The Twelve Secrets to Successful Marketing
By Kevin Lister In my previous two articles, I shared with you the first six of my "Twelve Secrets to Successful Marketing" Profitable Target Market, Strong Competitive Advantage, Simple Marketing Plan, Proper Pricing, Balanced Promotional Effort and Attracting Referrals vs. Leads. In this article, I will share secrets seven through nine. |
| As the business owner, it is your responsibility to make sure your marketing is executed. If you do not have the time to oversee your marketing effort yourself, then you need to delegate it to someone who does. This person can come from within ? possibly there is someone on staff who can manage marketing. If not, then you may need to hire someone to do your marketing. This may be either an additional staff person or possibly an outside marketing consultant. Hiring a consultant can be a bit more costly, but it may be much more effective since this is their area of expertise. 8. Good Website
In today?s high-tech society, having a good Website is a must. Because consumers often turn to the Web to find a local contractor or subcontractor to handle their next project, having a Website establishes credibility. If you do not have a Website, get one. If your?s is out-dated, up-date it today. Please believe me when I tell you either of these issues is costing you business. What makes a good Website? Well, your site should: | | * | Have a professional look | | * | Include the basic pages ? Home, About Us, Services, Gallery of Projects, Testimonials and Contact Us | | * | Be easy to navigate | | * | Be search engine optimized | | * | Be submitted to search engines | | * | Be updated regularly |
There are plenty of Web designers/developers out there who can help you with your Website. The key is to find one who works with the trades. The best way to find a Web person who works with the trades is to ask fellow trades people you know who have sites or to search the Web for trades-specific Web designers/developers.
9. Tracking Your Leads
The only way to determine if you are spending your marketing dollar wisely is to track your results. By looking at where your leads and referrals are coming from, you can clearly see which marketing tactics are working and which are not. Once you understand this, you can adjust your marketing effort accordingly ? doing more of what is working and discontinuing or replacing what isn?t. This will allow you to get the best possible ROI from your marketing program.
The simplest way to track your marketing efforts is to have all of your sales people ask all prospects and referrals how they heard of you. Then sort this information according to tactic (in a Word document, Excel worksheet or your CRM software) and review it on a weekly basis. This method permits you to make changes fairly quickly, thus preventing you from wasting your valuable marketing investment.
I write for the Contractor Power newsletter on a regular basis and am always looking for interesting and relevant topics. If anyone has a business-related question that you would like me to answer in one of my upcoming articles, please feel free to contact me at info@paradigmstrategies.com. Also, if you would like to read any of my previously written Contractor Power newsletter articles you can view them on our Web site www.paradigmstrategies.com.
About the Author
Kevin Lister, founder and president of Paradigm Strategies, the business advising firm to the trades, is a leader in the field of business performance improvement. He possesses nearly 20 years experience in business management and consulting, effectively operating his own ventures and assisting others with realizing business success.
With an entrepreneurial spirit and CEOs point of view, Kevin brings hands-on expertise to helping building contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers. Kevin has deep knowledge and understanding of the trades, based on fifteen years in the construction industry, a family history of owning trades businesses, and a genuine interest and enjoyment in helping blue collar enterprises.
Kevin possesses a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Bentley College. He teaches management and marketing for the University of Phoenix Online.
Kevin is a member of several professional and business organizations, including the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts (ASM), the Builders Association of Greater Boston (BAGB) and the Eastern MA Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).
|
