TOP 10 TIPS TO GET YOU MARKETING TO SUCCESS ON ZERO DOLLARS!

I come across so many people that absolutely freak out when they think about having to market their business. Heaps of questions come up like, Where do I start?, I hate selling, How do I market my business when I dont have any money?.. Most of these people absolutely LOVE what they do, but detest having to sell their service to receive an income from it.

Youll love it when I say its easy to start and anyone can do it with a little planning and preparation, you DONT HAVE TO SELL, yes believe it! If you market well and consistently you wont EVER have to sell again now hows that for great news?! And best of all you DONT NEED MONEY to do it. Its music to your ears isnt it?! And its true, I created, built and established a business that replaces my income from every job I ever had based on some simple strategies that you can adapt to your business and your style and in addition to that, theyre easy and ID LOVE TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU RIGHT NOW! Ready? Youll be surprised.

These 10 strategies are what I would call the basic backbone of any marketing plan and are important to anyone wishing to build a successful business. Theyre so easy that sometimes people overlook them, or worse, think theyre not important enough to warrant doing, which often results in a fatal outcome.

1. BE PASSIONATE love what you do and let it show! Doing business with someone who is excited, passionate and happy, is completely different to doing business with someone who is grumpy, bored and even angry. Now this doesnt mean you have to leap up excitedly and run over and hug the person when they meet you! All it means is being nice, friendly, helpful, focused and present for your customer and their needs now isnt that easy If youre doing something right now that you arent passionate about, stop causing yourself and everyone you deal with pain instead look at things you do love doing and can do passionately All thats stopping you from doing it is YOU

2. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR BUSINESS AND KEEP FOCUSED if you dont have a plan in place of where you wish to be, and how you want you business to be functioning in a year or 2 then youre on the road without a map! Youll go round and round in circles, and life will be a little chaotic. Not only will you be confused, in most cases your clients and team will certainly feel the adverse effects of this lack of direction too. Start thinking about where you see yourself and your business this time next year, then go about setting up little goals (or steps) for yourself that are achievable between now and then to ensure you set yourself up for a successful and profitable outcome.

3. HAVE SOME SUPER EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE to back you up in business. Make sure youre organised with systems that will assist you and your clients. Simple strategies like having a diary or schedule so you dont double book or forget things. A phone that works and has good coverage if it is a cell phone, a quick and easy system and standard in place to return calls if you miss some. Lets face it, if youre returning calls to clients a week later, its highly possible that you will have already lost their business. If you send out quotes, have a system such as diarizing a follow up call. Systems can make or break your business. Stick to your schedule so youre not running behind. If youre continually late, cant find things when clients call you up, your payment system is off the rails, products are late etc then youll find your clients start to dwindle quickly. So challenge yourself to implement at least one effective system per week that can make your life and your clients lives a whole lot easier.

4. SPEAK UP silent passion is not going to get you anywhere. If people dont know what youre doing then how can they do business with you, or refer you to others? One of the cheapest and most powerful marketing strategies is networking. That doesnt mean you have to impose yourself on everyone who comes into your space! Instead it means to be prepared for what you will say when the opportunity arises or when you can create an opportunity to communicate with the person about what you do. And remember to speak up to your family and friends; this is a real bug bear among many entrepreneurs and small business people starting out. Dont be shy about what you do, or what you are creating for yourself speak up, be proud!

5. LIST YOUR BUSINESS with online sites that will happily have your business submitted and shown on their directory for free get out there! If you have a website, youll find numerous businesses or organizations in your local area, state, country and also globally that will accept an online listing from you. Remember this opportunity can help you build your exposure and profile. Take an hour each week to list your business somewhere different. Just make sure you keep track of who they all are so you can update your details if necessary in the future.

6. BUILD GREAT RELATIONSHIPS its amazingly important with everyone you deal with. Building great relationships with your clients can increase business, profitability and longevity beyond your wildest dreams if done well. Its just as important to build good relationships with your associates, youd be surprised how many sales reps, suppliers and clients can feel the energy of a happening, successful and happy business when they walk into your business, and youll be surprised at how these people can talk! Make sure they talk about you for the right reasons.

7. ADD VALUE to your clients in any way you can. There are so many people out there giving standard service, its actually not that hard to give superior service. If youre not sure where to start, simply ask your clients how else you could help them! Also remember to ask them what theyd be willing to pay for that extra value or service. Basics such as remembering their birthday or something else thats important to them so you can send a Christmas card or small gift with their interest in mind etc. Little things such as, if your client is into golf an email to let them know of an upcoming golf event with a saw this today and thought you may be interested in it, happy golfing, jack or a golf ball with your logo on it given to them out of the blue, and if you really have some money in the bank a round of golf for 2 at the best golf club in their area Obviously you need to put your prices up to ensure youre not running at a loss but people buy value they love to be made to feel special and this is what the marketing strategy adding value is all about. Until you can afford to spend some $$$, a cold water or cup of coffee, a call, an email or a bit more time in getting to know your client goes a long way.

8. DO THE LITTLE THINGS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL EVERY SINGLE TIME youd be surprised at how well that rates in a clients mind. Things like being on time, such a small thing but how many times have you heard people complain that their tradesman, doctor, hairdresser etc who was late? How many times did that professional call you prior to you arriving at the site to it to let you know they were going to be late? I can guarantee you with all of us put together, wed be able to count the amount of times (if any) on our fingers! Such a little thing makes your client feel respected. And just how much effort does it really take Hardly a thought, all it really entails is a little system to be put in place for you and your team to follow through on it every time to ensure your client is respected and will come to you again.

9. ASK THE BIG QUESTION which is, how did they find you, where did they hear about you? Every business big or small needs to put this at the top of their list. If you dont know where your clients are coming from then how on earth do you know what marketing initiatives are working? There is a valid quote that goes Only 50% of marketing works, do you know which half is working for you? Amazingly many dont, and thats because they dont ask their clients that all important question.

10. DONT GO IT ALONE you dont need to! How many millionaires and business success stories have said they had mentors and coaches that were instrumental in helping them get there? LOADS!!!! Most will tell you they had a little help and guidance, the truly honest ones will tell you they could not have done it without their mentors and coaches. There is no shame in asking others for help, truly, you dont need to walk this path alone, after all, anyone who has ever had a business knows what a huge task it is. You can fast track yourself, save yourself loads of time, energy and money, AND your sanity if seek out some people who are excellent at areas you need experience in. Some excellent Zero dollar solutions and hints can come in the form of simply signing up for a newsletter or free teleclass on subjects of interest. Its a terrific and low cost starting place to help you build up your business. Try mine for more marketing strategies and ideas each month sign up on the website www.marketingtosuccess.com

If youre having problems with getting your business off the ground or need to lift it to the next level, sign up for an introductory session with Rachael for just $100USD, youll also be able to claim it as a business expense for training and marketing.