Adding Muscle to Your Marketing cont...

* Work for referrals. Word of mouth is the least expensive, most effective way to get new business. An American entrepreneur used to make his new customers write on the back of their business cards why they bought his products. These become mini-testimonials. Another businessman calls at least one client a day just to keep in touch. This builds the relationship by showing he does not just care about them when he wants something, allows him to update files, and generates referrals. Dr Batra of Positive Health Clinic started off very small and today is one major homeopathy chain. He uses the referral technique and word-of-mouth very effectively.
* Use online marketing. You do not have to have a Web site like Indiainfoline.com to do business online. You can send personalised e-mail. You can pay only for the leads generated for you by advertising on many sites. You can research potential clients for better presentations. Or you can post free ads in discussion groups.
* Do not sell; help people buy. When you truly put the client’s interests above your own, you will become a consultant, a team member, and a partner for your client. When you have earned trusted advisor status, doing business is no problem. For instance, Dell helps its customers make more money by using computers to help their clients sell more. Of course, the extra business comes around as the client grows. A small consultant’s big client felt they needed a “Big 5” firm to handle their M&A plan. Instead of resisting, the consultant helped the client select a Big 5 firm, thus maintaining and extending the relationship with the client. When you put the customer first, you earn long-term loyalty that is more profitable than a larger quick sale.
* Partner with other companies reaching your market. This might be other traders in a commercial hub doing something like a shopping festival, or Intel associating with computer hardware manufacturers to better serve the customer. Or it could be something like Home Trade sponsoring the Experiential Marketing seminar in India to bring attention to both the brand and the seminar theme, which is being practised by them.
* Shift the risk to yourself and you will profit. A believable guarantee makes it safe for prospects to give you a try. Very few people will exploit a generous guarantee compared to the extra business it generates. Money back guarantee always elicits trust and confidence from customers. Indica Hair Dye from Cavin Kare started challenging market leader Godrej by doing that.
* Be personal. To build relationships you have to build a personal connection. A handwritten invitation pulls better than a printed one. One nursing home in Dubai created a waiting list through great referrals by greeting visiting relatives by name and filling them in on their loved ones at the start of each visit.
* Create free publicity. Large consulting firms such as McKinsey, KSA Technopack, PWC, etc do surveys every year on their fields of focus such as IT, garment industry, retail, etc. Although only parts of the data would be given out to the media, their clients in the industry get full access to the data and this indeed help these clients benchmark their operations, etc while the consulting firms get free publicity across media.
* Integrate your marketing. This means that everything you do should convey the same message and represent what you stand for. All your literature, and even your office, should convey the same message.
I am confident that these practical steps would go a long way in your marketing efforts. Whether you use high tech or layman approaches to marketing, the best methods will be comfortable for you and prospects, build relationships, and support the setting up of a system that can be done regularly.Muhamed Muneer is the CEO and Chief Consultant of Innovative Media, a customer and knowledge management company. He helps smaller companies gain significant market share and advises on customer retention strategies.

Feedback may be sent to muneer@imgyan.com