SALES AND MARKETING: 6 Keys To Effective Marketing in 2011

Sales and Marketing with Bill Doerr, Markitect

15 Second Executive Speed-Read

As 2010 comes to an end, whether it was a good year for you or not, 2011 is a 'clean slate' and it can be your best year ever . . . IF . . . you plan for it and act accordingly.

Here are six (6) key ideas that, if you apply them, will make your marketing and your business both very successful in 2011.

Key 1: Know Your Mission and Your Market

This is pretty basic. Not easy. Just basic. Your Mission is the reason why someone will pay you their money. Simple. It's the value you offer. The beneficial change in their life that you, your expertise or service creates. Your Market is the group of people who can best understand, value, appreciate and pay you for that beneficial change in their life that your Mission suggests.

Getting these two fundamentals correct before anything else will make the rest of your marketing go much better than if you don't.

Key 2: Generate Possibilities

You want people to sell, right? Well, first . . . you have to generate them. And you have a number of options to do this. I suggest that you consider the 'fabulous four' for your 'core' options to do this:

1. SEO / organic search


2. Social Media


3. Advertising / PPC / AdWords


4. Referrals

Most of these involve the internet. That's because for almost any business, these provide the best 'bang for your buck'. Referrals involves relationships. Another option that requires more commitment (to the relationship) than cash out of pocket.

Key 3: Qualify Realities

Despite your prayers to God each night on the ceiling of your bedroom, even people who are going to buy what you offer or do are NOT likely to do so when you first connect. There are a lot of reasons for this. Suffice it to say you'd better plan to cultivate the 'real' ones for the business they offer you . . . eventually. But first, you want to qualify the people you initially generate against two criteria:

1. Can they BUY what you offer?


2. Can they REFER you to others / others to you . . . who can?

If someone doesn't qualify on at least one of these criteria, 'duck'm and chuck'm'. They can't add to your bottom-line but they'll definitely add to your overhead . . . and in ways that will only take from you, not add anything meaningful to your revenues.

Key 4: Cultivate Probabilities

Assuming someone has passed the 'sniff-test' of buy / refer . . . you must keep-in-touch to earn the right to be thought of when they have a need you can address.

Your options are, generally speaking, going to address three factors:

1. Media -- choose media you can afford to sustain over time


2. Message -- always be relevant to your receiver (or risk being turned 'OFF')


3. Method -- cultivation must be planned, never done by accident

Key 5: Leverage Relationships

The main reason? Referrals! If you're keeping in touch with prospects, clients, centers-of-influence and strategic partners, you'll be earning regard and respect. THAT . . . is something you can leverage into something of value. THAT . . . is a referral -- something you deserve to enjoy as reflection of the value you provided, the credibility you've earned and the the faith your clients are expressing in your and your Mission.

Key 6: Make It Easy To Start

You probably have a range of services and products that people can buy. The key to a long relationship is to start one -- as quickly and easily as possible.

This suggests you have an 'easy entry' kind of offering to help someone take the 'first step' with you. OK, "Why?". You change the relationship! Before doing business with you, they were a prospect and you were a salesperson (even if you have MD, CPA, etc. after your name!). But, once they write you a check, however small, the relationship between you changes to one of 'client' and 'advisor'. And that, is a great staging area for bigger and better things to come . . . assuming, of course, that you follow Key 4 and cultivate someone who is able and likely to buy what you do . . . sooner or later.

My very best wishes for a SUPER 2011 . . . practice these KEYS above . . . and it will be!

Bill Doerr, Partner / Markitect at SellMore Marketing helps professionals and other service providers to market their problem-solving expertise simply, effectively and affordably. You can reach him online at SellMore Marketing, or by phone at 860-798-6964.

For more information, please visit Bill's TNNWC Bio.

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SALES AND MARKETING: 6 Keys To Effective Marketing in 2011