This document outlines common mistakes made in marketing for small businesses and provides steps to address them. It discusses the importance of having a marketing plan, understanding your target market and differentiating your business. Additional mistakes covered include not having a referral program, neglecting existing customers, and not realizing that being in business means marketing your product or service. The document provides advice on developing marketing messages, goals and defining a unique selling proposition to attract customers.

1. PRESENTED BY-
GEETIKA MAHAJAN
BY –
DAVID FREY

2. MISTAKE 1:
NOT HAVING A MARKETING PLAN.

3. STEP 1
UNDERSTAND YOUR MARKET AND
COMPETITION
IF YOU TRY TO SELL
SOMETHING
AGAINST THE NEEDS
OF THE PEOPLE, THEY
WON’T BUY IT.

4. STEP 2
UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER.
1.WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS?
2.WHAT THEY WANT?
3.WHAT MOTIVATES THEM TO
BUY ?

5. PICK A NICHE.
STEP 3
FIND A GROUP OF SIMILAR
CUSTOMERS, WITH SIMILAR
NEEDS AND WANTS, WHO ARE
EASY TO CONTACT.

6. STEP 4
DEVELOP YOUR MARKETING MESSAGE.
MARKETING MESSAGE
NOT ONLY TELLS
YOU R PROSPECT,
WHAT YOU DO, BUT
PERSUADES THEM TO
BECOME YOUR
CUSTOMER.

7. STEP 5
DETERMINE YOUR MARKETING MEDIUM.
MARKETING MEDIUM IS THE
VEHICLE USED TO DELIVER
YOUR MARKETING MESSAGE.

8. STEP 6
SET SALES AND MARKETING GOALS.
GOALS
SHOULD
INCLUDE
FINANCIAL
ELEMENTS
SUCH AS
ANNUAL
SALES, REVEN
UES, PROFITS
ETC.

9. MISTAKE 2
NOT DIFFERENTIATING YOUR BUSINESS
FROM YOUR COMPETITION.
COMMON
STATEMENTS
OF
UNIQUENESS

10. STEP 1
YOUR UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION.
IF YOU WANT TO
SURVIVE DURING THE
SLOW ECONOMY YOU
MUST DIFFERENTIATE
YOURSELF IN THE
EYES OF YOUR
PROSPECT.

11. STEP 2
WHY IS YOUR USP SO IMPORTANT ?
TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN
SMALL
BUSINESS YOU
DON’T HAVE TO
BE THE
BEST,YOU JUST
HAVE TO BE
UNIQUE.

12. STEP 3
MAKE YOUR USP CRYSTAL CLEAR.
YOUR USP MUST
CREATE A REAL AND
PERCIEVED
ADVANTAGE IN
YOUR PROSPECT’S
MIND.

13. STEP 4
BE SPECIFIC.
HOW MANY
SMALL
BUSINESS DO
YOU HEAR
SAYING “THE
BEST
SELECTION IN
TOWN” OR
“SERVICE
WITH A
SMILE”?

14. NOT HAVING A SYSTEMETIC
REFERRAL GENERATING PROGRAMME.
REFERRALS ARE THE LIFE BLOOD OF SMALL
BUSINESS AND IF YOU HAVEN’T YET
INSTITUIONALIZED A REFERRAL PROGRAMME,
YOU’RE MAKE A HUGE MISTAKE.

15. WHY ARE REFERRALS SO POWERFUL?
REFERRALS ARE
VALUABLE BECAUSE
MOST OF THE TIME
THEY ARE COMPLETELY
FREE.

16. CUSTOMER SERVICE DOESN’T ALWAYS
EQUATE TO LOTS OF REFERRALS.
CUSTOMER
SERVICE
DOESN’T
ALWAYS
EQUATE TO
LOTS OF
REFERRALS.

17. WORD OF MOUTH ADVERTISING AND
REFERRALS ARE NOT THE SAME.
WORD OF MOUTH
ADVERTISING HAPPENS WHEN
ONE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS OR
FRIENDS MENTION YOUR
SMALL BUSINESS IN A
CASUAL CONVERSATIONS.
IT’S NOT INTENTIONAL OR
PLANNED.IT’S JUST
SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT
OF THEIR MOUTH.

18. NEGLECTING TO COMMUNICATE AND
MARKET TO YOUR CURRENT
CUSTOMERS.
NEVER EVER NEGLECT
YOUR CUSTOMERS.

19. FOCUS ON YOUR BEST CUSTOMER.
THE 80% OF YOUR
REVENUES WILL
COME FROM 20% OF
YOUR
CUSTOMERS,THESE
20% OF CUSTOMERS
ARE LOYAL TO YOU.

20. BE A FULL SERVICE-PROVIDER WITHOUT
ALL THE HASSLE.
TO MAXIMIZE THIS
STRATEGY YOU
MIGHT CONSIDER
ASKING YOUR
CUSTOMERS WHAT
THEY ARE LACKING
AND THEN FIND OUT
HOW TO SOLVE IT AS
THE SAYING GOING.

21. “MAKE MONEY WITH OPC (OTHER PEOPLE’S
CUSTOMERS)”.
TOO MANY SMALL
BUSINESSES MAKE THE
MISTAKE OF NOT
LOOKING BEYOND THE
WALLS OF THEIR OWN
BUSINESS TO SEE THE
VAST OPPORTUNITES OF
THEIR BUSINESS
WAITING FOR THEM
THROUGH “JOINT
VENTURE MARKETING”.

22. NOT REALIZING YOU ARE IN THE
BUSINESS OF MARKETING YOUR PRODUCT
OR SERVICE?
“ANY FOOL CAN MAKE
SOAP,IT TAKES A CLEVER
MAN TO SELL IT”.