by Susan Dunn, MA, The Marketing Coach
What does it take to be a good marketer?
You must love your product or service as a true love
loves their beloved. It takes deep knowledge of the
attributes, and unflagging enthusiasm. Marketing
constantly means saying the same thing over and over.
Again. How many times, how many ways can you say, I
coach people in Emotional Intelligence," or "our frosted
caramel pound cake is the best you can buy"? How do you
stay fresh? How do you keep taking a new look at your
product and service?
1. Understand "the public" and marketing.
I imagine most of you reading this have heard of the field
of coaching, yet when I spoke on a cruise, not one person in
the audience had heard of it. It will always be "new" to
someone.
2. Therefore: Marketing 101: By the time you're "sick and
tired of it," the public is just beginning to hear about it.
3. Another reason you must repeat and repeat is that open
rates are so low, and attention spans are so short.
The average "open" rate for eZines (according to Constant
Contact, one supplier), is 48%. Half the people won't open
any given thing you send them, so won't have heard your
message at all. (Thus the "do it 7 times" rule.)
4. It can be the litmus test of your passion.
Think about your child. Did you ever once get tired of
talking about your child, or run out of things to say? Your
business must be like that, or else (1) move on, or (2) hire
a marketing person to impart that enthusiasm.
5. Or take a vacation.
Getting refreshed, and seeing new things breed creativity.
Get a good vacation and when you come back, everything looks
new.
6. We create our enthusiasm by creating our enthusiasm.
It takes effort, intentionality and action. It takes
discipline. Like love, enthusiasm is an act, not a feeling.
7. Schedule your marketing and sales time for when you're
"in the mood."
Most good salespeople I know admit that sometimes they just
don't have it, and sometimes -- well, when you're hot,
you're hot.
8. Get inspired by reading other people's copy.
Peruse some large apparel merchant, and marvel at how many
ways they find to describe -- A BLOUSE! Now, you can do that
too! Regularly cycle through websites of competitors to see
what's new. Terms, styles, vocabulary, pitches change.
9. Book a brainstorming session with a marketing coach when
you get down and run out of ideas.
That's what we're here for. When you're doing it constantly,
and for a variety of items, the pump is always primed. Get a
website makeover. When the site looks new, so will the
words.
10. Listen carefully when your satisfied customers describe
your products and services, and, yes, write them down.
They will say things you could never have thought of in a
million years, and in their own totally unique way.
Testimonials are worth their weight in gold.
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