Small Business Marketing Strategies: 10 Things to Consider

by Lois Wong

Small Business Marketing Strategies: 10 Things to Consider

 

 

While in an auto parts store searching for supplies to reapply a new coat of wax to my car, I secretly worried about the number of hours it would take to do this.  The car hadn’t been waxed but 3 times since 2005. 

 

The auto parts sales person introduced me to John, a mobile detailer who consented to evaluate the condition of the paint and its overall damage.  John said the paint is dry, the color is dull, and the sparkle is gone.  It sounds more like he’s describing my table wine than the paint.  The good news is that he could turn back the hands of time and detail the car to showroom quality.  I am thrilled.  As we continue talking I could see the passion in his eyes ignite.

 

John’s detailing job on my car exceeded all expectations to the extent that I volunteered to be a referral source.  Afterwards, while eating lunch we discussed his 20-year passion.  Having just been laid off, he was unsure whether to move forward with his mobile detailing business, or to look for another job.

 

By the end of our lunch John decided to retain my services and we laid out a simple sales and marketing strategy. We started with the 10 things one should consider when building a business:

 

1. Potential Revenue
2. Service Offering & Pricing
3. Web Presence
4. Social Media
5. Client Database
6. Supplies
7. Taxes
8. Medical Costs
9. Employees or Contractors
10. Other expenses

 

In the following 2 weeks I worked with John on key sales skills for a small business owner. His training included how to ask for referrals, word-of-mouth advertising, updating and optimizing his website, enhancing his presence on LinkedIn, creating an ad on Yelp, and defining his unique value proposition. Two days after the Yelp site was up, someone called asking him to do a full detail!

 

Coincidentally, he was also approached by a potential employer.

 

Four short weeks later, despite the recessionary economy, he realized that his sales had increased by 36%!  And his business continues to grow daily. 

 

I’d love to help your business do the same. Feel free to call me and we’ll map out a growth plan customized for you.