8 Dynamic Marketing Tips

Here are 8 dynamic marketing tips to help you increase your sales and profits fast.

<B>1. Don't Just Sell Benefits</B>

Don't just tell prospects what they gain when they buy your product or service. Tell them what they lose if they do not buy it. Most people fear loss more than they desire gain. Customers want your product or service to enjoy the benefits it provides. They will want it even more when you remind them of what they lose by not buying it.

<B>2. Use Pleasant Surprises to Close Sales</B>

An unpleasant surprise can kill a sale. But a pleasant surprise can help close a sale. For example, adding an unexpected bonus immediately before your prospect takes the last action to complete a sale will eliminate any last minute hesitation.

<B>3. Provide Fast Delivery - Even When You Can't</B>

The faster you can deliver your product or service the more sales you will get. If you cannot deliver all or part of your product immediately, add something to the purchase that you CAN deliver immediately. It could be as simple as a series of helpful tips related to your product posted on your web site ...available only to new customers.

<B>4. Make Buying Easier</B>

Every non-essential action in the buying process is an opportunity for customers to reverse their decision to buy. Look for ways you can make your buying procedure easier and faster. For example, many marketers use a multi-step shopping cart to get online orders when a simple online order form would do the job with just 1 or 2 quick clicks.

<B>5. Improve Your Offers without Lowering Your Price</B>

You don't have to reduce your price to improve your offer. Instead, simply load it up with bonuses. Make sure your bonuses have a high perceived value to your customers ...even if they cost you little or nothing.

<B>6. Keep Your Advertising Up to Date</B>

If you never make any changes in your advertising, your sales will eventually decline. Don't abandon advertising that's working - but do keep trying to improve it. And regularly test new advertising to see how it works for you.

<B>7. Outsmart Your Competitors with Alternative Marketing</B>

Look for some alternative marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. That's how one internet marketer discovered direct mail postcards. They proved to be a highly effective and very low-cost way to generate traffic to her web site ...while concealing her marketing activity from competitors.

<B>8. Neutralize Customer Complaints Quickly</B>

Handle customer complaints quickly and with a positive attitude. Strive to preserve your relationship with the customer instead of your immediate profit from them. They will reward you with repeat sales and referrals instead of punishing you by telling everybody they know about their unhappy experience ...causing you to lose future customers.

Each of these 8 marketing tips reveals a proven low-cost marketing tactic many other small businesses have used to boost their sales and profits. Integrate them into your marketing program now and you'll quickly start enjoying the same results too.

7 Small Business Marketing Tips

Here are 7 low-cost but highly effective marketing tips to help any small business find customers and generate sales quickly.

<B>1. Don't Advertise Like a Big Business</B>

Big businesses advertise to create name recognition and future sales. A small business can't afford to do that. Instead, design your advertising to produce sales ...now. One way to accomplish this is to always include an offer in your advertising - and an easy way for prospective customers to respond to it.

<B>2. Offer a Cheaper Version</B>

Some prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service. Others are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality. You can avoid losing sales to many of these customers by offering a smaller or stripped down version of your product or service at a lower price.

<B>3. Offer a Premium Version</B>

Not all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service. You can boost your average size sale and your total revenue by offering a more comprehensive product or service ...or by combining several products or services in a special premium package offer for a higher price.

<B>4. Try Some Unusual Marketing Methods</B>

Look for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. You may discover some highly profitable ways to generate sales and avoid competition. For example, print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your website or generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost.

<B>5. Trim Your Ads</B>

Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions.

<B>6. Set up Joint Promotions with Other Small Businesses</B>

Contact some non-competing small businesses serving customers in your market. Offer to publicize their products or services to your customers in exchange for their publicizing your services to their customers. This usually produces a large number of sales for a very low cost.

<B>7. Take Advantage of Your Customers</B>

Your customers already know and trust you. It's easier to get more business from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you. Take advantage of this by creating some special deals just for your existing customers ...and announce new products and services to them before you announce them to the general market.

Also, convert your customers into publicity agents for your business. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. An endorsement from them is more effective than any amount of advertising - and it is much cheaper.

Each of these 7 marketing tips provides a simple, low-cost way for any small business to find customers and generate sales quickly.

5 Ways to Have a Sound Postcard Marketing

Postcards, if used wisely, can be a great marketing tool. It can transmit your business’ information by just hand transfer. It is one of the most convenient and economical tool that you can rely.

Sound marketing is easy if you just know where to put emphasis. Here are the vital points to consider:

1. Create a good marketing message. You have only a few seconds to attract readers so do not spoil that. Make a brief and easy to read text. Complement it with an attractive graphics. Simple yet catchy that’s the idea behind postcards.

2. Maximize space. Use the space to inform your readers what you can give them. Of course they want to know. That’s the very reason they are reading your postcards. What you can give the and how they can get it are vital.

3. Do not forget the ‘call to action’. The most important content is the ‘call to action’. You must say what you want them to do next. To buy, to subscribe – these are calls to action. Thus, if you have established it you also have to support it. Place in your postcards important details like your phone number, address and the likes. By this, you will be contacted easily.

4. Print and mail the postcards. There are a lot of postcard mailing and printing services available these days. Choose the postcard printing services that are appropriate for your needs. Make the process special. You can inquire with the printer’s services to boost the appearance and result of your postcards.

5. Put some spice to it. One way to build a great business relationship is to make your offer special. You can pass on coupons to your potential customers. If they do not intend to use it, they can pass it on to others. This process can result to new clients, new purchases and repeat purchases as well.

Business industry is growing more and more competitive. Businessmen are getting savvier thus, the need to keep the pool of customers has become even harder – much more is to get a bigger market. Moreover, we have to get the most out of our marketing techniques. Postcards can do us a very good favor. It is affordable and effective. Why let the opportunity pass without taking advantage of its charisma?

Postcards can quickly and inexpensively convey your marketing message. Use them to keep the customers and making them return for more!

3 Reasons Postcards Are The Best Way To Advertise

When I say postcard, maybe you think of the old fashioned, jagged edged dull pieces of card stock.  Think again!  Today's postcards are vibrant, high-impact creations with clip art so real that it'll jump off the page at you.  And the best thing about them...

1. They're Short and Personal
Let's face it, people just don't have time to sort through a lot of advertisements and junk mail.  If the truth be known, they immediately identify ads and pitch them into the trash without ever slitting the envelope.

Postcards get read!  It's already open, and the message is "in your face" without exerting any effort to absorb it.  Even if the reader isn't trying to read it, he'll get the impact of the short message before he tosses it.

Personal messages have a greater appeal than mass mailings. Postcards keep the old time charm of a personal greeting while implement new high tech marketing strategies... a combination for success.

2. They're Easy And Cost Effective
Hey even the postage for a postcard is cheaper!  Go to your printer and have them print you up several thousand for 7 or 8 cents apiece.  Not too bad!  For about 30 cents you have a cutting edge, high impact marketing tool ready to be put to use.

You don't even have to bother with putting them in the mail.  Many print warehouses will take care of it for you.  Hey, what could be easier?

3.  They Keep Your Marketing Strategy Hidden From Competitors
Do you get tired of spending countless hours agonizing over new marketing strategies, only the have your competitors jump right in and ape your campaign?  Yeah, it's pretty frustrating, but hard to do anything about.  Everything you do is right in front of them shouting "Copy Me."

Postcards are private interactions with the individuals who read them.  It's a one-on-one campaign that lets you keep the results quiet from prying eyes.  Heck, they won't even know what you're doing, much less how to copy it.

There's another sneak tactic that I haven't mentioned yet... using postcards to direct traffic to your Website.  That's right!  Most of us think we need to use Internet marketing tools to drive up our Internet sales.  NOT SO!  That's what everyone else is doing, but think about it.  A postcard with your slogan and visible information that directs the reader to your Website... yeah, let's hope the competition doesn't catch on for quite a while!

There's not another marketing campaign that can guarantee 100 percent readership!  It just makes sense that when more people read your ad, it will be more effective.  Use postcards to market and count on a high response rate!

2 Step Marketing

<b>Do it Right.</b>

I receive postcards all the time. The other day I received a postcard trying to sell me a copy machine. It had tiny, tiny lettering slathered all over the front and a large portion of the back of the card.

It was extremely hard to read, so hard in fact that I threw it away.

Several days later I received a postcard with 32 words on it telling me that I could get complete information on unrestricted long distance telephone service for 5.5 cents a minute with no additional monthly fee by calling the 800 number on the card.

I did call.  I got the information, had my questions answered and ordered my long distance service changed.
The company who offered me the long distance service was using a time tested 2 step selling process:

<i>Step 1.</i> Generate a lead - Get me to call their 800 number.

<i>Step 2.</i> Provide the requested information - Provided to me on the phone by one of their sales representatives, who was able to answer my questions and make me feel confident that I could save quite a bit of money on my long distance bill and that the service would be as good or better.

<b>What's So Good About 2 Steps?</b>

It is much easier to create interest (a lead) than it is to get a person through an entire buying process (a sale).

You aren't getting the prospect or existing customer to part with any money just yet.

You can use postcards to inexpensively promote to your target prospects and customers and generate leads (inquiries about your products and services) to then be followed up on and converted to sales.

This 2 step process also helps you to create a list of people who were interested enough in what you offered to contact you.

You can then recontact the one's who you didn't complete a sale with when they first inquired, preferably until they do buy from you.

<b>IMPORTANT:</b>  Be sure to get the information you will need to recontact the people who responded to your postcard offering.

Repetitive follow-ups with the people who contacted you <b>will</b> result in increased sales. Make it a company policy to follow up with those people who contacted you about your products and services.


<b>The Most Effective Use of Postcards:</b>

The purpose of your postcard's message is to generate a sufficient level of interest in the mind of your prospect to get him/her to contact you to ask you about your offer.

You are generating interest, not collecting their money (not yet anyway). That is what the 2 step marketing process is about. Generating interested prospects and customers who contact you for more information.

Your message needs 3 parts to be most effective:

1.    A clear statement of the biggest benefit of your product or service (in the long distance example, it was cost savings).

2.    A good reason for them to contact you NOW.

3.    A simple, easy way for them to respond (an 800 number for example).


Your message should be short and to the point. Short messages on postcards produce more leads than long ones.

<i>For example:

Call 800-555-1212 for Your Copy of Our Free Report:</i>

<b>What 99% of Business Owners Don't Know and Will Never Find Out About Using Postcards to Explode Their Profits </b>

<i>Offer ends 5-5-01 (Print a date 3 weeks from your mailing date to create some urgency)</i>

Lots of people will respond to find out what they might not know. Don't forget, they responded, which is least some interest in the information you have created a curiosity about.

This method works and is sure to produce a large number of inquiries if sent to your proper market.

<b>This 2 Step Marketing Process Works.</b>

Use the tips you have read here to create your next postcard's message and see what happens.

You will generate a bunch of leads from people who are truly interested in your products and services.

6 Things I Know About Postcards That You Don’t

In my plethora of experience tucked away between these ears, I have managed to cull out for you what I consider the “best of the best” – in other words, I took the most proven details about postcards that were significant to you starting a postcard campaign and really winning at it.  So here goes the most incisive highlights about postcards.

<b>1)  I know that a postcard is better than something in an envelope.</b> 

For many reasons, the main one being, in an envelope you can’t make your potential customer see your message.

People are fast.  We see and read very quickly – actually much more quickly than we even realize..  Think about yourself – how fast do you go through your mail and process out what you want to keep and what you don’t want to keep?   Pretty darn fast.  It takes fractions of seconds to go through and process in your mind “bill, bill, advertisement, bill, advertisement, letter…”  And it also takes fractions of seconds to decide whether you are even going to bother giving more attention to the pieces that you designated as advertisements.

With a postcard, even if they throw it away, they already saw your message regardless of whether they think they did or not.  They saw it enough to throw it away, didn’t they?

And the next time they get that same postcard in the mail, they see it again as they throw it in the trash.

Let’s face it - junk mail gets thrown away.  And postcards are junk mail to a lot of people.

Although they may be junk mail, postcards get read no matter what – even if thrown away without reading them, they get seen.  It’s like the phoenix rising up from the ashes.

<b>2)  I know that if you are not doing repeat mail with your postcards you are flushing your money down the toilet.</b>

Repeat mailings cannot be repeated enough.    DO REPEAT MAILINGS!  DO REPEAT MAILINGS!  DO REPEAT MAILINGS!  A one shot in the dark postcard mailing is not going to change your business, your bottom line, your life or your anything.

The long and the short of it is, if you are not up to confronting that you need to do a campaign then don’t bother being in business.  Sorry if I sound a bit harsh!

<b>3)  I know that the best price is not best necessarily the best postcard.</b>

The cheapest is not necessarily the best.  The old adage “you get what you pay for” applies here.  Get whatever potential postcard company you interview to send you samples.  Make sure the postcard is a very good, quality, stiff card that catches your attention.  Get them to give you customer references.  Call those references and find out what they think of that company’s service, product, etc.

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into getting your postcard done right.  If they screw up printing, if they don’t get your mailing out on deadline, etc. – doing it dirt cheap might not mean getting the quality service you need or want.

<b>4)  I know that although most people, if surveyed, say they like full color on both sides, the truth is black on white on the back of the postcard gets a better response.</b>

Why?  Because full color on both sides is confusing.  On the other hand, if you have a very aesthetic, pleasing-to-the-eye front - with a great headline  - you just want to turn that postcard over and simply get the message on the back.  You want good eye trail.

Eye trail is where your eye goes when you look at the postcard.  You can have good eye trail with full color on both sides – but it has to be done correctly.  Usually when you give people a choice to do full color on both sides they go overboard and the creative juices start flying, not flowing, flying with, “WOW!!! full color on both sides?!!”  And they make it too busy.  You don’t want it to be dispersing – you want it to go like a trail.  Have a start, a middle and an end. 

<i>Example:</i>
     
<b>Did YOU Notice this Postcard?

Your Customers Will Notice Yours Too!
5000 Full Color

Super-glossy

Postcards

for only

$389</b>

Look at it from the customer viewpoint – really look at it from their viewpoint and you can see what I mean by eye trail.

<b>5)   I know that you should promote only one thing at a time on your postcard.</b> 

Even if you sell lots of different products, you only promote one of them.  It is fine to mention them on the back of the postcard bullet pointed.  But your main focus on the front of your postcard needs to be one product, service, item, what have you – just one thing.

Say you have a flooring store and a furniture showroom in the back.  Your postcard should only talk about flooring.  It is not that people who are looking for flooring are not also looking for furniture – it’s just too much information on the front of postcard.

The purpose of a postcard is to get your prospect interested with one thing.  You can put on the back as just a mention:  “We also have a giant showroom full of furniture.”

But on the front – one item!  ONE ITEM!

If a company sells hot tubs, above-ground pools and jungle gyms they need to pick the one that gives them the most income and make their postcard about that.

<b>6)    And I know that a person could grow a company with no other marketing media.</b> 

With postcards alone, one could take a company from zero to over a million bucks in revenue or more.  How do I know?  Because I did it.

We mailed postcards every single week, and the more postcards we mailed out, the more we grew.  Yes, it is good to diversify and as we grew and became more successful and had more money to try other media, we did.  Some we kept and some we nixed.  Postcards are a staple that works no matter what. 

These six points of postcard marketing data are proven techniques of making your postcards WOW your prospective clients while at the same time being faithful to the time-honored methods that have proven to get more bang for your buck.  These tips are what will put your postcard in a class all by itself.