Local Business Marketing Consultant San Diego | 858-442-3131 | Internet Marketing San Diego

According to some industry surveys, companies sell as much as 50% of all new products and services to first time buyers. That’s powerful information that you should take advantage of to help grow your business. Here’s what a typical purchase process might look like and what you should do to increase your sales.

Step 1 – Referrals – Many first time buyers don’t know a lot about the products and services you offer so they do what most people do? They ask friends what they know and like and who they’d recommend.

Over 40% of the small business owners who participated in a recent Internet poll revealed that referrals brought them the biggest returns over traditional marketing methods. Why? Because a referred prospect comes to you pre-disposed to buy your products or services.

You need to have a referral-marketing system in place. A good referral marketing system should leverage all your other sales and marketing efforts and be capable of producing quality results over a long period of time. My method of choice is postcards because they can be personalized, are simple to use and very inexpensive.

Step 2 – Research – Prospective buyers then they go on the Internet to do research on features, prices, warranty, maintenance, etc. The Internet helps educate them so that they can start calling or visiting your business.

Your Website – In the initial stages of the buying process, buyers are looking for unbiased information. You can provide this information on-line in exchange for the prospect’s name and e-mail address or use it as a tool to get them to come to your business. If you sell motorcycles for example, a Special Report such as “7 Motorcycle Buying Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.” can be very effective. These types of reports will immediately attract the attention of first time buyers.

But if you really want to appeal to first time buyers, you must specifically appeal to them in your ads. How? Home Depot uses FREE seminars and workshops. Walk into any Home Depot on a Saturday morning and you’ll see seminars being given on such things as; how to put up a ceiling fan or how to install a closet organizer.

So Home Depot shows “prospects” how easy a project can be, what tools to buy and how much material they will need. And guess what? Store traffic increases and sales go up! Their tag line says it all…you can do it, we can help.

Step 3- Store or Office Visit – Establishing a good relationship with a prospective client on their first visit is paramount.

What do prospects see when they first walk in to your store or office? How are they greeted? How long do they have to wait? How many phone calls do you answer while they are there? Do you offer them coffee or a soft drink? And remember, sometimes it’s how you answer a prospects question rather the answer itself.

The saying “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” is especially true during the “courting stage” of a first time meeting. Sometimes people remember less about that you said, and more about the way you made them feel.

With a few simple changes to your website, ads and first time meetings you will be able to increase the number of first time buyers you close.

David Carleton is a San Diego Local Business Marketing Consultant who specializes in showing small business owners how to spend less and get more from their marketing and advertising using low cost strategies in local business marketing, lead generation and conversion, Internet marketing and social media. To download a copy of the free report, “7 Steps to Website Success”, go to http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com

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Do you want to get into the “fast lane” for increasing your sales? Creating a successful referral network may just be the strategy that can get you there. I’ve seen this one marketing strategy revolutionize many companies.

A referral network is a group of businesses that offer complimentary products and services to a group of people who share the same buying interests.

I’m not talking about just going to a local networking meeting or chamber mixer looking for contacts, I mean creating your own group of liked-minded complimentary businesses devoted strictly to working together within that group to increase sales.

The key to a great referral network is finding local businesses that want what you want (new customers) and are willing to help you as much as you are willing to help them. But creating a successful referral network takes commitment, patience and a change in thinking.

The way to find these businesses is to ask yourself, “Who already has a relationship with my best prospects?” The answer to this question will result in a list of businesses that you can potentially partner with to supply you with a consistent stream of high quality referrals.

For example, a good prospect for a power sports dealer would also be a good prospect for a boat or RV dealer. These companies have customers with common interests and buying habits would probably benefit from having access to each other’s customers to get new business.

Unfortunately, many companies see complimentary businesses as competitors and might prematurely shun the thought of partnering with them. But the reality is that they are a hidden goldmine of new business just waiting to be tapped into by any resourceful company willing to do some legwork and networking.

Instead of competing against each other, the companies in a referral network band together to develop specific marketing activities and promotions that generate referrals and entice customers to buy their products and services.

To establish your own network, you’ll want to start slow and easy. Approach a business owner that you already know who sells complimentary products and services and suggest a “pilot project” with them. Let them know that you’ll do all the work to set up the project and make sure it runs smoothly. By reducing the risk of participating for your partner, you’ll increase your chances of getting a “yes.”

Once you experience a success with one business then you can leverage that success with other businesses that you invite into your referral network.

Deciding what type of referral activities you should do depends upon the business you’re partnering with and how much work you’re willing to do. However, there are several joint ventures that companies can do to generate business, which demand little effort and can pay great dividends.

Here are some referral activities to consider:

1. If you are a retailer, try displaying each other’s products on your showroom floors.

2. If you are a service company, send endorsement letters to each other’s customers. Few things are more powerful than a personal testimonial letter from a trusted business friend endorsing your product or service. Consider inserting a special offer in the letters to entice prospects to act quickly.

3. Place advertising banners on each other’s websites. This will drive qualified traffic to each other’s websites. You’ll have access to prospects that you didn’t previously have and so will your referral network partner.

These are just a few joint marketing activities that you and your partners can enjoy together. Using your own imagination and business experience, the possibilities are endless.

This powerful marketing strategy requires an outside-the-box mindset. Instead of thinking “win/lose competition, think “win/win cooperation. Once you establish your own referral network, you’ll start getting more referrals than you ever thought possible.

David Carleton is a San Diego Local Business Marketing Consultant who specializes in showing small business owners how to spend less and get more from their marketing and advertising using low cost strategies in local business marketing, lead generation and conversion, Internet marketing and social media. To download a copy of the free report, “7 Steps to Website Success”, go to http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com

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I was recently interviewed on KUSI TV in San Diego about how small business owners can improve their online presence using various forms of Internet Marketing.

Use cheap guerrilla marketing tactics to turbo charge your lead generation efforts

I have 3 definitions of guerrilla marketing:

1. The “stuff” you used to do to get sales or find clients when you first started your business.

2. The “stuff” you used to do before you became “successful” and your marketing budget grew.

3. The way you’d spend your time, money and resources if I cut your marketing budget by 80%

In my consulting practice I show companies how to implement highly effective guerrilla marketing tactics to increase their sales, gain exposure or improve their overall marketing ROI. The first question I always get asked is “how much is this going to cost me?”

My answer is always the same…“you don’t necessarily need more marketing money to increase sales, instead, it’s your ability to use the marketing money and resources you already have more effectively.”

Here are 3 guerrilla marketing strategies you can use to generate leads and keep your “sales funnel” constantly full.

Strategy #1 – Public Speaking – An easy way to generate leads, is to speak whenever and wherever you can. Civic groups, trade associations, chambers of commerce, etc. are always looking for qualified speakers that can help their members. Be sure to pick a title and a topic that members would find useful to grow their business, solve a problem or address a current issue.

Whenever you speak to an audience, you instantly become an expert and an authority in your field. And isn’t that what your prospects are looking for? An expert who can help them solve their problems with specific products and services that can get their company back on the right track.

Strategy # 2 – Writing – Local newspapers, magazines and online newsletters can provide you with a great venue to promote your particular area of expertise. What do you write about? Well, what type of questions are your prospects asking? What problems do your products and services solve? If you were a prospect for your product, what would help you make a more informed decision?

As with public speaking, you must remember that newspapers do not want a press release or an “advertorial” promoting you company. They want and need quality content that their readers will find useful. The only time you should be mentioning your company name is in the “bio” at the end of your article.

Strategy # 3 – Eating – I make it a habit to schedule a lunch appointment with a colleague, client or prospect at least 3 days a week. This is not always easy and takes discipline, but just like going to the gym, once you get in the habit, it becomes a lot easier.

Your goal at lunch? Not necessarily to always “close a deal”. Sometimes it’s just to get to know someone better or find out how you can provide a referral to his or her business. Getting people out of the office in a more causal atmosphere away from the computer and phones lets you make a better “connection” both personally and professionally. Meeting for lunch is a long-term strategy, but one that can pay off handsomely if you do it consistently.

Speaking, writing and eating are just a few of the many low cost guerrilla marketing strategies that businesses can implement that have the potential to provide a high return on investment. So, how much would these three strategies cost to implement in your business? Less than the price of a few happy meals and a lot better for the health of you and your company.

David Carleton is a San Diego Local Business Marketing Consultant who specializes in showing small business owners how to spend less and get more from their marketing and advertising using low cost strategies in local business marketing, lead generation and conversion, Internet marketing and social media. To download a copy of the free report, “7 Steps to Website Success”, go to http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com

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Check out this short 35 second video – quick and interesting way to introduce your company, products and services

Discover the secrets that many small business owners are using to thrive even in the recession. Download your free report – “7 Steps to Local Business Marketing Success” Go to: http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com

No matter what you sell, how high the retail price, what time of year or how bad the economy is, people are still buying big-ticket items – houses, cars, Boats, ATVs, and yes-even your products and services.

Are they buying as many as last year. Maybe not. Are they buying less expensive models than they used to? Could be. Are there fewer buyers on the market right now? Probably. So what!

I have purchased 9 homes in my life. Two of these homes I bought on the 24-25th of December. Who the heck buys homes on Christmas or Christmas Eve? Not as many as the weeks before or the weeks after Christmas, but homes still get sold then.

Despite what you’ve heard or read, people ARE still buying. Your job is to stop justifying why your sales are flat or down and find a way to get those people to buy from you. Now is NOT the time to give into what I call “the down disease” – (everyone is down in sales so I don’t feel so bad that my sales are down too).

In times like these, your competitors will slow down or even eliminate some or all of their marketing efforts. This creates an opportunity for you to capture their customers is you already have systems in place to do so.

Your job is to take advantage of this opportunity and find those prospects that ARE ready, willing and able to buy and make sure that they buy from you, not your competition. Sounds logical and simple enough. But if it was that simple, wouldn’t more dealers be doing it?

What it really comes down to is not having sales generating systems in place to help you and your team get the most out of all your marketing efforts.

Systems are what make so many franchises successful. Why do you think McDonalds®, Starbucks® and Kinko’s® stores and franchises are so successful? Because they have, over time, developed systems that work.

Make no mistake about it, people who buy a franchise aren’t buying hamburgers, coffee or copy machines, they’re buying a program that has proven the test of time, they are buying a successful system!

What type of systems should you create for your business? The 3 most important systems that I teach in my Ultimate Lead Generation Manual include the following:

1 – Lead capture system - here are many ways of obtaining contact information from your prospects both online and offline. Lead capture systems help you fill your “sales funnel” with highly qualified leads.

2 – Follow up marketing system - Now that you’ve enticed prospects to give you their contact information, you must create a system of following up. Statistics show that 48% of sales people never follow up on a lead and only 10% of sales people make more than 3 contacts. Don’t be a statistic…create a follow-up system!

3 – Referral marketing system - After you’ve closed the deal, you must create a system of getting referrals. 91% of customers would give a referral, but 80% have never been asked. That’s a sin! Creating a system of obtaining referrals can triple the number of referrals coming into your business.

Having sales generating systems in place in your business can help you get a predictable and constant stream of sales regardless of what is going on around the block or around the world.

David Carleton is a San Diego Local Business Marketing Consultant who specializes in showing small business owners how to spend less and get more from their marketing and advertising using low cost strategies in local business marketing, lead generation and conversion, Internet marketing and social media. To download a copy of the free report, “7 Steps to Website Success”, go to http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com

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Imagine what your business would be like if all of your prospects walked into your business ‘pre-sold.’ What? No selling? Your website is one tool that can help you do just that. Unfortunately very few websites accomplish that goal.

An effective website should use these secret strategies to help increase your sales.

Secret # 1
Prospects visit your website for one main reason – to get information they can use to make their buying decision. That’s why the first secret is to give away free, relevant and helpful information.

Well, not totally for free. Offer visitors interesting special reports or an e-mail course in exchange for their e-mail address. These special reports will not only educate your prospect, but also endear them to you because you are trying to help them make an educated buying decision.

Special Report titles such as “12 Critical Questions You Must Ask Before You Select a Financial Planner,” will attract the attention you want because visitors are curious to know what those 12 critical questions are. Offering special reports like this will help improve your chances of sign ups. Once you have their e-mail address you will be able to send your marketing message to them again and again at no cost.

Secret # 2
Consumers like to buy; they just don’t like to be sold. Why not let your current customers do they selling for you using testimonials. Remember, testimonials are not ads; they are third party endorsements, which lend credibility to your claims, and makes the buying and selling process easier. That’s the power of good testimonials.

While many websites use testimonials, most make the mistake of placing them all on one page titled, “Testimonials.” That is underutilizing an extremely powerful tool at your disposal. Instead, sprinkle your testimonials all over you site including your home page, guarantee section, in the products and services area, etc. Using them as headlines can very effective in capturing attention.

Secret # 3
Create an “About Us” page. In the final analysis, people don’t buy from companies, they buy from people. Becoming a “real person” on your “about us” page, humanizes you and your website. Tell your visitors about how your business began, how it has grown from a 2-person office to over 150 people in just 5 years by providing excellent customer service. In many cases, the “about us” section is one of the most visited pages on your site. Make it work hard for you.

Secret # 4
Add an audio message to important areas of your website. Hearing the owner’s voice reviewing your no-risk money back guarantee or how he/she is available to answer questions, will help build trust and rapport with your visitors. Audio programs are very inexpensive and easy to use and install even for novices.

Secret # 5
Your website should clearly explain how your company is different from the competition. Old phrases such as “service with a smile” or “satisfaction guaranteed” don’t impress anyone, anymore. You not only need to make your unique competitive advantage clear and concise, but it needs to “wow” them. “30-day money back guarantee and we pay shipping” is certainly more powerful than “satisfaction guaranteed.”

David Carleton is a San Diego Local Business Marketing Consultant who specializes in showing small business owners how to spend less and get more from their marketing and advertising using low cost strategies in local business marketing, lead generation and conversion, Internet marketing and social media. To download a copy of the free report, “7 Steps to Website Success”, go to http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com

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Knowing what to do to keep your business running smoothly is important, but knowing what mistakes to avoid is essential to making sure your business thrives.

#1–Working “In” Instead of “On” Your Business

Straight from Michael Gerber’s book – The E- Myth Revisited, the biggest mistake that most entrepreneurs make is “majoring in the minors.” In other words…not paying enough attention to the things that really matter the most to your success.

At the end of each day, take a look at the things you crossed off your “to do” list and see how many of them could have been done by someone making a third of the salary you make. If most of them fall into that category, then you need to change your priorities.

As a small business owner, manager or VP, you may be the only one that can provide the strategic direction that the company needs to survive, but I guarantee that you’re not the only one that can do bookkeeping or take inventory. As hard as it may be to let go of certain tasks, hire out those tasks whenever you can.

Put another way…what is one thing that you could do tomorrow that would have the most dramatic effect on your company’s future. Think about it.

#2 – Failing to Create and Use a Marketing Plan

What are you doing to insure a constant stream of new business into your business? Most companies don’t even think about it until business slows down and then they slap something together (I think I’ll run some ads) without much thought or without a plan.

Studies have shown that small businesses that create and consistently use a marketing plan, experience an average of 30% higher sales than those that don’t.

STOP FOR A SECOND!

What would a 30% increase in sales mean to your bottom line? Here is a quick guideline of where to start to help you start your marketing plan:

1. List why your best customers buy from you?

2. Create a marketing message that focuses entirely on those results.

3. Break down the master plan into mini plans such as advertising, PR, trade shows, etc.

4. Hold a weekly meeting (even if it is just quiet time with yourself) to review the results and fine tune.

#3–Failing to Implement Systems

Systemize and automate as many parts of your business that is practical to do so. If your marketing, production or order entry person walked out today, how would you train the new hire?

Business tip: Get your current employees to document what and how they do what they do so well that if you are forced to hire someone new, you can hand over the manual and say…learn it, know it, do it!

#4 – Forgetting to Market to Your Current Customers

According to the Direct Marketing Association, every month that goes by that, we don’t communicate with our clients their propensity to do business with us drops by 10%?

That’s frightening! This means that if we let a year go by they are only slightly more likely than “the man on the street” to do business with us.

You can and should be getting a nice income stream from your current customers. We all want new customers, but let’s not forget who we came to the dance with, who got us where we are today.

Do your current customers know all the products are services that you offer? The easiest customer to sell is one you’ve already convinced to buy from you in the past (assuming you offer quality products and are living up to your promises).

#5 – Not Testing and Tracking Your Marketing Efforts

A great retailer once said, “We know that half of our marketing and advertising dollars are wasted-we just don’t know which half.”

It’s bad enough to spend money on a marketing campaign and not know if it is working. It’s even worse to spend money on an effort that you think is working only to find out it’s not.

If you can verify that you are getting a positive return for your marketing efforts as measured by profit (it is putting more money in your pocket than it is taking out) then your budget could eventually become unlimited.

The only way to invest in your marketing efforts with confidence is to test a campaign, track it, and measure your results.

#6 – Not Following Up With Your Prospects

According to some statistics, 48% of sales people never follow up with prospects and only 10% make 3 or more contacts, yet 80% of all sales are made on the 5th – 12th contact. You do the math. If you just continue to follow up, your odds of closing the sale go up just because most of your competitors have already given up!

#7 – Being The Same as Everyone Else

Ask most companies what they do and you will receive back an indecipherable elevator pitch that doesn’t come close to making them any different than almost everyone they compete with in their industry. They are not unique.

Sales people and marketing companies are bombarding your prospects with over a million marketing messages a year. That’s over 3,300 messages per day!

Become an expert in understanding what problems your prospects face when searching for your products and then position your company, products and services as the only solution to those problems. In this day of hyper-competition, either you differentiate or you die.

In conclusion, remember, sometimes it’s not what you’re doing that affects your business the most; it’s what you’re NOT doing.

David Carleton is a San Diego Local Business Marketing Consultant who specializes in showing small business owners how to spend less and get more from their marketing and advertising using low cost strategies in local business marketing, lead generation and conversion, Internet marketing and social media. To download a copy of the free report, “7 Steps to Website Success”, go to http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com

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There are many strategies out there today on how to use social media marketing. From driving more traffic to your website to engaging with friends, fans and followers. Whatever your social media objectives are and whichever strategies you decide use, there are definitely some key aspects that can “make or break” your social media efforts.

I call them the “ATES” of Successful Social Media Marketing and I have listed the best and worst of them