The advantages and benefits of marketing strategy

You see them everywhere these companies and business people who engage in a field they love.

In books, in the media and on the internet, you can read about their adventures and the challenges they face every day.

Such transparency allows people who surround these entrepreneurs to learn and understand the real difficulties of building a business, creating a new product / service, as well as finding enough customers to survive.

Communication, marketing and sales are to these entrepreneurs, mechanisms that help them achieve their goals, realize their vision, their dream.

However, the perception of what "marketing" is very different for many people.

For Carole, an employee of a non-profit organization, marketing is to sell as many products as possible to generate maximum profits. "One of the problems of capitalism" Carole says.

According to Paul, self employed, marketing and advertising are ways to target the right market and communicate with potential customers. Its aim is to succeed his company, his dream.

"If you help enough people to get what They want, you can have everything you want." Zig Ziglar

I like to think that marketing is simply an activity, a series of tools to help a person or business to a successful business venture.

The needs of each and every one is different, but the goal of all is the same: success.

You may need to improve your ad copy, your ads? You probably need help to survey your potential customers? You possibly need advice to plan and organize your communication strategy on the web?

List your marketing needs is very long.

How marketing could help you exactly?

Here are some simple examples of advantages and benefits that you provide good marketing strategies into your business.

Gain confidence

One of the comments I received repeatedly creating a value proposition for my clients is that interesting proposal gives confidence to the manager. It now knows what to say to a client who asks him: "Why should I do business with you and not your competitors."

A strong value proposition and advertising give clear direction to the company, especially when you realize that your sales do not take off.

Clarity

Who are you? What is the role of your company on the market? You are passionate about your field, but the problem is not there. You are absorbed by the management of your business. You do not have the time and energy to make sense for your business.

And it is also the perception your customers about your company, they do not know the benefits of doing business with you.

Are, you feel that your compass does not always point north.

A good plan, good ideas, good advice, you will focus on the things that really matter to your customer.

Communicate with your potential customers

Your products / services are available. How will you go about making your prospects know that you exist?

The role of marketing communication is to help you identify the right levers communications (while reducing costs) to maintain the relationship with your potential customers. Good advice will improve your marketing communications.

Good marketing tips will help you project a professional image, attract new customers and reactivate former clients.

More visibility

The right tools and the right marketing tips you will be exposed to more potential customers.

Better conversion rates

If for every ten potential customers that approached you, you manage to convert a buyer or two, you know that it is possible to do better.

The integration of a value proposition in your marketing mix could certainly improve your conversion rate of prospects to buyers.

Increase the average customer's

A good strategy to move upmarket has the potential to increase the average value of each of your sales.

Can you identify a product / service that could benefit from further your current customers?

Increase your profits

Let's be honest. If you win more trust in you and your products / services, if your key messages are more accurate, if the communication with your potential customers is more picky, if you know how to reach your potential customers, if your business shines more about your market, your chances will definitely increase your profits grow.

A win-win

In business, your success is interdependent with that of others. More people will help you succeed, the more you will succeed.

To achieve this win-win agreement, marketing has an important role to play in identifying and defining the exact needs of your potential customers.

Promote your products / services

Choosing the right words to highlight your products / services has the potential to increase your sales.

No matter the product or service to sell, the perception your prospects towards your business is more important than anything.

It is primarily with words that you can improve your image and your business.

Now that you know what a good marketing strategy can do for you, are you ready to take action?

Read More

Successful marketing and customer loyalty

For most businesses, the main measures of success are generally marketing sales, more profits and greater brand recognition.

These measures seem to be an obvious way to see healthy and marketing, is not it?

However, what would happen if your ultimate goal as an entrepreneur was to win people's trust?

What would happen if all your marketing decisions were taken in the best interests of your clients?

What would you do if the ultimate measure of the success of a company was to be 100% responsible for your customers?

This reasoning may be surprising to some, but to get your first client, it works! It forces you to improve your skills and way of doing business.

First, the reality is that your customers do not care about what you sell. They do not really care about your business or you.

Your customers may like your products, they may like to do business with you, but what they really appreciate is the attention you give them.

So if your ultimate goal is to do business with customers engaged and loyal to your brand, you will base all your decisions in the interest of your customers.

This grade can be subtle for some people, however, it will become apparent when you turn into question the work that you do. This decision will she take the client or will it simply beneficial for your business?

This reflection could make you hesitate because its answer is possibly different from what you are accustomed to hear: putting the customer first, it might be expensive, but in my heart I know it is the right thing to do.

Who knows, you might have to counsel a client to buy a product or service, because you know that is not what he needs.

You may have to teach your customers how to get more of your products rather than encourage them to buy new ones.

Although this kind of initiative could actually cause you to lose sales in the short term, this is an excellent long-term vision for your business.

In the client's best interest.

Obviously take business decisions to satisfy the customer first will always pay in the long term, even if these decisions are difficult to accept at first.

Tell a customer that your product or service is not the best solution, this is not always the easiest thing to do. But it gets worse: introduce your client a better solution, even if it is offered by your competitor.

In the short term, such a decision might seem to have a negative impact on your business, but in the long term, you have a good head start compared to your competitors.

You know it's the right thing to do.

You earn the respect of your customers and they will be loyal . They tell people that they can trust you.

A lasting partnership based on customer confidence and it takes a lot of time.

Looks like another, "it's the hard stuff that country off in the end."

I hope you liked this post.

Read More

Communication with your customers, your first marketing tool

Now that you created with your database and collected relevant information about your customers, it is now time to communicate with them.

Your first marketing tool is ongoing communication with your customers. Communication is a great way to increase your revenues and profits.

Do not hesitate to assign the tasks of communication to your sales reps and your support staff. Start by contacting your best customers on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly).

To communicate, you do not need to be an expert in telemarketing or copywriter outstanding.You do not make the sale.

You simply invite your best customers coming back.

Here is an example from my arguments telephone ebook, marketing value :

"Hello Sir / Madam, I am Sarah Lingerie Zoe. I'm calling to thank you for doing business with us. I would like to mention that we received a new collection of products. We offer our customers only the best, a 15% discount applicable on products of this collection, and this week only. We wanted to share with you this offer before the launch of our campaign public.

Lingerie shop Zoe is retail in your area with the largest selection of lingerie for women in Quebec. Zoe brand is synonymous with quality and elegance at affordable prices. "

As you noticed, contact your customers by phone is not a difficult task.

However, it is not necessary to make this work for several hours in a day. Few calls a day is enough.

When you communicate with your loyal buyers, I suggest you contact other clients in your database using the e-mail or postal service.

Your text does not need to be long. A short text can easily and effectively communicate your value proposition .

Send you statements and periodic newsletters to your customers?

If this is the case, make room in your envelope (or email) to insert single letters of invitation.

By doing so, no additional cost is generated and you do not disturb your clients once too.

She is very pretty, but it does not stand out

Unless you live on another planet, every week, you probably receive several flyers in your mailbox.

You've probably noticed these beautiful advertisements printed on quality paper? Those where it presents a perfect design, colors well appointed, stylish fonts and the face of a young woman smiling and fulfilling?

Aesthetically pleasing, but publicitairement missed.

Brand marketing in its purest form. Everything except the consumer's attention, the value proposition of the company and the offer.

Advertising lifeless.

The marketing database is relational marketing.

What we are looking for project marketing database, marketing is living a telephone call without recorded message, a personalized letter without jargon.

Marketing database, this is the perfect opportunity to articulate your value proposition and present your offer.

Communication with the customer, a marketing arm pay

And if you had a response rate of 25% for 500 clients contacted? What does that mean to you? Hundreds or thousands of dollars or euros in new revenue?

But beware, the marketing database will not be effective if your customers never hear from you. You must communicate with them frequently. You must develop and maintain the relationship with the customer.

A thank you card is another great way to communicate with your customers. Slide it in their bag or in an email when you purchase. Attach to a discount of 10 or 15% off their next purchase.

As mentioned above, the purpose of this marketing tool is not to make a sale, but to invite the customer back.

Take the opportunity to explain to your client what distinguishes you from the competition.

I hope you liked this post.

Read More

A successful business without marketing PART 2

Succeed in business without marketing

The reality is that many entrepreneurs would succeed in their business without resorting to advertising, sales and marketing.

Why? Because they feel that they do twist the arms of people to open their wallets. They believe that by advertising, they disturb people who do not need (or are not interested) in their products / services.

A database client can contain three types of customers: existing customers, existing customers and potential customers. A prospect (or potential customer) is interested in your products and services. He is qualified.

You do not have to twist the arms of your prospects. You simply need to contact them.

You know, the world's largest companies spend fortunes on advertising. It is not by chance that they are one day found at the top of their industry.

Initially, they were perhaps not the best, but they were the first to raise awareness among consumers and communicate with their customers. Then, with all the profits, they listened to their customers and finally, correct and offer products / services that better meet consumer needs.

If you manage your business with the mouth-to-mouth (references), congratulations! Spread your message is certainly done appropriately and effectively. However, if you must sell the same products / services of your business to your market, then you get to an excellent opportunity to articulate your value proposition and benefits of your products / services.

Marketing database, this is an opportunity for you to communicate the value of your business and keep in touch with your customers.

As I've written in several of my posts, marketing is first and foremost a form of communication between you and the consumer.

If marketing is practiced with honesty, integrity and morality, you make a service to your potential customers.

Your potential customers are interested in your products, your services and what you have to say. Maybe they were not ready to buy today, and there are many reasons (no money, no time, message imprecise, etc). However, a potential customer is always potentially interested in what you have to offer. It will only purchase when ready.

A potential customer is a potential customer, and until he tells you clearly that your products and services no longer interest.

You can hate marketing and advertising, but if you do not communicate with your prospects, how will they know you exist? How they remember you?

The idea behind the marketing, it is not to harass the client is to maintain a relationship with him. It is interested in him first. Then, is to communicate the value of your business and ultimately to promote your offer.

Read More

A successful business without marketing PART 1

This is true and I understand you. Want to succeed in business without resorting to marketing and advertising.

You want your potential customers buy your products / services without you having to ask them. Without having to sell. And this is normal, you have experience in a specific area, but no experience in sales and marketing.

However, you should know that when you run a business, you also agree to become marketers. You need a system that will allow you to reach your customers, communicate the value of your business and sell your products / services.

Just recently, I had an interesting discussion with a friend who is designer of accessories for children. Julie cares about her business and she would love to say that its sales "take off" like a rocket.

I do not like marketing

In our discussion, I told him that one of the most important marketing assets of a company is its database of customers.

Here is an excerpt of our conversation:

Julie: "As informed consumer, I hate to receive advertising after a purchase. So I assume that my customers feel the same. '

Christian: "In fact, no one likes to receive advertising for products and services that do not interest us. '

Julie: "There are about two years, I bought a toy (for my daughter) a little shopping, and since that day, every month he sends me product offers by email. It's nice to think about, but I'm not interested in these products. So I always delete these emails without even reading them. '

Christian: "Okay. To begin with, marketing is all about communication. This person has added your name and email address in its database of clients in your first purchase. So, for each of the opportunities that arise, this person does not hesitate to communicate with its customers to share news, promotions, recall value proposition, new products / services, etc.. And this is a great way to maintain the relationship with its customers. However, this person should not prevent its customers to unsubscribe from your list. Usually, if e-mails are well organized, there should be a link that allows you to you to unsubscribe from our mailing list. Build a customer list is an excellent way to do marketing, however, you should never force anyone to stay on his list »

Julie: "Okay. I always delete these emails without opening them. In the next email, I'll make sure he takes me to his list. '

Christian: "This is a great idea. It is possible that one day you were for him a great potential client, but now your children have grown up, so you changed your tastes and your needs have changed too. I'm sure this person would rather not have you on the list if you have more interest in its products / services. For this person, his client list (past and potential) is a way to measure the response rate versus the number of potential customers in the list. If your name is still on the list even if you are no longer a potential client, you do not give service to man, and vice versa. '

Julie: "I understand. And why should I build a list of potential customers? '

Christian: "Because the day you meet a potential client is certainly not the day he will buy your products. If you have no way to communicate with that person after the first contact, it may very well forget you. It is important to communicate with him, and to keep abreast of new developments. '

Read More

Convert a potential customer into a customer buyer

Let's refresh our memory. What are the three factors of growth of your business?

• The number of potential customers generated through marketing and advertising.
• The conversion rate of your prospects to buyers.
• The average value of your customers.

How can we use to increase revenue for your business?

Today, we focus on the second element of marketing growth: the rate of conversion of potential customers to buyers.

It's unfortunate, but most business leaders do no monitoring of this factor marketing.However, the conversion rate of sales is measurable and present in all companies, regardless of industry.

Even professional services organizations such as doctors, lawyers and accountants have a conversion rate quantifiable. These professionals make (almost all) of marketing for their business and generate potential customers. It is for them to recognize these potential clients and to determine the portion of those who become buyers.

It is possible for an owner of a retail calculate the number of people (potential customers) that fall within their store versus the number of transactions that are performed. However, many neglect this powerful marketing tool.

Some traders pay very expensive (eg advertising) to attract customers, however, when they visit their trade, they ignore them and watch them from without offering help, without informing them of their value proposition and without capture their personal information. Damage.

Why the conversion rate of sales is a growth factor important factor is that it creates no additional expense to acquire a new customer.

The client is moved to visit your business, he used his precious time to call you and ask for more information about your company. This is the perfect opportunity (and perhaps the only chance you have) to forge new links with the potential customer.

Take the example of dietician in my post: True beauty begins on the inside ... your business , section A dietician and database marketing.

Sale is a very important part of marketing. Good marketing techniques can help you dramatically increase your revenues and profits. All professionals / managers must ensure that their assistant (s) administif (ve) pays special attention to new potential customers and your conversion rates, prospect buyer.

You treat potential customers the right way?

The techniques used to increase the conversion rate of your business should not only be applied by your sales representative. These techniques should be integrated into all your marketing efforts. A mailing that converts a certain percentage of your prospective customers into buyers can be modified and reworked to increase your response rate. Perhaps you could also improve your advertising copy and scripts for telemarketing?

Identify your conversion rate, insert your key marketing messages (value proposition) and measure the changes in your conversion rate.

Find ways to improve it.

How can we improve?

Start by integrating your value proposition in all your marketing strategies. Costs associated with changes in your advertising messages are almost nonexistent, but can have a significant positive impact on the success of your business.

Finally, hone your sales techniques. Sales training should not only be reserved for your sales representatives. These are essential skills for all your business partners who are in contact with your customers.

Read More

Measure your marketing and sales efforts

In my ebook, marketing value , I emphasize the importance of measuring the level of success of your business.

Basically, there are only three ways to increase profits for your business. To measure your sales, you must first identify these three pieces of information (values) important:

• The number of potential customers generated through marketing and advertising.
• The conversion rate of your prospects to buyers.
• The average value of your customers.

Any company, regardless of industry, began selling process.

For example, in a retail, advertising is a way to generate leads. Then the sales representative with the potential customer, present the product / service and generates a sale.

A self-generating potential customers through calls and references, using direct mail, email, telemarketing or the advertising in magazines. Subsequently, the self-employed followed up with potential customers by inviting them to an appointment. Finally, it concludes a sale.

A manufacturing company can generate leads by registering on waiting lists for any project.Then the company may make offers and try to win contracts.

A service company can use advertising and workshops to attract the attention of potential customers. Then, it presents its services and tries to make a sale.

Any company can employ a sales representative who will be responsible for prospecting, presentation products and closing the sale.

During the sales process, we offer the product / service that best meets the client's needs.Example, if a customer buys a tent for the winter, it may also need a sleeping bag (4 seasons), mattress foam, hiking boots, spikes, snowshoes, stove, etc.. By tracking the expenses incurred by each client, the leader of the company can determine if the sales representative and the employees fill all the needs of consumers rather than just the products / services requested.

The three core values ​​or growth factors of sales, work together to grow your business exponentially.

Before the integration of your value proposition , be sure to determine the three values ​​mentioned above.

They can sometimes be difficult to measure at the outset. Do not guess these figures. First, try to reserve a full week to track their progress.

First save the personal data of customers with receipts, contests, or simply by asking the clients. Each new client is a potential customer, measure the number of potential clients that you served. Ask them where they heard about your business. Note: If your business is online (website), be sure to track the number of visits to your website.

Then add the number of invoices, contracts, additions, receipts, you have accumulated during the week.

After that, divide the number of buyers (total invoices) by the number of potential customers to calculate your sales conversion rate.

Finally, divide the total amount of revenue generated by these customers by the number of buyers and get the average value of the customer.

You can estimate. Do not dwell on the correct figures. An estimate is better than nothing.

I explained in a different way.

Task No. 1, determine the number of potential customers generated through advertising and marketing.

A potential customer is a person who visits your business, visit your website, call you on the phone, attending your presentation, request for additional information about your products / services.

Begin by following this figure for a full week. Totalize the value and write it down.

Task No. 2, determine the number of customers (buyers) and generated sales conversion rate.

Among all potential clients who have approached, add the number of potential customers who have purchased your products and have used your services. Divide this value by the total number of potential customers generated during the same period. Is that it is 0.1 (10%) or 0.8 (80%)? Note this value.

Task number 3, determining the average value of each client.

To find the average value of your customers, you need to combine two values. The first is the value of a transaction for a purchase. The second is the number of times that the customer returns and buys for a certain period of time.

So, for example, if you want to calculate the average annual value of a customer, add the amounts of all invoices for a full year, and this value divided by the number of bills this year.

Example:

Invoice 1: $ 50 
Invoice 2: $ 75 
Invoice 3: $ 55

Total: $ 180

Total ($ 180) divided by 3 = $ 60 bills on average per purchase.

If the customer visits your store about 4 times per year, thus gives an average annual value of $ 240.

Now that you have created your value proposition, you must include in all your communications. But before integrating, be sure to measure three factors of your business growth.

As I explained in my free ebook, value marketing , traditional marketing (mass advertising) is only intended to increase the number of potential customers for your business. However, it is much more advantageous to optimize your marketing so as to increase your sales conversion rate and the average value of your customers.

Three-dimensional growth is exponential growth, and this is research.

Take the following example:

1 - You have the attention of potential customers 50. 
2 - Your sales conversion rate is 50%, then 25 you convert potential customers into buyers. 
3 - The average value of a customer / transaction is $ 100.

Your revenues are $ 2500.

Now, thanks to an advertisement, you increase the number of potential customers for your business by 20%.

1 - You have the attention of potential customers 60. 
2 - Your sales conversion rate is 50%, then 30 you convert potential customers into buyers. 
3 - The average value of a customer / transaction is $ 100.

Your revenues are $ 3000.

An increase of $ 500, or 20%.

Now let's see an increase of 20% for all growth factors of your business can do.

1 - You have the attention of potential customers 60. 
2 - Your sales conversion rate is 60%, then 36 you convert potential customers into buyers. 
3 - The average value of a customer / transaction is $ 120.

Your revenues are $ 4,320.

An increase of $ 1,820, or 72.8%.

Now, how does one actually to increase these values ​​to marketing your business

I hope you liked this post.

See you soon!

Read More