Do You Know Why Your Clients Buy?

Do you know why your clients buy? Seems like a pretty simple question, right? Not really, when you dig deeper under the surface. How you answer is critical to the success of your business.

To begin, understand one simple fact: prospects and clients buy for their reasons, not yours. They could care less about your company and your mission statement or the long list of product features you so skillfully articulate.

They only care about the outcome your offer provides them. They want the benefit, the impact, the improvement, the comfort, or the security it will deliver. Most small business marketing fails to address these crucial client needs directly. Instead, they focus on the greatness of their product or service and miss what is important.

Small business marketers are often their own worst enemies. Frequently, they are not communicating on the buyer's level of motivation. They are too busy figuring out how to "sell" the product than finding out the reasons the client "buys".

The problem comes down to the marketing strategy that is employed. Are you pushing your product or are you pulling the client through the marketing process?

There is a very important distinction here. Since buyers only care about their needs and take action for their personal reasons, why should they pay attention to why you think your product is so great?

When you push your products, you are essentially telling the client that they should buy from you because of your reasons. With this egocentric approach you often run into a stone wall of objections and delays. Pushing the product forces them out of their comfort zone and places unnecessary pressure on their decision making process. A relentless assault of closing techniques pushes them away from a purchasing decision on their terms.

Pulling a buyer through the purchasing process is much more effective. When you pull you are leading them to the purchase like leading a horse to water. You gently guide them through your features and benefits and come to a decision on their terms. If they resist you have not educated them enough with information to motivate them or you haven't addressed their objections sufficiently.

The buyer will only make a decision when they are comfortably satisfied your offer has met all of their purchasing criteria. As a seller, you must pull them through the process and always let them stay within the limits of their comfort zone. It's by staying within these boundaries that trust is established and a long term relationship is built with the client.

Also remember that the purchasing process is completely rooted in the perceptions of the buyer. They have ultimate control over the process, not you. Your job as a marketer is to develop all your communications to make them comfortable and lead them to the best outcome...purchasing your product or service.

Always be aware of which method you are using - push or pull - and adopt it to the buyer's personal reasons for purchasing and you will enjoy continuous success.

The Secret to Getting More Customers

Sooner or later, at some point in the business development cycle, every business owner asks themselves the following question:

How can I attract more customers who will spend more money and bring me more profits?

A perfectly reasonable question unless you are in business only to give away your product or service. Most business owners are not in business just to provide charity and they need some way to attract more customers who will spend more money.

The official name for getting customers is - customer acquisition - and it is the first system any business owner should put into place. Buying office furniture, designing business cards, applying for licenses, purchasing computer systems -- none of these counts more in a business than customer acquisition. To make a profit and stay in business, every business owner needs a reliable way to get more customers.

Hands down, the very best way to acquire more customers is through a direct response marketing system. This simply means that whatever method a business owner chooses to prospect for new customers should have a built-in way of tracking response so the owner knows where the customer came from. And here is the secret to attracting more customers to your business.

You must tell your potential customers where they can find you AND give them a compelling reason for doing business with you.

This actually is the secret behind all marketing. All marketing practices can be boiled down to this one thought. Tell your potential customers where they can find you and why they should do business with you. It sounds so simple when you think about it, but this is one of the major stumbling blocks to a successful business. The owner thinks potential customers will spend time and energy searching out a company to do business with.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Most potential customers will shop only at places they already know. Stop and really think about this for a minute. Most potential customers will only shop at places they already know -- AND they need a good reason to do business with you. If they do not know how to find you, they will not be coming to buy from you. You must find a way to tell potential customers where your business can be found.

Here are 5 simple ways to do just that:

1. Send everyone in your zip code a postcard announcing a sale at your place of business. AND have them bring in the postcard to receive the discounted price.

2. Distribute a press release detailing the latest breakthrough in your business field, available only at your place of business. AND include a special telephone number for customers to call for more information.

3. Give a speech at the Chamber of Commerce. AND hand out problem solving brochures with your address, phone number and a special code number for customers to use to get a discount.

4. Take out a yellow pages ad. AND include a discount offer in the ad.

5. Become the local expert in your business field by being interviewed on the radio. AND include a special phone number for customers to call during the broadcast to get more information.

Many business owners regard marketing only as a necessary evil. They would rather concentrate on their core business activities. But when they use these simple methods to harness the powerful secret to getting more customers, they can eliminate the pain of marketing. Then their businesses will be truly successful in bringing in more customers, more money and more profits.

7 Ways to Follow Up After a Presentation

In this day and age, it's simply not enough to call on someone and make a presentation. If you don't follow up at least 7 times, you are wasting your time, as well as theirs. The more time you put into getting to know your potential customers, the better your relationship will be.

Because of that, you need to follow up after a presentation, at least 7 times, and sometimes longer. Here you'll find some creative ideas to follow up that will be sure to impress anyone.

1. Your first follow up should be a hand written note, thanking them for their time. Use a nice card, embossed with your logo, if you want, or just a simple "Thank You" card available anywhere.

2. Second, find some "Cheese Straws" at a specialty store, and send it with a note saying: "Grasping at straws to find the perfect solution to...(include a problem you can solve for them)? We can help! This is not only a cleverly worded reminder of your presentation, but something for them to taste and remember you by.

3. Rolodex cards are excellent reminders: include a note that says: "We are always at your fingertips when you need us!" Make sure your rolodex card has the little tab at the top with either your name, or the biggest benefit of using your services: this will make it stand out from the others cards in the file.

4. Next, send a bag of popcorn with a note saying: "Just popping in to remind you that we can.... " (mention one of the benefits of using your services or products).

5. A coffee mug imprinted with your logo, and filled with some coffee packets and even a cookie could be next: this will remind them of your visit every time they enjoy their coffee.

6. A seed packet with this message: "We would love to help you grow your business" is another original idea that will leave a great impression.

7. Chocolate business cards will be a tasty reminder of your services. This one may be a little more expensive, but well worth the cost. You'll need to pay for a plate with your logo, but it's a one time cost that will pay you many times over. The chocolate business cards are a great conversation starter, and something that will separate you from your competition.

These are just a few ideas: there are many more ways to keep your name in front of your potential clientele.

And to keep track of what you did, create a folder for each presentation and set up your follow-ups before you even go to your presentation.

You are now on your way to success: good luck with your next presentation!

How to Start a "Refer a Friend" Business Program

As a small business owner, you may be considering the implementation of a "refer a friend" marketing program. There are several reasons why this is a wise move.

Basic marketing theory offers that word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective, and least expensive, forms of business promotion. Word of mouth marketing occurs any time one of your current customers or clients recommends your business to someone else, who then, on the basis of that recommendation, decides to visit your business as well. Lead generation (getting the potential customer to walk through the door) is often the most time-intensive element of marketing. Once the potential customer has chosen to "walk through the door", it becomes much easier to convert them to a paying client.

In this form, word of mouth marketing costs almost nothing to implement, and if your business is continually recommended, it, obviously will continue to grow.

There are several forms that this marketing by referral program could take. One is that of "refer a friend", which, as it sounds, is based on the idea that your current customers can be rewarded for referring their friends to your business.

When considering the implementation of this kind of marketing strategy, there are several issues that must be considered. First, consider the lifetime value of a business customer. This value is computed by multiplying the income received by the number of times in a year it is received by how many years the customer remains in your business. For a business consultant, for example, the income received might be $400 per hour, the number of hours per year might be 100, and the average length of the client relationship might be 10 years. So, for the consultant in this scenario, the lifetime value of a customer would be $400/hour x 100 hours/year x 10 years = lifetime value of $400,000. This figure represents the amount that the business can spend to attract and retain a client and still remain profitable. It also implies that if the business can attract and retain clients for less than this amount (such as using a marketing by referral program), the business' profitability can increase significantly.

The first step in setting up a marketing referral program is to understand the lifetime value of your customer. This will indicate how much should be spent to attract new customers.

The second step is to tell your existing customers that their referrals would be valued and appreciated. A simple way to begin is to include a statement about this on all customer-facing materials, including brochures, invoices, and receipts. Many businesses create special "tell a friend" cards, which allow someone to gift a friend with a service or product.

For example, a beauty salon may create "tell a friend" cards, and ask their current customers to pass these out to friends who might want to try the salon. In this model, the current customer is able to be generous by sharing a "gift" with a friend, who may, ultimately, sample the salon and decide to stay on as a customer. For the price of a printed business card, and the cost of the service or product, businesses can generate hundreds of new leads, very cost-effectively. The key to this strategy, though, is that the business must offer a product or service with high perceived value and low actual cost. An example might be a free haircut, or a mini-facial, or something similar.

The third step of this process is to define an internal system or structure for rewarding clients for their referrals. The higher the price points in your business, the more generous the rewards should be. Consider creating a rewards schema which gives customers greater and greater rewards for every two or three new customers referred. Following through with the beauty salon example, the first referral might entitle the referrer a free haircut, but the tenth referral might entitle that referrer to a full spa treatment.

Keeping track of referrals may be best done in some kind of database or with customer tracking software. Build a referral tree to understand which customers are referring the most new business. Be sure to thank them promptly for their first referral, and don't forget to continue to reward them for sharing your business with others.

No matter what kind of business you run, a referral marketing program can increase profitability.

How to Write an Effective Newsletter

Printed newsletters are a really easy way to contact your prospective and current customers. They can even increase your sales while reducing advertising costs. Research shows newsletters get four times the readership of adverts or brochures, and customers are seven times more likely to buy from you than an average member of the public. A good newsletter can improve name recognition and brand awareness, establish your authority in your field, and differentiate your business from the competition.

Make the layout of your newsletter inviting. If it looks too packed with information it may seem hard work to read. Break up the copy with plenty of space and keep articles short. Use intriguing titles or ones that suggest the article provides quick and easy shortcuts. Also use photographs or cartoons on the cover to draw people's attention.

Choose your articles carefully so that each one promotes the correct image of your business. Decide whether the article is to reflect your expertise, customer care or some other aspect of your business. If you are not sure which areas are important and of interest to your customers slip a survey into your newsletter.

You should start the article writing process by deciding what specific results you want from the article. It may be to introduce a new product or service, or to counteract what a competitor is claiming, or to highlight why a customer might be interested in a special offer you have.

A good newsletter will have a longer shelf life than adverts and are more likely to be passed around to prospective customers. Get a balance between generic articles that would be of interest to your wider client base and those specifically about your products and services. Do not waste effort and space producing articles that are unrelated to your field. Also check that the views expressed in articles are unlikely to offend your customer base.

Try to keep copy simple and as jargon free as possible. Use short sentences. Involve the reader by asking questions. How could your business benefit from this advice?

A profile of a customer can show how your product or service is used, the results that it can produce, why someone would purchase from you, and what they are planning to do in the future with your assistance. If they are prestigious clients the article will give a positive reflection of your business as well as providing them with some useful and free PR.

Generate new leads by offering a free subscription to your newsletter on your business's marketing materials. Emphasize the news content and useful advice, and how it could benefit your prospective customer. Only a few of those who sign up for the newsletter will be time wasters. It is possible that as many as 80% could be converted to customers within six months. Without the constant contact that the newsletter offers they could drift into the arms of a competitor.

Maximum Impact Media Advertising

If you sell a product or service, and want to be successful quickly, you must tell people about it through advertising and marketing.

TV, radio and newspaper are still considered the major media for effective marketing off-line.

However, a lot has changed with these top three marketing vehicles in the past 15 years.

In this article some critical changes are revealed that have occurred and how you can get the maximum impact for your advertising dollar.

Television is primarily an entertainment medium. Research shows the average person spends more time with television than with radio and newspaper combined. For many years, TV was considered the most powerful advertising choice because of the huge audience it provided. Even today, nearly everyone watches some TV every day.

There are three things you must consider before spending money on TV advertising - limited lifespan of your ad, audience fragmentation, and ad avoidance.

Keep in mind that once your ad has aired, it is gone for good. There is no way your potential customer can refer back to it. This fact makes it imperative that you run your ad many times to embed your message in the mind of the viewer. Frequency is important with any advertising, but especially broadcast.

Audience fragmentation is one of the major problems local broadcast television faces today.

At one time, a huge TV audience was split over only a few local channels. Community businesses could reach a large majority of their potential customers very quickly. Large national companies, such as Coke, only had to choose from the three major networks - ABC, CBS or NBC - to reach over 80% of the population.

Today, with cable and satellite TV, this same audience is now fragmented over 200 or more channels. The percentage of viewers on local TV has dropped dramatically. Yes you can run ads on cable and they will spread them out over ten or more channels. This shotgun advertising has not worked well for small businesses because many of these stations have only a half percent or less of the total viewers. And, what are the odds that they will be watching during the 15 or 30 seconds that your ad is presented?

Ad avoidance is also a very rapidly growing problem for TV today.

Because the public watches TV primarily for entertainment, they see advertising as an unwelcome interruption - not unlike the hated telemarketing. This was true 30 years ago but there was nothing a person could do about it except channel surf or leave the room. As you know this was, and still is, often done. Today, with TIVO, pay-per-view, public broadcast stations, and the multitude of satellite and cable channels, the public has shown a willingness to pay for reduced interruption from advertising.

Radio has similar problems. It is also primarily an entertainment medium. As such, advertising is also considered an interruption. Satellite radio is one of the fastest growing industries today primarily because people, again, are willing to pay to avoid commercials. In fact, most new cars have satellite radio built in.

Additionally, radio has evolved into an entertainment source for primarily driving, and background noise at work. If you buy any radio advertising, it should only be aired during drive time.

At home, radio use drops off. People can play CD's or listen to satellite radio. This way they can choose exactly the music or programming they prefer without commercial interruption. The radio industry understands that folks do not want to be interrupted with advertising. Many times radio stations promote themselves by offering "more music, less commercials".

Newspaperes have had their ups and downs, but have steadily maintained their local readership base and strength for local marketing. Even when radio, then TV, came on the scene, people still were loyal in reading their local newspaper.

Unlike TV and radio, advertising in a newspaper is not viewed as an interruption. In fact, one of the reasons people buy newspapers is for the advertisement content. Surveys have shown among 15% and 23% of those buying a newspaper do so primarily for the advertising.

You see, people do want to see and read advertisements. They do want to - and need to - buy products and services. They just want the ads on their terms.

TV's best day of the year is Superbowl Sunday, delivering nearly 40% of U.S. households. In striking contrast, newspapers consistently deliver well over 50% of your community households. They do it every day, 365 days a year. Now that is some serious marketing power.

Another advantage over broadcast that only newspapers can deliver is engagement of the consumer at the moment they are making a buying decision. When a person is reading your ad, it is because they choose to. At that time you have their full and focused attention. And the working life of your newspaper ad is enormous because it is physical and static. Your potential customer can refer back to it anytime they wish, or even cut it out.

You may have heard on TV or radio that newspaper subscriptions and readership are dropping. This is true. But it is not to the degree they would like you to believe.

What they do not tell you is newspaper on line versions are growing much faster than the 7% or so losses in subscriptions. In fact, you will find newspaper web sites are usually the busiest web sites in any community. Be sure you take advantage of this.

Now you can see why today's trend among business people who are in-the-know is away from broadcast and back into the old, reliable newspaper. Most all the major stores are getting back to the basics and finding the print advertising to be the best return on investment. So will you.

Newspapers, of course, should not be your only advertising medium, but it is the solid foundation on which you build an effective marketing plan in today's environment.

Branding - It's NOT Just for Cattle Anymore

It is said "you can't judge a book by its cover." But people do. It is the packaging that sells it. The title and design of the cover will make all the difference in its appeal. You can do the same to develop a big booming business with something called BRANDING.

Branding is the immediately recognizable "ah-ha there it is!" That is what you want in your product and especially your business.

People may see it as in a picture, or hear it in a phrase that identifies the product or service as the one that focuses on them and their desires.

Upon entering the brain through the eyes, ears, or both, good feelings are triggered and drug-like chemical reactions in the body flood all nerve receptors with desire for the product.

Branding is a form of mesmerism by easy memorization to your prospects, who then become customers because when they go to buy the product they think of you.

You get famous through branding. The brand is you, how you get known, how you get success, and how you will get to charge more for what you have or do.

The jingle they cannot get out of their heads screams at them to buy and try your product.

It is a response, not a choice, because people know what they know, and through branding what they know is your product.

Branding makes your product sexy, seductive, irresistible, and "must have."

Things such as USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Selling Point or Unique Selling Position or Unique Selling Presentation) also called UCA (Unique Competitive Advantage) distinguish you from your competitors. It's all about BRANDING!

The brand, the symbol of your uniqueness, gives you the advantage by sticking in people's minds. Branding pushes you ahead of the pack. You want to hook and reel them in.

Coming up with tactics for branding is your chance to be creative. Come up with an overwhelming benefit of your business above what other businesses have and make it catchy. Make it sing an opera, dance the twist, and sparkle like fireworks. This is what drives your marketing into the minds and hearts of your market.

Be bold, be different, one-of-a-kind, outstanding, magnetic! Use branding to be what only you can be and people will buy when you fill their need.

Here are some things people need:

They need things FAST.
They need things that make them FEEL GOOD.
They need things that ELIMINATE PROBLEMS.
They need things that ACCOMPLISH GOALS for them.
They need things that FILL VOIDS in their life.
They need SECURITY.
They need to BE IMPORTANT.
They need GUARANTEED RESULTS.
They need LOVE.
They need BARGAINS.
They need HOPE.
They need RELIEF.
They need a FRIEND and ALLY.
They need to SURVIVE and THRIVE.
They need YOU to FULFILL THEIR DREAMS.

Satisfy any of these cravings once for your customer and you can add one product after another to your business and the customer will buy. It will be because YOU are the brand the customer has gotten to know with fondness and learned to trust.

Get personal with customers and keep in contact. When Dave Thomas started doing commercials for his Wendy's Restaurants, the business revived from its slowdown because people could see what a likable guy he was.

Take what you do and present it to the public over and over in advertising and promotion and prove it in performance to your buyer.

Let's say your business fills the need in people to have what they want fast. Here are a couple successful slogans that went far to brand these companies. For Domino's Pizza - "30 minutes or it's free." For Federal Express - "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight."

Such branding made an impact, made a reputation, and made sales. If you want to establish yourself in business, you can have no better strategy than branding. It is how cotton swabs become Q-tips, how tissue became Kleenex, how a copy became a Xerox.

Branding is what makes franchises so successful. You pay a lot of money for a franchise because if you work at it, it is sure to work, because it is already branded. McDonalds Restaurants are found worldwide as well as next door.

Brand yourself, your business, with the right ideas to motivate and excite, and whenever people think of your product or service, they will think ONLY OF YOU!

Junk Advertising

When we hear "advertising" most of us think of the big three - newspaper, radio, or TV. There are many ways, beyond these big three, to advertise our products and services. Some are creative and effective, and some, which I call "junk advertising," are profitable only to those selling them.

In this article, you will learn how to evaluate and protect yourself from falling in the junk advertising trap.

Junk advertising takes as many different forms as there are people to think them up. This type of advertising may include such things as restaurant place-mats, signs in bathrooms or business entryways, event posters and public awareness campaigns and specialty advertising. Specialty advertising refers to imprinted handout items such as pens, key-chains, and a host of other such items.

About 65% of junk advertising is telemarketed. A more accurate way to look at it - 99% of any advertising or sponsorship opportunities offered you by phone (especially long distance phone) is junk advertising to be avoided. It will be extremely over-priced for what you actually get, and you will seldom notice any difference in store traffic.

The primary sales pitch for this type of advertising is exclusivity. Only one business in your category will be allowed to participate. This adds seemingly great value to the opportunity, and, at the same time, a sense of urgency. You must act before your competitor takes your spot.

In reality, being exclusive is of no great value. What it does is take your focus off the most important issue - like who will ever even SEE the ad anyway. And of those few that do, what are the odds they are interested in what you have to offer at that very moment of impact.

The best strategy with any such offer is to establish a strict policy. Never buy any of these "opportunities" within 24 hours of first contact.

No matter how good it sounds!

Tell them you have to discuss it with your partner. It will give you the time to evaluate the offer much more objectively without the emotional involvement. Emotion has no place in investing your money wisely.

Event posters and other sponsorship advertising are strictly a donation and should be shown in your books as such. Otherwise it will be difficult to evaluate what you spent on real advertising and the benefit you received. If you need to trim your budget next year, you will not be trimming what is actually valuable to you.

Most event posters today will have more sponsor ads on them than information about the event. The posters are placed in very limited locations. The people that actually do read them are looking for information about the event and could care less about who is helping to pay for the poster. Strictly speaking, the event poster has very little value to the public and a lot less value to you. They are primarily a fund raising scheme. At least Girl Scout Cookies give you some value for your donation.

Many local, state, and national organizations and charities will ask you to run sponsor ads in their publications. Perhaps you may be asked to place a sign in a local sports venue. Even local newspaper, radio, and TV will contact you about sponsoring different local events or public awareness campaigns.

From an advertising standpoint, this is all junk advertising.

Specialty advertising has a lot of perceived value and is very appealing to the business owner. Handing out items with your name on them can really give you a self-esteem boost.

But think about it. You probably have a drawer full of pens, key-chains, refrigerator magnets, and ball caps from other businesses that you will never look at or use - and will eventually be thrown away. Out of sight, out of mind. Most people will never wear an item with a business name unless it is their business - or a socially popular logo such as Coke. It is not a bad idea for your employees to wear such items, but that should be the extent of your investment in imprinted clothing. And even then, very few employees like to wear those items in public, so the real advertising value is very little.

Here are some tips that will save you a lot of money and grief.

1. If you want imprinted items to give away, make sure the items are directly related to your business and are useful for the recipient. If not, then do not waste your money. One drycleaner gave away a convenient lint remover that could be carried in the pocket or purse.

2. Make sure to keep donations and advertising separated. Donating to local groups is a good idea, but only donate to those events and organizations that you have a strong interest in, your customers are involved in or has some relationship to your business. For example, if you sell sports equipment, supporting the local softball teams will be pure gold for you.

3. Once you buy a sponsorship, keep in mind that you will then be a target for other organizations - and next time for the same organization. This can be a real nuisance. Sometimes I just give the organization a donation and skip the ad.

4. Make sure that any donations you make in this regard are going to benefit you on a local basis. A statewide police magazine, for example, will only be read by a dozen or two local people.

5. Never buy any "advertising" sold over the phone. If they cannot stop by and see you, it will have no value to you.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you will, as so many others have, find a lot more money in you wallet at the end of the year.

One drug store owner, in a small town of 20,000, decided to follow these suggestions for just one week. He saved over $500 from prior year. He then took the $500 and placed a half-page sale ad in the local newspaper and realized an excellent profit.

7 Tips for Writing Sales Letters that Work

Sales letters are the unpaid, untiring salesmen for your product. Make them effective and they will reward you. If they are ineffective you are leaving so much money on the table. Try the following tips to make the most of your salesmen-in-print.

Analyze other people's sales letters. If you receive a sales letter and you are tempted to buy file it away. When you next have to write a sales letter get the file out and look for inspiration. For each retained sales letter examine the wording, the layout, the offer and how it is presented. You can even make notes on the sales letters that did not persuade you to buy. What did they do wrong? How could they be improved?

Include testimonials in the letter. Comments from official sources outside your company or from satisfied customers will greatly add to the proof your prospect needs to become interested in your product or service.

One often-neglected part of the sales letter is the order or request form at the end of the letter. Make it clear, attractive and easy to complete. If possible restate the offer on the form so that the customer is in no doubt about what he is ordering.

Make it easy for the prospect to contact you. Include a contact address, email, and fax number as well as a contact phone number.

When they first see a sales page many people scan the headline, then go to the bottom of the page to read the PS. This is because the PS often summarizes the offer. Make sure your PS does this. If you feel you need more than one PS to fully give the benefits you are offering use three, not two. How do marketers know one or three P.S.'s work better than two? Testing.

If possible test everything in your sales letter. A change to your offer, the price, the typeface or how a customer is encouraged to respond can each make a difference to your response rates. If you do not have the time or resources to test everything then at least test different headlines. A change in headline can double the response or better.

After the sales page has been before your prospects for a while take some time to analyze the results. How many sales did you make? When you sat down to write the letter you should have had a clear outcome in mind. Take a look at the response to the sales letter. Did you get the outcome you wanted? If you did not, why was that? If you find your sales letter cannot sell your product or service then either it is too complicated for your customers to understand or you have not expressed the benefits well enough.

A Gold Nugget in Local Marketing

How amazing would it be if you could tap into a fiercely loyal pocket of potential customers - a group of people that actually wanted to give you money? Incredible as it may sound, this is exactly what John discovered, purely by accident.

Radio advertising today is generally considered a poor investment. Besides the fact radio ads are an unwelcome interruption to the listener, the huge growth of "ad-free" satellite radio stations serving your market has grown dramatically and greatly diluted the audience base of local radio broadcast stations.

But, with that said, there is a nugget of gold in the radio market that most people do not know about.

This secret marketing "golden nugget" is Christian radio.

Yes, they have a smaller listener base than most regular radio stations. But if the most important thing to you is the number of real dollars coming into your cash register, then you will want to read this story.

John P. opened a new appliance and satellite dish store in a community of about 35,000 residents, in Northwestern Wisconsin. For his grand opening, he advertised on the main TV station in the area, the two highest rated radio stations, and in the local newspaper. As an after-thought, he purchased a few ad spots on a Christian radio station located in a community about 60 miles away.

John was a very analytical person, so he kept very close track of the results.

The TV ads pulled the highest number of visitors. The newspaper pulled in the second highest, and the two major radio stations came in third and fourth. The Christian station came in last in total volume of visitors. As far as his advertising spend, most of his money was spent with TV, his second highest investment was with the two main radio stations. His third highest investment was the newspaper and his lowest investment was with the Christian station.

The highest total dollars spent by visitors came from the newspaper readers. This he found as no surprise based on experience.

According to this, you would conclude, and rightly so, that the newspaper was his best return on investment. His worst investment appears to be the Christian station.

But here is where it really gets interesting.

His second best medium for volume of actual dollars brought in during this event was the Christian station. The Christian station brought in more profit than TV and more than the other two radio stations combined.

John also kept track of conversion ratios. Newspaper provided one paying customer out of eight visitors. TV and the two radio stations converted at the rate of one customer per 16 visitors. But the Christian radio station came in at better than one sale out of two visitors.

Here is why John got such a phenomenal return on investment from the Christian radio station.

Christian radio listeners are a fiercely loyal audience. So committed and loyal, in fact, that they are continually sending in DONATIONS to support their station. Just think about that. What other medium that accepts advertising have you ever heard about that receives supporting donations from its audience?

When they hear your ad on "their" station, you become, in their minds, "part of the family". Because you are supporting them, they feel a strong inclination to support you. If there is a choice to be made for a specific need they have, they will tend to choose you first. This is true, of course, provided your products or services are not in conflict with their beliefs.

The biggest challenge in marketing any business is building credibility and trust. These are built in features with Christian radio advertising.

John chose the "interview-commercial" format for his ads. This is a powerful advertising method. The station owner or manager interviewed him about his business. This type of ad format comes across to the listener as informative rather than an irritating interruption. Also, in the listeners mind, they are not doing business with an impersonal business but a real person just like them.

Before moving forward with an ad program such as this, it would be wise to listen to the station for a few days to get a feel for their content, so you can better harmonize with their audience. Also, find out when their most popular programs air and use only those time slots - at least initially. These will be the most responsive times for you and give you more accurate test results.

Because Christian programming is normally more content than music drove, you may find the most popular programs air in early evening.

And, as with all marketing, your best results come from being honest, being genuine, being yourself.

Keep newspaper as your base source of revenue generation, but you may find the local Christian radio station a strong ally and a wise investment for a long term boost in business. This group of loyal customers can create steady growth for your business, and help smooth out the ups and downs of the marketplace.

Attention Getting Marketing

Every business owner knows that the key to success is how well you market your business. Your business is not any different. Success depends on your marketing strategies.

There are many different marketing techniques with many different price tags attached to them. Depending on your type of business, you will need to develop a marketing plan that generates sufficient customers to reach your goals.

Using many different marketing techniques will quickly drain your bank account. Your first goal will be to determine how you can reach the most people for the least amount of money.

Here is one marketing technique that is cost efficient and a little more adventurous for you the "Business Owner."

Become an Expert

What is your business? Look around at your competition. How do they present themselves to the general public? How can you present yourself differently?

Go buy a local newspaper, local magazine, listen to your local radio station; watch your local TV station. Are any of your competitors currently marketing themselves as an expert in your field?

Contact your local media and discuss the various ways that you could work with them. Local newspapers and magazines will have opportunities to write "Advice" articles. Local radio and TV stations may have talk shows that could host you weekly or monthly.

Contact the various local organizations that are looking for speakers for their monthly luncheons. Your Chamber of Commerce is an ideal place to start. Join your Chamber and get an article about you and your business published in their monthly magazine.

Study your customers and choose the type of media that would reach them. Talk to your current customers and ask them to give you their opinion about which area you should market in. Find out what they listen to and what they read, and what organizations they belong to.

What type of personality do you have?

Make sure that your personality matches your marketing strategy. Radio and TV would be a perfect match for you if you enjoy speaking in front of people, have an outgoing personality and a voice that carries well. Newspaper and magazine article writing will be perfect for you if you do not enjoy speaking in front of groups.

Becoming an expert in your area of business will not take years to achieve. Stay on top of the latest news about your business. Subscribe to trade publications to keep informed about new trends. The Internet offers many ways to stay informed on any topic.

The key to becoming an expert is to take the knowledge you have and the new information received and decide how your customers can benefit from this information. Not all news is beneficial to your customers.

Your goal is to cause your customers to look at you as the one to come to when they need what you are selling. You want them to refer their family and friends to you.

Don't be shy. Go out there and market yourself as the expert that you are. The more exposure that you receive, the more exposure your business will receive.

The Importance of Networking

On a hot July day several years ago people gathered in droves to drink, talk, and do business. This wasn't a convention, reception or staff outing. The event was called Young Professionals, a local business networking group for, as the name suggests, young working professionals. This event acted as a magnifying glass on the importance of networking in business.

The first thing you'll notice at an event like this will be the amount of people that attend. Discovering an opportunity like in the business world can be a refreshing feeling, especially to those that are constantly scrutinized at work. If nothing else, networking provides members of the business community an outlet to reassure one another that their current job doesn't have to be the only job they ever do. The first step in networking is putting oneself out there to be met by others, and engaging in conversation about business, and life with other likeminded individuals.

The next thing you'll notice at the event are the prevalence of business cards. The importance of business cards in networking is essential. If you have business cards be sure to bring them everywhere, if you don't yet have a card, make one. Many of your employees might be people you'll meet networking for business. If they don't have a business card you won't be able to hire them. Having a business card and distributing it freely will help you become successful at networking. If you need reassurance, look at those that profit off networking the most, real estate agents, stock brokers, and other broker types. Do you ever see a drought in business cards among these individuals? Some people have stacks of cards high enough to hit an 11 foot ceiling.

Another thing you'll notice happening at the event are the unabashed marketing of products, and services. Market your product when networking. What if you don't have a product for sale? You may have a service, or an idea, whatever it may be, market it while networking. You will be surprised at how many people can help you achieve your dream.

A few things you'll want to bring to a meeting are a pen, pad, and something to hold things in, like a portfolio. While networking be sure to take notes if necessary, ask questions of others, and capture the moment. Many rely on fate to bring them to success in business, and life. But for those seasoned veterans of business, and life will tell you, diligence and hard work are as important as anything else.

When you are networking try your best to get the most out of the situation. Next time you are at a networking event, instead of enjoying the free pigs in a blanket, make the most of it by actively networking.

Using Testimonials to Create High-Impact Sales Letters

Sales letters can be an effective marketing tool when you use the right ingredients to develop a targeted sales piece that is directed at very specific audiences. When you write a sales letter, you need to introduce your product or service, outline its features and benefits, differentiate the product or service from those of your competitors, and convince the reader to make a purchase. The catch is, you must do all of this within a fairly short sales piece that needs to be very persuasive. One of the best tools you can use to help convince readers that they need your product or service is a testimonial from a satisfied customer.

When a customer gets satisfaction from using your product or service, ask the customer if he or she would be willing to write a short testimonial that outlines the experience that was delivered by the product or service. Perhaps your product saved the customer 50% off of their normal materials expense because the product utilized materials more effectively. Maybe the client that utilized your marketing consulting services has experienced a 30% increase in the number of leads derived from the marketing campaign you developed. If this is the case, let your clients tell your story in their own words. This can be one of the best methods of persuasion.

Never use a copywriter to write testimonials for you. These testimonials will never sound as genuine as those that can be given by customers. Another danger when using false testimonials is that the voice of each testimonial sounds the same, making it look like the same person wrote each and every paragraph.

When you ask for testimonials, ask for a long testimonial in the customer's own words. Many advertisers use very short testimonials that encompass one or two positive words about a product or service. This makes potential customers suspicious because it looks like an editor has cut down a lackluster testimonial into a rave review. You can always edit your customers' testimonials for grammar and spelling, but you should keep the wording the same. This will further help you to maintain a genuine appearance when using testimonials.

Use specific testimonials that describe how using your product or service has changed the lives of your customers for the better. Instead of "this is a great product," find a testimonial that says something like "I used XYZ Tools' new chainsaw and saved 50% of my raw materials from going to waste." This is a specific and measurable result that can entice prospects to make a purchase. If your business is service-based, let customers talk about how your service has improved the quality of their lives, saved them money, saved them time, or decreased waste.

Using testimonials from satisfied customers may not have occurred to you when you first sat down to write your sales letter. Once you solicit some genuine testimonials from customers and use them in your sales letters, you will start to notice a real difference in the inquiries about your product or service.

7 Common Business Advertising Mistakes

You've probably heard the famous saying "I know that half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted: if only I could figure out which half it is!” Well, now you can. By eliminating the common mistakes many businesses make with their advertising programs, it's easy.

Here's a checklist of mistakes many companies make with their advertising:

1) Not focusing enough time and effort on their advertising

Most business owners spend far more time and effort on mundane things that don't really affect their bottom line than on advertising. This is the first huge mistake. Without effective advertising, almost all businesses will fail.

If you feel you don't have the time or desire to handle the advertising for your business, consider hiring a consultant or agency - but with caution. It's almost more difficult to find an ad agency that knows what is effective than it is to study it yourself. Many agencies are far more focused on winning awards than creating profits for their clients.

If you do feel you need to hire an agency, find one that will work on a results compensation basis vs. a straight commission for all the media they buy. This gives them an incentive to provide results and not pad the budget to justify a larger commission for the agency.

2) Relying on advice from friends and relatives

If business owners do handle their own advertising, many times they let their friends/wives/husbands or other various employees who have no idea whether or not advertising is effective make the decisions about their advertising plan.

Would you ask your dentist for advice about fixing your car engine? Of course not - that's not their expertise. So why in the world would you base something as important as decisions about your advertising on a relative who has no idea what he's talking about?

3) Being led by pushy or aggressive media sales people

The reason media companies pay their sales people big bucks is because they can influence you to buy space, air or time (in the newspaper, radio or television) and give you no guarantees if it doesn't work. Sounds kind of crazy, doesn't it? Your customers probably wouldn't buy from you and not expect the product or service to perform the way it should. But ad sales reps do it all the time.

Now sometimes they really mean well, and they have lots of experience and some fluke event or problem comes up. But for the most part, ad sales reps will do virtually anything they can do to get the sale.

If you feel like you're being bullied by an ad sales rep or that they really aren't looking out for your best interest, but really feel you want to work with that station/newspaper, etc., then ask for a new rep. They want your business and you're the one calling the shots, so if they want your business, they need to find someone you're comfortable working with.

4) Allowing your creative delivery to be ineffective

You can buy the best media schedule in the world that reaches 100% of your market 100 times, but if your message is not well created, it won't bring you the results you want. Most companies rely on either their ad agency or the media company themselves create the ads for them. This is a very difficult thing because most companies acting on your behalf don't take the time to learn about your business, your customers and what makes you different in your market.

To be effective, your commercial or ad must give the potential customer a compelling reason to buy your product or service. That means you have to come up with a better slogan than "we have the best service and we've been in business for 112 years."

No one really cares....well they do, but they don't believe you. If that's what you want to convey to your market, then give them a story that tells them that you have the best service. Make your company stand out.

You also have to include some sort of call to action. If you have a wonderful warm and fuzzy commercial that makes people 1) notice the ad, 2) actually read or watch it without being distracted by one of a million other things going on in their lives, and 3) become compelled and engaged by the message to have a positive feeling about your company and don't ask them to do something as a result of that - you're wasting your time and money. This is something that many ad agency creative types don't get.

If you don't ask them to do something specific within a certain time period, there's no way to measure the response. You may say that you can compare last year's sales for the same time period with this year's, etc., but that doesn't take into account a myriad of other possible reasons that your sales went up or down.

By giving your ad viewers/listeners/readers a specific action to take, you know that the reason they did that is because they were motivated to do so by your ad.

5) Always doing the same old thing because that's what you've always done.

If you're not growing, you're dying - and the same goes for your business. If you're happy with the same old returns on your advertising (assuming that you're measuring it in some way), then continue to do the same thing. Most business owners aren't though, so it's important to try new things.

The way society changes the way it uses media and as quickly as those changes happen, you need to keep up or lose out. Many business owners are afraid to try something new because it takes them out of their comfort zone - especially if no one in their industry has ever tried the new idea. This is a huge mistake and robs them of potentially huge profits.

6) Falling into the price trap.

This is another huge one! Unless you're Wal-Mart and can guarantee that no other business can sell for a lower price, don't use that as your main selling point. Once you start down that path, it's virtually impossible to stop.

If you can't come up with another reason for your potential customers to choose you instead of your competitor, you really need to find one (or more)!

7) Not using publicity or events in their advertising plan

It's amazing how few businesses even try to use publicity or special events in their advertising. It's often the best advertising you can get - not only because it's free, but because it cuts through the clutter. If the newspaper runs a story or a TV station is covering something during their newscast, it has automatic credibility that you just can't buy.

Of course you can't control the message 100%, but if you learn solid techniques of creating your publicity or press event, you can have a great deal of influence about how a story is covered.

If you can eliminate only 1 or 2 of these mistakes (assuming you're making them all), you'll wonder why you didn't do so earlier! In business, if there are enough of the right customers buying your products and services, many of your problems seem to disappear.