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Promoting Your Business
Personal Selling
All business involves face-to-face selling in one form or other, especially to complete the selling
process, so it's worth developing your skills.
Selling success is based on understanding the customer's needs and wants and tailoring your
approach to suit. Personal selling helps you build relationships with your customers.
Make sure you prepare and follow up.
Image and Branding
Your business image and appearance will influence how your customers perceive you. It needs to
be consistent and match your customers' expectations and needs.
Think about your customers' experiences:
What do they hear when they phone, ie receptionist, messages?
What do they see when they visit, ie office decor, signage?
What do they receive, ie stationery, marketing material, logo?
Even a small business can have a strong brand presence which can help it differentiate itself in the
marketplace. Branding is about the values that a client attach's to your business and
product/service. Offering a consistent, clear business image will help you build your brand.
Critically, your product/service offering must also reinforce the image you are creating through its
quality, appearance, packaging, distribution outlet, etc.
Sales Promotions
Sales promotion techniques are effective in providing an incentive for the potential client to
sample a product or service. Typical promotions include: specials, giveaways (pens, T-shirts, etc),
sampling, ie taste testing, bonus on purchase, entry to competitions, frequent usage promotions, ie
5th purchase free, special events, loyalty cards. Aim to value-add rather than discount. Promote
with other businesses where possible.
Publicity
Publicity can have more credibility than paid advertising.
It is about increasing your visibility and is relatively low cost, but requires time and skill.
Publicity techniques can be as simple as good signage or involve targeted press releases, media
information kits, public speaking and publishing articles.
Community involvement such as sponsoring events or supporting charities can generate powerful
publicity.
e-Marketing
The Internet offers business many market opportunities, but your e-marketing strategies need to
match your business and customer needs.
Email offers a low-cost, rapid communication tool for delivering marketing material, notifying
specials, sending e-newsletters, providing customer support, etc. However, privacy laws make it
essential to gain your customers' permission to receive this information.
Event if you don't sell over the web, a business website can give you credibility, promote your
image and provide up-to-date publicity for your products and services.
You can have a lower cost web presence through online directories or networks, ie advertising
your B&B accommodation on a local tourist site.
If you have a website, make sure you can be found via search engines.
Personal Selling
All business involves face-to-face selling in one form or other, especially to complete the selling
process, so it's worth developing your skills.
Selling success is based on understanding the customer's needs and wants and tailoring your
approach to suit. Personal selling helps you build relationships with your customers.
Make sure you prepare and follow up.
Image and Branding
Your business image and appearance will influence how your customers perceive you. It needs to
be consistent and match your customers' expectations and needs.
Think about your customers' experiences:
What do they hear when they phone, ie receptionist, messages?
What do they see when they visit, ie office decor, signage?
What do they receive, ie stationery, marketing material, logo?
Even a small business can have a strong brand presence which can help it differentiate itself in the
marketplace. Branding is about the values that a client attach's to your business and
product/service. Offering a consistent, clear business image will help you build your brand.
Critically, your product/service offering must also reinforce the image you are creating through its
quality, appearance, packaging, distribution outlet, etc.
Sales Promotions
Sales promotion techniques are effective in providing an incentive for the potential client to
sample a product or service. Typical promotions include: specials, giveaways (pens, T-shirts, etc),
sampling, ie taste testing, bonus on purchase, entry to competitions, frequent usage promotions, ie
5th purchase free, special events, loyalty cards. Aim to value-add rather than discount. Promote
with other businesses where possible.
Publicity
Publicity can have more credibility than paid advertising.
It is about increasing your visibility and is relatively low cost, but requires time and skill.
Publicity techniques can be as simple as good signage or involve targeted press releases, media
information kits, public speaking and publishing articles.
Community involvement such as sponsoring events or supporting charities can generate powerful
publicity.
e-Marketing
The Internet offers business many market opportunities, but your e-marketing strategies need to
match your business and customer needs.
Email offers a low-cost, rapid communication tool for delivering marketing material, notifying
specials, sending e-newsletters, providing customer support, etc. However, privacy laws make it
essential to gain your customers' permission to receive this information.
Event if you don't sell over the web, a business website can give you credibility, promote your
image and provide up-to-date publicity for your products and services.
You can have a lower cost web presence through online directories or networks, ie advertising
your B&B accommodation on a local tourist site.
If you have a website, make sure you can be found via search engines.
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