Do you remember your first day as a business owner? I remember being pretty darned happy and it was an awfully proud moment. I thought I could conquer the world, but now I'm too busy trying to conquer my own little corner much less the rest of the world. I'm never too busy however, to learn a few tips from successful marketers who have made it big. Tips just like these... that you can apply to any market - regardless of the product or service - are great motivators to try something new. Heck, you never know when the next idea will be worth a million dollars!
So here are 3 effective tactics that every business should implement.
1. Create a Special Offer
A special offer is exactly that... an offer that is special. Normally, customers would not be able to purchase this product or combination of products, and once the products are gone... sorry!
You don't have to go out and order a bunch of new products to put together a special offer. It doesn't take a whole lot... just use what you've already got. Grab a few items that are related, group them together, discount the price, and your customers will be excited to be getting a good deal. This way you can sell three or four items instead of just one. A special offer like this is a win-win for everyone!
2. Put Your Customers into Groups
Niche markets are everywhere, even right under your nose! Your customers probably share common traits. Maybe some of them speak Spanish, maybe you have a large group of teens, or maybe there are a group of middle class family men and women.
Evaluate your customers and discover the unique needs and desires that they share. This way you can set you up a customized advertising campaign aimed directly at them. It's not difficult to take your current ads and make a few adjustments to target these niches. Your customers will more than likely be impressed that you understand THEM, and the increase in profits will be the best thanks you can get.
3. Set Up a Winning Referral Program
Successful marketers turn their customers into a powerful sales team. Satisfied customers naturally refer their friends and family to the person or place that takes good care of them. Quality service is the first step towards gaining customer referrals, but you can easily take it one step further. Studies show that every satisfied customer tells three people about you. But what do you think happens when you add a little incentive to it? You guessed it, a whole lot more referrals.
With one of my SEO customers, I offered to add a couple of keywords to his campaign everytime he sends me a new referral. Now he talks about my services like it were his own business and we both win.
Give your customers who refer friends a thank you - in the form of a discount, special gift item, or even a simple thank you card - and watch the referrals grow! You can also impliment simple customer surveys. Give a small discount to answer a few quick questions about what the customer does and doesn't like about your product or services, followed by a request for the names and addresses of friends and family who would benefit it. Do this and you'll not only know exactly what your customer likes and dislikes, you'll also have the contact information of prospective customers as well!
