The single most important activity you can do in your small business is create a unique marketing strategy and plan. When was last time you saw a company marketing themselves in an outrageous way? In this day and age it looks like everyone has read same book on marketing – and sorry to say – that book doesn’t work!What does work – is a little creativity, a little personality and a lot of effort to make yourself so different from your competition – that there is no real competition.
1.What crazy stunts could you do to get free media publicity? What type of outrageous challenge could you post to public (ie give me 30 days and we will change your life, your business, your appearance etc…) Alternatively, go get a Guinness Book Of Records… find something that is remotely related to your business… and design a new record you are going to create – media will love you.
2.What’s your stadium pitch? Imagine this...you have been given chance to do a 60 second presentation to 50,000 people in a stadium. Just as you walk out to start presentation… they announce that people don’t have to stay if they don't want. What could you say in 15 seconds to get them to stay? What could you say in 60 seconds to convince them that your company is only alternative and they’d be crazy not to build a relationship with you?
3.Think about lifetime value of your clients. When they are first introduced to you they are buying into a relationship with you… they are NOT buying a product. It is up to you to nurture that relationship. Are you? If you treat them right and make them feel like family… your clients will come back… buy more… and buy more often. In today’s cold impersonal business world, be one that treats them like family.
4.Find a way to build a recurring payment plan around your business. If you have a one-time purchase of your product… what could you offer to your clients to have them come back more often? Could you do a tune-up or clean up or re-design once a year? Rather than waiting for them to come in… offer them a reminder service and a monthly enticement to come back in. Bill them monthly, quarterly or yearly. Up to 50% (sometimes more) of your clients will take this option… what would that add to your bottom line?