- Eliminate head-to-head to head competition. Differentiate yourself from the competition by finding the benefits your customers seek; make these benefits the focus of your marketing message.
- Develop a twelve-month marketing plan—and do it in writing. Include costs for every marketing event, creating a budget as a percentage to annual sales.
- Incorporate a minimum of three different marketing media into your annual marketing plan, e.g., direct mail, print advertisements in trade magazines, and a trade show.
- Invest your largest efforts in your existing customers. Focus on customer satisfaction, building customer loyalty, and up-selling additional products or services.
- Incorporate efforts that will encourage customer referrals.
- Every business needs to continually develop new customers. Include in your marketing plan a strategy for providing a continuous flow of new prospects.
- Measure the results of every marketing event.
- Narrow your marketing audience down to only potential prospects who can currently use your product or service.
- You must convert a high percentage of prospects into sales. Examine and improve every touch-point of your sales processes to beat the competition.
- Develop procurement capabilities on your website.
