June 16, 2011
Sharpen your marketing effort
All businesses need visibility. Customers should constantly be aware of the products and services you offer.
Personal dialogue and involvement in networks are crucial to creating new contacts,
but as a supplement it is a good
idea to have materials ready to presents your company.
The U.S. magazine
"Entrepreneur" provides
ongoing advice to
entrepreneurs on their
website, but it
is my experience that also experienced companies need inspiration to enhance
the marketing effort.
When you are networking
it is a good
idea to supplement the personal dialogue with
materials such as:
1. A one-page flyer.
Have a brief overview of your business ready to pass along at all times in case
you meet someone while networking who wants to quickly pass along your
information to a prospective client he or she knows. You should have a hard
copy to fax and an electronic copy to email.
2. Question-and-answer sheets.
One of the quickest ways to learn about a person's business as a networker, and
for him or her to learn about yours, is to make the initial meeting as
organized as possible. A sheet with questions that you can each ask each other
can ensure you don't forget to find out the information that could lead to a
quick referral.
3. Testimonial letters from
satisfied clients.
This can be one of the most effective ways to showcase the quality of the
products or services you provide. You can keep hard copies in a binder or post them
to your website. If you have a LinkedIn profile, ask the clients in your
network to "recommend" you.
Check testimonials about Added
Value Communication.
4. Photos of yourself, your office
facilities and products
Having a professional photo of yourself is important for promotional
opportunities and for your social media profiles. Photos of your office or
business operation and products help to legitimize your business and gain
credibility.
Check Added Value Communication's photos on
the facebook landing page.
5. Items that explain your business
These can include: your annual report, mission statement or a written history
of your company. You can also use information published articles, results from
surveys created and compiled by you or by others in your industry, presentation
notes or slides, your advertisements, or multimedia presentations.
6. New-product or service
announcements.
As you network, make sure the people who might potentially hire you or refer
others to you are immediately informed when you offer new products or services
or if you are expanding operations. The best way to do this is through press
releases and announcements. In addition to submitting these to news outlets,
you can hand them out at meetings or post them online. Also consider having brochures, data sheets and
catalogs for your current products and services.
7. A list of your memberships and
affiliations.
This can be helpful when meeting someone for the first time, to see if you have
mutual acquaintances or business associates. It may also lead to an
introduction to someone in one of your organizations to whom you have been
hoping to be introduced.
Check Added Value Communication's network.
8. Articles you have published or
in which you're mentioned.
Writing articles, or being mentioned in them, is a great way to get visibility as
an expert in your field. People often prefer doing business with experts.
9. Client or customer proposals
Keeping this information top-of-mind will come in handy if you are at a
networking event and have the opportunity to talk to a prospective client in
depth. The prospect may have a specific need that is similar in scope to jobs
you have already bid on. Having the ability to quickly refer to
previously-completed proposals may give you an edge with the prospect.
10. Keep in touch
Keeping up with issues and news items that are important to people can enable
you to have targeted conversations with prospects. Then, ideally, you'll be
able to discuss your related products and services and turn those prospects
into clients. Keep up your visibility.
Get in touch with Added Value Communication.
