until Saturday to purchase an item he'll
pay more for on Sunday, he'll make it a priority
to head for your shop.
Who is Allyn
Cutts, and why should you care?
Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses
like yours find new customers and increase sales
to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and
sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing
solutions that drive huge results for small-to
mid-size business clients. Allyn works personally
with clients to design and deliver off-line
and on-line direct marketing strategies that
focus on metrics and measurable results. You
can learn more about Allyn Cutts at www.AllynCutts.com
and you can call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM
and 4 PM Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.
