TEN TIPS for Marketing Your Business to Grow Nancy Wilhelms May 14, 2009

for Marketing Your Business to Grow

Why it’s important: We’re in a brand new ballgame!

We’re in a brand new ballgame!

Getting Started Introductions - Name and business What questions would you like answered or discussed today?

Introductions - Name and business

What questions would you like answered or discussed today?

Goal Make you think about Marketing your business Marketing yourself

Make you think about

Marketing your business

Marketing yourself

The same dilemma When there’s little business out there...how do we get the customers to come to us?

When there’s little business out there...how do we get the customers to come to us?

#1 Communicate BENEFITS of what you do!

What is the RESULT? Granite installer: “I make homes more beautiful with granite.” Bedding store owner: “I help people get a good night’s sleep.” Realtor: “I help families achieve the lifestyle they dream of.” Chamber Exec: “I help local businesses succeed.”

Granite installer: “I make homes more beautiful with granite.”

Bedding store owner: “I help people get a good night’s sleep.”

Realtor: “I help families achieve the lifestyle they dream of.”

Chamber Exec: “I help local businesses succeed.”

Exercise Let’s take a minute to write out the benefit(s) of what you do.

Let’s take a minute to write out the benefit(s) of what you do.

#2 Know your customers

They are your best asset Your best source of repeat business Your best source of new business Your best source of referral business

Your best source of repeat business

Your best source of new business

Your best source of referral business

Market to, in this order Current customers Friends and family of current customers

Current customers

Friends and family of current customers

and very last... Tall dark strangers

Tall dark strangers

#3 Target your customer

Go where he/she goes In media In habit For fun

In media

In habit

For fun

#4 Ask for Referrals!

Don’t Be Afraid of This! Your current customers are the best source of new customers. If you don’t ask, they won’t share!

Your current customers are the best source of new customers.

If you don’t ask, they won’t share!

Expose Yourself to NEW New “social media” Facebook My Space Linked In Twitter More

New “social media”

Facebook

My Space

Linked In

Twitter

More

#6 Go where others aren’t

You can do it, too! If no one is advertising/promoting and you are, you stand out! If no one is advertising/promoting and you are, you get the business! This economy is full of customers and opportunities, and they will go the the companies that are VISIBLE! Opportunities can be VERY affordable.

If no one is advertising/promoting and you are, you stand out!

If no one is advertising/promoting and you are, you get the business!

This economy is full of customers and opportunities, and they will go the the companies that are VISIBLE!

Opportunities can be VERY affordable.

Whatever you do GET YOUR CUSTOMERS’ EMAIL ADDRESSES!!!

GET YOUR CUSTOMERS’ EMAIL ADDRESSES!!!

#7 Go Outside the BOX

Try Something New Web-newsletter to your clients with links back to your site - Constant Contact.com Add a blog to your website Sponsor a program on NPR - KAJX or KDNK Sponsor an event (join with others) - get your name and logo out there - esp. with “benefits” Sponsor a contest or a giveaway Create traffic - like Las Vegas Be an expert - take a reporter to lunch! Give a talk…like this one!

Web-newsletter to your clients with links back to your site - Constant Contact.com

Add a blog to your website

Sponsor a program on NPR - KAJX or KDNK

Sponsor an event (join with others) - get your name and logo out there - esp. with “benefits”

Sponsor a contest or a giveaway

Create traffic - like Las Vegas

Be an expert - take a reporter to lunch! Give a talk…like this one!

#8 Fly your sail!

Get out there! Network Volunteer for something you care about Partner Attend Chamber events! Don’t stay “in”

Network

Volunteer for something you care about

Partner

Attend Chamber events!

Don’t stay “in”

#9 Change Your Environment

Make Same-Old NEW Landscape - ColoradoBiz says landscape architecture can boost real estate sales Clean up a retail or professional environment Make the same thing look different - for both you and your customers - paint, re-arrange, re-do for FRESH!

Landscape - ColoradoBiz says landscape architecture can boost real estate sales

Clean up a retail or professional environment

Make the same thing look different - for both you and your customers - paint, re-arrange, re-do for FRESH!

60-Second Exercise: Quick thoughts - What can you do that you’re not doing now? Five quick thoughts!

Quick thoughts - What can you do that you’re not doing now?

Five quick thoughts!

#10 Be CREATIVE

Have some fun! Ellie the dog sells real estate Ski jumpers sell high end menswear Gay ski week sells bodywaxing 10 deer sell a magazine A refrigerator magnet sells a health club

Ellie the dog sells real estate

Ski jumpers sell high end menswear

Gay ski week sells bodywaxing

10 deer sell a magazine

A refrigerator magnet sells a health club

#11 Be Contrary!

Be colorful. Be yourself. Don’t buy in to gloom. Take a break from things that aren’t moving forward. Envision what you want to make happen and make it happen!

Don’t buy in to gloom.

Take a break from things that aren’t moving forward.

Envision what you want to make happen and make it happen!