Are you a small business, consultant or entrepreneur? Looking for ways to market your services to bring in more sales?


I don’t need to tell you that a big reason 8 out of 10 US businesses fail is because they don’t have sufficient sales to sustain their business - I’m sure you’ve heard that a million times.

However, if you’re like most entrepreneurs the thought of “selling” makes your stomach churn. When we do a word association with “salesperson”, most of my clients say things like “sleazy”, “untrustworthy”, “pushy” or “unethical.”

In fact, a recent Gallup Poll indicates that sales people really do have a bad rap - with sales/marketing being 3 out of the 4 least trusted professions.

So you NEED to sell and you don’t want to be a salesperson. Easy enough.

Here are 101 ideas that you can use to market your small business without becoming “salesy”

1. What makes you better than your competition? Click here for a great post about PODs (Point of Distinctions)

2. Become the character of your customers and start writing like they’re really thinking. What do they look like, act like, sound like, even smell like? What is important to them? Try using some of their slang - a great book for that is Slang by Paul Dickson.

3. Blog. Click here for a 101 list on how

4. Send thank you letters to new people you meet. Mention a snippet from your conversation. If you really want to stand out - hand-write them.

5. Join networking groups - Chambers of Commerce, BNI, Industry Associations and attend their events

6. Show passion - there’s an old adage “people buy from people they like.” Let it show that you really love what you do.

7. Get a system to organize your clients - personally, I like using
ACT! 2005

8. Keep meticulous notes on your prospects and clients likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. and send relevant articles (”I saw this and thought of you. Hope you’re having a wonderful day!”)

9. Turn “cold calls” into “warm calls.” Find a connection between you and the other person and lead with that. “Hi Mr. Smith, I noticed you’re a member of the Chamber of Commerce too. Want to meet for coffee? I think we could refer a lot of business to each other.”

10. Read anything about your industry - blogs, books, newspapers, magazines and use current issues when you talk to clients. (”I know what you mean - I read an article about that just the other day!”)

11. Change your voicemail to illustrate your POD (point of distinction), website and blog

12. Speak in public at Chamber events, associations, networking groups, etc. Nervous getting up in front of people? Hire a coach. Looking for resources? go to www.speakernetnews.com.

13. Have a message that interrupts - you have less than 2 seconds to get people to say either “I want to learn more” or “NEXT!”

14. Cut the B.S. out of your Marketing Material. Click here for one of my blogs about this.

15. Smile - even when you’re on the phone. Believe it or not, it changes the sound of your voice.

16. Change “I” language to “you” language - what is your client going to get from doing business with you?

17. When there is a problem you can expect word of mouth activity. If you handle the problem quickly and exceed your client’s expectations - you’ll get great word of mouth. On the other hand, if you don’t empathize and adhere to “policy” your customers will leave and tell 10 people. (Think about the last time you had bad service in a restaurant)

18. Have a system for feedback and respond to client’s requests

19. Don’t over-promise, over-deliver

20. Dress for the clients you want.

21. Be unexpected, yet relevant.

22. Respond quickly to voice-mails and emails - within 24 hours. Show your prospects and clients you’re not too busy.

23. Reward your current clients for their referrals. Could you send a gift card? Thank you note? Discount on next purchase?

24. Be upfront and honest. People can tell when they’re being swindled.

25. Avoid using industry jargon and acronyms

26. Be consistent. A marketing campaign is like a gym membership. It doesn’t do any good unless you use it regularly.

27. Value pricing ($2000 for this, this, this and this) is easier to market than hourly. Alan Weiss wrote the book on this topic.

28. Don’t oversell, over-educate

29. Brainstorm first - polish later

30. There are no bad ideas when brainstorming

31. Use focus groups. Limited resources? Use your own network and get gut reactions.

32. Your first instinct is usually right - learn to listen to your gut.

33. ROI, ROI, ROI!!!! What time/money will you be spending? Is it worth it?

34. As in financial investing - a diversified campaign will be best in the long run.

35. Be prepared for your “best case scenario.” Do you have the ability to grow quickly to respond to customer demands?

36. PR is cheaper than advertising - write several articles and submit them to papers, magazines, and even websites to help get your name out there.

37. You’ve heard the cliche - “Everything to everyone is nothing to no one.” Pick a niche and focus there.

To read the remainder of this article, please click here.