Marketing is telling prospective clients what your small business does – again and again. And there are many ways you can convey what your small business does – either by phone, direct mail, advertising, email or in person – but telling them is important in an effort to grow your small business.
As you are relaying your message, do note that marketing a service business is different from marketing a product. For service businesses, the old saying that “People do business with people they know, like, and trust.” is true. In contrast to products which can be seen, touched, or smelled for a customer to make a purchase.
To assist in building trust with a target account, direct contact and follow-up are considered to be the most effective marketing strategies. Follow-up helps your small service business to be visible and to develop trust in relationships. And if target account likes and trusts (you) your small business then eventually a sale will occur.
Below are a few tactics that small business service firms can use to follow-up.
- Bump into meetings: One of my favorite tactics for connecting with those busy and hard to reach key contacts. Scour the Internet; check their organization’s web site or Linked in profile to review Contact’s professional affiliations, associations or even favorite sports team. If you find that person is a regular participant at a particular industry association meeting then go there and have a bump into meeting i.e. your “planned coincidence” in meeting you here.
- Personal handwritten letter: See previous blog articles which talked about the power and uniqueness in marketplace when using handwritten letters.
- Extend invitations: To industry association luncheons, sporting events, or to a simple cup of coffee does wonders in helping to develop relationships.
- Send an email link to an interesting article or mail copy of article: This shows you listen and that you care about their overall success in their role at xyz organization and as a person.
In the ebook “Your Money is in the Follow-up: The Why, When, Where, What, Who, and How to Follow up Guide for Small Businesses” you can learn many more follow-up marketing tactics to use to help grow your small service business. For more information – http://www.yourmoneyisinthefollowup.com/books/
That’s it for now. We welcome your comments or questions, which you can place in the box below.
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