Test Your Business!

When developing a marketing and sales strategy for your business, there are many avenues, ideas and programs to follow. It’s overwhelming at times – Do I focus on message? Do I need a new design? Is my website performing? It’s enough to make your head spin! However, one of the key pieces of advice any consultant, marketing guru or successful businessperson can give is to test, Test, TEST!

Justin Premick published an article about his case study regarding his email efforts and how effective they were. The focus of the case study was comparing text links to html buttons in an email. He was trying to discover which type of presentation drove more sales and conversion. Not surprising, his initial results were that the colorful button drove more people to click. Rather than stopping there, Premick continued to test this in over 40 emails. His results showed that over time, these results were not true – in fact, the final results were that using “buttons” rather than tests was not the best long-run tactic to take.

So, why is this important? Premick stated it best:

• What works today may not work tomorrow.


• What works for someone else may not work for you.

Running a successful business takes testing and analysis to see what works for you and your business – so come up with a hypothesis and test it! Once you see what works for you, you can use those learnings to continue to refine your marketing strategy and get the most bang for your marketing dollar and time!

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Sizing Up Your Competition

When formulating a marketing and sales plan, one of the best places to start is with your competition – what better way to get a feel for what is working, what you can do better, and how to set yourself apart? As Steve Strauss discusses in his article How to Research Your Competition, using marketing research and competitive analysis is key in understanding the market landscape.

So just how should you research your competition?

1. Start with their website – it should contain history, product or service positioning and other useful information.

2. Do physical research – visit their store, call their customer service or purchase from them…what better way to see how they do business than to become their customer?

3. Speak to their customers – either literally or though their reviews and feedback.

4. Attend industry events - where they might present, attend or share information.

In short, once you do your homework, knowing what the competition does right (and wrong), can help you set your business and strategy apart and give your business the boost it needs.


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Going Green – for your environment, for your business!

Being eco-friendly and saving our resources is not just an environmental issue. It’s also a great way to save dollars in your business, and reach out to your customer and client base. Some obvious benefits of following the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” adage are: saving our environment, reducing waste, and saving money.

But what are the not-so-obvious benefits?

Why not use your ad message in a “green” way – like putting your imprint on a Shopping Tote? Many stores encourage the use of re-usable shopping bags, and some even charge for bags or boxes. What a simple way to keep your name and message in view!

Many offices are also downsizing their disposable supplies – that means no more Styrofoam coffee cups for some. Put your message on their morning coffee mug and encourage business and saving the environment.

Use these simple products to have an additional (and eco-friendly) way to stay in touch with your customers, and show them you care them, AND the environment!

For more tips on green business tips, visit http://www.business.gov/expand/green-business/.

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Get to Know Your Customer Day

According to a few sources, January 20th is “Get to Know Your Customer Day”. Whether you are a small business owner or a sales professional, you have one thing in common – your business IS your customer! While it is great to highlight “getting to know your customer” once a year, this really needs to be a daily effort. This got me thinking – how can we all really get to know our customers?

1. Ask! This might seem straightforward, but simply asking your customers opinion is worth its weight in gold. They can offer you insights such as product requests, service upgrades, and just general suggestions to help you give them exactly what they need – and stay loyal to your business.

2. Show them you care – loyalty clubs, customer appreciation days and incentives show customers you truly do appreciate their business – even if you just send them a thank you note with a personalized pen in it, that little gesture can go a long way.

3. Sales promotions (such as a Private Sale Club) can help customer retention and interest.

4. Customer Service – make sure your sales and customer support groups are delivering consistently pleasant and helpful service. They often times are the real face of your company.

5. Goodwill – support local causes in your community, or even sponsor a little league team. It’s a great way to give back to the community you sell to.

And remember, as Peter Drucker once said the only purpose of any business existence is the customer.

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Trade Show Pay-Offs

In the world of small business, trade shows can be some of the best investments that can be made. They offer an opportunity for live interaction (and in recent years, virtual interaction) with fellow business members, customers, partners and vendors within your specific field. Networking, advertising, learnings and demonstrations are carved out for a customizable experience for each attendee or exhibitor.

How can you make the most of these shows? Joanna Krotz discusses her strategy with Microsoft in her article “9 Steps to Making Trade Shows Pay Off”. She outlines key points, such as creating a strategy, research, having a backup plan and getting noticed. In the strategy of getting noticed at trade shows, there are a few schools of thought, however Krotz suggests a dialed-down, more personalized approach. Rather than overwhelming attendees with flashing lights and massive displays, she suggests using personalized coffee mugs with company information as a give-away with plenty of fresh coffee available at your booth. Also, she recommends collecting business cards to raffle off a single high-value item.

No matter how you decide to use Krotz’s tips, trade shows, if done right, can provide fantastic ROI in the form of leads, sales, relationships and thought leadership.

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