The business of marketing is becoming harder as the competition is becoming fiercer with each passing day. A lot of enterprises have been overwhelmed by the hyper-competition in today’s marketplace. [The beginning of the article is here].
It’s imperative that one breaks out of the marketing clutter amid the competition, and then fashion the right ways to move both the existing and prospective customers to action.
Relationship marketing
You succeed in the marketplace to the extent we manage all the relationships in it well. You are in the people business, not the product business. In every business transaction, people are hungry for relationships starting from day one. Relationship marketing is the core of all marketing skills.
The key thing here is to always discover what your customers (existing and prospective) want, and validate how your product or service could help them do that. Your marketing will hit a brick wall if you don’t make your customers your number one priority. If your solution becomes more important than the people you are marketing to, you will fail in your mission.
The ultimate value of every business is measured by the quality of the relationship it has with its customers and prospective customers. I have always maintained that people don’t just do business with you; they establish relationships.
Remember that your business is a means of touching your customers’ lives in a way that tells them that you understand their needs, and are willing and able to meet those needs like no other.
Actively get to work
Marketing is work – serious work! One of the critical factors to success in any endeavour is the ability to show up day after day, and do the right things. If your marketing goes well, it’s because you put in the work required to make it work. Like someone said, ‘Nothing is happening toyou; it is happening because of you.’
Don’t let fear or inhibition of any kind stop you from putting in the adequate smart work that will make you excel in marketing. Whether you feel like it or not, just market!
First, make a list of those potential customers who need your offering, and confidently go and see, email, or call them. So, get out there and let the people know how your product or service will transform their lives.
Your marketing success will be limited by the amount of action you take. If your product will get in the hands of the right audience, you must take the right actions that will make it happen. In this game of marketing, there’s no off-season.
Use your referrals
You have had people use your products and services in the past. Don’t you? And we think that’s all. No! Intentionally use them as referral tools. Never neglect your former customers. If they bought from you and have made repeated purchase, make them refer their friends or recommend your solution to their friends.
It might interest you to know that more than 70% of jobs that I have done in a couple of years came via referrals and recommendations. And you know one thing; we intentionally too actions to make it happen. Referral or recommendation works wonders. And when it comes to lead and referral generation, a happy customer is your best tool.
Nothing will come to you in life without our asking. Ask and you shall receive is a universal law; it is not a religious statement. So, ask for referrals. The ideal time to ask for a referral is the moment after your client has told you how much they benefited from your offering.
In conclusion, know that businesses all over the world struggle because they simply haven’t found ways to generate constant streams of customers and keep them buying time after time. It’s up to you to either struggle or thrive by taking action or sit-back and watch others win. Remember that when you win in the market, you eventually win in business.
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About the Author:
Tony Ajah is a Business Growth Strategist, and the author of BUSINESS SENSE, and ON BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR. He maintains a personal blog, where he shares proven business ideas and principles for SMEs.
