9 Tips for Promoting Your Business with Seminars

How to market and promote your own seminars, 

workshops and events, such as: 

• Never give seminars in July, August and December. These are the worst months for seminars.
• Cut your fixed costs by concentrating on e-mail and joint-venture marketing. This way you can fill your seats and break even with a minimal number of attendees.
• Use postcards as your only form of direct mail to drive people to a Web site. Let the site sell them with long copy.
• Understand that the majority of your money will be made from sources other than seminar registration, so concentrate on the "back end" by creating an extensive line of products (audio and videotapes, for instance) with price points that range from as $10 to $1,000.
• Run your event on time. If you tell people you're starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m., then do it. Doing it any other way is highly unprofessional. 

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How to Sell More When Others are Selling Less

If the hurdles out in the field aren't enough to deal with, every company is demanding more from salespeople -- higher quotas, larger territories, and handling more accounts. "How do they expect us to do more with all this going on?" is the hot topic whenever salespeople get together.
This is the world salespeople find themselves in today. And the road ahead may be even more treacherous. Here are just some of the roadblocks -- and the list is getting longer:

Changes in territories
More in-auto driving time
Added non-sales responsibilities
Internet competition
Increased quoting
Greater customer demands
Internal company changes
Merger and/or acquisition
Decreased sales support
Product problems
Shipment delays
Order snafus
Problematic customer service
Back orders
Competitor-driven rumors
Curtailed travel and entertainment budgets
Reduced marketing support
And on top of it all, price increases

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How To Get Free (or Low-Cost) Publicity for Your Business

Here are a few suggestions.  


Write your own news releases. News releases are used to inform the media (both print and broadcast) of what's happening at your company. A news release might announce your opening, your new marketing manager, the expansion for which you just broke ground or an award your company has won.

Writing a news release isn't tough. Basically, you start with the most important information (called the lead), fill in the details and end with a brief description of what your company does. You must include your name and a phone number where you can be contacted during business hours. Type it -- double-spaced -- and mail, fax or e-mail it to the media.

If you need help, pick up a book on basic news copy or public relations writing. Or, see if a business colleague or school teacher will write it for you for a modest fee.

Speak up. If you're an expert -- or at least know a bit more about a particular subject than the average person -- and your stomach doesn't turn to jelly when you're standing behind a podium, offer your services as a speaker at meetings of local clubs, community groups and professional associations. Generally, the best time to send out letters announcing your availability (include a brief description of the topic or topics on which you can speak) is mid- to late year, when these organizations generally begin putting together their programs for the upcoming year.

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How to forecast your sales

There are many sources of information to assist with your sales forecast. Some key sources are:

·         Competitors

·         Neighboring Businesses

·         Trade suppliers

·         Downtown business associations

·         Trade associations

·         Trade publications

·         Trade directories 

                                                        Sales Forecasting for a New Business

  Step 1   Step 2   Step 3   Step 4

These steps for developing a sales forecast can be applied to most kinds of businesses:

Step 1: Develop a customer profile and determine the trends in your industry.

Make some basic assumptions about the customers in your target market. Experienced business people will tell you that a good rule of thumb is that 20% of your customers account for 80% of your sales. If you can identify this 20% you can begin to develop a profile of your principal markets.

Sample customer profiles:

·         male, ages 20-34, professional, middle income, fitness conscious.

·         Young families, parents 25 to 39, middle income, home owners

·         Small to medium sized magazine and book publishers  

       

Determine trends by talking to trade suppliers about what is selling well and what is not. Check out recent copies of your industry's trade magazines. Search the Business Periodicals Index (found in larger libraries) for articles related to your type of business.

Step 2: Establish the approximate size and location of your planned trading area. Use available statistics to determine the general characteristics of this area. Use local sources to determine unique characteristics about your trading area.

How far will your average customer travel to buy from your shop? Where do you intend to distribute or promote your product? This is your trading area.

Estimating the number of individuals or households can be done with little difficulty using statistics census data. Statistics family expenditure survey can identify what the average household spends on goods and services. Information on planned construction is available from a variety of sources. Directories the Yellow Pages can help identify names of companies located in your trading area.

Neighborhood business owners, the local Chamber of Commerce, the Government Agent and the community newspaper are some sources that can give you insight into unique characteristics of your area.

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Getting ahead in 2018: What You Don't Do Will Make the Difference

This is the demanding environment that we will find ourselves operating in during 2018. Under such strenuous circumstances, what's the success strategy for the year ahead? 

More than anything else, perhaps the best answers are to be found in what we don't do -- in what we avoid rather than in what we choose to do.

Here are some things not to do:

Don't hope for the best. Seeing the cup as half full instead of half empty is the mantra of business. Without optimism, where would we be? It's true. Pessimism is often paralyzing, as we know so well. No one wants to be around naysayers.
But this is only part of the story. According to psychologist Julie K. Norem, Ph.D., of Wellesley College, pessimism isn't all bad. In fact, she maintains that defensive pessimism can be a strategic tool if used correctly.
While optimists insist that they'll win the order because of their strong relationship with their customer, the strategic pessimist keeps asking questions: Have we covered all the bases? Have we uncovered all relevant customer concerns? Does too much self-assurance blind? What are we missing?
How does the fine art of doubt help? Don't assume that you're going to get the sale. Keep asking yourself what could go wrong. Look for the weak points. In other words, be prepared to dig for every deal. Nothing is a shoo-in. 

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Deciding on an Advertising Medium

When it comes to advertising, a lot of people really don't know what they want, where to get it or what to do with it after they have it. This guide will help you learn to determine what type of advertising media is best for you, and learn to identify guidelines you can use to obtain the advertising exposure you need. It will help you identify ways to make your advertising more cost efficient.

Advertising is an investment in your business's future. And like any investment, it's important to find out as much as you can before you make a decision. You'll be able to use this guide as a reliable reference tool often in the months and years to come.

Newspaper Advertising

Every advertising medium has characteristics that give it natural advantages and limitations. As you look through your newspaper(s), you'll notice some businesses that advertise regularly. Observe who they are and how they advertise their products and services. More than likely, their advertising investment is working if it's selling!

Some Advantages in Newspaper Advertising

Almost every home receives a newspaper, either by newsstand or home delivery. Reading the newspaper is a habit for most families. And, there is something for everybody: sports, comics, crosswords, news, classifieds, etc. You can reach certain types of people by placing your ad in different sections of the paper. People expect advertising in the newspaper. In fact, many people buy the paper just to read the ads from the supermarket, movies or department stores.

Unlike advertising on TV and radio, advertising in the newspaper can be examined at your leisure. A newspaper ad can contain details, such as prices and telephone numbers or coupons.

There are many advantages to advertising in the newspaper. From the advertiser's point-of-view, newspaper advertising can be convenient because production changes can be made quickly, if necessary, and you can often insert a new advertisement on short notice. Another advantage is the large variety of ad sizes newspaper advertising offers. Even though you may not have a lot of money in your budget, you can still place a series of small ads, without making a sacrifice.

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Develop A Marketing Presence

Marketing presence is the message your business communicates to its prospect and customer base. To be effective, the message should be clear and simple -- and contain the key attributes you want associated with your business. 

Competitive advantage is the sum of those attributes that differentiate your business from its competitors. This is your core competence. You develop, build and enhance it through a clear understanding of your customers' wants and needs. You implement it through a strategic plan (a directional compass) that can help you quickly adapt to changes in their wants and needs.

Sustainable means to keep in existence, to maintain and affirm the validity of, to support the spirit, vitality and resolution of, to encourage, to endure and withstand. Only through your continuous understanding of what makes your business competitive can your business survive and prosper. GE's CEO, Jack Walsh, once said, "If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete." 

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Market Positioning

Positioning is a powerful tool that allows you to create an image. And image is the outward representation of being who you want to be, doing what you want to do, and having what you want to have. Positioning yourself can lead to personal fulfillment. Being positioned by someone else restricts your choices and limits your

opportunities. 

Pricing. Is your product a luxury item, somewhere in the middle, or cheap, cheap, cheap.

Quality. Total quality is a much used and abused phrase. But is your product well produced? What controls are in place to assure consistency? Do you back your quality claim with customer-friendly guarantees, warranties, and return policies?

Service. Do you offer the added value of customer service and support? Is your product customized and personalized?

Distribution. How do customers obtain your product? The channel or distribution is part of positioning.

Packaging. Packaging makes a strong statement. Make sure it's delivering the message you intend.

Positioning is your competitive strategy. What's the one thing you do best? What's unique about your product or service? Identify your strongest strength and use it to position your product

The product Nyquil was conceived as a superior daytime cough suppressant. Unfortunately, it made people drowsy. Determined to recoup product development costs, the side affect of drowsiness was then transformed into a powerful positioning strategy. Nyquil became "the night time, coughing, sniffling, sneezing so you can rest" medicine. Nyquil created and owned the nighttime cold remedy market. 

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Trade Shows: 10 Mistakes to Avoid

Failing to set exhibiting goals. Goals, or the purpose for exhibiting, are the essence of the whole trade show experience. Knowing what you want to accomplish at a show will help plan every other aspect: your theme, the booth layout and display, graphics, product displays, premiums, literature, etc. Exhibiting goals should complement your corporate marketing objectives and help in accomplishing them.

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Successful Selling Means Knowing the Competition

This is an issue that's growing in importance. Our industry is heating up and becoming more competitive. All around us things are changing at an ever-increasing rate. That means that it's more important than ever for you to be aware of what your competitors are doing so that you don't get blindsided or seriously outmaneuvered.

That happened to me. To this day, I still get a sick feeling in my stomach as I remember the day when I lost my largest account to my arch competitor. It was an account that made up 20% of my total volume. In my blissful ignorance, I was content to grow my business by calling on the end users and purchasing department, while my competition was successfully building a relationship with the administration.

The result? My best account signed a prime vendor, sole-source agreement with my competitor, and within 60 days, I was almost totally out of that account. I was totally blindsided.

That's a lesson that sticks with me, and one from which you can learn. To become good at knowing what your competition is up to, begin by thinking of yourself a little differently. I believe that distributor salespeople must see themselves as "managers of information" as well as "sellers of stuff." To be effective in the Information Age economy, you must become adapt at collecting, storing and using good information. The knowledge of what your competition is doing is one such piece of information. 

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Trade Show Graphics Set Scene For Sale

Marketing your business through trade shows can bring you face-to face with highly qualified prospective customers. At a good trade show, you can acquire multiple new clients in a matter of hours or days. But to make the most of the opportunity, you need an exhibit booth that sets an effective scene for the sale.

Studies show that if you don't attract a prospect into your booth within six seconds, he or she will walk by. So, your first job is to make sure your booth grabs attention and arouses curiosity. The best way to achieve that will depend on the nature of your business and how complex you want your display to be.

If you're introducing a new product, for instance, you might use a giant photograph of the product as the backdrop for your booth, or perhaps a series of photographs showing the product in use. If your business is service, you may want to illustrate the value of that service with photographs of people enjoying its benefits.

Superimposed text can provide key information, and a "header" across the top of the booth can present your company's name and primary message

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