17 Important Tips to Bring in More Clients and Increase Your Income

1. The single most important strategy that all small business owners need

to practice and have in place is to make sure that marketing is a daily

routine.

There may be hundreds of different priorities needing your attention at any given

moment however, if marketing isn t done on a regular basis you risk losing

potential customers, you get overtaken by your competitors and you definitely

place self-imposed limitations on your financial growth. In a challenging

economy it's extremely important be known as the company that provides value,

dependability, and great service. Without a regular marketing program your

existing and prospective customers may find themselves drawn to your

competitor's latest marketing offerings. – Perhaps a postcard mailing, a trade

show exhibit, a blog posting, a phone call, a press release, or a well-written sales

letter. Remember you want to be in sight, not out of sight, out of mind

2. Continually ask questions and re-evaluate where you are in your

business. Remember to be flexible about changing things if necessary. Check to

see if your website is converting productively and if not take a look at where it

might need to be corrected. The same is necessary for print ads if they are not

generating positive responses. If you can t see the solution ask a colleague or

friend for their input. Whether it s your print ad website landing page, a marketing

postcard, or a radio ad, it s often much more productive to get an objective

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opinion. Ask them how they think it might be improved ( Tell them they would be

doing you a massive favor if they tell you the truth and you won't be offended).

Useful feedback often comes from unexpected sources.

3. Set up a blog that relates to your area of expertise. Remember to make

sure this is about how your customers would benefit from the products or

services or products you offer. Invite your customers, colleagues, friends to

check out your latest blog posts. Writing a blog regularly (weekly is fine) will give

you more credibility as an expert and it also keeps your name and company in

the forefront of your customers' minds.

4. Let the media know you're an expert in your field and are available as an

industry spokesperson. Depending on your credentials, as well as your

comfort-level with being interviewed by a reporter, you might want to send a brief

letter outlining your accomplishments and expertise, and mention that they can

feel free to call you if they need comments, quotes, background information or

opinions on a news article or feature story they're working on. The positive

publicity, credibility, and recognition you could potentially get from this kind of

coverage can potentially give your business or practice a real boost.

5. Business cards can either be a waste of paper or an effective bridge

between a prospect and their potential as a long-term client. Business cards

are an integral element of your company's branding strategy and can sometimes

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make or break you when it comes to getting prospects to take you seriously. A lot

of companies skimp on business card design, concept development, and

printing; and that lackluster image is conveyed directly to prospective clients.

Bottom line is: Your chances of favorably impressing prospects will improve

substantially if your business cards are printed on high-quality paper, display a

professional-looking logo, and use a font style that's easy to read and is

representative of the nature of your business. Your business cards should also

contain either a well thought-out slogan or a short bullet point list that shows a

little about your services, your expertise, and your commitment to excellence.

Also, remember that people connect to people so if it s possible to have a photo

on the business card this is important.

6. When developing a marketing plan, don't forget there is a huge range of

marketing ideas you can employ, many of which are free or inexpensive.

Marketing ideas and techniques include yellow page advertising, Pay Per Click

on Google and other Internet portals, exhibiting in trade shows, networking at

local or regional professional conferences and business groups, direct mail,

distributing coupons, sponsoring contests, and of course, traditional media

advertising, such as radio, TV, newspaper, and magazine display ads. This is

just the short list of marketing strategies you can pursue as part of a planned

marketing campaign. Do some research and devise an exhaustive list of

possibilities, target your audience, and then plan a campaign based on your

budget and your goals.

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7. Create and promote a website: Often small businesses that don t have

some sort of Internet presence are losing sales and missing out on a powerful

channel for communicating with the public. A website is an even more powerful

vehicle for reaching out to your customers if your web address (domain name) is

easy to memorize. While ads in the Yellow Pages still have their place in small

business marketing, the public is increasingly turning to the Internet to search for

products and services they need. I don't know what the future of the clunky, old-

fashioned phone book is going to be but for many people it's a lot more

convenient to go to their Internet browser and type in what they're shopping for

than to lug out the heavy, bulky telephone book (especially if you live in a large

city) and leaf through the pages. Another advantage of having a presence on the

Web is the fact that you can get people to visit your web site (or even just a web

page) by including your web address on your business cards, brochures, direct

mail pieces, Yellow pages ads, press releases, newsletters, email

correspondence, and any other printed or electronic communication that is

distributed to your customers or prospective clients.

8. Know your competitive advantages: If you haven't spent some time

brainstorming, listing, and writing down what's called your "Unique Selling

Proposition", "value proposition", or "competitive advantages", then you're not

ready to put your best foot forward when giving sales presentations, writing web

site content, writing and placing ads, or communicating in any way with your

prospective clients or current customers. One of the cornerstones of developing a

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successful marketing strategy is being able to present a compelling case to

people of why they should do business with you and choose you over the

competition. Sometimes when small business owners do an analysis of their

competitive advantages, they reach the startling conclusion that they don't have

any! When they find themselves at that rather awkward crossroads, they can do

one of two things: 1) They can continue offering the same service, pricing,

selection, or specials that they've been offering, or 2) They can re-evaluate the

uniqueness and competitiveness of their offers, services, or customer benefits,

and then develop ways to add value to their customers' experience.

9. Focus on after sale communication. Don t wait for clients to contact you.

Once they are on board, your marketing needs to build on the relationship you

have and continue to add value. By making this investment, you create a strong

base of customers that can support your business for a very long time.

10. Keep testing. Testing is essential for the success of any marketing

campaign. If you re not continually testing your marketing campaigns, then you re

leaving money on the table. Test everything from headlines and offers to

marketing copy and the timing of campaigns. This can only improve results and

generate more sales.

11. Integrated marketing. Find multiple ways to generate business. To do this

test different forms of media such as print or online. There are endless sources of

leads and customers and your job is to find as many as you can that can produce

a positive return on investment. This reduces your risk and improve your options.

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12. Continue Learning. Nothing can replace your own personal experience.

Know what works and what doesn t by doing the work yourself. Once you have

the knowledge, you can share it with your marketing team and rely on others to

do the work for your. If you don t have the real world marketing experience, you

won t be able to get it from a book.

13. Use segmentation above all else. Successful campaigns get that way

because marketers know their audience. They understand their needs, how to

help fulfill those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding

your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted

campaign that generates a profitable return.

14. The offer is very important. The offer you make to prospective buyers is

one of the most important factors of any marketing piece. Direct marketing

studies have proven that the offer accounts for about forty percent of the buying

decision. Don t spend your time in a way that doesn t give all your time to design

or copy without considering your offer first.

15. Generate split tests. A split test is when you use multiple versions of a

marketing piece and you measure the results. This is an effective way to improve

overall results of any marketing campaign. This is very important when

considering running a marketing campaign for a sustained period of time. Split

test for long-term success.

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16. Build a team. No matter how talented you are, building a marketing team is a

great way to improve results. As you develop ideas, a marketing team can build

on that idea, enhance it, and consider multiple options. Your team should be

comprised of a diverse group of people who can add to each others ideas. It

doesn t have to be expensive to develop a team.

17. If you're having a hard time generating new business, than focus on

making your advertising more memorable. Perhaps it's time to think about

developing a new tagline for your business. A tagline is simple way to sum up the

solution your product or service provides to create an impression in the

customer's mind.

Your tagline is a great way to make a lasting impression, quickly communicate

what you stand for and what challenge you can solve for consumers. Here are a

few tips on creating a powerful tagline for your business.

Make a record of taglines you like. Keep your eyes and ears open for a week and

write down the taglines you hear that catch your attention. The best way to make

sure your own tagline is memorable is to figure out what grabs your attention and

why. It will likely affect your customers in the same way.

Make a list. Over the course of a few days, have a few brainstorming sessions

and write down everything that relates to your business. Remember, when

brainstorming, nothing is a bad idea. Write down everything that comes to mind

until you have a sizable list. From here, you will be able to narrow your list down

into categories to help you direct your tagline. Your goal is to have 3 or 4 main

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points. Try to keep your final list specific. Generic lines will not get your point

across.

Keep your tagline short. You want it to be 8-10 words maximum. You might think

this would make it easier, but it's actually harder to express what you want to get

across in just a few words. Don't get discouraged if you have trouble.

Come up with a few lines of your own. Use the 3 to 4 main points from your

brainstorming list to come up with several options for taglines. Take a little time to

think over each. Say them out loud. Try to determine if there are any double

meanings you've overlooked. It may even be a good idea to get a few opinions

from people to see what they think. Ideally, you should ask people who don't

already know what your business does. Practice until you can say it without

hesitation.

Once you have chosen a tagline, be sure to use it everywhere. Include it in your

advertising, put it on your business cards and make sure it is displayed on your

site. Because it will be so closely associated with your company it is almost like a

second name. It should be displayed everywhere your company's name shows.

Taglines are a great way to create interest and improve your advertising.

Consider evaluating your tagline from time to time. As things change, your

business changes, and so should your tagline.

Go for it! You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by putting these things

into practice on a regular basis. www.GotGreenPrinting.com