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/
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carDo you own a franchised business? Over 400,000 franchised businesses... Read More
As a practise gets larger & larger the associated problems... Read More
Scenario OneDuring a recent presentation, a business owner was given... Read More
Cash flow. To stay in business, you've got to keep... Read More
10 Best Practices to consider as your SBIR negotiations approach... Read More
I recently met with a very successful magazine publisher who... Read More
Many mobile pressure-washing companies turn to government contacts to make... Read More
At one point or another, almost every business runs short... Read More
So you want to start a business but you don't... Read More
What is the Big Race all about when it comes... Read More
Sometimes the simple businesses are the ones, which make good... Read More
What's your job profitability? I meet with business owners every... Read More
It is estimated that 78% of all small business start-ups... Read More
Are you -- like 70 percent of small business owners... Read More
Ok, so next to the taxman, your company payroll department... Read More
For really tough boat hull cleaning you will need to... Read More
You need to be visible to attract customers, right? But... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
Home based travel businesses are no longer the wave of... Read More
All legitimate home business entrepreneurs insist and announce loud and... Read More
Are you responsible for your results?What comes to mind when... Read More
Purchasing a franchise has become one of the most popular... Read More
Over the years I heard the best way to learn... Read More
How a donation is different from a sponsorship and what... Read More
The reason we Franchisors call it an exclusive territory is... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..What's your job profitability? Do you know?Many business owners are... Read More
Business owners rarely go into business to deal with the... Read More
$37.4 million funded from venture capital today. $86.4 million funded... Read More
A tongue-in-cheek look at the skills required to operate a... Read More
Everyday more web based companies enter the business scene. The... Read More
Everyday, customers and business owners are bombarded with billboards, logos,... Read More
Most doctors never distinguish the difference between customers and patients.... Read More
Gather round while I tell you the story of Kennebec... Read More
Did you know that satisfaction is the number one emotion... Read More
Why does research and education play an important part of... Read More
Everything starts with a business plan: If you don't have... Read More
First you have to start with knowing your budget and... Read More
There are several well-known truck washes in the Great State... Read More
Do you spend every waking minute in your business? Do... Read More
You are probably hard at work promoting your business (and... Read More
Search Engines account for almost 90% of all web traffic!In... Read More
What does buying a fat pig have to do with... Read More
"The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing... Read More
It is imperative to have your business legally prepared. How... Read More
On Monday the Department of Corporations in California revoked franchise... Read More
1. Have A Strong Constitution ? Justices deliver decisions by... Read More
Small Business, Big Business ? What's the Diff?Well a lot... Read More
Ask anyone trapped in a cubical about their entrepreneurial dream... Read More
If you run a pressure washing business it is a... Read More
Many self employed professionals find themselves overwhelmed, frustrated, and confused... Read More
Small Business |