Advertising has changed. Many consumers and businesses are using the Internet now to compare prices and buy items they need online.

For the small to medium size business the cost of advertising to get the attention of these buyers has gone through the roof. It is outrageous how expensive it has become to advertise in newspapers, magazines and the Yellow Pages.

The real problem with display ads is they are not targeted advertising and there is no guarantee that you will get any response at all. You could spend hundreds of dollars of your already tight marketing budget for a display ad and never get the first phone call.

On the other hand, the postcard is a powerhouse of a marketing tool. They work!

Even faced with the advertising competition of the Internet, the simple postcard stands light years ahead of other methods of advertising.

The key to their success is to concentrate on marketing a specific item or niche. Pick out a few hundred very targeted suspects and print up a series of eight postcards, each featuring different benefits of your product or service. Mail them, one every six weeks for the next year to those target suspects.

You can use the shotgun approach and run a series of ads that you hope your suspects will see, or pinpoint them and send a series of benefit driven postcards.

Which would be more effective? I think you know — with the postcard you have consistency and frequency on your side – plus your targeted suspect will have seen your message multiple times.

Image is the feeling, mental picture or the perception that customers develop toward your business. Image is what people believe to be true. You make your company image.

Most markets have many businesses competing for the same customer. Your company must develop an image that will distinguish it from other companies. Otherwise, you will be just another generic business.

This image is built through your reputation, your unique selling position, customer service, and company name, even the condition of your vehicles. Work at creating this image with your target market in mind.

You can enhance your image through motivated employees. If you receive a letter from a customer mentioning one of your employees specifically, be sure to praise them. It’s great for company morale. One restaurant had small patches in the form of a checkmark produced and each time an employee was mentioned in letters, surveys, etc., they received a patch. It is similar to football players wearing symbols on their helmets for each sack they get.

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Since the cost of finding new customers is increasing drastically, the best place to look for new business is from your existing customers. When approached properly, they can become a free sales force.
A good customer referral is the strongest advertising you can receive. This referral is actually a stamp of approval from a third party regarding your product or service. You create good referrals by being sure your customers have positive experiences when using your company.
A big mistake business owners make is assuming they know what customers want. Listen to the customers. After they are finished talking, repeat their requests to make sure you understand. Also, make sure your staff knows the importance of properly dealing with customers.
Don’t get caught in the misconception — if I do a good job, referrals are automatic. This can be true, but not always. Never take referrals for granted. Once your business has reached the level of constant business flow, do not stop marketing. Because of competition, technology, client mobility and market changes you must constantly work at keeping the referrals coming.

With commitment and consistency in mind, let’s look at 5-C’s needed to construct your marketing plan.

Company. You have to be able to describe your company just like you would describe it to a prospect or customer. In your description, you will create a mission statement. You will describe your product or service, your geographical marketing area, your pricing strategy, your customer service, your distribution methods, your business location and any environmental factors that might affect your business.

A business with a mission statement is like a fireman running into a situation everyone else is trying to leave. But successful businesses know what they’re doing. They have a mission - a plan just like the firemen. They know about fire and exactly how to put it out.

Customer. You have to be able to describe your perfect customer. The better you can describe a customer, the easier it will be to find them. continue reading this entry »

There are two 2-C’s that are necessary not only to do your marketing plan, but everything in life.

The 2-C’s are commitment and consistency. To do anything in life, you must have a commitment to do it. When you start any project, you have that initial excitement that makes it really easy to start a project and there is this really great sense of satisfaction when you finish a project. It’s that middle area that seems to drag where you wonder if you will ever get through this project. That is where you need that commitment and consistency to stick with it because it will be worth it in end.

The lack of the 2-C’s are probably the number one reason why life’s plans don’t get done.