ADI Global Distribution - Marketing Your Business

Be Daring, Be Different.Be Daring, Be Different.

New Ways to Market Your New Ways to Market Your

BusinessBusiness

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

BusinessBusiness

What are you Selling?What are you Selling?

Don’t sell the product, sell the benefit

• What do you provide that will help your

customer’s business or improve their lifestyle

– Your customers are generally not interested in

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

– Your customers are generally not interested in

product features unless they translate into

benefits.

• Basically, things sell when they meet a need.

– And people buy for only 2 reasons

• To ease pain, or

• To gain pleasure or satisfaction

Your Competitive AdvantageYour Competitive Advantage

• What is it you do that is:

– Unequalled by competitors

– Distinguishes you in the market and

preserves a place for you

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

preserves a place for you

Successful Successful BBusinessusiness PPeopleeople == ProactiveProactive Networkers.Networkers.

• Many business people generate 80% or more of their business through Networking!!

• Most information is available to everybody, everywhere• Business isn’t what you know, it’s who you know, so networking is your business

• Do not forget to ask for referrals

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

So Why Aren’t More Business Owners So Why Aren’t More Business Owners

NetworkingNetworking

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

What Do You Do Now?What Do You Do Now?When Just A Few Words Can Really MatterWhen Just A Few Words Can Really Matter

• Say the right thing – start a

relationship

• Say the wrong thing – you’re

history

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

history

• Spark peoples’ interest

• Get precious extra time on cold

calls

What Is An Elevator Speech? What Is An Elevator Speech?

• It’s the foundation of your marketing.

• Your marketing “DNA”

• It tells your customers:

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

• It tells your customers:

– Who you are?

– What you do?

– How you offer value?

What’s In An Elevator Speech What’s In An Elevator Speech

• What you sell

• Your ideal customers

• Benefits you provide

• Competitive advantage

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

• Competitive advantage

What Do You Sell?What Do You Sell?

• Briefly describe what it is you sell.

Don’t go into excruciating detail here.

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

Who Is Your Ideal Customer?Who Is Your Ideal Customer?

• Who you sell the product or service to,

• What industry it is you work in,

• How large a segment of the market do you

represent?

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

represent?

• For Example

– Families in the Northern Suburbs in 5 bedroom

houses.

– Retail businesses located in shopping malls with

less than 5 employees.

What Are The Benefits Of Your What Are The Benefits Of Your

Product Or Service?Product Or Service?

• Set aside some time

• Write down options

• Call some recent customers

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

• Call some recent customers

– Why did they choose you?

– What did you do well?

Define Your Competitive Advantage Define Your Competitive Advantage

• Is your product more:

– Efficient

– Economical

– Flexible

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

– Flexible

• What do you feel makes you unique?

– Quality of service?

– The brand you carry?

Make It Brief and PowerfulMake It Brief and Powerful

• Memorable

• Simple and easy to repeat

• Informative rather than obviously

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

• Informative rather than obviously

promotional

Break The Message Into PartsBreak The Message Into Parts

Give the message in two parts:

• What I Do

• Benefits

For example:

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

For example:

• “I install quality alarm systems (What I Do) to

protect property and give peace of mind

(Benefit).”

Using The Elevator Speech Using The Elevator Speech

• When first meeting customers

• Voice mail messages

• Business cards, office stationery or quotations

• Emails, websites

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

• Emails, websites

• Brochures and fliers

Now let’s get some sales!!Now let’s get some sales!!Here are some ideas to get you startedHere are some ideas to get you started

Define your Features & BenefitsFeatures of my business are:___________________________________________________________________________

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

My competitive Advantages are:___________________________________________________________________________

Benefits to my clients are:_______________________________________________________________________________

Draft Your Elevator PitchDraft Your Elevator Pitch

Struggling? Ask yourself these questions.

The answers will give you your elevator pitch.

1. What is your product/service/solution?

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

1. What is your product/service/solution?

2. Who is the customer it is intended for?

3. What need or problem does it address?

4. What does it do?

5. How does it work and what are the benefits to me?

6. Why are you different and better than others?

CommunicateCommunicateMake a list of old customers

• Enter them in a CRM application, or simply put into an excel spreadsheet.

Now you can track your contact with them.

• Give them a call or send an email

• Offer a 50% reduction for a system check

• Is there an opportunity for a new sale?

• Ask for referrals

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

• Ask for referrals

New Business Opportunities

• You know who your ideal customer is, so let’s find them.

• Yellow pages

• Local newspapers

• Potential business clients

• Potential “Partner” businesses

• Council building approvals

• Council web sites for business approvals

• The first 3 people I will contact to present my

business in the next week are:

1.___________________________

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1.___________________________

2.___________________________

3.___________________________

...and a Pocket Sales Plan...and a Pocket Sales PlanThe minimum sales generating activity I commit to on a regular basis for the next 6 months is:

___ phone calls made daily/weekly asking for referrals

___ emails sent weekly/monthly (business to business)

___ networking meetings monthly Eg Chambers of Commerce see www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au,

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

Commerce see www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au, BNI see www.bni.com.au etc)

___ new direct contacts relating to my business weekly/monthly (eg builders, architects, engineers, electricians etc)

FREE Marketing ToolsFREE Marketing Tools• Don’t get anything for free?

• Don’t tell Kym Illman that.....

• Be Innovative – do something different– A mattress shop sponsored a bed race at a city “foundation day”

• Press articles• Your local newspaper is always looking for new ideas for

columns and local success stories – how about a security “Ask

© Business Roadmap P/L 2007

• Your local newspaper is always looking for new ideas for columns and local success stories – how about a security “Ask the Expert” piece in your local paper

• Conduct surveys to see what you clients think• Call then or check out www.surveymonkey.com

• Communicate • Talk to old customers

• Email marketing – Use www.constantcontact.com free for 60 days and then $15/month