In Search of the Marketing "Magic Wand"

Are you in search of the marketing "magic wand" – someone or something that can be waived over your business and magically grow it with little effort or investment? Possibly a fantastic advertising piece, direct mailer or maybe a press release about the amazing and unique services you offer at your business that the media picks up, covers and droves of people come swarming into your business.

Well, the truth of the matter is there is no such thing – the closest thing to that "magic wand" is smart planning and implementation, which may include extra work on your part and the part of others, but it does have a high pay off. Your best chance of success is planning.

No one marketing tactic will provide this "magic wand". Various marketing strategies and tactics need to be considered and carefully planned to get the best success.

Various studies indicate that anywhere from 85-95% of small businesses fail within the first five years because of lack of planning and lack of marketing skills.

Ask yourself, in your type of business, are you doing the fundamentals? Many times business owners are not and sometimes it is because they don't really know what those fundamentals for their business are, or think the fundamentals will take too much effort. This is where the marketing plan plays an important role.

A good marketing plan will cover those fundamentals as well as other ways to reach your target market and drive traffic to your business. But, a marketing plan is only as good as the implementation and tracking of it goes. A marketing plan is a working document, tracking of the marketing tactics is necessary to determine the return on investment (ROI).

Whether you attempt to write a marketing plan on your own, or hire a professional to assist you get through this critical process, it is a very important document needed to grow a business.

The Best Communication Tactics

How do you know the best way to communicate important matters? Is it with a phone call, an email, a written agreement, a letter or an in-person meeting? Which is most reliable?

Keep in mind when the subject matter is very important, a couple of these communication techniques may need to be used.

For example, simply e-mailing an important message is not the most reliable. Confirm with a telephone call that the recipient has received it, or announce the email is being sent to the recipient with a phone call. Ask for a reply to confirm that the recipient has indeed received and read it.

Do you need a "paper trail" of the communication going back and forth. E-mail is a good way to document important communication when verifying matters that have been previously agreed.

When entering into a business relationship it is best to have a written agreement to the terms or conditions of the engagement.

When thanking a person for something, go one step further than a verbal thank you. Send a card as well. Recently, I had an advertising professional not only follow up our in-person meeting with a thank you phone call, but a thank you e-mail and hand written card in the mail. They were all written with a little different spin and had follow up reminders. It was done very professionally and not in an obnoxious way.

When sending an introduction, a professional letter and/or brochure is a nice way to go. Indicate in the letter you a date and time you will follow up with a phone call and do so.

In-person meetings are great when needing face-to-face time and to show something that also needs explanation. Doing this via e-mail loses impact sometimes. Also, if it is a lengthy matter to discuss, a face-to-face meeting is often a good way to go.

One other important factor to consider is to ask your customers which way they prefer to be communicated. If appropriate to the situation, communicate that way with them.

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Table of contents:

In Search of the Marketing "Magic Wand"

The Best Communication Tactics