We just completed an incredibly hard year and 2010 doesn't look like it will be any different. Through all the difficulty some businesses not only survived but they thrived. The competitive landscape has changed and so have the tools and methods used in the game. And many of them are simple, cheap, and within reach of everyone willing to put in a little hard work. So here, not in any particular order, are 7 Simple Things a Small Business Can Do to Compete & Win
- Maintain your database
Any business can keep a list of names of customers it has invoiced. But the businesses that will make a difference in 2010 are the ones that put that data to use. A database can be is more than a list of names and addresses. They can be segmented by industry, gross sales, and product purchase history. But, what if…?
What if I asked you for a list of customers who hadn't made a purchase in 12 months? Could you produce it with a few clicks? Or how effective could you be if you knew your customers favorite NASCAR driver? Say Earnhardt Jr. finally wins Daytona and you were able to drop something in the mail offering a special "Earnhardt" discount. Or favorite ACC team? You get the idea?
- Get emails addresses
Email marketing is about as close to free as you can get. But few businesses have a very large percentage of their accounts email addresses. And if they do have an email address, it may not be that of the decision-maker.
- Do more than take orders
Whoever is on the frontline needs to be more than an "order-taker". Even if it's your best customer just calling in to place a reorder, the frontline had got to see the value of continuing to deepen that relationship. And with the consumer so price conscience, the frontline will field many phone calls from price shoppers. Instead of just quoting your lowest price in a race to the bottom, a good frontline can differentiate a business by starting a relationship. They can engage the customer on some other level besides price.
- Do the unusual
A prospect comes to you with pre-determined expectations. If you just meet those expectations, they may or may not come back. Your competitor down the street will likely meet those same expectations. But if you do something unusual, something REMARKABLE, that prospect will not only come back…he will likely tell someone about the experience. And just imagine the effect it would have if your business was known for doing the unusual. Do you think customers and prospects would mind paying a premium?
- Measure results
You must know what is and is not working in your marketing efforts. Every day we see advertisements in newspapers that have not been changed for months. How are results tracked? Are they tracked? Just because the paper has a circulation of 50,000 doesn't matter if the phone doesn't ring.
- Social media is here to stay
It's more than a matter of "If you can't beat them, join them." Participating in social media is more than just getting a Facebook account or a Facebook Fanpage for your business. That's a start but it's useless if you don't engage your customers and prospects. And if don't know where to start, there is plenty of help out there.
- Start a newsletter
A newsletter does many things for your business. It can give you "top-of-mind" awareness even if they don't read it. But also it positions you as an expert, it entertains, introduces you staff, highlights new products, and deepens relationships.
All of the above takes extra work and it will remain a work in progress. But if you are going to be one of those businesses to make a difference in 2010, you had better get busy.
At Advantage, we are constantly working on improving ourselves in these areas. We have learned a great deal from others and we've made plenty of our own mistakes. If I can help you in any of these areas or refer you to those that have helped us, please give me a call or shoot me an email at david@advantageprint24.com.
Advantage Printing is a commercial print and marketing service provider serving churches, nonprofits and small to mid-sized businesses.
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidamoore
David A. Moore
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