Ten Easy Marketing Tasks You Can Do NOW

Who says scientists can't market? Here are 10 easy marketing ideas that a group of folks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology came up with today during our monthly Marketing Action Group:

1. Listen to (and write down!) the questions your clients ask. They're clues to the problems you can help them solve. They're also topics for your next article, talk and e-newsletter. Don't invent this stuff - just listen!

2. Plan and write out your next sales conversation. Got a meeting next week with a hot prospect? Write down the words you will use to find out who the decision makers are, what the budget is, the scope of their problem, and how you'll ask them to take next steps. If you have no idea how to do this, send me an email and I'll help you think through it.

3. Read a marketing article. Most non-marketers don't go out of their way to read about marketing. A painless way to stay motivated, though, is to read one new article every week. Start here: http://www.turningpointemarketing.com/Free_Resources/Articles.html

4. Pay attention to the marketing messages all around you. See if you can pick out the WIIFM (What's In It For Me?) and call-to-action (what they want you to do). Practice thinking like a marketer.

5. If you manage others who perform your client work, visit a client with your employee to show interest. This keeps you fresh and demonstrates your commitment to the client. It also shows the client that there's more to your organization than their sole point of contact.

6. Give a copy of this article to your staff and ask them to come to the next staff meeting prepared to talk about the ideas that this generates. Ask people to commit to one new task. Have them give a progress report at the next meeting. Rinse, repeat.

7. Draft a 3 or 4-question survey to do short, conversational telephone interviews with your target audience to find out what they struggle with...what's on their wish list...what they want from you. Do NOT ask them if they want to buy anything from you. This is a relationship-building task, NOT a sales call. That comes much later. Ask others you work with to pick two clients or prospects and call them. Compare notes and discuss your findings.

8. Think of small solutions that you can offer to important problems. Or small solutions to little problems. The key is to think small. It's less intimidating for your customer to "sample" you and makes it easy for them to take a first step.

9. Practice saying your Positioning Statement out loud. To the mirror. In the car. In the elevator. If you don't know what your Positioning Statement is, that's a problem. Email me and I'll give you a hand.

10. Visualize doing any one of these things successfully. Really - it's what professional athletes, speakers, performers, and successful people do all the time. Visualize it, and it will be so.

The next time a scientist tells me they can't market, I'll know better. These ideas clearly prove that theory wrong!

(c) TurningPointe Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. Marketing educator, Kelly O'Brien, is creator of the Create a TurningPointe! Marketing BootCamp and Advanced Marketing Clinic. To learn more about these step-by-step programs, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and marketing reports, visit http://www.TurningPointeMarketing.com

---

What Does Marketing Mean?

You can have the best little business ever with wonderful... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 2

Part 1 of this series described five critical components for... Read More

Successful Non-for-Profit Fundraising Letters Share Eight Qualities

You'll be encouraged to know that the art of writing... Read More

Mailing Lists ? Keeping it Simple

The right direct mailing list targets people who want your... Read More

5 Tips to Help You Identify WHO To Market To

If you have your own small business, it's important to... Read More

Non Products Exist in this World

"Both the market and the distributive channel are often more... Read More

Dont Think Like A Package Designer - Think Like A Customer

Some of the most successful package introductions have come from... Read More

How to Use Flyers to Increase Your Business

What benefits will you get from flyers?Flyers are much different... Read More

How To Be A First Class Marketer?

Did you now how to follow up a new customer... Read More

Service Marketing - A Relationship Building Approach

Can we imagine a place in the world today without... Read More

Marketing Worksheet

Even the world's best marketing strategy won't work for you... Read More

Loyalty Cards ? Tips To Consider Before Committing To One

Loyalty marketing has been around for as long as retailing... Read More

Radio Ads That Get Results

Radio advertising can be a small business's best friend. It's... Read More

The Most Powerful Marketing Weapon Ever Invented

It was probably first discovered out there in the caves... Read More

Adapting Blog Technologies To Corporate E-Newsletters

Every January, trade publications put out a list... Read More

How To Conduct Effective Online Surveys

Although they are inexpensive and product fast results, online surveys... Read More

Using Flyers In Your Business

If you are not using flyers in your business you... Read More

Top Ten Blunders Exhibitors Make in Expos/Tradeshows

Triple your response from expos by avoiding the top ten... Read More

Customers Are Like Vampires

No, customers aren't bloodsuckers (well, maybe a few are!) and... Read More

Peek a Boo - We See You -- 7 Trade Show Tips for Marketing Managers

Peek a Boo - We See YouDoes your company have... Read More

Top Five 2004 Required Marketing Tips Needed to Succeed

When marketing your practice, as well as designing yourbrochure, web... Read More

The Information Publishers Secret Resource Guide To Blow Customers Away!

Have you ever heard the saying, "Give and you shall... Read More

What?s Next? A Guide to Marketing Your New Business

Coming up with an idea, seizing the opportunity, and setting... Read More

7 Simple Marketing Tips

Here are 7 simple marketing tips to help you boost... Read More

Receiving a Brochure Printing Quote

Brochures are a great way to get your message across.... Read More

Are You Playing Checkers or Chess?

When you think about how to attract more clients for... Read More

People Pleasing Postcards

Why are more businesses turning to full-color postcards as a... Read More

Do You Really Know Your Prospect?

I'd like to introduce you to someone. I don't actually... Read More

Create Your Own Rumors

A consultant new in the city asked me how I... Read More

What to Look for in Display Graphics and Trade Show Graphics

Display graphics are graphic images used for illustration or "display"... Read More

Free or Not Free ? That is the Question

You may be in business for yourself or as a... Read More

Tradeshow Booth Cures - Living Color

Feng Shui is the Ancient Chinese practice of configuring home... Read More

Target Your Market

Your market is not everybody, as so many small businesses... Read More