12 Sales and Marketing tips to help you thrive

22nd October 2008

1. Strive to provide an ever better level of service to your customers. Be clearly better than your competitors

   Cultivate your current customers. Nurture them. Serve them well. Do everything in your power to make them happy and keep them satisfied with your product or service. They'll keep coming back for more, and it'll make you feel good.

2. Use customer testimonials and case studies

   Use your existing customers as advocates for your products and services. One satisfied customer testimonial is worth any number of glossy sales brochures. Make it easy for your prospects to buy from you, make them feel safe and secure in your hands.

3. Reactivate dormant accounts

   You worked hard for that customer, but in the past you may not have worried about losing them, especially if they were low value. Now's the time to win them back, so go get ‘em! At very least call them and find out why you lost them in the first place.

4. Keep plugging each sales lead

   Sales leads cost you money, so value every single one. Use a database to record each time you've made contact with someone. If a prospect asks you to call them back in 6 months, schedule the call, and make sure you do it!

5. Share ideas with your customers

   Knowledge is truly powerful when it is shared. Call your customer with helpful hints and tips, ask for nothing in return. They'll respect you for it, and may even come to pay you to help them implement your ideas.

6. Up-sell and Cross-sell to generate additional revenue

   Offer new and complimentary products and services to your existing customer base. Maximize the value of each customer.

7. If economic conditions start hurting you, understand your customers probably feel it too

   Always be positive, and share the techniques that are working for you. You'll gain their respect and loyalty and probably learn a thing or two in return.

8. Use low cost lead generation and marketing campaigns

   For example:

   Call your existing customers

   Don't sit with your head in your hands, do something - GET ON THE PHONE and cold call some local companies.

   Use the web
   - make sure you have an enquiry mechanism on your website
   - develop free downloadable information based on the knowledge you have of your industry
   - join and contribute to online forums
   - get free directory listings
   - Use free social networking like blogs and YouTube (it's all free)

   Develop a referral programme - Ask your happy customers for new contacts

9. Don't cut your prices - repackage your products and services

   Slashing prices is a slippery slope, and there's only one way - down.

   Look at your product and service offerings and pick out components that you may be able to sell individually or as an alternative package and at a different price point. The value of these to your customer may be a pleasant surprise, and could have dramatic effect on your bank balance.

10. Develop your USPs

    Differentiate yourself from your competitors, put clear distance between you and your rivals. By making yourself unique you'll naturally face less completion.

11. Sharpen your collateral

    Double check your brochures, website content, and datasheets. You know, the things you haven't looked at for 10 months. Check your marketing messages are up-to-date.

12. Always, always, remains positive!

    The most important thing is never to be depressed. If you are depressed or even a little downhearted, prospects can sense your desperation and fear; this will have a negative effect on your dealings with them.

And finally ... If you want something to change, you have to change something!

Comments

First you must know as much as you can about people's needs, human culture, Internet culture. You must know what they want and what they want to hear. But do not do the same mistake that most people do. Some have the charisma but are not honest. Others are honest but do not have the charisma. So you must inspire confidence.
By daneil on 23rd December, 2009

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