- Target Your Marketing Most small business owners waste their time and money pitching too broadly. Do you have an effective method for identifying people who want your products and services?

- Use a Problem Solving Approach Over 95 percent of small business owners focus their marketing on reasons people should buy their products and services, not on their clients. Is your marketing focused on client's concerns and problems or on yours?

- Demonstrate Value Getting your name in front of people is a first step in marketing, but if your prospects don’t know what you do or how you can help them, you haven't achieved your goal. Past clients and prospects may have only a limited idea of how you can help them. Do your prospects understand range of problems you solve and solutions you provide?

- Build Relationships Every past client and prospect who has shown an interest can help you grow your business. Most service professionals know this but waste this resource through lapsed or infrequent communication. Do you have a method for staying in touch on a monthly basis with every person who could help you grow you business? Do you have a strategy for growing number of qualified prospects on this list each week?

Many people find that defining their marketing strategy is hardest part of their job. So hard that many small business owners use a tactical approach instead. Don't make this mistake!

Once you have clear marketing goals and a well-defined strategy, your marketing will be more focused and you can make more effective use of appropriate marketing tactics to grow your business. Shift to strategic marketing and you'll turbo charge your marketing and your business. - 2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.