While working in my home office the other day there was a knock at my door. Since I was not expecting anyone I immediately looked out the window before answering.
To my surprise it was a door-to-door salesman. How did I know …the corporate branded shirt, the badge, the clipboard and I could see a big sign with the logo of his product from the window in his hand.
Uh oh, I’m working the last thing I want to hear is a sales pitch. So I don’t answer the door.
I was shocked. I didn’t think anyone still tried to sell by knocking on doors and it was the middle of the day when most people are at work. With these odds, going door-to-door looking for customers one at a time could not possibly lead to a windfall of sales.
I said to myself, is this a good marketing and sales strategy for a small business?
The only thing the salesman left was a business card; a plain old business card with his name and number. Even though I saw him from the window (which he didn’t know), there was nothing there to allow me to make a connection to him or his product. Does he really think I will call him? NOT!
If you want to reach profitable new markets with your home based business or small business…
Don’t be a door-to-door salesman
Looking for customers one at a time is exhausting and could ruin your small business. Marketing is an ongoing task you should do consistently not just when you need another customer. Apply a marketing plan to your small business strategy. You should have multiple ways of generating leads including marketing directly to those who would most likely buy your product. This will eliminate wasting time finding someone who will listen (or in this case open the door) to you pitch your product. The days of hard sale are gone. We love to buy things but no one wants to be sold to.
Don’t chase your customers like hunters hunt animals
Here’s the thing, what usually happens when a hunter is hunting an animal? They run! But if the hunter leaves bait, the animals will come to him. You have to create an irresistible offer to attract customers to you. Your prospects may not know they need your product or service. Remember, it’s up to you to tell a compelling story that your customers will respond to. Don’t assume your prospects will get the obvious value of your product or service. Start making offers if you want some action.
Don’t be afraid to explore online marketing opportunities
Your customers are online and you should be too. Even if you have an offline business you can use online marketing tools to attract your ideal customers to you. These days when looking for products or services most people start with a little site called Google. Make sure your business website shows up on the first page of the search engine results. And of course use social media as a way to market directly to your target audience. Facebook can be used for more than posting pictures of what you did over the weekend. You can create targeted ads to reach specific people by age, gender or even zip code. And, it’s time to stop saying “I Don’t Get Twitter” learn how to use Twitter for business as a no-cost marketing tool to broadcast your message.
Do you want to generate more leads for your business this year? Of course you do! Then use this FREE fill-in-the-blank template to effortlessly create blogs that attract your ideal clients fast.
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