by:Paul Curran
1. Advertising in the press:
- Place your ad next to editorial and feature articles
- Avoid general advertising pages unless they are specific to your product or service
- Try to get the right hand page and outside edge
- For reply coupons; put them on an outside edge at the bottom.
2. Press Releases:
Ask yourself the following questions;
- Is the subject interesting enough for the readers?
- What benefits will they get from it?
- Any entertainment or amusement?
- Are there human elements to stir the readers emotion?
3. Direct Mail:
- Absolutely essential that your mailing list must target the best customers for your business.
- This is the most obvious statement but is also the most common mistake made.
- Don’t buy a cheap list and expect good results.
- Ensure your mailing is full of customer benefits.
- For response methods, use Postal Reply, Telephone response or customer invitation to an event.
4. Exhibition & Trade Shows
- Trade Associations or institutions are usually better attended than private events.
- Get recommendations from business associates for the best ones to attend.
- Work out your costs from staff costs stand cost fitting out cost.
- Never ask people ‘Can I help you? Ask ‘Do you use our product/service?’.
- Not the best method for getting new customers.
5. Telesales
- Use as part of a direct mail campaign to confirm receipt of mailshot, to prompt the required action and to research feedback from the product/service.
- Use to make appointments for epresentatives, to prompt re-orders from customers and to invite customers to special events.
- Use as part of an advertising campaign to handle responses with trained people.
6. Seminars
- useful when potential customers need to go through a learning curve in order to buy.
- Can be risky, especially if free, as potential customers don’t always turn up.
- Can be expensive so you need to have a high value product or service on offer.
- Follow up mail shots with telephone calls for confirmation to attend.
- Consider offering gifts or booking a special location to attract attendees.
7. Commercial Radio
- Check listener profiles to identify those that would be most likely to be interested in your product.
- Ask the radio stations for a list of companies similar to yours who have used their station to advertise.
- Select the best time of day for your product to be advertised.
- Check the geographical coverage. If too far away they might not buy.
- Use professional presenters and ensure that the benfits are spelt out to the listeners.
8. Directories
- Ask your customers which ones they use. Then advertise in there.
- Your main message must be clearly visible and easy to read.
- A small display ad with a compelling message is just as good as a large ad.
(c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at http://www.wealth-building-secrets.com bringing you sales
convert this post to pdf.