Think Marketing like an Entrepreneur

Contributed by American Insurance Marketing and Sales (AIMS) Society

November is presidentially-declared National Entrepreneurship Month – a time to acknowledge and celebrate the innovation and fresh perspective that an entrepreneurial spirit brings to business. At the AIMS Society, we encourage you to take time in November to unleash your inner entrepreneur and work “on” your business instead of “in” it. Objectively consider what is working, and what isn’t.

In a timeless article at SmallBizTrends.com, Jason Cohen encourages business owners “to not let firefighting on your personality get in the way of healthy revenue growth!” He also shares two dozen tips for working on your business. With an eye on marketing and sales, here are seven actionable tips that will drive business improvement:

1. Change your home page to be more specific in describing how you help your customers. General phrases and wishy-washy statements don’t excite people or win customers’ hearts.

2. Take one step to become more visible in communities related to your business. Online or offline, how can you be a part of other social networks? Begin by following AIMS Society on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more ideas!

3. Further differentiate yourself from competitors rather than just try to “kill” them. Explaining the niche you unquestionably own is a better path to sales than trying to win every deal on every point.

4. Do something to invest in your customers’ experience after the sale. We’re so caught up in getting new customers we sometimes forget how to keep them thrilled one year later.

5. Collect 10 pieces of empirical evidence about why your latest customers decided to give you money. Use that to tune your website, ads, pitches, and marketing material to attract the next customers.

6. Find one “number” in your business you know the least about (i.e. conversion rates, sales rates, number of people who visit the home page and nothing more). Then spend time trying to learn more.

7. Congratulate yourself and your employees on the good aspects of the business. We’re always battling problems instead of reveling in the good stuff; the good stuff is what makes business fun and is kind of the whole point.

Entrepreneurs take risks, attack uncertainty by trying new things, and stay curious about how to get a little better every day. It’s not easy, but it is rewarding. In the words of Thomas Edison, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

The American Insurance Marketing and Sales (AIMS) Society is the only group dedicated exclusively to marketing and sales education for the insurance industry. IA&B sponsors the AIMS Society Insurance Success Seminars and the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) designation in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware.