Fine-tune your database of clients, prospects and contacts. Treat your best clients special. Offer them special services. Airlines do this with their frequent flyer points and special status. Stay close to your best clients, keeping them informed and staying informed about them and their business.

Be unique. Discover 'unwritten rules' of your business then break them to be different. Dell broke 'rule' that computers must be sold through dealers. Dell is now a leader in computer direct sales. Stand out from crowd. Watch for changes in your industry that may threaten your market. If crowd goes down you don't have to go with it. The leaders in any market do well even in downswings.

Network with leaders in other business to learn about changes - threats and opportunities in their industries. These are people who may or may not actually buy your product - but you gain information, prestige and inspiration from them. You might partner with them for a joint promotion. It builds your credibility to be seen with leaders.

Build your credibility as an expert with help of media. Develop your media contacts. You will get best results from appearing in print. Print has greatest credibility and you can photocopy it for those who did not see it. Build relationships with editors, writers and reporters in publications your prospects and clients are most likely to read - or respect. Include these media contacts in your database and treat them like your best clients. Keep them informed of changes in your business. Meet them for lunch or coffee. Offer to introduce them to some of your other contacts they may be interested in meeting.

Write articles about your expertise for publications. Don't expect to be paid for articles - you want to get your name out often. The easiest articles to write are tips lists. Editors like them and readers love them - easy to read and use. Once you get published - recycle articles and offer to other publications. Photocopy articles and send them to everyone on your database - or at least to your best clients so they receive useful information and see what an expert you are. You must be an expert if your words are in print!

Keep your business alive; invest in future growth through smart marketing.

Beneficial Uses For Your Database

Find out your customers purchasing habits. Use information to improve design of your web site. Use it to write all your advertising material more persuasively.

Find out things they like or dislike about your business. Use information to target your best prospects.

Find out how much money your prospects or customers make. Use it to improve your customer service.

Find out what new products or services they need or want. Use it to test ideas before launching a total sales campaign.

Find out how to your improve your existing products or services. Use it to build your customer loyalty.

Find out which benefits or features they like most about your products or services. Use it to send electronic greeting cards on holidays or on your customer's birthdays.

The list of beneficial uses are endless. Do you see importance of collecting this information? The Internet makes process of collecting this information quicker and cheaper than offline methods.

Take advantage of database marketing and watch your online profits skyrocket.