I mean it, don’t even think about hiring a marketing consultant unless you actually are prepared to do the following.

• Clearly define what you hope to achieve from marketing
• Understand how your clients will benefit
• Set some revenue goals for marketing and sales
• Set a realistic budget – about 5-10% of revenue is reasonable
• Look at how good you are at turning leads from marketing into sales.

Until you do this simple exercise, unless the expert marketing consultant or sales specialist you hire will COST you money – not MAKE you money.

So go on be honest and if you want some help in determining that – we have a free business health check that will;

1. Focus your mind on your goals
2. Discuss how realistic they are
3. Take action

Good luck and may better planning help you acheive even more than luck.

Peter

We reap what we sow and now is the time to sow leads that you can harvest into sales later this year! Read about six sure-fire tips to boost your leads now!

In an economic downturn a farmer who may have had a poor harvest last year, knows that, even if it means borrowing, he must sow this year’s crop at the right time – if he doesn’t without anything to harvest in the autumn, then he will truly be in trouble.

So are you sowing your marketing seeds now, to watch them germinate into
qualified leads, so that when the need for your offering becomes right, you can convert them into happy customers?

What should you be doing now, while so many people are on holiday, to ensure you make your sales numbers, by the end of the year?

Read the rest of this article to find six sure-fire marketing tips, to
ensure your coffers are full come Christmas, with your turkey on the table and next years plans, well ready for next year.

Many people, indeed some more than others, are looking for magic ways to
increase their sales, take home more profit and achieve a better work/life balance with more time off for their pastimes or family.

The good news is that with the right expertise, this is possible – the bad
news for some, is that it will require hard work and commitment – however the rewards for those who follow this principles are clear.

We all know that it can take 3, 6 or 12 months to develop a relationship
with a prospect before they become a customer. Isn’t now the time you
should start thinking about and taking action to ensure you are
communicating with your potential customers for year-end and 2009.

More millionaires were made during the crash of 1929, than in the preceding
9 years – isn’t it time you started thinking like a winner, while
everyone else is running around panicking about our current economic
downturn?

In an economic downturn, when you decide you must get a marketing consultant expert in to help you grow sales and profits, you probably agree you must work with a marketing consultant you can trust.

So how can you be sure that your marketing consultant will have your best interests for business growth? the following 7 + 1 criteria will be a good starting point

So ask yourself the following questions, after you have short listed your marketing consultant companies and if they have a proper qualifying process and a formal health check process, you should rate them as follows:

1. Experience – Do they have relevant experience in my type of business – Do they have satisfied customers – check out their testimonials?

2. Understanding – Do they understand what my issues and problems are – More importantly, do they understand my target market’s issues?

3. Methodology – Do they follow and implement proven processes – Will they work for my business?

4. Measurement – Do they track all results – Can I see exactly what I am getting for my money?

5. Shared Risk – Do they work on a flat or fixed Fee – Or is their remuneration part based on my actual sales?

6. Credibility – Do they sound believable – Am I prepared to trust the future of my business with this firm?

7. Integrity – How honest are they with me – Are my customer contacts, plans and aspirations safe?

And finally

8. Passion – Do they have a passion to succeed in their own business, which will reflect on what they do for my Business?  

Any
engagement with an outside firm should be based on partnership. You
need to share common values, and beliefs. While all businesses should
operate to make a profit, there also needs to be a guiding principle of
care and customer service.

This article was written by Peter Lawless, founder of 3R Sales and Marketing – www.3r.ie. For previous articles like this, visit 3R’s Articles. Alternatively, subscribe to Success our free monthly Information Bulletin with sales and marketing articles.

While all the media pundits are talking about a recession, I was with one of my clients who is reporting a massive increase in sales.

How is this possible?

I don’t know if you are aware that in 1929, during the wall street crash, there were more millionaires created than during any other boom time. These were the guys who said “well while everyone else is panicking, I will keep my head and make from everyone else losing out.

Smart people know when the chips are down, and everyone is feeling doom and gloom, they get out and take advantage of the situation – they actually increase their marketing spend!

With most marketing consultants feeling the pinch because the masses are not spending, the smart guys are using their business development budgets to get far higher returns.

Like the majesty of a single tree standing in a field, not crowded out in a forest, everyone can hear your message, once it is clear, unique and shows how it adds value to your intended audience.

So go on be a devil, buck the trend and become a real success – you deserve your time in the lime light!

So my client a solicitors firm has taken the decision to increase their marketing and increase their levels of service and commitment to their customers – and guess what, people love value not just price. Their conveyancing clients are now enjoying great prices and fantastic service