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Local Marketing for Local Businesses

Having a strong Local Marketing Strategy is so important if you are going to win the hearts and minds of new and existing customers.
97% of consumers use the internet to research products or services in their local area FIRST –  so you need to have a strong online presence.
But also: 80% of local business comes from people who live/work within 5 miles of your location – so you need a varied offline presence too.

Since the 1980’s I have been helping small businesses with their local marketing presence. Doing business in your local area gives you the greatest advantage over the big competitors. Why? Because you can build a personal relationship with your customers – not just via email but face to face; something the larger organisations find difficult and expensive to do.

As a local business you have to be the best at what you do and make sure that your market knows why you are different.

            80% of local business comes from people who live/work within 5 miles of your location

At the Kelsey Group they found that when people are looking for goods or services, they will search locally first.

                 97% of consumers use the internet to research products or services in their local area FIRST.

So the need to get your customers’ attention is vital so that you can be heard through the mass of other advertising messages.

Back in the 80’s the leading edge technology for targeting customers was the ”Socio-demographic” profile of A,B,C,C1, C2, D and E which was used by CACI to create their ACORN system. This became the backbone to what became Database Marketing which I introduced to my clients at the time – the local car dealer markets – predominantly VW and Audi. I even wrote a marketing plan to increase car fleet business sales which was presented to Ford at a new business seminar which they subsequently used as a master template for their system.

This profiling has developed enormously over the years and not only covers demographics but also geographics and psychographics (lifestyle and interests).

It is now possible to pinpoint your market directly and as you build your customer database, this too can be used to profile your customers covering:

• Life Time Values – what a customer is worth to you
• Best/Worst customers
• What they buy and How often etc.

You can then use this information to invest in other lists as you expand your business.

Being able to pinpoint your marketing means that budgets can work harder as you can easily track how successful a particular campaign is through easy to set up monitoring methods. So a campaign can be adjusted very quickly if it is either going well or not so well.

With technology of the internet and mobiles; and with traditional marketing such as direct mail and promotions, the time is right to make your mark in your local area and keep local business – LOCAL.

Call me on 07786 228553 or contact me here if you would like to talk further about this and other ideas.

The Appointment

Do not go unprepared!

Bear in mind that when you are at an appointment, the prospect has made time for you to be there so make it an enjoyable experience for them. Positioning your product or service is really important so make it easy for prospects to understand this – one very effective way is to tell stories where your product or service has solved a problem similar to that of your prospect.
Prior to going to your appointment:

• Identify as many of your prospect organisation’s decision-makers and influencers as you can, and assess what their needs, motives and relationships are.
• Try to get a feel for what the organisational politics are.
• What are your prospect’s strategic issues, aims, priorities and problems, or if you can’t discover these pre-meeting, what are they generally for the market sector in which the prospect operates?
• Prepare your opening statements and practice your sales presentation.
• Prepare your presentation in the format in which you are to give it. The first presentation is likely to be on to one/two so should be “Chalk and Talk” i.e just use informal illustrations on a white board rather than Powerpoint .
• Prepare a handout to leave behind and always have spares – allow for more than the planned numbers as extra people can often appear at the last minute.
• Prepare a checklist of questions or headings that will ensure you gather all the information you need from the meeting.
• Think carefully about what you want to get from the meeting and organise your planning to achieve it.
• Prepare your opening statements and practice your sales presentation.

The Appointment

When you get to your appointment, first impressions are very important. The first 10 seconds sets the scene.

• Dress well, smile, strong handshake – be professional, and take confidence from the fact that you are well-prepared.
• Introduce yourself – name, your role, your company and what it does (ensure this is orientated to appeal to the prospect’s strategic issues).
• Set the scene – explain the purpose of your visit and ask how much time your prospect has and agree a time to finish.
• Ask if it’s okay to take notes (it’s polite to ask – also, all business information is potentially sensitive, and asking shows you realise this).
• Set the agenda. Ask if it’s okay to start by asking the prospect to outline their business and what requirements they are looking to address. Afterwards give a quick overview of your own company homing in on any relevant areas the prospect has mentioned. You can then tailor your response.
• LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN. Show interest in their business – people still buy from people they like.
• Find out what the prospect’s organisational decision-making process is and what the financial parameters are (eg., budgets, year-end date).
• Ask about competition.
• Ask – Why did you see me?
• Ask – FOR THE BUSINESS.

“First impressions are very important. 

The first 10 seconds sets the scene “

Call me on 07786 228553 or contact me here if you would like to talk further about winning more business and other ideas.

10 Marketing Ideas for Retailers

1. Marketing is all about understanding your CUSTOMER and what is best for them. Break down your existing database by profiling and segmenting your customers to see where you have been doing your best business. You can then use this information to:

• Invest in new data.
• Upsell other services e.g. complementary offers, package discounts and guarantees.
• Revisit lost or lapsed customers

2. If you want ordinary results – Follow the rules. If you want EXTRAordinary results – Break the rules. Every retailer needs a USP – You have to be Different and Unusual to succeed in the mass of information that is flying about out there!

3. People buy stories NOT things. Tell prospects and customers the story behind your great product and why it will make a difference to them.

4. Get a good Website and keep the content flowing. Profile your products and come up with reports like “the 5 reasons why you should……..”, create “how to” videos, create DVD sets; make it easy for customers and prospects to know about you and get to know you.

5. Money isn’t always the key driver for buying – it’s more about the WHO is doing the buying and the certainty that your product will deliver to their expectations. Always think about how your product can solve the customers problem and the benefits that ensue.

6. Your biggest Asset is your Database – Build it well and look after it and it will look after you.

7. Don’t copy what “The Market” does – if you do, you’ll be like them. Do what you always do and you’ll get what you always get. Be different – Break the Mould.

8. Make sure you have a robust Marketing System to manage your marketing – online with information reports; offline with direct marketing. Make it work 24/7.

9. Look at developing Joint Ventures with other retailes targeting your clients but who operate in a non-competitive area.

10. Test advertising strategies and headlines using Google Adwords, Facebook, Video and Re-marketing.

Call me on 07786 228553 or contact me here if you would like to talk further about this and other ideas.

Planning and Organisation

So now you have an idea of your MARKET – MESSAGE – MEDIA. Now it’s time to plan how you are going to get new business. By making sure you have done your basic homework on your prospects, you are now ready to plan your approach.

• Is your website optimised for managing new traffic. Do you have a reason for people to want to buy from you and is there something you can offer “FREE” to start the relationship?
• Set objectives. What do you need to succeed? Work with your Manager – don’t forget that they will benefit too!
• Define you own targets; by value and the conversation ratio you need to achieve those targets
• Database profiling – now you have segmented your database, you now need to find out why your existing customers buy and identify where you could win early business with new prospects.
• Consider looking at “Other Peoples Customers” who are also operating in your market. There may be joint venture opportunities providing it’s non-competitive.
• Plan your sales approach by making sure you cover key qualification areas. MANDACT! –

o Money – Do they have any?
o Authority – Make sure you are talking to the right level of personnel.
o Need – Do they want it; will whatever you have be relevant for their business?
o Decision criteria – Sales cycle; what is the process to final decision?
o Ability to deliver – Can you actually provide what a customer may ask for?
o Competition – Ask who else is bidding.
o Timing – when will decision be made?

• Understand and make the most of cold calling and use social media to reduce the “coldness” of the call. Despite the tendency for some organisations to position cold calling as a lowly de-skilled canvassing or enquiry-generation activity, cold calling increasingly enables sales people to become more strategic and significant in the sales function. Aim for 15 to 20 new QUALITY calls per day BUT profile who your best prospects are first.
• Manage your time. Work on those prospects where you can see early wins; the “low hanging fruit”.
• Discover what the current supplier arrangements are; can you match or better them? Assess what the present supplier’s reaction is likely to be if their business is at threat. Try and get on competitor mailing lists and see what you are up against!
• What are your communication methods? Telephone, letter, email; make sure any content is clear and meets your requirements to either progress the sale or maintain the relationship.
• Be clear about why they should listen to you and how are you going to make a difference to their business
• Deal with objections – use referrals and case studies
• Ask open questions to gain information
• Close to get the meeting

FOCUS ON BENEFITS NOT FEATURES – WHAT IN IT FOR THEM

Call me on 07786 228553 or contact me here if you would like to talk further about winning more business and other ideas.

Overcoming Objections

It is inevitable that you will come up against objections and these must be handled constructively. You should qualify each one by reflecting back to the person who raised it to establish the precise nature of the objection. Also bear in mind that money is not the “thing” that will destroy a sale – it’s the irrelevance that’s it’s not what they want!

Lots of objections are simply a case that not all the ground has been covered sufficiently, so definitely avoid responding by trying to re-position yourself; you have spent time creating this WANT so there may only be a few loose ends to tie up. So simply ask and probe instead; the best standard response is something like:
“I understand why that could be an issue; can I ask you to tell me more about why it is and what’s important for you here?”
Try to avoid altogether a response with the word ‘but’ as in “Yes, but….” – it’s inherently confrontational and means you have misjudged the importance of that objection.

Some typical objections are:
• Too expensive – Possible responses
– The prospect doesn’t understand your offering and value to their business – ask the prospect to compare your offering against current provider
– You may need to remind them of the BENEFITS
– It may be a cash flow issue. Make it easy to buy – instalment payment/early delivery to beat price increase
– Don’t offer price reduction but add extras instead at a discount
• Need to think about it – Possible response
– They don’t believe you – use testimonials to support your offering
• Haven’t got time – Possible response
– These people need their own time to review this without any sales pressure. Give them this and arrange another meeting and make it informal
• Not interested – Possible response
– Ask why they are not interested and engage in conversation about requirements/priorities
• Happy with current provider -Possible responses
– Could be another way of saying not interested – see above
– Ask what the supplier does to make them happy – this will give a good insight into want they look for in a supplier
• Call me in 6 months – Possible responses
– Could be a genuine timing issue. Find out why 6 months is a critical period
– Will 6 months make the difference in their ultimate decision
• Already spent budget – Possible responses
– Ask about budget allocation and see if anything can be done now
– Find out about next budget allocation and see if you can get some allocated to your solution.

“ At all costs, avoid head-to-head arguments “

It is important to flush out all of the objections, and in so doing, you are effectively isolating them as the only reasons why the prospect should not proceed. Then the approach is to work with the prospect in first understanding what lies beneath each objection, and then working with the prospect to shape the proposition so that it fits more acceptably with what is required.

At all costs, avoid head-to-head arguments – even if you think you will win them. You’ll destroy the relationship and go no further. Instead you must enable a constructive discussion so that you and the prospect are both working at the problem together; provided the basic proposition is sound most objections are usually overcome by both the seller and the buyer adjusting their positions slightly; for large prospects and contracts this process can go on for weeks, which is why this is often more in the negotiating arena than objection handling.

Make sure that you have handled all the objections and note them down. By this stage you may have seen some signs that the prospect is warming to you and visualising the supplier/customer relationship – moving toward the WANT scenario.

Look out for buying signals from the prospect such as references to “if we did that with you…..” and “how soon could this be delivered…..” Respond to these buying signals positively and make it easy for the prospect to agree to proceed.

Call me on 07786 228553 or contact me here if you would like to talk further about winning more business and other ideas.