If you’re a Generation X-er marketing to Baby Boomers, your taste will be different, but you’re not selling to you, you are selling to them.

YOUR WEBSITE AND COLLATERALS

“Collaterals” in marketing means your promotional materials – your website, brochures, flyers and things like that. You need to consider them always works in progress. Marketing changes even more rapidly these days, and particularly on Internet.

You should review your website at least every 6 months. We expect to see changes on a website. Very few of them are static. Changing look from time-to-time shows that you’re a “happening” place. This indicates, especially in area of services, that you’re keeping up with times – new information, new ways of addressing problems, new! Not old! The marketplace is changing, and consumers want you to be too.

WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING

You need to be constantly aware of what others are doing, about internet in general, but also about your competition. Peruse other websites continually. You’ll find new and better ways of saying things, new terms, new services, new programs, and you’ll also see their pricing. This is only way you can stay competitive. By looking at a cross-section, you’ll see what’s “in”. When you see something that’s jarring to you, you’ll know not to do that.

You can read rules for instance, about not having a long load time for your website, and consider yourself special, but first time you’re in a hurry and go to a website that takes “too long” to upload and you impatiently give up and go elsewhere, you will have learned most valuable lesson you can.

Or when you happen to be in a quiet office and go to a website and suddenly there’s music blaring out. Be a mindful consumer sometimes and see what it’s like from other side.

Next time you get irritated with someone’s website, stop and analyze why. Too many graphics? Font too small or too hard to read? Too busy? Unappealing colors?

If you sell services or products related to relationships and dating, check out all websites you can to get feel, look and terminology.

Do market research all time. It’s just a matter of paying attention to what you see, hear and feel. If you really get into it, you can become almost obnoxious about it. Conrad Hilton’s wife said she couldn’t stand to travel with him because he was always criticizing what he saw when they were in a hotel. It should be like that, where you have to remind yourself to turn this critical eye off, not on. There’s a lot to learn out there in a changing scene, and it takes constant attention.

©Susan Dunn, marketing coach, http://www.webstrategies.cc . Ebook writing and launch, web strategies, marketing and promotion, press releases, web design, article-writing and submission. Full-service, consultation and implementation, advice and resources. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for free ezine, put “checklist” for subject line.

2. Raise your prices. This will either move bargain hunters elsewhere, or make it financially feasible for you to meet your demanding clients demands! Higher prices will help establish you as a successful and sought-after consultant as well. This took me a long time to learn... but just look at lawyers... If you could afford it, would you rather be defended by a $600/hr lawyer or a $100/hr lawyer? If my life depended on it, I'd go for most expensive one I could afford!

3. Fill your appointment book! Being busy is good for business and it puts client in a waiting line. They realize that your business is not dependant solely upon them. "Our earliest available appointment is in 3 weeks" gives client little to "bad-mouth" about except that you are too busy... which really sends a pretty good message to other potential clients. If I was looking for a consulting firm, I would want busy one! And I would wait to get them.

4. Refer them to other firms. "Due to an increased workload", "other responsibilities", whatever... you are unable at this time to provide client with service they require. "We suggest you contact XYZ & Company, who will likely be able to better fill your needs!" Its professional, doesn't leave client without an answer to his problems and generally improves your image in community. The company you refer them to may be a closer fit for client. It can become a win-win-win situation.

5. Sell client to competition! (This one has a satisfying irony to it) Let your competitors know that you have a client that last year generated X dollars in revenue, but that because of growth in you business you are unable to properly service client. If you can sell it for a percentage of future revenue or flat fee, then you end up passing your "problems" to your competitors and getting paid for it!! Life is grand! :-)

Putting them into practice has provided me with a satisfying and rewarding experience in consulting/systems integration business for over 10 years. I have a client base that pay well, and on-time. and appreciate my work. I have time-off for family, I get invited to parties, I get hugged, I enjoy serving them. I have zero receivables, I sleep at night!

Leigh Sheppard Micro Pacific Computer Corporation