Customers: The Key To Successful Marketing
People will no doubt say you have a great product. You might even have a proven track record of success. But none of that matters unless you sell it to somebody, and the person who purchases it from you is your customer. Your customers are the key to successful marketing, because without them there is no marketing!
These days everybody needs customers if they want to keep their company afloat; whether you're selling widgets or big ideas, your customers are the driving force behind all your efforts. The more satisfied they are with what you offer, after all, the better chance they'll come back again and again in search of whatever it is that's catching their attention. And let's face it: with so many businesses and products to choose from, it's pretty tough for your average customer to know what to buy from you.
It can be a difficult process to get customers -- but that doesn't mean you should give up on the idea of selling them anything at all. Instead, you should focus on coming up with a marketing strategy that will enable you to reach more people and keep in touch with those who linger longest. Here are my five best tips to help you do just that.
1. Get Others On Board As Early As Possible
Possibly the single most important thing you can do to make your marketing efforts successful is involve other people in them. It is incredibly beneficial to have at least one person on your marketing team who can help keep you organized and accountable, and someone else who will be available to take all your calls. Someone else must also be assigned the task of creating and sending out communications, either by phone or email, so that all leads are forwarded from one person to another until they reach a point at which one actually bites into them and does something about it.
You can never have too many people involved in your efforts. At the very least, you need a dedicated salesperson who will be responsible for finding quality prospects and helping them to discover how your product or service may suit their needs. Ideally, this person would also act as an unofficial spokesperson for you (and of course you'd want to create more salespeople as well).
2. Put The Customer First
It's extremely important to remember that the customer is always right, no matter what you think. If something seems off about a potential client's purchase request or request for a call back, don't hesitate to say no -- even if it means cutting a deal with someone else. You need to remember that the one thing you always want to make sure of is that you're making money, and the first and most important duty of a company is to make a profit.
3. Build Relationships With People Who Matter
In today's Internet era it can be easy for people with problems like yours to find out about you at some point, but it's equally likely that they'll make their purchases without ever coming in contact with your business team. The best way to reach out to these people is via their friends and associates; if someone you know searches for a product or service using your business name, chances are good that they'll find your company's information in there somewhere.
If you really want to be successful in your marketing ventures, you'll also need to create content that's relevant to the needs of prospective customers. Chances are good that if they're looking for a solution online they either already know what number one on their list of priorities is or at least have a pretty good idea of what it is -- and if there's no way for them to learn more about the necessity of your product, there's no way for them to learn more about you.
4. Keep Track Of The Customers You Have
Depending on the type of product or service you're offering, your marketing strategies may be quite similar to those you would use for other business aspects. If, for example, you're launching a new line of greeting cards, it could mean that you're targeting weekly and monthly publications and trying to create media exposure on television. At the same time, your customers may be calling in asking about the same thing; understanding how best to respond and what information they want will help you to effectively maintain your marketing efforts.
5. Keep Track Of The Customers You Don't Have
Just as important as remembering what kind of people are contacting your company is knowing who's not contacting it. There are always going to be people out there who don't believe in your product for whatever reason -- and it's important to know who those people are so that you can get rid of them from your marketing database. It's not just a matter of keeping things accurate, either; while it may be tempting to leave the information on those who haven't purchased from you yet because they might do so someday, the fact is that they probably won't and you'll just be wasting time and resources on them.
It's not at all easy to convince people to buy anything at all, but finding a way to make sure that they do it as quickly as possible is the key. Make sure that you're staying on top of your marketing efforts, and you'll be amazed at how many people you can reach out to and keep in touch with.
About the Author: Mason Gafford is a blogger and a freelance writer. You can visit his blog to find more useful information on online marketing.
Photo Credit: Bigstock
This article was written by Kelly McCollough for College Info Geek and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. This content is subject to copyright laws marked with the Licensing Agencykellymccollough.com - Visit the website for more information about licensing this article (more information).
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Author Kelly McCollough Kelly McCollough is a writer and blogger who loves to get people pumped about the possibilities life has to offer. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children and when she isn't writing or running around after her kids, you can find her blogging. With a background in counseling and education, she loves to write about life hacks, things for busy moms to do, and ways that people can reach their goals. You can follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kellymccollugh6 or visit her website at www.kellymccollugh6.com .
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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Conclusion:
Today, most of the companies and business owners have turned to online marketing for growing their business. When you are in the process of building your online business, always keep these five secrets in mind and you will soon see your profits increasing dramatically.
Author: Lee Wilbanks I'm a writer who delivers small-business advice, book reviews, and news about technology. See my full profile.
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