Do you do business offline too? Many sources say you ‘must’ have a website to be in business. Which I completely agree with, a website is a great way to “always be open” to your customers. A potential client can read about you, see your work with before and after photos, and learn a little bit about your training and experience. Your presence can be a multi-page website, or just a simple one page presence (depending on the image you wish to portray or the realism of a startup budget).

But what I think can be missing from your marketing plan is the coordination of online, as well as offline, marketing strategies. What is your strategy for gaining clients, other than having a web presence?

As you may have already realized, just because you build it, does not mean they will come. Sure there is always talk of Search Engine Optimization and picking appropriate keywords etc but in truth, those are still part of your online strategy.

Offline strategies could include
• Conducting presentations/seminars.
• Participating in Charity Auctions,
• Postcard mailing campaigns
• Developing partnerships with companies who also share your target market. (Target marketing, I think, is one of the best ways to market on a tight budget. It allows you to focus your limited budget in the most cost effective way. To learn more about target marketing, and other marketing issues facing small businesses, subscribe to my newsletter.)
• Direct Mail campaigns
• Word Of Mouth – join an organization!
• Advertising – though this can get expensive
• Business Basics – business cards, brochures, flyers

Knowing your target market, the goals you want to accomplish this year, and overall budget, along with your own creativity are essential to customizing these offline strategies for your particular business.

But the key to on and offline strategies, in general, is to make them work together. For example, all your printed materials must have your website address on them, at a minimum. (You will also want an email address, so people can contact you when ‘they’ are ready to.) In addition, your website should have a listing of all the seminars you may be giving or more information about the Charity Auction you’re participating in. You have the ability to get the most out of each strategy by using both together.

You see, professional service businesses are services which truly need an online AND offline strategy to succeed. In this case, the sum IS more than the parts.

Someone in the caulk industry was paying attention.  Someone was paying attention that a single serving would be of value to me, the consumer, the people. The people who are your current and your potential customers.  When was the last time you paid attention.  Is there a product or service you could provide for them?  What about a new product or service they may like?  (Do you even know what they like?  )  What about repackaging your current product or service in a new way?  Such as a caulk single. 

Don’t you wish you had thought of it????

Something to think about:  As in life/business, sometimes things just need a little caulk.  No major fix, just a little caulk and things would be fine.  But if you ignore it or it’s been on the to do list but you ‘just haven’t gotten to it’  and put it off, time has a way of making the problem worse, in some cases much worse.  When all you needed was a little caulk…  

 So my sample is on the way.  I’ll let you know how it worked out..

Recently, I was searching for a hotel for a family vacation. I wasn’t familiar with the area so I was reading the online reviews. I have to give you a little background – I haven’t searched for hotels online before, so I was impressed when the hotel actually answered the comments people bothered to write about the hotels. Now this may be normal, but I was impressed. I was looking for a high-end hotel, so seeing the hotel’s comments, that they took the time to respond instantly gave me the impression they would take that kind of time for their guests.

But that is not the impressive part… As I was reading the comments and subsequent responses, one customer wrote how it was the ‘best night sleep he had in a long time’. He went on about the bed and the linens. How comfortable and lush it was. Well the response from the hotel said that sleep is so important and that if this was the best night sleep they had, then to call the hotel to order one of their beds, linens and all – delivered! Somebody was definitely ‘thinking’ on this exchange.

What a creative way to create an income stream. A hotel that has such great beds and linens that they sell them!

The Planning
I’m not sure why business owners don’t “Do” a marketing plan.  I’m sure I can guess, but most business owners I see usually have an idea of a plan but just “have it in their head’.   Which is fine and a good place to start, but all that ‘planning’ in your head can also just give you a headache! 

So I try to be realistic with my clients and instead of insisting on a formal written marketing plan – (which honestly most business owners just put on a shelf and never reference again) – I say instead “Look at your business…is it doing/working the way you need it to be?”    If not, then ask yourself why not, and how do I fix it, then how do I sustain it?  (Psst: basically this is a marketing plan albeit quite simple.)  

You see, marketing is not rocket science; it’s an application of principles to transfer goods/services between two parties.  Not complicated stuff really.    The complicated part is the application – how and what marketing tools to use for your business.  Not every business is the same – even in the same industry.   That is why I say don’t just follow what your competition is doing, do what will work best for your business.

So HOW Do you DO That?…

• First, Relax – you can’t be your “best business self” and work ON your business objectively when stressed.  If your business is doing ‘ok’ at the moment, then enjoy that fact.  Not everyone can say that…there will be casualties in these economic conditions.

• Secondly,  Look at your business objectively. 

• Financials – Call your accountant if you have one– they LOVE numbers.  Then just ask them a question.  For example, Can you chart my sales by month with line graphs for the last 5 years?  This chart will show you monthly trends for your business.  And what do you DO with this information, well, if you know you’re normally down in a certain month – plan on working ON your business during that time.  If you do your own ‘books’, look at all the report features of your software.  Chances are you can create your own charts and start to see trends in the data.

• Current Products/Services
  • Ask – what does my business currently do well?  Be objective now, and ask “How can I leverage that into a new idea?”  For example, a new product line? Or a different pricing package?
  • Ask – what does my business NOT currently do well?  Is it customer service? Or product quality or something else?  Identifying what your company doesn’t do well can highlight an opportunity for your business to do better. For example, beef up customer service if your ratio of inquires to orders is low.

• Is there something new?  Is something becoming obsolete?  Is another industry just waiting for my product/service?  For example, if you have a personal training company and normally sell to individuals, how about a package deal for an entire company’s employees?  Different target market to be sure but the same service.   

• The key here is to think creatively how a product or service you offer – or COULD offer – would benefit your current target market or a completely new target market.

These are just a few of the many different areas of a marketing plan to get you started.  The first step though really is to know where you’ve been, where you’re at now, and where you would like to go in the future with your business.  If you take an objective look at your business, you can determine who your target market is, and the best way to reach them.  You can also see the opportunities that can increase your sales.

I say instead of lamenting over the business you may have lost, use this downtime to your advantage.  Plan your course for the future!  Take control of your business…How exciting it’s going to be…

Surveys have a long history in Marketing Research.  Much information, as well as college degrees, are available in this field.   We all know the large companies spend thousands and thousands for market research, whether it’s internal or external.  Internal Research is finding out about how your own business is doing.  External Research is where you find out about your target market, among other things.  

Surveys can be tricky though.  Search the internet for ‘how to write a survey’ and you’ll find thousands, actually like 4 million, hits in google on the subject.  You see, the way the question is written, as well as the order of questions, and the method of delivery can skew the results.  Make no mistake, there is a skill and talent in writing and then analyzing a survey.   

But before you become discouraged…take a lesson from shoebuy.com (my fav online shoe store) I recently received an email survey from.  It was two questions, 1. Would you recommend us to another – choose from a scale of 1 to 10.   and 2. what one thing could we do to make that number higher?  With open space to write an answer. 

Hmmmm.. two questions, two minutes of their time, a statistical bench mark, and your target market tells you what they want.  All that for 2 minutes worth of work to send out the email. 

Who says marketing research must cost thousands?