3 Simple Marketing Strategies

copyright 2003 Bob Leduc

These 3 simple marketing strategies work for any business. You can implement them quickly and produce immediate results. They won't cost you much money. And the sales growth they generate continues as long as you continue using them.

1. CREATE A SPECIAL COMBINATION OFFER

Combine several of your products or services into a Special Combination Package with a price lower than the total cost of buying each item separately. Promote it as a Special Offer for a limited time. When you pass the expiration date, replace it with another Special Combination Offer using a different selection of products or services.

Special Combination Offers increase your total sales by motivating hesitant customers to buy now so they can get your "good deal". Special Combination Offers also increase the size of your average sale. And bigger average sales generate more total profit for you.

TIP: After you develop 3 or 4 different combinations you can continuously recycle through the same series of offers. This enables you to continue promoting Special Combination Offers without taking the time to create new ones.

2. SINGLE OUT A SMALL CUSTOMER SEGMENT

Look for a narrowly defined niche within your targeted market. Identify a specific group of potential customers with a strong need (or desire) for the benefits provided by your product or service.

Create a special version of your advertising catering to the specific concerns and needs of prospects in this new market. Customize your sales message so each prospect perceives your product or service as the perfect solution to their unique needs.

For example, one person selling a lead service to small businesses noticed that many of her clients were network marketers or real estate agents. She created a customized web site for each of these 2 niche markets. The sites looked similar. But the content was different. A visitor to either site could assume the lead service applied exclusively to their industry.

BONUS: A highly defined, small niche market also insulates you from competition. Other small businesses are likely to overlook it. And large businesses completely ignore small market segments.

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3. ESTABLISH A SUBTLE REFERRAL PROGRAM

Referrals from customers are easier to sell than cold prospects. And they don't cost you anything. It's too bad you get so few of them.

You can generate a continuous flow of referrals with a simple but subtle Customer Survey. Send it to your customers by postal mail, email, fax or post it on your web site. The survey I use asks only 3 questions:

1. What did you like best about our (product or service)?
2. What can we do to improve the value of our (product or service) for you?
3. Who else do you know that wants to (state the benefit provided by your product or service)?

The first 2 questions focus attention on the benefits you provide. Your customers are more likely to volunteer referrals at the 3rd question when they are already thinking about the value of those benefits.

BONUS: You also gain something from the answers you get to the first 2 questions. The first question often generates a response you can use as a testimonial (with your customer's permission). The second question may provide an early warning of a problem you need to correct ...or it may alert you to an opportunity you can exploit.

Select one of these simple marketing strategies and start using it in your business. It won't take much time or effort and you'll see results almost immediately. Then repeat the process with each of the other 2 strategies until all 3 are part of your marketing system. You'll enjoy a permanent increase in your sales volume for a very small increase in your expenses.

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Bob Leduc is a Sales Consultant with 30 years experience in generating low-cost leads. He recently wrote a manual for small business owners, "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards", and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. For more info: mailto:BobLeduc@aol.com