Sales and Marketing

Marketing 101

• Mistake - Not Having a Marketing Plan - Having a written marketing plan can make everyday decision making easier and save you time. Here are some ideas to use when creating a plan.
• Marketing Plan Guidelines - Your marketing plan should be a living document that is reviewed often and modified as needed. Here is a Guide to help you create your plan.
• Mistake - Not Monitoring Your Competitors - Knowing what your competitors are doing can help your business in several ways. It can help you overcome current obstacles and provide ideas for future growth.
• Using the Internet for Market Research - The amount of online information on your customers and your competitors is immense. Learn some places to look for information that can help you and your business.
• Naming a Product - The first impression a prospect has about your products will probably be greatly influenced by the name of those products. Finding the right combination of descriptive and memorable words can help.
• Avoid Cannibalizing Sales with New Products - Most businesses are constantly trying to add new products or services. The challenge is to be sure that any new offering increases the top line without sacrificing the bottom line.

Acquiring Customers

• Marketing with Direct Mail - Marketing through the mail is effective for some and not for others. Learn some of the ways to evaluate and use this marketing tactic.
• Marketing Through the Mail Checklist - There are essentially two forms when mailing to a prospect/customer. This list will help you determine which is right for your business.
• Marketing With Newsletters - Finding ways to stay in touch with customers and prospects is critical for the success of your business. Newsletters provide "a reason and a means" to communicate. Learn why many companies use newsletters to keep interested parties informed.
• Trade Show Marketing - Industry gatherings and conferences can be an ideal way of getting your marketing messages in front of potential buyers. This article helps identify what types of shows may be best and how to use your attendance or exhibiting more effectively.
• Marketing at a Trade Show Checklist - Here are some issues to consider when attending or exhibiting at a trade show.

• Mistake - Ignoring Opportunities on the Internet - The Internet is changing the way we live and also changing how consumers and businesses interact with other businesses. While not every business needs an Internet presence, many do. This article provides some ideas on how to use the Internet to help grow your business.
• Preparing for a Business Speech - Opportunities to speak in front of customers and others should be seized and capitalized on. Many business managers let the anxiety of public speaking prevent them from taking full advantage of these opportunities.
• Business Speech Preparation Checklist - Knowing your audience and what you want to talk about is key in preparing a speech or presentation. Here are some ideas to help you with this preparation.
• The Science and Art of Generating Referrals - Asking for referrals can be uncomfortable. Learn some of the when's and how's to make the process more effective and easier.

Honing Your Sales Skills

• Mistake - Not Organizing Your Follow-up of Sales Prospects Effectively - New customers and new orders are critical for the growth of your business. This article provides a guide for prioritizing categories of leads for follow up.
• Following Up on Sales Leads - New customers are the life-blood of most businesses. Once you get the lead, there are several ways to stay in touch. The keys are to follow up consistently and efficiently.
• Improving Your Listening Skills - Communication is a two way process. Only by understanding what customers, prospects, employees and others are truly saying can you respond effectively. Learn some techniques that can help you be a better communicator.
• Enhance Your Telephone Skills - Everyday you probably spend hours on the phone with customers, prospects, vendors and others. Learn how to make those conversations more productive and potentially shorter.
• Learning When You Lose a Customer - Losing a customer is seldom pleasant. But, many businesses learn from those experiences. Knowing why a customer left may help you from losing others.

Public Relations

• Creating a Public Relations Campaign - Favorable media exposure can increase business. One way to do get noticed is to spend money with advertising. The other way is to effectively use press releases and relationships with publication writers. Public relations can take time, but the costs are minimal.
• Using the Trade Press to Generate Results - Trade publications you and your customers read are an ideal way to spread the word about your company. Following a few steps can help you take advantage of this "free" advertising.
• Writing Effective Email Messages - Email has become the communication of choice for many. This article offers some tips on how to make your business email messages more effective.

Customer Service

• Giving Customers the Respect They Want and Deserve - Keeping existing customers, as well as finding new ones, is more critical than ever. Better understanding the customer relationship from the customer's point of view can help you strengthen, lengthen and leverage one of your most valuable business assets - your customer relationships.
• The Value of Customer Loyalty - Your customers are probably your most valuable business assets. In the increasingly competitive world, it is essential to keep existing customers as well as get new ones. Consider steps that can increase your customers' loyalty and maximize the value of those relationships.
• Building Stronger Customer Relationships - Strengthening existing customer relationships can be one of the best ways to generate continuing and increasing sales. This article provides some insights into what customers want from their vendors.