Five Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make Which Keeps Them at a Competitive Disadvantage

Mistake #1

Act like a salesperson and you'll be treated like one!!!

I have seen this over and over again in my career and have actually worked for companies which train on exactly how to be treated like a salesperson.

They will recommend calling a prospect and asking permission to talk to them. Something like: "Hi, how are you today, It's Me from XYZ Company, do you have a minute???" Or, "Hi, it's Me from ABC Company, have I caught you at a good time??"

In most cases the answer is of course "No, try me back another time." Followed by the "Click" of the phone being hung up....

It's the exact same when a secretary/administrative person answers. Most people are trained to say something like "Hi it's Me from ABC Company, is Pete Theboss available?" What's the typical response here? "No he's not available, may I take a message?" or "What is this in reference to?"

By using this wimpy approach, you are giving the prospect the opportunity to shut you down before you ever get a chance to say why you're calling or how you can help them. The entire approach just screams SALES CALL.

Whether you own the business or are a salesperson, you need to put yourself on equal or superior footing with whomever you are calling. Do not give them the opportunity to take control. You must be the one in control. Your prospects will respect you more if you let them know that your time is just as valuable as theirs is and give them a great reason to stay on the line with you.

While working for a major marketing consultant and dealing with business owners all day every day, our inbound telephone call script never even used the word "Hello". We identified the company name, our name, asked for their name and got down to business. We immediately put ourselves in a position of authority and not just some phone peon.

When calling someone for the first time, try to sound as if you are already familiar with them, even a friend of theirs, and them with you. Particularly if a receptionist/secretary answers try something like: "Hi, it's Me calling for Him"....and just leave it at that....

Mistake #2

Sounding just like your competitors

I was recently consulting for a company and what they were most proud of with their new company and what they felt differentiated them from their competition was that they "have a lot of experience, offer personalized customer service and they make the process easy. "

Yeah, I'm sure their competitors are calling and saying, "Hey we're brand new, we have no idea what we're doing, our customer service stinks and working with us is really difficult!!"

Virtually every business, big or small, which I encounter seems to have a similar approach. That they're:

Experienced Will save you time Make you money Have great customer service Blah, blah, blah....

You need to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

I've always believed in an education based marketing approach to differentiate myself. I remember in the early 1990's while working for a major publisher who was migrating from a print publishing format and was starting to add CD delivery of their information. Computers in offices were just starting to be used and frankly most people weren't all that good with navigating around these new tools. So I went around to my clients and prospects offering them "10 Tips on Using The Computer". These tips had nothing to do with the services I offered. They were general tips which anyone could use to learn how to do common tasks on their new computers.

This offer of FREE and VALUABLE information got me in the door, built respect and rapport, and earned me the right to then discuss why they should consider the products/services I was selling.

You should create something similar. The approach of calling people to introduce yourself and your company by stating how you've helped many people just like them and will save them time and money is stale and weak.

As Chet Holmes, author of "The Ultimate Sales Machine" would say, "you will attract people much more quickly and in much greater numbers by offering to teach them something of value to themselves rather than just trying to sell them something".

Call them and offer to teach them something that they will find valuable. "Hi, it's Me. I'm a specialist in X and I've created a free report outlining the "The X Mistakes That People in Your Industry Make" and I want to stop by and give you your FREE copy of this valuable report"....

This approach works even better if you have a book or are working on a book. My Mentor Gerry Robert calls this the "interview" technique. It goes something like this: "I'm the author of the upcoming book "The 7 Dangers That People Like You Should Avoid" and I am interviewing respected business people in the area for possible inclusion in my book. You are a highly respected business owner in your industry, and I would like to interview you."

They'll likely invite you to visit with them within a couple days.

Prospects will be much more open to meeting with you if they don't believe that you're just trying to sell them something, but that you are sincerely interested in helping them.

Mistake #3

Not Building TOMA

TOMA you ask?? TOP OF MIND AWARENESS.

It wasn't that long ago that growing a company was fairly easy. Business was booming for everyone and there was plenty of room for more companies and more competitors. That just simply isn't the case anymore. Markets are shrinking. Companies are scared to part with their money. Competition is intense for the few companies willing to do business and spend some money.

The way to avoid being crushed by your competitors is to be the one doing the crushing. Be THE definitive expert in your field. Be THE go-to authority. Be everywhere that your clients and prospects are likely to be found. BUILD TOMA!!

Whenever your clients/prospects turn around they need to bump into you. They need to know that YOU are the person in the industry that they NEED to do business with. This should be done both offline and online.

Piece of cake right?? Actually, it's really not that difficult if you're committed to taking regular action and spending time on this regularly. You need to be devoted to marketing yourself and your business. This requires you to attend local functions within your area, perhaps via the local Chamber of Commerce, trade organizations for your target market, or other similar organizations.

When I worked for a major publisher of tax information, I used to attend virtually every meeting sponsored by the state CPA Society; whether the meeting was tax related or not. If there was a room-full of accountants somewhere, I wanted to be in the room also.

Mistake #4

Not Participating

Whether it's online or offline, the problem with most companies is that they don't actively "work" opportunities to get the most out of them.

They attend networking events and spend the whole evening talking with one guy who isn't even a prospect for their business or with people they already know. They don't actively participate, mingle with as many people as possible, or gather cards and names. Go to events with a strategy and understand exactly what you are trying to accomplish and with whom you are trying to connect with.

It's similar online. You can connect with a lot more people more quickly without ever leaving your office. You can make excellent contacts and create wonderful relationships. It's really just about PARTICIPATING. I recently had a situation where I was working for a company and helping them to enhance their web presence and social networking strategies. I created a blog, and LinkedIn and FaceBook pages. Within just a few weeks, I was driving massive traffic between all of these different pages and generating interest in what I had to offer.

Simply because I participated. I joined LinkedIn groups and PARTICIPATED in the conversations. I posted Polls and made many new contacts. In one of the groups, which has over 2,200 members, within a week I was one of the top contributors. In another, the editor of a magazine liked one of my posts and wanted to do an article on me.

Mistake #5

Margins are too low

This one is totally your fault. Your margins are too low because you allow them to be. You have likely made the previous mistakes in this report and are therefore fighting for business at the bottom of the pond with the other bottom feeders. If you want to compete on price, you will always have margins that are too low. Your business will have customers rather than clients as there will always be some other company willing to do the work for even less. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!!

Customer Vs. Client: a customer is someone who just once or occasionally buys from you. A client is someone who comes to you over and over again and with whom you have a relationship.

If you want to increase your margins you have to give your clients a reason to spend more for your expertise. You have to create an aura around you that YOU are the authority and that it would benefit them to work with you; and not the other way around.

One of the best ways to build an atmosphere of expertise is by using the written word.

There are many ways to do this. You can write a book; author a great blog; offer to write articles for free in your local newspaper; submit articles to industry magazines; create a monthly newsletter; prepare eye opening FREE reports; and the list goes on.

If you show or give away your book to a prospect or show them your articles from a newspaper or magazine, you will instantly be looked at in a different way. You will gain in stature in their eyes and be much more credible.

Another way is to offer free training sessions on your area of expertise. At your business location or even at a hotel or some other meeting place have a regularly scheduled free meeting where you share your expertise with others. For instance,

if you are a hair stylist, offer a monthly free session on how to best take care of hair. CPA?? Offer a regular class on taxes, bookkeeping, financing options, etc. Real estate agent?? Offer a class on how to get the most money when selling your home or how to get your dream house for much less.

Get the idea?? You can also tie some of these ideas together. Write a free report or book on a topic and then give live sessions to deliver the content and answer questions. Although not quite as powerful as a live event, you could use webinars as well.

When you do it right, you can even get other people to pay for your marketing by sponsoring your event or book.

These are inexpensive yet extremely powerful ways to grow your business faster and easier; crush your competition; gain in credibility in the marketplace; create more loyal clients; and to get higher margins.

Differentiate yourself. Be THE authority. Give of yourself. By avoiding the mistakes in this article, you will attract prospects who are predisposed to wanting to buy from you and willing to pay more for your expertise.

I'm an author, firewalker, and education based attraction marketing specialist. I help small business owners learn how to dominate their marketplace, crush their competition, get others to pay for their marketing and become THE authority in their field.

http://teammaz.wordpress.com/about/

7 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Be Advertising Online

Still not convinced you should be advertising online?
How about a refresher course for those of you a little more advanced?
Here's seven of the most important reasons WHY you should be advertising online.

1. Go Where Your Customers Are. Consumers are using the Internet to research products and services more than ever. Google estimates that 97% of consumers are searching online prior to making a purchase.. even if they purchase offline! If you're not there to be found... how are your customers going to find you?

2. Your competitors are already there. Do a Google or Yahoo search for your business and see what pops up. If you're a hair salon, how many "sponsored links" do you see for hair salons right in your neighborhood? Not only are your direct competitors advertising online; but other companies may be targeting your potential customers. Make sure that these potential customers are finding you as well.

3. Online advertising is not expensive. Your message can reach a huge audience immediately, and typically at a lower cost than other media. One of the most cost effective forms of advertising is CPC or Cost Per Click. Your ad or message may be displayed to 1,000's of people, however you only pay when that ad is clicked!

4 No budget is too small. Provided you already have a basic website, you can begin marketing it with a minimal investment. A good starting point is to determine what your average sale amount is? That will give you a starting point of how much you may want to invest for one new customer.

5. Results are Immediate. If you're like most small business owners looking to grow and obtain more revenue; you'd rather not wait for it to happen! Within minutes of launching an online advertising campaign or test, you will begin to get traffic and responses. Remember, the internet is "on" 24/7 365 days a year!

6. The internet is local. True, the web is "world wide" and millions of people are using it every second, but you can control who sees your advertising! There is little need to worry about wasting your advertising dollars on the Internet masses.

7. The web does all the work. While you do still have to spend the time deciding who you're going to target, and how you're going to do it; for the most part, the internet does the rest. You have many tools available to you and your message can be delivered to very specific audiences in even the narrowest niche. Not only can you target geographically, but you can zero in on potential customers based on their demographic profile, online behaviors or special interests.

Just as with any marketing strategy, your online marketing will need to be tested and optimized. The tools are readily available to everyone, and for the most part, they are very user friendly.

Remember back to the days before you began your business; you had visions of what you would sell, to whom you would sell, and how you would sell. That's the starting point for any new online marketing campaign; and a good reminder to those more experienced!

Christopher Drewa has worked with some of the world's most recognizable Brands leading their Brand Management and Marketing strategies. In 2011 he founded http://www.onlinemarketingdetails.com/ in an effort to bring Big Business Marketing solutions to Small Business owners. He currently resides in Los Angeles, CA and consults with clients across the country.

Marketing Ideas for Small Business - What Farm Animals Can Teach You About Marketing

Never mind bats in the belfry -- we've got avians in the air-vent.

It seems the external shutters have been broken at some point, and the sneaky starling has made a nest in there.

That's cool. It's rather neat, actually. Kinda brings the tally up -- we've got a hare in the field behind us (with four leverets), a fox who comes wandering by from time to time, and, of course, umpteen bullocks behind and to either side.

But here are a few funny things.

First, Mother Starling. Every time one of us leaves the house or walks towards the house from the gym or the other outbuildings, she rushes out of the nest and flies away from it... but not too fast.

Because she's obviously wanting us to follow her away from her babes. And the daft thing never learns. She never seems to get used to the idea we're no threat. She's just repeating the same old pattern of behaviour and is unable to break out of it.

And the bullocks?

Well... the other day as I left on my cycle ride, they were gathered by the fence running along the lane.

A couple of them saw me coming and gazed uncomprehendingly as bullocks are wont to do.

But most of them were head-down munching away.

And when I shook, rattled and rolled past them?

It startled them into charging away across the field.

Nothing particularly interesting there, right?

Right.

But what IS interesting... the ones who'd already seen me charged away, too. They, like the bird, it seems, are bound by their own programming.

But before you giggle too much and congratulate yourself on your superiority, just ask yourself how many behaviour patterns you're repeating for no good reason, and how many herds are you following just because everyone else is?

The guy who prints my newsletters told me yesterday he's had his best month for FOUR years. My guess is it's partly to do with putting his prices up -- in the middle of a Double Dip recession - after I told him that was the quickest and easiest way to increase his cashflow (and didn't anyone ever tell you increasing your prices is a genuine marketing strategy, because it sends a very clear message to your market?).

No dumbass herd-following there, Thank Glub.

And as with the clients I spoke to last week, it's no One Big Thing he can put his pinkie on, but whatever it is... it really IS.

I reckon... every month you're NOT following your own direction and instead are following all the other business owners out there... you're probably losing money. And that's not a claim I make lightly.

Earl Nightingale once said, "If you're in a situation and you don't have any clear way forward and want for clear advice, look around and see what everyone else is doing and do the opposite"

Sound advice.

So give it a whirl, and prove it to yourself.

I dare you.

Look... marketing success really does not have to be a struggle.

But it can be, if you don't know the easy way to do it. Jon McCulloch is perhaps Europe's top direct response marketing expert (and he's definitely the most irreverent and Non-PC one you'll ever meet).

So if you're feeling brave and you're not easily offended, then feel free to help yourself to his regular marketing tips by email, and a whole heap of free marketing goodies besides.

But be warned: these tips are NOT for shrinking violets or the faint hearted.

They're waiting for you here: http://www.jonmcculloch.com/free-email-tips