Are You Playing With A Full Deck?

Marketing is viewed by many people as a necessary evil. It’s something that must be done but not enjoyed by the majority of business owners. There are many reasons for this. One of the reasons is procrastination or you may just not know what to do first. Marketing doesn't have to be difficult. Marketing is all about building the right foundation under your business that will create an unshakable structure in which your business can live and thrive. This can be done if you play the right marketing cards every day.
Some of you may be great poker players. I have to admit, I am not a good poker player because I never know which cards to keep and which cards to play. I just play whatever and hope it works out. This is how a lot of people approach their marketing. But in marketing my business, I have learned not only which cards to play but which cards will allow me to win the game of marketing.

Consistency
The first card is consistency. Here is the bottom line on marketing. I think we all know what to do but for whatever reason we just don’t do it on a consistent basis. What can you do consistently to move your business forward? Do one thing every day towards reaching your goal or moving your business forward. Make sure it is something that you WILL do. Decide what works best for you. You get consistency in your marketing efforts by building momentum. You build momentum by doing at least one thing every day towards the attainment of your ultimate goal.

Action
The second card is action. How do you know what action to take? You first have to look inside and find what you really enjoy doing. If you are marketing your business and using a strategy that is not in line with who you are, you will not be able to take action a consistent basis.

Results
The third card is results. When you work with someone, are you interested in their business or getting the results that you need? What are the real results of people working with you? This is an area where a good brainstorming session will work wonders for your business. Sit down at your desk and just start writing. Do stream of consciousness writing. Don’t think, just write. After you have filled up 2 or 3 pages, start filtering through and find the real benefits your clients will receive as a result of working with you.

Differentiation
What is unique about you? What is unique about your business? Again, do a little brainstorming. Research your competition and find what they are not doing that you could be doing.

Systems
There are a few systems that you need to have in place but the most important one is a contact management system. Following up with prospects and keeping in touch with existing and previous clients is probably the single most important thing you can do for your business. Having a system in place will help you track all of this. It does not have to be anything elaborate. If you have 50 to 75 contacts, you can probably get by with a 3-ring binder with contact sheets. But, I would recommend going ahead and getting a database of some type to do this for you and to automate the process.

I hope this gives you a new perspective on marketing your business and growing your business.