September 24, 2009
One of the most common small business mistakes that I see is owners giving up on a marketing or advertising campaign too quickly. This little story will help you better understand why most people take so long to respond to your advertising efforts:
The first time someone looks at an advertisement, they don’t see it.
The second time, they don’t notice it.
The third time they are conscious of its existence.
The fourth time, they faintly remember having seen it before.
The fifth time they read it.
The sixth time, they turn up their nose at it.
The seventh time, they read it through and say, “Oh brother!”
The eighth time, they say, “Here’s that confounded thing again!”
The ninth time, they wonder if it really amounts to anything.
The tenth time, they ask their neighbor if they have tried it.
The eleventh time, they wonder how the advertiser can make it pay.
The twelfth time, they figure it must be a good thing.
The thirteenth time, they think perhaps it might be worth something.
The fourteenth time, they remember wanting it for quite a while.
The fifteenth time, they decide they can’t afford to buy it yet.
The sixteenth time, they think they will buy it someday.
The seventeenth time, they make himself a note to buy it.
The eighteenth time, they swear at their poverty.
The nineteenth time, they count their money carefully.
The twentieth time, they plan a time to place the order.
The twenty first time, they buy what it is offering.
1 Comment | 
Advertising | Tagged: Advertising | 
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Posted by Gil Gerretsen
August 25, 2009
Why would your customers come back soon after having made their first purchase?
For many businesses, repeat purchases are what build profits. So you should have a plan to encourage new customers to come back as soon as possible. Give them a reason to return quickly.
Take a look at your business. Do you have a standardized system or process to draw first time customers back to your business for another purchase? Do you have something to offer them that would build a stronger relationship? Does your process encourage an ongoing stream of transactions?
To grow your business, you should establish a consistent mechanism that will cultivate and increase your share of your customer’s purchases. Look for related things they need which you can offer. Give them a reason to come back for another visit or to come for another appointment. Have something for them to buy and give them a good reason to buy it now.
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Phasing Your Customers | 
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Posted by Gil Gerretsen
August 24, 2009
Why are you losing customers? Can the causes be prevented or minimized?
One of the best ways to grow your business is to make sure that you don’t lose them out the back end. Too many small business owners focus all their energy on adding new customers and never take the time to look at how long it has been since their established customers have done business with them.
Losing some customers is inevitable, but make sure you know how much it is happening and why. Don’t be deceived into thinking everything is fine.
Years ago, a client couldn’t understand why their revenues were not growing, even though they had a good track record of adding new customers. The answer was their high attrition rate. No one was paying any attention to making sure the new customers actually continued to come back. Customers were receiving poor service and were getting very frustrated with the big promises that never materialized. The company finally began to grow when the owner began to see the real problems and the service issues were rectified.
Leave a Comment » | Recency | Tagged: customers retentions | Permalink
Posted by Gil Gerretsen
August 20, 2009
When preparing your marketing efforts, remember that most people need mental pictures to better understand a new idea. Too many times I hear sales pitches that throw around facts and figures that, in all truthfulness, are hard to understand and go over our heads.
For example, if I tell you that Alaska has an area of 590,840 square miles, what does your mind process. It is hard to imagine what that looks like, isn’t it!
Now let me make it easy to understand and picture in your mind. Alaska is the size of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont … combined!
In summary, when you declare facts, make them relevant. Give people a point of reference that they can understand.
Leave a Comment » | Branding | Permalink
Posted by Gil Gerretsen
August 19, 2009
It has long been said that success doesn’t lie in WHAT you know, but WHO you know. I would like to amend that axiom to read … Sucees lies in who knows you!
The WHAT should already be a given fact if you expect to stay in business very long. Therefore, building your business depends upon building connections and notoriety through more effective networks and referrals.
Business is about developing relationships. It’s about knowing people who believe in you and your work. People who trust you will recommend you or open doors for you. That’s because most people prefer to do business with someone they know or who is recommended by someone they trust or respect.
Your allies can make a tremendous difference between a marginal or a stunning success. Increase your success by increasing the relationships you build.
First … join one or two key community or industry organizations that have members with whom you can do business. This might include your chamber of commerce, civic groups or professional associations. Read the rest of this entry »
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Networking | Tagged: Networking, referrals | 
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Posted by Gil Gerretsen
August 13, 2009
Most publicity seekers make the mistake of focusing only on the packaging of their message, rather than tailoring it for the needs of specific publications or outlets. Each publicity outlet has its own needs and point of view when they are considering what to publish.
You should first decide on which outlets you would like to connect with, and then study those outlets carefully to determine their editorial focus before sending them a press release or a pitch for a feature article. The only way to get outlets to “buy” your bid for publicity is to treat each one as a unique customer and cater to their needs.
Leave a Comment » | Publicity / Public Relations | Permalink
Posted by Gil Gerretsen
August 12, 2009
You will find that, on average, 25% of your sales people will produce 75% of your business. Or thinking of it another way… for every 10 you hire, only 2-3 will be perform.
Some will be worth keeping and some will actually cost you money. Although it sounds mean, you must constantly be on the lookout for potential new talent while removing people that just cannot produce in your particular industry or environment. It is important to note, however, that just because they can’t produce for you does not necessarily make them poor salespeople. Many people have failed terribly in one industry only to go on and excel in another environment. You actually owe it to a poor performer to let them move on and see if they can find a better niche for their skills and talents.
Also recognize that what motivates one salesperson may not motivate another. You must find each one’s hot button. Generally, you will find seven areas to focus on, as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Selling Skills | Tagged: motivation, salespeople | Permalink
Posted by Gil Gerretsen
August 5, 2009
Do you have trouble winning business away from a competitor?
The first thing you must recognize is that people who are pleased with their current supplier relationships are seldom interested in making a move. Although YOU know that you could provide a better value, the prospect is taking a risk any time they try something new. There is a high risk to them if they must make a total commitment to you against someone they already have a satisfactory relationship with. Even if they are unhappy with their current vendor, they may be reluctant to move because they worry that you might be as bad or worse.
As a rule, people are so busy dealing with day-to-day issues that we avoid expending any mental and physical energy except to deal with the most immediate problem or crisis. Whenever I am mentoring a business owner that must prove their skill or product quality before landing the “big contract,” I often encourage use of the “pilot project” as an effective and powerful sales tool. The pilot project can help you win new business by putting a unique twist on your offer. It is often much easier for a prospect to agree to a simple pilot project where their risk is minimized. It gives them a chance to try your product or service without all the usual implications and limitations. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Selling Skills | Tagged: pilot project, test marketing | Permalink
Posted by Gil Gerretsen
July 31, 2009
Right now, advertising busgets are getting whacked! So, it is time to get as much (free) publicity as you can. One way to get better results is by sending a press release that has not one, but TWO headlines at the top of your press release.
Here’s the idea … Editors get bombarded with press releases. Most just have just enough time to scan your headline to know if it is something they want to use. So your headline has to convey the story hook quickly.
Here is a sample idea:
IN TODAY’S AILING ECONOMY, SMALL BUSINESSES FIND VALUE IN “FREE”
Offering Free Products and Services Creates New Cash Flows Previously Unavailable To Small Business Owners.
The first headline connects the story to the ailing economy. Editors are looking for things that are related to stories the public is already interested in. Start your headline with a topic that is already in the news and your release exponentially improves its chance of being used. The second (or “sub”) headline creates a different promotional element that catches a novel element of interest and/or expands on the first idea … just in case that one did not sink in. Give this appraoch a try with your next press release.
Leave a Comment » | Publicity / Public Relations | Tagged: headlines, press release | Permalink
Posted by Gil Gerretsen
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