Until the day I learned to play chess I loved playing checkers. Both games require a strategy that maximizes a player's ability to capture her opponents pieces without first losing her own. Checkers was fun. But the complexities of chess lead to more satisfying victories and defeats.
Chess is a more complicated game than checkers as there are more variables. Therefore, much more thought and concentration is required to win a game of chess than is required to win a game of checkers.
Like chess, marketing your business is a complicated endeavor. A successful chess player anticipates future moves and will position his pieces in such a way that each piece helps add strength to other pieces already in place.
A successful marketing strategy is no different than a winning chess strategy. Every move you make must reinforce previous and future moves. Instead of rooks, bishops and queens the moves made in the game of marketing are made with advertisements, web sites, marketing messages, brochures and so on.
As a small business owner you don't risk losing pieces to your opponent you risk losing business to your competitors.
Great chess players have a strategy that helps them win with consistency. Here's a marketing strategy you can use to consistently win new business.
Focus Your Marketing
Target your market with a marketing message that speaks directly to the population you serve. A marketing message is a phrase or sentence that clearly demonstrates who you help and the problems you solve.
Develop and use your marketing message as often as you can. Doing so will help get your business get noticed by those most likely to buy from you. Use your marketing message in your marketing materials, your website and any and everywhere your business comes in contact with potential clients.
Effective use of a marketing message can be a small business owner's best friend. A good one will work hard for you to generate new business and will never ask for anything in return.
Inspire Action
Once you've used your marketing message to grab hold of your prospects' attention, be it at your website, after reading one of your ads or an article you've written, be sure you clearly instruct them to take the action you want. It doesn't matter what the action is as long as it requires them to provide you their contact information so you may continue marketing to them.
Offer something useful and free in exchange for their information. Give away free recipes if you're a caterer or tips on designing bouquets if you're a florist. Just be certain to give clear directions about what should be done next to move your sales process along.
Build a Relationship
After you've successfully culled from your prospects' their contact information it is now time for you to develop a relationship with them. The nature of the relationship you develop should be one that makes it clear that you know your prospect is out there, that you understand your prospects' problems and that you can help solve your prospects' problems.
Common methods for developing relationships with prospects are distributing articles, publishing an ezine and conducting surveys. Be sure to include your marketing message with every article, ezine or survey.
Over time you will become the obvious solution to your clients' problems when they decide to take action to solve what concerns them.
Move Your Marketing forward
Using each of the above methods will help you position your business much like a champion chess player positions his pieces. In the end victory and more sales will be yours.
Copyright 2005, Jeremy Cohen and Better Marketing Results
The author, Jeremy Cohen, helps small business owners and professional service providers attract more clients, grow their business and be more successful with his marketing strategy and web site enhancement service and his marketing guides. Get his free marketing strategy guide : Jumpstart Marketing: More Profits, Clients and Success at: http://www.bettermarketingresults.com/
maide service in Lincolnshire ..While I was hard at work last week, an everyday... Read More
When is it a good thing to say no to... Read More
Here are seven ways for owners of small businesses to... Read More
Summer is a time for the outdoors, for that well-deserved... Read More
I've got good news and bad news. The good news... Read More
How much is your time really worth? Is it worth... Read More
Think of all of your business ideas as tiny seeds... Read More
Hogwash!That's what I say to people who tell me that... Read More
A common hazard faced by new entrepreneurs is a lack... Read More
One overlooked individual in the process of taking a company... Read More
There is a continual trend we are seeing which I... Read More
Under the Securities Act of 1933, any offer to sell... Read More
As a company grows, the owner's role begins to change.... Read More
There have been many great points raised on both sides... Read More
The challenges of the small business owner are well documented.... Read More
Does your small business have a banking and credit card... Read More
-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --An effective and compelling... Read More
If you are a small business and qualify to participate... Read More
There will come a time in your business where you... Read More
Business Process Automation or BPA for short. This was a... Read More
Small businesses need Public Relations, possibly more than large corporations,... Read More
We all know that a building has to have a... Read More
Most small business owners are faced with so many responsibilities... Read More
Competition in the business world is often viewed as a... Read More
There are many potential niches for pressure washing companies that... Read More
cleaning lady near Deerfield ..How do marine type businesses start? Have you ever thought... Read More
Manufactured and Mobile Home owners know that the weather this... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
-- Beyond Cold Calling, "Warm" Calling and Sending E-mails --Many... Read More
Costs of over regulation and over disclosure end up hurting... Read More
Whether it has been thrust upon you by external market... Read More
If you're like me, you love accounting. It's so fascinating... Read More
The stock market is still on a wild roller coaster... Read More
One of the first things you will need to set... Read More
If you are in the professional car care business you... Read More
You know your prospects need what you sell. You know... Read More
Tap these treasures of ideas. The best money you can... Read More
Marketing is one of the four corner-posts of a solid... Read More
(Although this article is geared towards small business owners, the... Read More
Business consulting opportunities might be just what your are looking... Read More
As small business managers, we juggle limited resources in a... Read More
Disclosure laws in franchising are suppose to help the consumer.... Read More
If you are the boss and you think your job... Read More
A tongue-in-cheek look at the skills required to operate a... Read More
When the recent Games of the XXVIII Olympiad came to... Read More
American small business is again in transition. Many employees, now... Read More
Why should you do informative talks to smaller groups?Informative talks... Read More
You've probably heard the statistic that 95% of small businesses... Read More
In the 2003 Auto Laundry News Survey it was determined... Read More
I have a confession to make. My name is Caroline... Read More
Small Business |