| One of the biggest myths as it relates to
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| | case. When possible, you want to try to
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| business comes from one of my favorite
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| | find out what it was that kept your
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| movies of all time, 'Field of Dreams'. In
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| | prospect from becoming a customer. Some
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| the movie, Ray Kinsella, is inspired by a
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| | of these reasons may include price,
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| mysterious voice telling him to follow
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| | skepticism, they no longer have a need,
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| his dreams. The voice says, 'If you build
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| | or they weren't fully educated about the
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| it, they will come'. True to Hollywood
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| | benefits your solution offered.Once
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| storytelling, Ray does build 'it' and
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| | you're able to determine WHY they chose
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| 'they' do indeed come.Unfortunately, it
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| | not to purchase and if you've seen a
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| doesn't work the same in business. Many
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| | pattern with other customers, you should
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| business owners have the false idea that
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| | then work to improve your Step 3 in order
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| if they have the very best product or
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| | to better educate them as to why you
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| service, they are guaranteed instant
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| | offer the ONLY possible solution to their
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| success. In essence, 'if [they] build
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| | problem.Step 5. Deliver Exceptional
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| 'it', 'they' will come.An incredible,
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| | Customer ServiceI don't know if you've
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| 'knock your socks off' product or service
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| | noticed this or not, but the meaning of
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| does not guarantee success.If you're like
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| | the phrase 'Customer Service' has changed
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| most small business owners, you've doing
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| | considerably over the years. No longer do
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| everything you know how to do, but you're
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| | you see 'Full Service' gas stations.
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| still not attracting enough new
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| | Receptionists have been replaced by
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| customers. You've tweaked your website.
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| | automated phone systems. Airlines no
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| You've increased the size of your yellow
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| | longer offer complimentary meals on
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| pages ad. You've even sent out direct
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| | flights. This decline gives you a
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| mail pieces designed to generate some
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| | significant opportunity to stand out from
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| quick holiday business, but none of it
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| | the crowd and create immediate loyalty by
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| seems to be working.What most small
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| | going above and beyond
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| business owners fail to realize is that
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| | expectations.'Thank You' notes, gift
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| there is a very specific process for
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| | baskets, courtesy calls, or special
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| creating demand for your 'it' so that in
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| | discounts are a few examples of ways to
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| turn 'they' will come. Just as they
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| | provide service that goes 'above and
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| miraculously did for Ray Kinsella. This
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| | beyond.'Step 6. Encourage Your Customers
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| process is called the Sales and Marketing
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| | to 'Spread the Word'While Step 3 might be
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| Cycle.By understanding each step in the
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| | the most overlooked step in the cycle,
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| Sales and Marketing Cycle, you will have
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| | this step is undoubtedly the most
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| the knowledge necessary to create a
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| | powerful step if done properly. If your
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| marketing 'system' that will allow you to
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| | customer has had a positive experience
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| build your very own 'Field of
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| | with your solution, it is possible to
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| Dreams'.Step 1. Create a Marketing
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| | enlist this customer into your very own
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| PlanThis step is undoubtedly the most
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| | unpaid sales force.There are many ways to
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| important step in the cycle. You must
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| | create this army of marketers for you and
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| clearly define where you want to go and
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| | here are two that I use quite frequently.
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| how you plan to get there. As Steven
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| | The first is to simply ASK for referrals.
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| Covey says, 'begin with the end in
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| | If you don't ask, they may never know
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| mind.'To create a clear vision of what
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| | that you expect them to spread the
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| you want to accomplish, you must define
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| | word.The second way is to ask for and use
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| your target market, determine your Unique
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| | testimonials. A short, but concise
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| Selling Proposition (USP), write out your
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| | testimonial from a satisfied customer is
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| goals, and finally establish a marketing
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| | a very powerful tool for removing
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| budget. Without each of these ingredients
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| | skepticism in other prospects considering
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| clearly defined, your vision will be
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| | your solution.Step 7. Repeat Steps 3-6
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| murky and you won't know when it's time
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| | with Your Existing Customer BaseAfter
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| to make course corrections.Step 2. Get
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| | going through the effort and expense of
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| the Attention of Your Target MarketIf
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| | identifying, educating, and ultimately
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| you've done your homework in Step 1,
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| | selling to your customer, does that mean
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| you're well on your way to capturing your
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| | the relationship must end? Absolutely
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| prospects attention because you already
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| | not! A sad but true fact is that the
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| know who your ideal customers are and
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| | asset most often overlooked by businesses
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| what problems they're trying to solve.
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| | today is their existing customer
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| Now it's just a matter of finding the
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| | base.Once you have a customer that has
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| proper medium to convey these benefits to
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| | purchased products or services from you,
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| your target prospects.If you're an
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| | simply begin steps 3-6 again with bigger
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| offline business, a sequence of mailings
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| | and better products. Marketing to your
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| to a targested list, lead generation
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| | existing customer base is the cheapest
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| advertising, television or radio spots,
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| | marketing you can do and it has the
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| joint ventures, and even leaving flyers
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| | potential for delivering the greatest
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| on car windows are ways to let your
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| | returns.What do you do if you don't have
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| target prospects know that you have the
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| | additional products or services to offer
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| answer they seek. For online businesses
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| | your existing customers? In two words,
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| there is 'Pay Per Click' advertising such
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| | FIND SOME. Create an information product.
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| as Google AdWords, ezine advertising,
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| | Assemble smaller, related products into a
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| joint ventures, or writing and submitting
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| | 'package deal'. Become an affiliate or
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| articles to online publishers.One key to
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| | licensee of someone else's product or
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| keep in mind, no matter the medium
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| | service. Whatever it takes, you MUST find
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| selected to convey your message, you
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| | more opportunities to sell more 'stuff'
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| always want to stress the BENEFITS. Sell
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| | on a more frequent basis to your existing
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| the sizzle, not the steak.Step 3. Educate
| |
| | customers.Understand These 7 Steps and
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| Your Prospect about Your Product or
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| | You Will Be Able to 'Go The Distance'As a
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| ServiceThis step is more often than not
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| | small business owner, it's imperative
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| the most OVERLOOKED step in the cycle.
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| | that you understand this 7 step Sales and
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| This step is where you begin to actually
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| | Marketing Cycle and how it relates to
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| convert your prospects into paying
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| | growing your business. Once you do, you
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| customers.Each day consumers are
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| | will no longer wonder why even though
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| bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands
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| | you've built 'it', 'they' aren't coming.
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| of advertisements and offers for
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| | You will instead know the exact steps
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| competing products and services. Often
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| | needed to not only fulfill the first
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| times the consumer is unsure of how to
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| | prompting Ray Kinsella received, but you
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| differentiate between competing
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| | will also have the knowledge and
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| solutions. By educating your customer
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| | understanding needed to fulfill the next
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| about the benefits offered by your
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| | prompting the mysterious voice whispered
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| solution, you set yourself apart from
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| | to Ray: 'Go the Distance.'Chestin
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| your competition and it will go a long
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| | Salisbury is President of Lawn Care
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| way towards gaining their trust and
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| | Marketing Magic, a direct response
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| ultimately their business.Some of the
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| | marketing consultancy located in
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| ways that you can educate your prospects
| |
| | Charlotte, NC that focuses on the
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| include free reports via recorded
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| | lawncare and landscaping industry. He has
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| messages, snail mail, or delivered via
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| | been helping small businesses grow for 5+
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| email spread out over several days.
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| | years by creating marketing systems that
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| Tele-seminars are also popular these days
| |
| | use time-tested direct response marketing
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| and are an excellent way to educate your
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| | principles. Lawn Care Marketing Magic has
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| prospects about the benefits of using
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| | access to 100+ years of experience and is
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| your product or service.Step 4. The Sales
| |
| | capable of creating a marketing plan that
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| Transaction OccursIf you've been able to
| |
| | grows YOUR business. Chestin is also the
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| successfully educate your prospect and
| |
| | chief-editor of 'The Lawn Care Marketing
|
| have shown how your solution can fill
| |
| | Magic Minute', a weekly e-newsletter that
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| their 'need', a sales transaction should
| |
| | focuses on helping your grow your
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| be the likely result. Keep in mind
| |
| | business.
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| however, that this is not always the
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| |
|
