| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
Nice Guys Finish First
Volunteering your services can be an excellent way to form new business relationships and raise your business's profile while lending a hand to a good cause. However, unless you take care, it can also become all-consuming, with little return (besides creating good karma). There is nothing wrong with good karma, or better yet, feeling good about lending a hand in the community. The whole point of volunteering should not solely be to expand your marketing. If it is, you won't get very far (read reincarnated as a dung beetle). You should honestly be concerned about the project you chose to support. Doing your best for the project at hand must come before your desire to network. Those who join a cause for purely selfish reasons are usually uncovered. Potential contacts become turned off and few people will do business with those with questionable ethics. So how do you get more from your efforts than a warm glow? One method is, to choose a cause that needs someone with your expertise and will allow you to showcase your talents. Major organizations (Lions, United Way, etc.) usually have well-established hierarchies, and positions are often taken, but they offer a better opportunity to build relationships with movers and shakers. One-time events take less time in the long run and can provide a better chance for publicity. Working with influential people, is more likely to make a difference to your career. Stuffing envelopes may be just as crucial to the cause, but you are unlikely to get much recognition or a chance to build rapport. Once you've volunteered, don't rush into "making contacts". As you work together, conversation will run the gamut, from weather to the kids, and inevitably, to business. It's a friendly, natural way for people of influence to get to know you. These people may or may not need your services, but chances are they know those who do. If they are impressed by your work on the project, they are likely to refer you to others. You have made valuable contacts. Contacts who can last a lifetime. If you have taken a leadership role in creating a campaign, organizing volunteers, raising funds, or performed other key functions, you may discreetly blow your own horn. Do it discreetly, but do it, because it is all too easy to have your participation overlooked. Because they donate large sums of money, large corporations often take the spotlight away from individual volunteers. That's not to knock corporations, because without their contributions many projects would falter. Those in charge of volunteer projects maybe aware of the value you bring, however they may not realize the importance of public recognition to a small business. If they do, they may no know how to help you get that recognition. Although your efforts were vital to producing a successful project, you won't automatically receive any collateral marketing opportunities. It is up to you to get the word out. Your, or your company's, involvement in an important cause might be news to the local newspaper, and it might also be worthy of mention in an industry publication. A graphic monthly may be interested in a design firms involvement in a good cause. Likewise, an accounting periodical might like to know about an accountant's involvement in fundraising. Send press releases to media that are related to your field. Write them in proper press release language. If you don't know how, buy a book or hire someone who can write press releases. It's worth the cost. Take care not to bite off more than you can chew. Becoming too involved and spending an inordinate amount of time for the cause, will send out mixed messages. To some, you are unselfishly dedicated; to others, it's a sign that your business is slow or you don't know how to manage your time properly. Know when to say no. Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet people and grow your business, but do it because you love it, not for the business reward. Keith Thirgood, Creative Director Capstone Communications Group Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing Markham, Ontario, Canada 905-472-2330 Subscribe to Thrive-on-line http://list.capstonecomm.com/mail.cgi?f=list&l=thrive_on_line
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
25 Ways To Get More Business Special Requirements for Reprint: we ask only that you include Pauls name and resource box, and keep all hyperlinks as live links. Complete Article with Resource Box at end: Need more business? Who doesnt? Thankfully, new business is pretty easy to get, but you do have to do something to get it. Whats Your Marketing Attitude? Entrepreneurs pay a lot of attention to the mechanics of marketing. They take workshops, read books, and hire consultants to find out how to do the best job they possibly can. Supply And Demand And Marketing According to Dough McCormick, Chariman and CEO of iVillage, Inc, "Technologists focus on supply but they don't understand advertising is focused on demand. Just because we have an available ad doesn't mean we have to sell it. Five Steps to Partnering with Companies to Build Your Client Base Wouldn't you love a simple formula for easily growing your small business? Here is something that could be just what you are looking for:1. Create an information product based on your expertise. Michael Jackson, Classic Marketing Blunders And Your Wallet! You couldn't help but be captivated by the unbelievably cute kid with the amazingly controlled falsetto voice and electric dance moves. He was only 10 years old, when he exploded onto the music scene, along with his brothers as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, but he had the stage presence of a twenty year veteran. How To Get New Business Market, Market and then market some more. So many small and home-business owners do what we call spot marketing. Promotional Bags: Your Company Details on Parade The trick to a good promotion is to attach your company details to something useful. Now, there is "private useful" like the promotional toothbrush you use in the privacy of your own bathroom, and there is "public useful" that you use out there where everyone sees you inadvertently parading the promotion. The Seven Deadly Sins of Ineffective Nametags Your nametag can be your best friend. It can be a lifesaver in meetings, trade shows and events to start conversations when you meet groups of new people. Six Essential Principles for Marketing to Women Business Owners Marketing to women entrepreneurs is not difficult. You just have to follow six easy, but essential, principles. Small Business Bonzai Marketing Do you own a small business? Do you wish to increase sales? Do you wish to draw more customers into your store or find more customers for your service business? You can do this for a relatively low cost by building as small sales team of high-energy people. Direct Sales marketing will help increase your business, future referrals and image in the community. Network Marketing Is Definitely A Relationship Business Heavily branded websites like amazon.com are household names and carry an implied trust with visitors. Marketing Apathy Solutions: 10 Solutions for Overcoming Apathy Beginning Today Are you suffering from feelings of indifference or a lack of concern when it comes to marketing your business? Do you lack the passion that's necessary to attract customers to your business?Marketing apathy, characterized by feelings of passiveness, disregard, and a lack of interest is widespread among today's businesses. This attitude is like putting a roadblock between you and your success. Customer Lifetime Value - The Key To Maximizing Your Profits! The greatest asset to your business is your Customer, specifically, your Customer Lifetime Value.In my many years in Sales and Marketing, I've met many CEOs and business owners who don't have much clue as to what Customer Lifetime Value is, much less its importance and the impact it has on their bottomline. How to Brief a Marketing Agency A new client recently emailed us a brief here at Mano Design. It was very brief brief indeed. Unleash the Powerful Promoter Within Dear Friend,You're ripping me off.How? You may be thinking, "We just met. A Look at Color Brochure Printing Brochures have become vital in today's workplace, serving a wide variety of purposes. Some are quite complex and others are simpler; color brochure printing is one of the simpler options. Always Sell To New Eyes And New Ears One of the hardest things for you to do as an advertiser to do is to step into your prospect's shoes and really understand what makes him buy, and to find out how the prospect reacts to your marketing and advertising efforts. It's easy to get caught up in thinking that just because you spent $14,000 -- or $140,000 -- on your latest batch of ads that every person on Earth saw the ads and paid really close attention to them. Why Your Sales Copy Should Be Written As If It Will Never Be Read At All! What is enthusiasm?Well, consulting good ol' Mr. Webster, you could stake a claim that enthusiasm is "an absorbing possession of the mind by an interest, study, or pursuit; [an] ardent interest. 20 Tricks to Help Get That Envelope Opened When your envelopes aren't opened, you can't make money! Beforeyou can get an order, the recipient of your mailing package mustfirst open the envelope. Unfortunately, many recipients ofdirect mail simply discard the material without opening theenvelope. Why You Buy, Part Two More of the findings of the recent studies in behavioral economics:Webers LawA change of stimulus is more emotional and motivational, according to the base: Most subjects tested would drive across town to save $10 on a $20 item, for example, but not to save $10 on a $500 item. The lesson for sales people? If you won't lose a sale on a thousand-dollar couch over $10, sell the other benefits of the couch in your sales pitch.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
