Focus: on maximising and satisfying your existing customers before you spend time effort and money looking to acquire new customers.

Target: When budgets are tight and time is limited it is vital to target the right customers. Find customers who are easy to identify and affordable to reach. Target niches rather than mass markets. Remember your target customers will probably need to hear your message 7 times to influence a buying decision.

Multiple methods: Don’t put all your marketing resources into just one activity. You need to reach out to your customers on a regular and consistent basis. You can improve your impact by using multiple methods to reach your target audience and stretch your marketing pounds. Prospects are more likely to become customers if they read about you in the press, attend a seminar, take a brochure and visit your web site.

Multiple uses: Find as many ways as you can to use your material. A case study for example can be posted on your web site to improve your rankings, as a direct mail piece to prospects and customers, a leave behind at sales meetings and the basis of a press release to the trade and local press.

Profile: What do your best customers have in common? Is it an industry? A similar problem or challenge? The answers form a profile of the kind of prospects you should pursue. Next think about how you attracted them. Whatever worked do more of it.

What’s working? Measure every piece of marketing to find out which is giving you the best results. Again do more of what is working and less of the rest.

Stay in touch: Never forget existing customers. Keep in touch with newsletters, reminder letters, follow up phone calls.

Alternative marketing: With people getting some many emails look for alternatives. Postcards are just one cost effective way to get the attention of your customers and prospects. A brief message and the right offer send to the right prospects can produce great results.

Pick up the phone: Talk to a customer or a referral source you have not been in touch with recently. Invite for a coffee.

Press Cuttings: When reading the press if you see an article that you think may interest a customer or prospect, cut it out and send with a personal note along the lines of “I saw this and thought you might be interested.”

Prospects: Create a list of top prospects. Phone one every week and invite to lunch.

Compelling offers: Make sure your offers are exciting £60 off when you spend £400 is better than 15% off.

Sell with your business stationery: Include details of a special offer, new product, event or reminder about referrals when you send invoices and give out business cards.

Cross sell: Maximise your revenue by offering a related product or service.

Referrals: Ask satisfied customers to give you referrals

Need personal help?

I will help you answer the question “what do I need to do to give customers what they want?” My marketing diagnostic can review and revitalise your marketing, suggest new ways and recommend changes. Give me a call on 01226 290288 or email gareth@gapmanagement.co.uk
Whether you need a lot of help or a little please call me. Tell me what you want to achieve and over what period of time. I will explain the most cost effective and efficient ways to achieve your goals.

About GAP Management

GAP Management helps business owners and managers to find, win and keep customers to increase sales and profits and to focus their sales and marketing activities.
Clients tell us that our work really works. They find working with us motivating and inspiring because we are good at finding out what they really need. We listen to them and come up with fresh ideas, and give them momentum and inspiration that helps them to increase sales and find new customers.