Marketing focus dec 2014

1 Issue 7 Volume 3 December 2014

Marketing PROVIDING A RANGE OF TIPS, IDEAS AND STRATEGIES

focus

FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS OW NER

Helping you achieve your business goals in 2015 One of the biggest and most important “shifts” that will occur in marketing in 2015 - especially for small and micro businesses will be honesty, openness and transparency.

Consumers look for truthfulness in advertising, and, so often, they are let down and disappointed by false, misleading or incorrect statements made by many businesses.

Credibility should be the “Key” word for small business marketing in 2015.

By making a concerted effort to build transparency into all of your marketing will not only help put customers’ minds at ease, but can give you a genuine competitive edge over your competitors.

A company is only as good as its people, their ability to deliver, and the promises they keep.

One of the best ways of building credibility into all of your advertising is by providing real customer testimonials.

Simple one-line recommendations are not enough anymore, because customers know they are too easy to falsify or embellish.

If at all possible, use customer testimonials that have full names, details, and ideally, a photo of them (this personalises both you and your business).

This applies to ALL of your advertising:- Your website, flyers, brochures, emails, social media, newspapers.

Remember, the word is

CREDIBILITY.

MARKET WATCH FOR 2015 Does Your Marketing Strategy Need a Revamp?

As we near 2015 have you started to look at your New Year marketing strategy? Did you implement all of the marketing plans that you intended to do in 2014, or have you still not managed to get around to doing it? Perhaps you could use this little note as a reminder to refresh your business, revamp your marketing and tie up loose ends.

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Email: dennis@marketingmeansbusiness.net.au

Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.com

2

Ethics in Business False or Misleading Advertising

False or misleading claims by big retailers, including supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, have always been the main source of complaints from consumers and the small business sector.

But, it’s not just the giants who do it (and appear to get away with it).

Let me give you an example of what I mean, and what continues to peeve me: I need to fly from Brisbane to Sydney to meet up with a client, and will need to hire a car while I’m there, and also stay overnight.

I do all of the bookings online, and pay the respective fees or give them my credit card details (and that’s another thing I hate doing.)

Land in Sydney, and it takes the usual 10-15 minutes to get off the damn ‘plane, and then wait at the carousel for my luggage for another 10-15 minutes. Then go to Avis, or Budget, or Hertz to pick up my car. Patiently (not) wait in line until it’s my turn and then the “fun” starts.

“Do you want insurance?” I am hastily asked. “It doesn’t

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matter who caused the accident, if you don’t take out the insurance, you could be up for at least $2,000.”

made aware of these necessary, extra charges and fees until you’re committed.

Of course I want / need insurance …

“Okay, $47.00 thanks” … and, “Oh, by the way, if you don’t fill the tank up again before you bring the car back, we will have to charge you $3.50 a litre to do it ourselves”

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) states: “Prices displayed by a business must be clear, accurate and not misleading to consumers.

You should always display the total price of a product or service.” …. It goes on to say: “However, You do not need to include optional charges or extras”

I then fire up and tell them that this information is nowhere to be found on their website, nor is it anywhere to be found in the car hire contract I just signed (in triplicate).

That’s when I get the “dumb” look from them.

But Wait … There’s more … Then I arrive at the motel I have booked online a few days earlier; and after checking in and signing relevant paperwork, I am then asked if I have a car.

Naturally my response is “Yes”. “Then, if you would like to park your car in the motel parking, that’s $20 per day. Is that okay”? … is the reply from the innocent - looking receptionist.

So, I fire up again. Why aren’t people advised of this when they book? Why isn’t it on their website?

Is this False or Misleading advertising?

Some people would say that it’s not.

However, in my view, it’s certainly deceptive advertising, and you’re not

Email: dennis@marketingmeansbusiness.net.au

So, that’s how the businesses Airline; Car Hire; Motel / Resort - get appear to be able to get away with it.

So, in my view, this sort of advertising is unethical, but apparently it is quite lawful according to the ACCC. Deceptive advertising is false advertising, and it is illegal, but it seems that unethical advertising is neither deceptive nor illegal; however, they offend moral principles of human acceptance in terms of bad intent and effects.

Ultimately, I’d like to believe that ethical advertising is regulated by societal norms of acceptable advertising communications and the moral and ethics of advertisers. 

Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.com

3

Marketing Tips To Build Your Business Why Don’t More Business Owners Actively Network?

Why Don’t More Business Owners Actively Network?

There are many reasons why this happens: Two of the major reasons are: 1. They’ve tried once or twice and networking hasn’t worked for them.

2. Many business owners are simply antisocial Many people will attend a business networking function, and simply engage in pleasant conversations, which leads precisely nowhere.

Networking is another element of your Marketing & Promotional campaign, and to spend your precious time and money to attend a network event to simply have a “mag” is as good as throwing your advertising money away.

Your primary purpose in attending these events is to promote you and your business to new people (potential customers and also referrals).

Secondary purpose is to meet new people where there might be a mutual benefit to be gained by both parties.

So, following up is critical to your networking success.

After meeting new people, particularly those who you see as potential customers or referrals, send them a note after meeting them, connect with them on social networking sites and add them to your relationship management systems.

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new connections, respect and credibility.

Follow up is a lot more than having a cup of coffee with them sometime, it’s important to make sure that you build the relationship after the event.

So many business owners treat networking too lightly and passively.

They just expect the relationship will grow and build over time. However, if you manage the relationship professionally and proactively, it will grow and you both will benefit from the relationship.

Networking is recognised as one of the most powerful and effective ways to grow your business, and shouldn’t be treated lightly or half-heartedly.

Networking requires commitment and skill, and it won’t just happen.

However, this is the expectation of many people, and they don’t really want to put the effort in to make it work.

Business Networking, is one of the most powerful ways that a person can build a successful person. Your role is to learn how to do it correctly to make sure you have a chance to expand your professional network and develop new, genuine contacts and relationships.

Business Networking is about win/ win.

You will find the help your business needs and also help others to find what they are looking for, and in return gain

Email: dennis@marketingmeansbusiness.net.au

But there's so much more to networking than just shaking hands, having pleasant conversations and exchanging business cards. If it’s done right, networking helps you forge relationships with like-minded professionals to the benefit all.

The objective is not about walking away with a huge stack of business cards of people you couldn't recognise if they called you the next day.

It's about fostering real relationships with people who can help build your business, or whom you can help build theirs.  



Networking is the art of making personal connections.

Networking is a powerful way to promote and build your business, and, far from being a bland pursuit, it is as much about helping others as it is about helping yourself.

Networking is not something you do once; if it was, it probably wouldn't work.

Networking, rather, is a habit, which over time will lead to great opportunities, including new clients and much more.

It's about seeking out new people, learning about them, and maintaining connections once they are made. 

Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.com

4

Marketing Tips To Build Your Business

K EEP Y OUR

C USTOMERS H APPY Always Monitor Your Advertising: Ask every new customer or potential customer how they found out about you.

This is the most effective and inexpensive market research you will ever get and a great way to test and measure your advertising and word of mouth referrals. Always Be Aware Of Your Competition: Know your competitors. Know what are they doing? What does their total advertising and marketing activities comprise of? Are they successful, and if so why? What are their Strengths and their Weaknesses? What do they do well, and what do you think are their weakness? Once you know these answers, then you can compete against and have a good chance of surpassing them at their own game Under promise and over deliver – it’s the easiest way to delight customers and turn them into loyal supporters of your business. One of the most important rules in customer service is to exceed customer expectations. He or she will always have a set of expectations.

If you fall short on these, then the customer will try to find a better service. Meet these expectations, and you will have a customer.

Exceed these expectations and there’s a very good chance that you will have a loyal, returning customer.  Do Your Customers Like You? Might sound like a ridiculous question (to some of us) but, It’s

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a fact. People buy from people they like.

You may believe that if you have the best products at the lowest price, that’s what really matters.

However, if a potential client doesn’t like you, they are likely to do business somewhere else. When it comes to dealing with customers, it’s all about human psychology.

Remember, you are building Relationships, and this is what business is all about. Creating or Building a Relationship with Your Customers: To build solid relationships with your customers requires you and your staff to have ‘Customer Empathy”. What is Customer Empathy? …. This creates that warm glow you get when you return to a business and they remember your name and show that they are pleased you've come back. Customer Empathy: Customer Empathy is introducing the Human Element into your business. And, by bringing the human element into your interactions with your customers, you've created an emotional bond between you and your customer that will make them loyal to you and WANT to come back to you, even if there's some better 'deal' elsewhere… even in a recession.  A Few Customer Statistics For You To Think About:  It costs 5 times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one 

Almost 70% of customers stop

Email: dennis@marketingmeansbusiness.net.au

Sixty eight percent of customers who leave do so because they feel unappreciated, unimportant, and taken for granted.

doing business if they repeatedly receive poor service 

A happy customer will tell between 5 – 8 people (even more with social media)

I could go on and on with these statistics, but the MAIN points are these:  Keeping your customers happy is crucial to the health of your business. 

Happy customers customers.



Loyal customers also often generate referral business, helping you grow your customer base at a very low cost.

are

loyal

And yet, when you like your customers, you get good at serving their needs, even anticipating them.

Taking pride in the fact that they have chosen to come back to you for repeat business.

Helping them becomes a calling, not a chore.

Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.com