I speak to many businesses who are always wondering where the next sale is coming from. Many just rely on luck or oh it will pick up to ensure their business success. Clearly this is a dangerous way to run your business.

The real secret to a profitable business is to build your army of customers and get to know them inside and out! The technical term for this is database marketing.

I have been using database marketing in ALL my businesses now for years and its paying me back ten fold.

You need to ensure you collect as much data as possible about your clients/customers. One great little trick I do is to collect their birthday and send them a card with a special birthday offer to generate more business.

This tactic is really under used by UK businesses but not only does it increase your business but your customers will love the fact that you thought of them and went  to the effort to send them a card!

Try it, start collecting names, addresses, tel numbers, dates of birth, special dates etc of your customers and mail them with a special birthday offer, they will love you and your business for doing it!

In recent weeks I have spent some time doing two things:

1 - As it’s so hot in Cyprus at the moment I hae spent a lot of time down on the beach

2- Thinking and reading whilst I am there.!

You see, I have taken some time away from my businesses to think about the strategy that I currently have. I have replanned everything that I do and also set the outsourcers on performance plans.

Why am I talking like I own a multi national business? Well it’s all about one very important thing and that is BUILDING A BUSINESS AROUND YOUR STRENGHTS!

I can’t tell you what a vital piece of information this is if you truly want to make money and lead the life you want. Most small business owners do one thing when they decide that they no longer want to work for someone, they start their own business and create a job for themselves.

 Notice I said job for themselves, not business or profit stream for themselves but a job. This is all too common as many small business owners look to do everything themselves, in fact many are so desperate to do the work they run them and their business into the ground.

Now a true business owner looks at their strenghts and builds a business around that. If you are the best at planning and implementation and not so good at meeting people and closing sales, DON’T build a business around you having to close sales! YOu do the planning etc (your strenghts) and employee or bring in a commission only salesperson.

To build a super profitable business you need to constantly play to your strenghts so that:

A - You are spending time at the most productive and profitable you can be

B - You ENJOY what you do so you don’t get tired, lose focus or passion!

I could write about this lots more and I will do but in the meantime, take 1 hour a week just ot think about your strenghts and how you can build your business to play to them, rather than concentrating working on the weaknesses!

I have been reading up and looking at lead generation via the internet over recent weeks.

I currently supply leads that I cature online and provide them to companies. It’s a great way to build your asset list for your business. A business can be worth a whole lot more if you have a large, frequently contacted database.

So I suggest that you don’t lead but follow. Follow up that is. get every customers name and address and contact detials that buys from you, then follow up with offers.

It is a given fact that the first sale IS the hardest! So why are you trying to sell to new customers which is hard rather that go back to your existing customers and make the EASY second sale.

It’s simple to do, all you need to do is write a simple offer letter and send it to them, aim to do this one a month. Vary the piece you send, maybe a letter, then a postcard, then a greetings card and send them different offers.

This will build your companies value and make it easy to generate the simple sales!!!

I have just given away the biggest secret in marketing!!! Don’t tell everyone!!!

I recently took a few days off and took an overview of my businesses. It gave me a chance to see where we are going right and where we are going wrong.

I highly recommend you do this from time to time.

It gave me a chance to see why one of my business models was not performing as I had hoped. It was because we were selling it too hard. This put people off.

If someone is pushing you to do or take something then chances are you won’t, if however you can highlight why they will benefit from taking your products or services then you will get the sale.

So look at your marketing and see, is it a hard sell or is it highly benefit ing your potential customer?

Make it

Today will see a big hyped launch of something that should and could change the way small business owners get traffic to their sites. It’s called Tagging. I won’t it here as I will need to go through it in some detial, but it could change the way search engines work forever.

It looks at though it could change the internet but I am going to be looking at this for the next few weeks to see what really is gonna happen. Stay tuned!

I often get asked how to compete with competitors that are slashing prices that you can’t match.

My answer…

 First off this price cutting strategy spells long term problems for you if you move forward with it and try to compete. Any company that attempts to move prices UP will find customers walking away

Secondly, the best way to compete is to add value. That is all. If you sell the same product as somebody else but have to be more expensive then offer free delivery, free install, small added gifts, extra warranties, vouchers for money off next purchase (my favourite!)

All you need to do is offer percieved added value and you will get the sale. If your customer is always going on about price, you don’t want them as a customer. They are price sensitive and don’t repsect you or your business.

Remember people buy from your business because of what YOU offer, even though businesses may offer the same products, NO two businesses are the same!

How you have built your business, the service, the presentation, the branding, the knowledge, all these are unique to you!

I just come accross some great data about small businesses employing consultants to help them with their business.

Research by Nottingham University showed that:

• 54.5% of small businesses have used a consultant
• 42.5% thought they recieved value for money
• 47.2% said they were looking to employ a consultant in the future

Now these figures, I believe are high and show that ONLY half the business found a consultant good value for money. This is why you should be careful in employing a consultant in your business.

You need to ensure that they have a proven track record in success before you employ their services, or you will end up in th 46% who thought it wasn’t good value for money! 

You can get business cards pretty cheap these days. Companies like DCP Print offer 250 frëe business cards with their ad on the back (their own viral marketing) or £9.99 for 500 cards.

They seem a little thin, but they’ll do. What you want to do is choose an attention-getting color that fits with the image of your site (a nice sky blue or yellow), and put your URL right in the middle in huge letters. Put a short description of the site and maybe your email and/or telephone number, and give them out.

These are a great form of viral marketing that helps you get more business easily. Give them a try, a client of mine found a great way of getting more value out of these by attaching them to statements and invoices when they are sent out.

I recently did a press release to promote the TSBMA.org. I sent it out via PRweb.com.

The stats are very good!

24,570 Reads

293 Pick Ups ( This is the number of times a media outlet picked it up)

7 Print Outs (Some people even printed it out)

All this cost $40 and is a worth while investment in marketing. There will no doubt be a number of small business websites and magazines who will publish this press release as a result.

See the press release here:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/5/prweb384370.htm

We have all heard there is no such thing as a free lunch. Well maybe there is, you have just not looked at it in the right way! 

This tactic is great..

It’s so simple. All you need to list your top ten clients or customers. Then pick up the phone and invite them to lunch. Your treat!

Now yes this will cost you money BUT if you spend them time being interested in their business and not tlaking the whole time about you and your business, you will be able to find out how you can look after them better and ultimately get more business.

It really does work, take 1 or 2 clients a week out and not only will you get a break from the workplace but you will be also able to share ideas, listen to problems, help other businesses and make extra sales and gain a few pounds(in weight) in the process!

I learnt a whole load about my clients just by taking them to lunch now and again and sat and asked questions and listened hard to the responses!

Do it today. Pick up the phone and call your top ten!