What to Know and What to Expect
You Will Learn about the critical first steps to starting a successful marketing campaign
The big secret that no one teaches is how to get started with the right assumptions and the right tools. How you prepare for your first marketing campaign has the biggest effect of its success or failure.
Here is a little secret, the basics of marketing is as easy as 1-2-3. You don’t have to know all the complicated concepts and terms of the marketing industry to be effective when marketing for your business. What you do need to know is the basics. The basics of marketing goes like this: 1) get the attention of your audience 2) have them call you or come to your business 3) have your sales representative close the sale. Staying focused on these three simple steps will do much to increase your sales and keep you competitive, but many business owners fail in one, two or even all three of these crucial steps.
Getting the attention of your audience is the key first step. By targeting new home buyers near your business you become the first to make these new customers into your customers. Having the right list is critical. By starting with a targeted list of new home buyers, you will reach your specific niche of customers interested in you. And by targeted I mean targeted by zip code, house prices, ethnicity and much more. Did you know that you can be so specific as to target customers that are in the zip code of 90210, who own a home valued at 1.5 million dollars, that own a pool and who also speaks Cantonese? Now THAT’S targeted marketing. This is how you leverage even a small marketing budget.
Potential Customers can call you by phone, contact your website or come to your place of business. Once your target audience has made contact with you, what you do next will determine how much you sell. The customers who make contact with your business have the highest potential to buy from you, so once you find them, maintain your relationship with them. Whether you close a sale with them that day or not you should market to them continuously into the future. Once you know who they are you should manage their contact information and follow up.
Closing the sale requires three things, trust in your company, trust in the salesperson and trust in your product or service. The major objections to a sale will come in one or more of these three categories. Be aware of which objection the customer is using and be prepared to answer those questions. Turn negatives into positives. For example if you’re a start up and have little evidence that your business is viable, point out how your expertise made the company you used to work for a big success. And this is your motivation for going on your own – to do it better. Show your customers that you have the drive and enthusiasm that an older company doesn’t have. If you’re an established company, one selling point will be your longevity. And as a final tip, be aware that most new sales people often talk the customer out of the sale because they are so excited or nervous that they blink first. Once the objections have been overcome, let the prospect talk first. Whoever talks first loses. When closing the sale, be aware of the three major objections that any customer may have, and be prepared to overcome them.
What to expect
Let’s face it; marketing is expensive but a requirement to stay in business. Being as targeted as possible with your marketing campaign is crucial to move your business forward. Any marketing you do must be done repeatedly. A onetime campaign is rarely effective. To get the most out of your marketing dollars you should think long term and not short term. When starting a marketing campaign keep the long term strategy in mind and make compelling offers over a period of weeks and months. Over time, your marketing will do two things, generate sales and create a recognizable brand for prospects. But a continuous direct marketing campaign can have a significant ROI or Return On Investment.
Be prepared to get small results in your first effort. This is not a failure, but rather typical. Sending out mailings the first time may not result in huge sales. Some prospects will throw your mailing in the trash, others will call right away, and others will hang on to your mailing until they need you. Be ready to change your mailings to better target your audience. When prospects call you, ask them how they heard of you and what piqued their interest to call you. Was it the price? Was it the convenience? Was it something else? Getting this feedback will help you improve your marketing and your mailings.
Here is a valuable lesson from AdAge.com.
“Even though response rates haven’t risen, the report shows that direct mail is 10 to 30 times more effective than email, and other digital channels have similar low rates. To quote the report, “for every 1,000 existing customers receiving a direct-mail piece, 34 will respond on average. For email, the average response — measured by taking the click-through rate and multiplying the conversion per click — is 0.12%.” That means that only 1 customer out of 1,000 would follow the email solicitation through to sale.” AdAge.com
If your business has a product or service that a New Mover / New Homeowner needs, you should talk to us. We’ve been compiling the nation’s best New Homeowners Mailing List for over 40 years. We also can provide you with New Movers list if this target audience proves a better match. Each week we capture almost 100,000 New Homeowners who move into their new property. Want to know how many of them move into a neighborhood in your area of business? Don’t let your business lose another customer to your competitors just because you didn’t send them a simple flyer you can print in your office or home. Contact us today and find out how you can start adding new customers each week. Let us help you reach the right people at the right time, when they are ready to make a purchase.