You want to improve your marketing, attract more clients and
grow your business, but don't have the time to make these
things happen. Every month or so I get a call from Carl who
wants to learn how to improve his marketing. He knows he
could do better, but between client meetings, phonë calls,
and managing his business, Carl just can't find the time to
focus on improving his marketing. Sound familiar?
Small business owners have a plethora of management and
administrative tasks including product development. Who
has time to tune up their marketing?
If you want your business to run like a fine machine, start
treating it like one. Handle your time and your marketing
the same way you'd treat a Mercedes. Don't just give it
gas and oil, give it a regular tune up. Here's how.
WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS
What are your personal and business goals? Owning a fancy
car? Selling a successful business you started? Making three
hundred thousand dollars a year? Donating a fortune to your
favorite charity? Write them down.
For each goal you write down, identify the relevant subset
of goals. If you want to improve your marketing, write down
annual marketing goals and then each week and each day
write down the specific goals you need to achieve in order
to reach your largër goals.
If you want to reach your goals, you need to have them.
Research shows that writing them increases the likelihood
that you'll remember them and achieve them.
STOP WASTING TIME
If your car was limping along on only a couple of cylinders,
you'd take it to an auto mechanic and get it fixed. If
you're not attracting as many clients as you'd like, get
expert advice. Don't waste your time and monëy using
marketing strategies and tactics that only bring in a
trickle of clients.
If you want your marketing to run as well as a new Mercedes,
invest in it, tune it up and do the required maintenance. It
will get you where want to go in less time.
PRIORITIZE YOUR TIME
Spend your marketing time on the tasks that generate
results. Generally, 20% of the marketing tasks that you do
generates 80% of your new business. Each week I receive
hundreds of emails and dozens of requests for assistance. If
I responded to each one I'd be on the phonë all day. By
using a qualifying process, I'm able to make fewer calls and
get more clients in less time.
Which marketing tasks should you spend the least amount
of time working on?
SET ASIDE TIME FOR KEY MARKETING TASKS
My weekly newsletter is a vital part of my marketing.
Writing requires discipline and hard work. It would be easy
to come in to the office and spend my day answering phonë
calls, or responding to emails, instead of writing my weekly
ezine. If I didn't set aside each Wednesday morning to put
the first draft together, it wouldn't get done and my
business wouldn't grow.
Which are the most important marketing tasks you should be
spending your time on?
Of course the most important task to schedule is the time to
plan your week and your day. Turn off the computer and your
ph0ne for fifteen minutes to half an hour at the end of each
day and take the time to plan your marketing goals and tasks
for the next day. When I leave the office with a clear plan
for the next day in mind, I can use my evening bike ride to
come up with new marketing ideas to help me achieve my daily
objectives.
When do you plan your marketing goals and tasks for the week
and the day?
Focus your marketing on the tasks that generate new clients
and avoid wasting time on unproductive efforts and you'll
find you have more time. Use your newfound time to get even
more clients, go home early, get some exercise, spend more
time with your family and friends or start work on your next
business.
2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
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The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and
small business owners attract more clients and be more
successful. Sign up for the Frëe Marketing Plan eBook,
'7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business'
at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com
