Category: Retain Customers

Stop and Go Marketing

22/10/2021

Stop and Go marketing and ENERGY go hand in hand. Stop and Go marketing says what it is. We go out to market for time periods and then we get busy with our work and stop marketing. Here is the problem with that. Using the example of a funnel filled with clients and business contacts, when we stop marketing the funnel becomes empty over a time period. When the clients dry up we go back to our funnel, which is empty and once again, we panic and rush out to market.

Are you familiar with the word and concept of retention? It means keeping your current clients rather than losing them and having to find new ones. It costs a company quite a bit less to keep a customer than it does to go get a new one. By marketing your business, it takes quite a bit less energy to keep the flow of contacts and clients coming through the funnel than it does to have the funnel empty only to begin again.

Here is a great example of a metaphor that we experience everyday. "I was on the way to my hair appointment this month. I chose to take the side roads rather than the freeway. I noticed with each block I had to either take my foot off the gas and slow down to yield or I had to come to a complete stop. In any case, I was using more gas to get moving again. At each stop I noticed two types of moving forward. I could either push on the gas slowly to continue or I had to peel out to beat the traffic. Either way I had to start again from a stop. Had I taken the freeway (after rush hour) my drive would have been consistent and I would have used less gas. Or, in marketing terms, less energy.

Are you marketing...

on the side roads or
the freeway?

Consistency will keep your marketing funnel filled and you will have more energy to put into your business.

There is a perspective and a truth to a statement I heard from a successful business owner. Marketing is your job. What you "do" is the cherry on top. What he's saying is this. When you are not out "doing" your business, you should be marketing. Keeping that focus, your funnel will be filled and you will not experience Stop and Go Marketing.

There are many other reasons we stop our marketing. Here are a few from entrepreneurs like yourself.

I don't know how. We can stop marketing for a while and then we think we don't know how. This reaction can stem from the next bullet point.
Fear. If it's been a while since we have marketed that "freezing up" syndrome can creep back in. TRUST yourself - you DO know how!

Frustration. It's not working. Have you tried something for a while and it doesn't seem to be working? That's what marketing can be - a trial and error with our services and products. After a while you will learn what works and what doesn't with each piece you offer. Once you find out what works...STICK TO IT!
No Time. We're working so hard and with such long hours, there is no time to get out and meet new contacts. Suggestion: Create a short block of time to address envelopes for previous clients. Put stamps on them with your return address label. Have your note cards next to your envelopes. Take a break and jot a quick handwritten note to say hello and send it off. You have continued your marketing and keeping your funnel filled.
I don't have a plan. Part of planning is having a plan that fits your style. Not everyone works well from Structured Plan A. You might need a more creative plan. Something fun that will keep you motivated and focused. That is the key, motivation and focus along with a plan that fits your style.

Let's summarize:
Stop and Go Marketing...

Drains our funnel of contacts as well as our energy.
Creates reactions of: I don't know, Fear, Frustration, No time, No plan

Consistent Marketing...

Keeps our contact funnel filled which gives us a nice flow of customers and income
Keeps the negative reactions away and promotes energy

Remember, we all need to market in order to have a financially successful business. It's your choice on how you want to market and what type of approach and plan will help you succeed with ease, energy and excitement.

Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.

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5 Proven Methods To Gain and Retain Customers for Your Online Business

11/12/2020

23 Comments

Here is the basic rule of every business: you have to sell things to earn money. Salesmanship, or the art of closing a sale, therefore, is of ultimate importance for any business venture. After all, we can't expect any earnings if we don't make any sales.
Winning customers is essential for the success of your enterprise.

This is absolutely true for online businesses too. In fact, winning customers online has its pros and cons. The good news is that the entire world is your market, and you could potentially reach more people through the World Wide Web. The disadvantage? The Internet offers a more impersonal channel in our dealings with people, making it more difficult to gain their trust and favor.

So what can you do then? Fear not, dear friend. As with everything else in life, you should try to accentuate the positives to compensate for the negatives. Here are 5 methods by which you could gain a good number of customers, and keep them for a long and profitable business for you and your family.

1. Always deliver quality goods and services
There is no better vehicle for our business message than our products themselves. Consistently offering things that are more than worth our customers' time and money will brand us as enterprises that are committed to quality products and services. This will only serve us well in future dealings with the same clients.

Additionally, this would make our clients as advertising vehicles for our business as well, as they would spread the word about the excellence of our service to people belonging to their network.

2. Always try to over-deliver
People love receiving more than what they paid for. If you consistently give them extras, their minds will be conditioned to trust your business for future transactions. But make sure the extras are properly advertised so your customer can connect the dots and be reminded of you when buying again.

3. Provide bonuses
In addition to the product you're selling, add some more goods that would perk up the package. Do this in a manner that will make your customers aware of the value of the bonuses if they were otherwise purchased. This would definitely increase the worth of your product, and such would make it more favorable for a successful sale. Additionally, your bonuses would foster good will with your clients, and this could go a long, long way for future orders.

4. Build relationships
The importance of building good relationships with your customers cannot be undermined. As we've discussed earlier, the Internet is a rather informal venue for personal dealings. So try to humanize your approach so that your customers can relate to you as someone who is more than just a business provider, but also as a friend.

5. Make use of a mailing list
A mailing list is an Internet marketers number one weapon. By capturing the contact details of people who may not be interested with their current offer, they will be able to condition the same people for future sales. And this could serve their businesses well for quite a long time, as one successful sale can beget another and another after that. So invest in an excellent autoresponder service and prepare those follow-up messages well. Take good care of your subscriber base, and they will take good care of your business in return.

Winning customers is more than just luck. It entails a lot of strategizing and good planning. Retaining customers involve the same level of commitment as well. In the highly competitive world of online marketing, trust plays an integral role in achieving our goals. Try your best to win your customers' trust. Take care of it. And for sure, this trust would fuel good business for you for many years to come.

Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now for a free quote.

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Stop and Go Marketing

5 Proven Methods To Gain and Retain Customers for Your Online Business

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