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.

6 Powerful Tips to Creating Testimonials That Sell Your Products Fast

There are many ways to market a product or a service and providing the potential clients and customers with testimonials is one of the best ways to market.
   
The power of testimonials can never be underestimated. People, especially nowadays, will only purchase products or avail services which have been referred to them by people whom they know. But most of the times, this is not an option that is in the hands of the business owner, he has to do the next best thing, which is to get testimonials from his past clients.

Testimonials are living statements from past customers or clients which states that they were satisfied by the product/ service. Every business must have testimonials to be able to stand out in the ever crowded markets.

There are many benefits of having testimonials. Here are some of them.

Testimonials appease the target market

Testimonials usually lessen the doubts of the target market. There are a lot of scammers and con artists nowadays, and this has turned the market into a fearsome one. Credible testimonials provide security to the people who are eyeing at a certain product or service. The provision of testimonials gives people a much more relaxed attitude towards a product or service.

Testimonials assure quality

Aside from confirming the existence of a business and lessening doubts, testimonials provide assurance to potential customers and clients of the quality of the product or service. The fact that they took time out to be able to write testimonials about the product reflect their levels of satisfaction towards the product/service.

Testimonials give advantage

Credible testimonials provide a competitive advantage for the product/service. There are many products and services out there and one of the ways to stand out from the rest is the use of credible testimonials.

There are many types of testimonials. Testimonials are usually categorized according to the source. Here are a few examples:

a) Testimonials from satisfied customers

This is probably the most effective type of testimonial. Nothing beats a testimonial from a satisfied customer because it is a picture of what the product/service is all about.

b) Testimonials from experts

Experts can be credible sources of testimonials.  If a renowned dermatologist writes a testimonial for a beauty soap, it will surely help in boosting its sales, wouldn’t it?

c) Testimonials from celebrities

In a world that is run by mass media, celebrities have become powerful sources of testimonials. Today, even infomercials are infested by testimonials from celebrities.
People may think that getting testimonials from celebrities will cost a lot, but if it’s a real testimonial, celebrities may even waive their talent fees.

There is much more to making a testimonial an effective tool for marketing than gathering them.  Good testimonials are the ones which can be compressed into a few catchy words. “I lost 20 pounds in two weeks time!” is an example of an eye-catching testimonial. However, one must never rephrase or edit what the client had said. How to get the right kinds of testimonials will be discussed later.

Credible testimonials should also contain the complete attributes of the people who gave them. Their titles, location and age should be included whenever possible.

Visual appeal will also be a great help in using testimonials. If the clients are willing, one must insist in taking photographs or videos for their testimonials.

So how does a business owner get started with the whole testimonial thing?

Here are some steps on how to archive testimonials.

1. Before anything else, only products/ services with outstanding quality deserve testimonials, so one must make sure that his product/service possesses exceptional quality.

2. Ask the help of your customers. One must be able to communicate to his customers his need of getting their testimonials. If they are really satisfied with the product/service, they would be more than willing to participate.

3. Interview your customers. Ask them about what they like about your product/service, why they chose your product and other questions like these.

4. Ask them if they are willing to make a written testimonial. You can offer to make the testimonial yourself based on their responses during the interview but the testimonial is still up for their approval. You might want to make the wordings catchy and let them approve the testimonials.

5. Ask them if you could record the testimonial using a tape recorder or video cam. A video testimonial is better, but of course, many people are camera-shy and this can be a limited option for most.

6. Choose the best testimonials. Use the best ones so as to maximize the benefits that your product can get from the testimonials.

Testimonials are very powerful and this is the reason why every business should have them. They provide assurance and security and reflect the real essence of a product or a service.

3 Secrets to Knocking Out Big Competitors

Nobody likes a bully… especially small business marketers.  If you’ve ever felt like the little guy taking punches from a heavyweight champion, you know what I’m talking about.  Big business has donned its gloves, and is waiting to put small business down for the count.

I’ve got good news!  Sometimes the little guy wins.  Heck, it isn’t easy and sometimes it’s a close call, but little guys do win and when they do… victory is sweet!

What can you do when you’re being threatened by the bully down the street?

1. Take a careful look at the Competition
Every business has its strengths and weaknesses.  You need to be aware of both… your competitors strong points, and the places where room for improvement is quite obvious.

2.  Be Flexible
Don’t expect your competitor to broadcast his next move so that you can be prepared to block it.  You’ve got to think a step ahead, and be ready to outsmart his next maneuver.

3. Use a little Judo
You don’t have to be big and brawny to successfully use Judo.  Why?  It’s an art that uses your opponent’s momentum to trip him up.  So what if you don’t have thousands of dollars to invest in a campaign.  When you’re competition has invested his tens of thousands in one, you’ll be able to make a quick about turn and counteract quickly with a smaller campaign of your own.  He’ll either forfeit his investment or continue through, but loose steam. 

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about your competitors that might encourage you.  Although big businesses often have a wide variety of products filling their shelves, they often don’t have depth.

Think about it this way.  You may run to your local department store and find everything ranging from make-up to camping equipment.  The problem with that?  …chances are they don’t have an extremely wide assortment of their products.

This means that if you’re an avid outdoorsman, you probably wouldn’t be satisfied choosing between two cheap brands of tents when there is an amazing variety on the market.  An outdoor related store could get one over on the big department store by offering the widest variety of fewer products in a focused field. 

Another asset about being the small guy, is that it’s easier to make a quick turn.  Hey, how many managers do you have to get okays from to make a quick decision?  Think of the weeks it takes for a local department store to send a request from a customer for a certain product to the regional or national management?  Yeah, too long!

As a small business, you can have a new product on your shelves within a week.  If I were a customer wanting a new tent, I’d prefer to not wait until summer was half over to get it.

There are a lot of benefits to being the small guy.  Don’t take bullying lying down.  You have what it takes to get the best end of the stick and come out a winner.

3 Reasons You Should Attend Seminars

If you have never gone to an online marketing seminar, you're missing out.

I know what you're thinking...

"Seminars are expensive."

That's true. They are. Some of 'em cost over $5,000. Even the lower-priced parties are around $2,000.

"It's a pain in the butt to attend."

Again, that's fair. In order to go, you have to get on a plane and fly somewhere. And you have to take time from your work and family to do it.

But, there are at least 3 reasons that attending seminars should be on your priority list (even if you DON'T plan to do a major product launch).


1. You Are Surrounded By Like-minded People.

Scoff if you want. But, I'm telling you, there's huge POWER in being around folks who are driven to the same goal as you are.

To this day, my friends and family don't really get what I do. They nod their heads and smile, but I can tell their eyes are glazing over.

Well, picture being at a party with a few hundred people who not only know what you do... they do it, too! You'll be amazed at how inspiring that can be.


2. You Meet People Who Inspire And Drive You.

I know it sounds flighty. But, when you're downing drinks with someone and sharing strategies back and forth about what's working, your mind ignites.

You find yourself wishing you'd brought your laptop so you can start taking action that moment!

And here's something better... you exchange phone numbers (yep, remember that thing you used to use before becoming a recluse?) and follow up with each other.

That's accountability, baby and it can drive you to major success.


3. You Remove Yourself From The Daily Routine.

Ever wake up and have trouble getting your engine started? (I'm not talking about your car here.) And if you ever DO get the thing to turn over, you can't seem to get any speed?

It happens to me all the time. I'll wake up and the day will pass without my having done one truly productive thing! It stinks.

I'll tell you why it happens to me...

I get bored of my routine! Now, don't get me wrong. Routines are good. In fact, they're CRITICAL to your success. Humans need routine.

But, it's JUST as important to get OUT of your routine. And going to a seminar does that for you. It makes you leave your boring daily routine behind.

Going to a seminar can give your brain (and motivation) the jump-start it needs.


Last Thoughts

I'm not trying to sell you on a seminar here. I'm only trying to get you to think about going to one.

There are a lot of benefits to going. Benefits that aren't always clear until you're there, in the hallways, in the bars, at lunch... talking with folks who are doing EXACTLY what you are doing.

It's empowering. It's inspiring. And chances are, one you attend a seminar, you'll be excited to go to another.

3 Secrets to Knocking Out Big Competitors

Nobody likes a bully… especially small business marketers.  If you’ve ever felt like the little guy taking punches from a heavyweight champion, you know what I’m talking about.  Big business has donned its gloves, and is waiting to put small business down for the count.

I’ve got good news!  Sometimes the little guy wins.  Heck, it isn’t easy and sometimes it’s a close call, but little guys do win and when they do… victory is sweet!

What can you do when you’re being threatened by the bully down the street?

1. Take a careful look at the Competition
Every business has its strengths and weaknesses.  You need to be aware of both… your competitors strong points, and the places where room for improvement is quite obvious.

2.  Be Flexible
Don’t expect your competitor to broadcast his next move so that you can be prepared to block it.  You’ve got to think a step ahead, and be ready to outsmart his next maneuver.

3. Use a little Judo
You don’t have to be big and brawny to successfully use Judo.  Why?  It’s an art that uses your opponent’s momentum to trip him up.  So what if you don’t have thousands of dollars to invest in a campaign.  When you’re competition has invested his tens of thousands in one, you’ll be able to make a quick about turn and counteract quickly with a smaller campaign of your own.  He’ll either forfeit his investment or continue through, but loose steam. 

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about your competitors that might encourage you.  Although big businesses often have a wide variety of products filling their shelves, they often don’t have depth.

Think about it this way.  You may run to your local department store and find everything ranging from make-up to camping equipment.  The problem with that?  …chances are they don’t have an extremely wide assortment of their products.

This means that if you’re an avid outdoorsman, you probably wouldn’t be satisfied choosing between two cheap brands of tents when there is an amazing variety on the market.  An outdoor related store could get one over on the big department store by offering the widest variety of fewer products in a focused field. 

Another asset about being the small guy, is that it’s easier to make a quick turn.  Hey, how many managers do you have to get okays from to make a quick decision?  Think of the weeks it takes for a local department store to send a request from a customer for a certain product to the regional or national management?  Yeah, too long!

As a small business, you can have a new product on your shelves within a week.  If I were a customer wanting a new tent, I’d prefer to not wait until summer was half over to get it.

There are a lot of benefits to being the small guy.  Don’t take bullying lying down.  You have what it takes to get the best end of the stick and come out a winner.