Marketing

I’ve been very busy lately working to sign on new clients and keep growing my business. It’s never easy, but the effort must be made to keep progressing.

As good as I am at marketing, my sales skills could use some refinement. I tend to like letting my work speak for itself. I like to provide information and education to help my clients make decisions on how they want to proceed. Sometimes, however, it takes a more aggressive “closer” mentality to get a contract locked in.

This is something a lot of small businesses and contractors struggle with. You could have the best marketing plan in the world that attracts a lot of attention for your business or generates plenty of good leads. Then, it’s a matter of sealing the deal.

In addition to great marketing, you need a good sales presentation, quality products/services and follow-up system to really keep expanding your business the right way.

Sales

It’s nice to be able to get people in the door, but it’s no good if you can’t get them to buy anything. Some people are naturally great at sales, but not so good at marketing. Then, there are people like me who are better at marketing than sales. Ultimately, you need to have both areas covered to be truly successful. You need to attract them to your brand and your business offerings. Then you need them to actually purchase something, whether it’s a service contract or physical products.

Product and Services

Next, you need good products and/or customer service. Your marketing and sales efforts might get someone to buy something. Unfortunately, if what they buy is less than satisfactory, it will lead to failure in the long run. They might write negative reviews or never buy your products again. When it comes to customer service, you want to provide a quality experience that builds trust and positive feelings. This can lead to repeat customers and positive word-of-mouth that will go a long way in building your business.

Follow-Up System

Last but not least, you need a good follow-up system to stay in touch with current and past customers. The idea is to stay in front of them and continue a positive relationship. This way they don’t forget about your business. Most importantly, it can generate more repeat customers and more referral business. Never be afraid to ask for referrals. Most small businesses depend on repeat and referral customers. A good follow-up system and messaging will make a huge difference on this front.

This is a pretty simplified view of this concept, but the point is what starts with good marketing needs to continue with the sales, products, services and follow-up that you provide. When all these elements are working together, you can build a better small business and keep achieving growth year after year.

For help with your marketing and follow-up systems such as email campaigns, direct mail and social media strategies, contact NextGear Marketing today.