ABC's for Marketing Part 3

Two weeks ago I started blogging about the ABC's to Good Marketing and today will finish up the alphabet.  The following tips that have been shared and will be shared today can apply to any industry. To refresh your mind visit the topics below: ABC's for Marketing Part 1 ABC's for Marketing Part 2 ABC's: M-Z M. Meet & Greet: Set-up lunch meetings, dinner meetings, coffee meetings with other professionals in your area that are you considering working with. This allows you to get a vibe for their personality and to learn more about each others business. If you suggest the meeting, then offer to foot the bill too depending on the location.

N. Networking: Your net worth is your network! Networking is a great part of doing business. It helps circulate your name and if you've made a good impression you often find yourself getting and providing referrals. Always bring at least your business cards and a smile! :-) O. Operation Back-Up: Drive around your new area. You want to become familiar with all the main routes as well as good back roads in case you find yourself in need of an alternative route. I know from experience how bad it is getting lost when going to meet a client or maybe a traffic jam has occurred. Know your surroundings and have a good back-up plan for getting out of a jam. Purchase a good GPS, it will be your lifesaver!! P. Phone Etiquette: When a prospective client calls you or another industry professional be sure to answer the phone in a quite area. Answer professionally and sound awake! Speak clearly and listen. Don't make the other person feel rushed, try to answer all questions right away. Ask open-ended questions. When ending the call, allow the other person to hang up first just in case they may have another question. Q. Quality not Quantity: As a professional you want to deliver quality work. Having planned a hundred weddings, but none were of good quality then they will not help you book more. Quality is always better than quantity, because quality work will always leads to referrals and more business!  R. Register Your Business: Starting a business is easy and so is registering your business. Learn about our local costs and become registered. This tells prospective clients and other professionals that your a professional business and that this is not just a hobby but a career. S. Social Media Marketing: Social Media Marketing has advanced greatly in the past 5 years. Social Media consists of Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and many many more networking social outlets. It allows you to reach your target market instantly and communicate with them. It requires  some skill, motivation, and will be time consuming. As a business it allows that personal connection with your audience, however you can hire someone to do your social media marketing for you.  T. Tell Your Story: I believe that every business has a story as to how they started. When meeting a prospective client, tell your story. It allows for a real-life personal vibe to enter into the meeting and surprisingly you will learn about others goals, while sharing yours. Don't tell all your secrets, but sharing a little goes a long way. U. Utilize The Resources: Resources are readily available at your fingertips. Many professionals do not utilize their resources (I am even guilty of it myself sometimes) Learn about local resources, learn how they can benefit your business and utilize them. A large quantity of these resources are FREE, which is an even better reason to utilize them! V. Visit Forums: Visit forums that are related to your industry and actually be an active member. This allows for open communication, collaboration, venting, and learning. Being a part of a forum community is great for a small business because it creates a family environment and also circulates your business name. The key to really benefiting is to actually be active and most often and comment on others post, not just posting about yourself. W. What's Your Niche?: Marketing is a great way to promote your new or current business. When promoting your business you want your audience to be able to tell you apart from your competitors. Whether it's your logo, business name, tag line, product, etc you should have a niche! Something that makes you special and different. At the consultation is when you should share why your different. In a saturated market  having a niche will be a great way to book the client's your desire! X. Experience Counts: Once you know you want to begin a career, get real experience. Do an internship or shadow a company. When you begin marketing, you will want to show that you have hands-on experience. Prospective clients entrust their important occasion to someone who has experience under their belt versus someone who doesn't. Y. Your Not Alone: Remember that your not the only one marketing your business. If you have a question or are unsure about something don't be afraid to ask. Not asking holds you back from exceeding, no matter how simple the question may be. Z. Zeal:  Be zealous, having a passion for something is awesome! Once you find your career choice, really show who you are. It's nothing better than someone who has zeal, drive, a desire to succeed! Make your mark and do it well.   I hope the ABC's to Good Marketing has helped you in some way. Whether you have heard them all before or not, it is always nice to get a little reinforcement. Do share with your colleagues and apply them to life in general. :-) Thanks for reading!