Expo & promotional items

It was great to catch up last week with many of the regular readers of this newsletter at the Breakthrough Expo. I also look forward to keeping in touch with the new readers who I met on the day as well.

As part of my expo preparation, I looked at various companies who sold promotional style giveaways. During my research, I came across an article that was a ‘behind the scenes look at the promotional industry’. It was a very interesting read. One of the case studies highlighted in the piece was an event where over 5000 people had been poisoned from consuming the contents of a leaking glow stick that was included in the glass of the welcoming cocktail drink. Alarming story. If you are thinking of purchasing any sort of promotional items, I recommend reading this story first. Drop me a line and I will send it to you.

Marketing Puzzle event!

The Marketing Puzzle event is drawing closer and we are featured in the following websites.

• Small Business Victoria
  
• Sensis Small Business

We are also pleased to announce that we have secured a Wine Sponsor for the event. Karen Ridge from Food and Wine Travel will be serving up some delicious premium wine for us all to enjoy. Look forward to seeing you there! 

Last event sold out! – to register for this event click here.

Generating more and new business in 2009

No doubt you have been reading in the press a fairly grim outlook for the Australian and Global economy in 2009. What I haven’t read though is a more positive perspective of how to grow business and do better in 2009 regardless of what is happening in the broader economy. Have you?

In this edition of the Next Marketing E newsletter, I have decided to write a longer article that outlines seven strategies that you can implement, right here, right now in your business to get new customers and earn more money this year. Yes, in 2009. Sound like a good idea? Then keep reading!

1. Have the right attitude
Business is about attitude and the most important thing you can do right now is to have a positive one. When you start work each day, you can choose to be negative and grumpy or be fun and positive. Make the right choice and people will be naturally attracted to what you do and your business.

2. Go to a new networking event each week for three months
To get new customers means that you will need to meet more people. It is a numbers game. To meet more people you will need to do different things than what you are doing now. Here’s an idea, why don’t you, for the next three months, go to a different networking function once a week. Make sure you follow people up. Add them (with permission) to your e newsletter. Keep in contact and keep connecting.

3. Generate buzz around your business
Have you heard about the Gold Coast meter maids? I saw them on the prime time TV one night they are certainly eye catching. Perhaps your business alone hasn’t got the capacity to generate such significant buzz, but your local business community might. Do something different as a group. Take a stand on a local issue. Be a little controversial, stand out from the crowd and be noticed.

4. Send out an e newsletter at least once per month from this month
Having good and regular e newsletter with content is challenging. I send this one out each fortnight. I understand. I get my ideas for good content from reading lots of magazines (I have about 5 subscriptions) and have a rule with myself, as soon as one edition is sent; on that day (or day after) I write the next edition. It works for me. Try it out. It is a great and affordable way to keep your business in peoples minds.

5. Follow up on old leads
Do you have a shoebox of business cards? Why don’t you pick up the phone and ring 2 of them a day for the next month. Here are some suggestions to help you pick up the phone.

You are calling to:

• Conduct some market research about a new product idea you have
• Ask their opinion about an issue
• Ask them what they have been up too
• Ask them to talk about themselves in some way….

6. Offer free sandwiches, morning teas
People always appreciate something for free. Ring up a hot lead or a really important client and offer to shout them lunch. It doesn’t have to be expensive, perhaps a coke and a sandwich if you like. Shout a different client each week, perhaps on a Friday. Only take 45 minutes of their time. Have a plan of what you want from them and work that into the conversation.

7. Focus on your target audience…
Is your target audience busy and difficult to catch? Here is an example of an activity that I was involved with in a 'previous' life.

The company I worked for was in the commercial furniture business and the target audience was Interior Designers who specified very large projects. What we found was, it was difficult to get time to showcase our product offer to the Designers. So we selected a few companies who we really wanted to influence, and offered them a limo pick up service to and from their office to a free lunch at our showroom. All within one hour. The entire exercise really wasn’t that expensive and provided to be highly successful. During this time, we had their full attention, away from emails and phone calls for almost one hour. Priceless.

Not all of these suggestions will fit directly into your business. However, think about any of the seven tips and consider how you could use them to suit your target audience. Drop me a line if you would like me to help you do so.