FAQs

How can I understand who my ideal customers are so I can target more accurately and reduce my marketing costs.
- You need to profile your existing database into demographics (Age, Gender, Social class)
- Geographics (location)
- Psychographics (personality, values, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles).
- Once you have this you can accurately target your prospects with offers that would appeal to them via creative direct marketing or email campaigns.

Why am I finding it difficult to get new customers?
- You first need to know what your ideal customer looks like. Is your current database profiled so you know who your best and worst customers are?
- Which customers buy which products and services?
- What are the demographics, geographics and psychographics of your ideal customer?
- Once you understand this your marketing can be targeted more accurately using a wide choice of channels with offers that are attractive to the right type of customer.

There could be several elements to this – it could be:

I have a great choice of products and services but prospects still will not buy from me.
- Do you? What you consider to be good may not agree with the prospect’s perception of good.
- Do you know what your ideal prospect looks like?
- Do you have too many product options ? It may be better to choose fewer products/services where you know you make a difference and stand out from the competition.
- Create a new and very attractive guarantee on your products or services
- Look at developing a niche for yourself.
- The timing may be wrong – at this moment in time there is no interest in what you have to offer.
- How about considering a joint venture with a company that also sells into your market but is non competitive?

Why am I getting more customers leaving to go to my competitors now than in the past?
- Most likely to be poor customer service. Customers like to be contacted on a regular basis. This could be to make them offers, invite them to a “special” event or ask them for referrals which includes an incentive.
- It may be that your products/services are not competitive.

I want to be a major player in my market in 2 years time. How best can I achieve that?
- You need to set your business up to be the “expert” in your market.
- Be clear who your market is; what your message is and how you communicate effectively i.e what your media channels are.
- What makes you different and sets you apart from the rest of the competition
- Writing a book, even an e-book can give your credibility a tremendous boost.
- Join forums and groups where you can add value.
- Create white papers or “How to” videos that you can give away on your website in return for capturing email and contact names.
- Work the networking groups in your area and see if you can be asked to speak at events.
- Set up a good marketing system that can grow with your business
- Be flexible to opportunity as the business matures and markets develop

I have a great range of products and services but some are not doing as well as others in some markets. Why is this?
- You need to find the right niche for each of your products and services that stands you apart from the competition.
- Review your range of offerings and make sure it is providing something unique for the customer.
- If necessary, drop some lines and concentrate on where you can achieve early success.
- Look at what your competitors are doing and do something different.

I want to build a loyal list of customers so I can keep in touch with them and make them regular offers.
- This is best done via your website. Set up a landing page (sometimes called a squeeze page) offering something for free like a white paper, a report or “The 10 best things you should know about xxxxx” document
- Set up an auto responder system so that you can make the technology work for you even when you can’t be contacted
- A “How to” video is a very good way to capture names and emails.
- Having achieved the above you can then send them your offers either by email or by direct mail as you can now ask permission from your prospects for their address so you can send more tangible offers to them.

I want to increase my sales by at least 10% over the next couple of months
- Leverage your existing client database and target your best customers.
- They already know and trust you so suggest upsells and cross-sells by introducing other products/services in your portfolio making it easy for them to buy so suggest a “special” deal
- Consider a referral strategy where you ask your customers for contacts that you could approach in return for an incentive.

Business is really tough at the moment but I still need to increase profits
- Marketing is the key to increasing sales – be more active in your marketplace. Consider new niche markets – Specialise. Specialists can charge a premium.
- Revisit past successful campaigns. Adapt ideas from other companies successful campaigns
- Create a 3 level e-mail campaign using your auto responder (Intro + follow up 1 + follow up 2) to new and existing customers and monitor response
- Find some stories you can tell about your successes and create some PR. People buy stories.
- Be more active with your networking
- Review your web presence; Google, Facebook, Banner ads, Remarketing, Social Media. This can be highly targeted and is very cost effective
- Set up a promotional day and invite customers and prospects to either your location or one that fits your market profile
- Increase your prices for some products/services by adding more value – premium pricing