| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
Building Credibility for Your Business
Small companies that rely on business-to-business sales often find it difficult to be seen as credible in the eyes of larger companies. If this is true for you, then this assessment might help you determine where you need to focus your attention in order to build your credibility.Rate each item from 1 to 5. 1 = low/bad. 3 = not good, not bad, just OK. 5 = high/great. 1. Your History. What's the word on the street about your company? Do you have a reputation of doing good work or one of shoddy quality and service? Are there any scandals that might affect the word on the street? ____ 2. The Reputation Of Your Type Of Business. If you work in accounting, your reputation may be tainted by recent scandals even though your own work may meet the highest ethical standards. What's the word on the street about your industry? ____ 3. Knowledge Of Your Type Of Product Or Service. Do your potential customers understand why your product or service is critically important to their business? ____ 4. Your Relationship With Existing Customers. Do you have a solid working relationship with your customers? Do they trust you? Do they believe that you have their best interests at heart? ____ 5. Your Relationship With Potential Customers. Do they know and trust you? ____ 6. The World Through Their Eyes. Put yourself in the shoes of an ideal potential customer. What would be the concerns about doing business with you? List everything you can think of. Scoring: A score of 1 or 2 on any item could point to a significant reason why it may be difficult to get sales. A score of 3 is simply mediocre, but at least you aren't trying to dig yourself out of a hole. Your target should be 4 or 5 on all questions. You'll note that only two of the questions (1,3) focus on your product or service. That's important. Many businesses put all their effort in trying to sell their product or service. They create elaborate gee-whiz presentations but often fail to make the sale. Your relationship with your customer and potential customer (2,4,5) is as important - if not more important - than the idea you are promoting. For example, if the reputation of your industry is questionable, then you need to be in front of people so that they can see that you are different. And this probably will not occur during a sales presentation. It will only occur by finding opportunities to prove you are worthy of their trust. Question 6 may be difficult to answer, but those responses tell you the reasons why they don't buy from you. Once again, building a relationship is essential. They've got to get to know you. You've got to get to know them - their hopes and fears and pressing challenges. Without this information you are left with just the bells and whistles of what you sell,and that won't be enough to make sales consistently. Rick is an advisor to organizations on ways to lead Change without Migraines?. He is author of many books on change including Why Don't You Want What I Want? and Beyond the Wall of Resistance. You can access free articles and tools at http://www.beyondresistance.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Making a Hit with Your Marketing Campaign Considered a vital link in a show's promotional plan, direct marketing is vital only if it's done right. It's certainly not as simple as typing a letter, adding an address and stamp, and popping it in the mail. Go Guerrilla Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term guerrilla marketing, which I define as low-cost, creative and typically self-implemented public relations techniques.Here are a few thoughts that might spawn some ideas for your own business. Twelve Places to Buy a Mailing List ©2004 Jeffrey DobkinThere are two types of lists, determined by their origin: compiled lists and response lists.Compiled lists are a common source of names and records that have been gathered, collected, and entered into a database. How to Earn the Right "How to Earn the Right.. Direct Mail Still Works! Direct Mail CampaignsDespite the proliferation of communication facilitators--mobile phones, faxes, emails, PDAs--the mail still plays a vital role in successful marketing. Direct mail marketing continues to be one of the leading methods for effectively reaching prospective customers because it can be focused, predictable and economical. 5 Tips on Establishing Yourself As An Expert In Your Community Wondering how to get new patients into your practice? Wondering how to distinguish yourself as unique from the other practitioners in your community? Here are 5 surefire ways to get visibility in your area.5 Tips on Establishing Yourself As An Expert In Your Community1. Get FREE Web Tips From Your Competition I knew this one would get your attention. How can you, the savvy business entrepreneur, get FREE ANYTHING from your competition? The answer is simple: Google!Yes, there are many things that Google can solve. Marketing is More Than a Token Process "Necessity is the mother of invention!" The first time I heard this was nearly twenty years ago when I was introduced to Tony Robbins' material. I was listening to, and applying, information from his thirty day series. Ten Crucial Questions Ten Crucial Questions for Your Business Future I'm a business coach. I've worked with hundreds of small, medium and very large business, and over the course of the past eleven years, I've asked my business coaching clients endless questions which have helped them achieve much greater levels of success than they would have otherwise. Perceived Value Is In The Eye Of The Beholder Q: My partner and I are having a hard time coming up with what we feel is the perfect price for our new product. We know what competing products sell for, but we don't know if it's better to price our product cheaper than theirs or charge more based on what we think is a superior product. Fundraising Letters Should Raise Donors, Not Donations, When Mailed to Strangers Are you willing to spend $1.25 to raise $1? To lose money to make money? You should be. Keep Costs Down and Keep the Marketing Strategy Simple One of the biggest mistakes we could make as business owners is spending too much money on marketing our service or product without knowing how to market it correctly. I've seen plenty of money wasted on marketing that did not produce any sales and most home based business don't have too much money to waste when ramping up. The Future of Marketing Part 1 It used to be if you were a small business, you were at a distinct disadvantage with your marketing compared to the bigger companies.No more. Who are Those People Youre Selling To? If you're in the IT business, that's an important question.Most marketers are keen to profile their prospects. The Magic of Keep-in-Touch Marketing Yesterday I received a phone call from an acquaintance that I've met once or twice but haven't seen in over a year. She wanted to let me know that she was referring me to a client of hers who needed help with his Web site copy. Do You Know Where Your Email Address is Today? Having people go to your website is not always easy: remind them with a special business card.Whether you understand it nor not, the web is likely here to stay; those businesses that do not yet have a web presence, or at least email addresses, are likely to get left in the dust. Marketing Through Associations ©2004 Jeffrey DobkinIf you're in direct marketing, you're continually looking for new list sources - everybody's tired of mailing to the same lists. If you're not in direct marketing and thinking about putting a mailing together, here's something a little different: take a look at marketing through associations. Future of Marketing Part 2 In Part 1, I discussed how traditional marketing is no longer working the way it used to. This is happening for a variety of reasons -- people have too many mass media choices, they're bombarded with way too many marketing messages, the Internet is adding accountability to advertising, etc. Maximize Your Lead Generation Efforts by Recycling Your Leads The basic lead generation process is pretty much the same from company to company. Inquiries come in?they're qualified?and then sent to the sales team. How to Write Irresistible Promotional Pieces that Attract More and Better Clients Whether you're creating a sales letter, a brochure, a newsletter, or any other business promotional piece, you need to write in a way that not only explains your product or service, but that also compels your prospects to contact you. A well-written promotional piece entices people to seek out more information, whether it be via a phone call, an e-mail, or an in-person visit.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
Comment by George C. Leef, Director of Research