Mistake number six
Relying on one avenue of promotion. It is advisable to use a variety of
different media. On average two out of three companies do not take a magazine;
if you rely solely on magazine advertising you are missing a large portion
of your potential market. If you only use direct mail and there is a postal
strike you have a problem because your method of generating new customers
has be cut off, if you rely totally on your website and the web company
closes you have the same problem. The same can be said of any single method
of generating sales leads, the only sensible strategy is to use several
different methods.
Mistake number seven
Making your sales brochure too short and telling only part of your story.
Your sales brochure is similar to your sales person in print. The sales
story you have to tell will dictate how many pages your brochure requires.
A simple proposal will take less pages that a complex proposal –
use sufficient pages to tell the whole story.
Mistake number eight
Not promoting your business at the right time. Customers do not place
orders when you are ready to sell they do so when they are ready to buy.
A sales graph from previous years will give an indication of when the
busy times may be, but you will have sales every month and you will need
to undertake some form of promotion every month. Keep your name in front
of your potential customers so that when the time comes to purchase whatever
it is you sell they will think of you.
Mistake
number nine
Me too advertising. Many companies follow their competitors and advertise
in the same place at the same time. Often your competitors are wrong so
it is foolish to follow them. Advertising sales people will often tell
you that other businesses similar to yours are appearing in a certain
issue of a magazine and suggest you do the same. Remember their job is
to sell advertising space, it is not to get a response for you –
that is your job. You will pay the same whether you get one or one hundred
replies so plan your advertising carefully.
Mistake
number ten
Ignoring marketing and promotion altogether. You may have the greatest
product and the best service but you need to tell your potential customers
about it. Even if your company is successful by only being reactive and
taking orders as they arrive it will be more successful if it were proactive
and actively generated new sales leads every day..
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Adworks
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Telephone: 01922 475768