This is one of my Wrath of Debbie posts. Be warned. 🙂
Honestly, it’s so frustrating to see businesses with great products fall flat on their faces because they aren’t getting their marketing right.
I’m not talking about complex marketing strategies here. I’m not talking about intricate sales processes, or high-level strategic thinking or competitor analysis.
Nope. I’m talking about the basics. I repeat. The BASICS!
And yes, I’m shouting.
Let me give you an example of what I mean.
I was at a local bazaar sale last week – you know the kind of thing… arts and crafts, lots of jewelry, toys, books, clothing… all presented by vendors who had each paid for a table on which to exhibit their wares.
The crowd was primed. It was all in a good cause and people were ready to buy. It doesn’t get easier than that. Really it doesn’t.
Some vendors cleaned up. Their stalls were surrounded by interested prospects and banknotes were clearly changing hands rapidly.
But many of the stalls were quiet. Too quiet. And it wasn’t for lack of potential buyers.
So here are some tips based on what I saw through my marketing lens.
- Engage the crowd – look people in the eye and start a conversation as they pass by (for several seconds you have a captive audience that you really can captivate if you know what to say and how to say it – or even if you’re just personable and friendly)
- Differentiate – if you are one of 10 stalls all selling similar items (jewelry vendors is an obvious example), give me a reason to buy from YOU. What makes you different? What’s special about your jewelry? What’s your story?
- Look from the outside in – pretend, just for a moment, that you’re me. Make it easy for me to find things on your stall. (Hint – make sure your display looks appealing and stays that way.) Don’t make me ask about prices. Make sure you have a special deal for me.
- Keep in touch – Make sure you have enough business cards, and that those business cards aren’t bent and scruffy (I kid you not!). And don’t be afraid to ask me for my contact information too. I won’t bite, and I might just be glad of the attention to detail and customer service that you’re about to provide.
There’s more, but that will do for now. And whether you’re selling physical products in the real world or digital products online, the same message applies to you. Make sure you’ve covered all the marketing basics, and covered them well.
For help with your marketing materials, consider joining my Feedback-on-Tap Skype group. Honest feedback for the basics and more.
