5 Breakthrough Marketing Ideas

Do you ever get frustrated with your marketing? Are you putting in a lot of effort but not getting the results you want? Don't you wish you could just hit a switch and get a better response from your mailings, sales calls and web site?

You hear a lot about breakthroughs; is it all hype, or can you really create a breakthrough in your marketing and sales? I know that you can.

I spent last weekend skiing in Vermont with my spouse, nephew and his finance Sonia. We were all having a great time on the slopes, except Sonia. Sonia doesn't have as much experience as the rest of us and was struggling to keep up. Her problem wasn't one of effort. She was working much harder than the rest of us, fighting each turn and slowing her progress down the hill. In a few minutes, I showed her how to tip her skis to make easy, graceful S shaped turns that took advantage of the new shaped skis. After making a run or two, she was skiing twice as fast with less effort, and having more fun.

You too can experience a breakthrough in your skiing, golf swing or in your marketing. If you are like most business owners, you advertise, send out mailings, make sales calls and have a web site. This is what you do to market your business; the way you do these things will make the difference between success and failure.

What would constitute a breakthrough in your business? Like Sonia, you may be inadvertently working harder than you need to be to get the results you want. With a few changes to your marketing strategy and techniques you could be getting a lot more attention, generating more qualified leads and converting more prospects to clients and having more fun.

Here are five ideas to get your marketing headed for a breakthrough:

1. Focus on your target markets' primary concerns in your sales calls, your brochure, your ads and on your web pages. Your prospects' problems and wants brought you together; use this to keep prospects' attention.

2. Use questions to get the conversation going. Whether you're on the telephone, writing web page copy or writing an ad, ask your prospects questions to get them thinking about what they want and how you can help them.

3. Give something away that your prospects need. The more helpful information you give away to prospects, the more business you'll receive in return. Give away ideas they can use and help them understand when and how to use your products and services.

4. Build a mailing list of people who want more of your ideas and information. Use the list regularly to stay in touch and you'll increase your credibility the perceived value of your goods and services, and your sales.

Other Breakthrough Ideas

- When people are at the point of purchase, prompt them to buy additional products and you can double your revenue.

- Call people who have bought your products after a couple of weeks to get feedback. There is a good chance they'll be interested in buying additional products or services.

Whether you want to become an expert at marketing, skiing or cooking, the key is to let go of methods that aren't working for you, and learn and apply the techniques used by the experts. Nine times out of ten, the problem is in getting the basics right. You can achieve a breakthrough in sales when you understand and apply these proven marketing principles and techniques.

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up for the Free Marketing Plan eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

---

Projector Hire - Choosing the Right One for Your Presentation

Calling a projector hire company will often get you confused... Read More

The End is the Beginning

People remember best what you say last. In a presentation,... Read More

Top Ten Tips For Better Business Presentations To Asian Audiences

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and... Read More

Six Marketing Tips for Trade Show Success

A trade show is an ideal way of showcasing your... Read More

Dump that Overhead Projector!

What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to... Read More

Plasma Screen Hire ? What Do You Need to Know for Presentations

How many people will need to see the screen? A... Read More

Seven Tips for Coping with Pre-Stage Jitters

Whether you need to address large groups or small, familiar... Read More

Preparation for Your Presentations

(Excerpted From the Jim Rohn Millennium Weekend Event)Persistence in your... Read More

The Seven Deadly Sins of Presentations

Every day, so many tens of thousands of innocent clients... Read More

Total Recall: How to Remember Your Speech Without Memorizing

We all fear that moment. You look out on a... Read More

Improve Your Bottom Line with What You Say

When was the last time you thought about what you... Read More

How to Teach: Lecture vs. Discussion

WHEN ONLY A LECTURE WILL DO: Under certain circumstances, of... Read More

Transitions: Building Bridges to Your Points

Presenters often tell me that they fear losing their train... Read More

I Love the Smell of PowerPoint in the Morning: The 5 Sensory Approach to Business Presentations

You're in a conference room. You're giving a PowerPoint presentation... Read More

Powerful Presentations: How to Write and Deliver a Presentation to Remember

If the mere thought of standing up in front of... Read More

Qualities of Good Communication

Webster's Dictionary defines communication as "a giving or exchanging of... Read More

Sharpening Your Presentation Skills

Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing,... Read More

Tech Tips: PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts for PowerPoint Slide Shows

Whether you use a mouse or a remote control to... Read More

Practice Makes Perfect ? 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Presentation Practice

Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of... Read More

Too Many Choices - Dont Confuse Your Customers

Conventional wisdom is that the more choices customers have, the... Read More

10 Tips For Bringing Your Event To Life

Your job as an event planner doesn't stop with the... Read More

Presentation Pitfalls Series: Top 10 Content Mangement Mistakes

Here, David Letterman style, are what I consider to be... Read More

Guidelines for Rehearsal Criticism

It is both good planning and considerate to provide auditors... Read More

Audience Respect

One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is in... Read More

Death by PowerPoint!

The most critical job of a manager, when you boil... Read More

How to Give a Great Speech

As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I... Read More

The Presentation After the Presentation

Allowing the audience to ask questions after your presentation is... Read More

The Ten Essential Tips On Writing A Powerful And Persuasive Presentation

Have you ever had to give a speech?Do you remember... Read More

Show the World Your Wares Easily and Inexpensively

You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations... Read More

Using Your Audience to Your Advantage

Regardless of what response technique may be convenient in a... Read More

Media Training Tips: Maximising Your Media Moment

Media training is a 'must do' professional development program for... Read More

Super Preparation ? Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every Presentation

Super Preparation ?Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every... Read More

Beetle Bailey and Presentation Skills

In March 2002, the comic strip Beetle Bailey contained a... Read More