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Adrienne Zoble's Marketing Myth #63:
As long as the business is coming in, we don't care where it came from.
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 Hello, :
It amazes me how many companies don't source their business. Oh, some have a sense of where their business is coming from; but many of these thoughts are based on speculation.
Last year, on a BroadsOnBusiness.com call with an out-of-state client, a business owner was complaining about a marketing strategy that wasn't working, when his wife cut in: "I've been sourcing all of our business, since Adrienne showed me how to do it; and we've gotten $12,000 in business after spending about $2,500." Then she asked me, "that's a pretty good return, isn't it?" Her husband stuttered a bit, then admitted he'd forgotten about a couple of those resulting jobs. Suddenly he wasn't so ready to remove this strategy from the marketing budget.
So you see, it pays to keep track of how business gets to your door. That business might have come from your website, radio spots, print ads, direct mail, PR coverage, articles or columns, blogs, the social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, others), networking (be specific about the associations and leads groups to which you belong), sales follow-up, client/customer check-ins, schmoozing, outside signage, trade or home shows, GroupOn or Social Living, billboards. Please include any other strategies I might have forgotten to mention.
Here are some rules to help you plan and evaluate your marketing efforts (these are not in order of priority):
Rule #1: don't rely on your memory to tell you where your business is coming from. You've got too many other things on your mind. Or, your employees might have forgotten to mention an important source of new or additional business.
Rule #2: without writing down the sources of your business, you have no way of knowing whether your marketing dollars and time are being spent poorly or wisely.
Rule #3: in marketing it's not the number of strategies you choose, but the number you implement . . . well. Dabbling or doing one-shots will get you nothing, so get rid of the philosophy to try something once to "see what happens."
Rule #4: should you discover a strategy that's proving to be a winner, don't stop and switch over to something else. Keep it going, so the momentum has a chance to increase.
Rule #5: in marketing it's not what you spend, but how you spend it.
Rule #6: effective marketing is not based on volume, but on frequency and continuity. If you can't afford the frequency, at least go with the continuity. Remember: the tortoise, not the hare, won the race.
Rule #7: give a strategy thirteen weeks to work.
Rule #8: limit your marketing to four strategies, tops.
This is not rocket science. Simply take a sheet of paper and list your strategies down the side. Then, do one, two, three, four, five stick marks as you realize results from each strategy. Review them monthly.
One of the colossal advantages of owning a small business is that we have flexibility and can move quickly. There's no need to continue a strategy after thirteen weeks, when it's clear it's not working. Even with a cancellation penalty, you're probably better off admitting the particular strategy is not the best for your business and moving on.
Remember: sourcing is key to your company's marketing. Accord it the importance it deserves.
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Stop procrastinating!
Let Adrienne Zoble show you how to grow your business quickly, without spending lots of either time or money.
Need help marketing consistently?
Visit our website, BroadsOnBusiness.com, to sign up for one of our fantastically economical memberships, priced from only $39.95 per month.
One-on-one consultations, webinars, helpful marketing hints, book suggestions, member Spotlights, a Member Directory - they're just some of the marketing resources available to our members, to make your marketing
easy and inexpensive. To sign up, call Adrienne at 970-282-1150, or email her at Adrienne@BroadsOnBusiness.com.
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Here's help with your Marketing Plan! Our workbook, The Do-able Marketing Plan: Six Easy Steps to Help You Sell More in Less Time, is simple to use. It's $67.45 including shipping; $39.95 electronic version. If you're not into workbooks, sign on for our "10-Minute Marketing Plan" program. Let Adrienne handhold you through the Market Planning process for the most practical and least expensive Marketing Plan you'll ever acquire, complete with implementation techniques, once the Plan is agreed upon. To order, please visit www.azobleassoc.com, call 970/282-1150 or email azoble@azobleassoc.com.
Gain practical, eye-opening ideas from our new Schmoozing Calendar!
With 56 suggestions of whom to invite for breakfast, lunch or coffee, our 2012 Schmoozing Calendar is just what you need to market smart. Order today! Call Adrienne Zoble at 970/282-1150 or email her at azoble@azobleassoc.com.
BroadsOnBusiness.com members may purchase the Schmoozing Calendar, "The Do-able Marketing Plan" workbook, the "10-Minute Marketing Plan" program and various e-books at discounts, based upon your membership level. Please contact Adrienne for your member price.
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Perhaps your company or organization is looking for a dynamic speaker to motivate employees or members in their marketing efforts, or you would like an article/column for your publication or newsletter.
Depend upon Adrienne Zoble to help your company grow and thrive, even in these challenging times.
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