Where,Focus,Your,Marketing,Ima marketing Where to Focus Your Marketing
Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie
Imagine that you ran an ad, mailed a brochure, or sent anemail ad to a new list of people who fit your target marketprofile and everyone who saw it responded right away andmade a purchase. Has this ever happened to you? Of course not. The first time people hear about your products or services is the least likely time for them to buy.When you go out for a night on the town, do you go to a newrestaurant you've nevër heard of or do you typically go toone that you know and like? Similarly, who is the mostlikely to buy your products and services, someone whodoesn't know you or someone who has experienced the highquality and the results you provide? Clients who have boughtfrom you before, are the most likely to buy from you. Thinkabout it.If long-term prospects and clients are your best source ofrevenue, where should you focus your marketing?I occasionally make a sale the first time someone visits myweb site, but more often it's the people who I have been incontact with for months, that become my best customers and clients. Why is this?The longer you've had a relationship with a prospect orclient, the more they know and trust you. Once they buy oruse your products, they've experienced the quality youprovide and are even more likely to buy again. They are alsomore likely to recommend you to others.Marketing research has shown that people are more likely tobuy after six or seven contacts. Some web businesses usethis as the basis of their marketing and provide a tutorialseries you can sign up for with one sent out each week forsix weeks. While this is an improvement on the one time spotad, it misses the boat. The problem with this approach isthat you don't know when your prospects will want to make apurchase. What happens if they need help on week eight buthave lost your contact information?What you want to do is build long-term relationships so thatwhenever a new prospect or past client has a need, theythink of you as the expert to go to or to refer someone elseto. The longer you are in contact with prospects and clientsthe more opportunities you have to demonstrate how helpfulyou or your products are and to earn their trust.Depending on what you're marketing, you may need toestablish a little or a lot of trust. If you sell majorlabel music CDs for $17, it may not take much work toconvince people you can ship them what they want. If youprovide financial services and want prospects to trust youwith their life's earnings, it can take longer. It may besix to seven months before your prospects will consider evenhaving a conversation.Use the following three steps to build long-term profitablerelationships:1. Focus on your prospects' needs and wants and offersomething for frëe to motivate people to contact you.2. Contact your prospects regularly and give them tips andideas they can use.3. Couch your offers in terms of what your prospects arelooking for.Which is more important, new prospects or existing clients?The answer of course is both. To grow your business you needto constantly grow your network of contacts, of people whoknow how you can help them. At the same time, focus yourefforts on building long-term relationships so thatprospects become clients and clients become repeat clients.Do this and you'll have more people interested in what youoffer and more people buying your products and services.2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
Where,Focus,Your,Marketing,Ima