| The best advice I can give you at this point is to | | | | of the market psychology. Don't you wonder at |
| tell you to read right to the end of this article to | | | | how some peoples' minds work? What makes |
| find the gold dust. | | | | them enter words in that order. Did you know |
| Commercial managers sometimes forget how | | | | that one of the phrases most looked for in the |
| important the sales and marketing elements are | | | | search engines is 'engine marketing search'. I find |
| to their success in business. They become so | | | | that amusing, but over one million people type |
| hide-bound by administration that they overlook | | | | that in every month. Why do they reverse the |
| this vital element of commercial life. It is always | | | | words? I don't know - but it is important to know |
| an after thought, or they just can't or won't find | | | | that they do so marketing strategy can reflect |
| the time to manage it properly. And yet, if there | | | | these things where necessary. |
| are product and services to be sold, they should | | | | Marketing managers vary in their approaches, but |
| be doing so in the most cost effective and | | | | some will undoubtedly choose to use a marketing |
| profitable way, maximizing the market exposure | | | | agency. The difficulty here is that many would like |
| and the returns on investment. This holds true for | | | | to seize the opportunity to do their own thing at |
| small single owner business as much as for huge | | | | your expense. They can be like architects who do |
| corporations. | | | | the same. The point is that for an agency |
| Without customer knowledge or awareness, there | | | | marketing campaign, there must be a tightly |
| can be no purchase, and where no one is buying | | | | detailed and described brief and a contract that |
| there can be no profit. Marketing is the science of | | | | while not limiting the ideas or creative juices of |
| bringing the right product to the market, at the | | | | the agents and their staff, keeps them firmly |
| right price, in the right way, at a Nett profit. It is | | | | bound to what you require. All this of course |
| the responsibility of the sales and marketing team | | | | should be underpinned by solid market research. |
| to ensure this happens. | | | | At its most basic level, both selling and marketing |
| Everyone has their own preferred emphasis. | | | | are about the art of communications and the best |
| Some prefer direct mail marketing, others prefer | | | | choice of media for the markets to be targeted. |
| network marketing while a large number lean | | | | Not all potential customers require the same |
| more and more towards email marketing. But | | | | approach. For example, wholesale and retail |
| whatever the preference, the marketing strategy | | | | markets will attract different methods of |
| and all it entails is a vital step. It is the very root | | | | communication by the sales team. Again, if a |
| of the success you desire for yourself and your | | | | product is to be sold in a store or shop, it is not |
| employer. | | | | the same approach as advertising an article to be |
| Sales and marketing training courses should be | | | | sold at auction. The advertisements for each will |
| regular ports of call for every member of the | | | | appear in different magazines and other media, |
| team. Selling is a skill that comes naturally to | | | | and the ads will vary too in design, presentation |
| some, but not to most. Yet it is possible to | | | | and language. |
| master these skills so they become more like | | | | The real secret of success here is to start to do |
| drills. With a well thought out training and | | | | things differently. The old maxim about being |
| development program, the most suitable response | | | | surprised when there is no change in |
| on the part of the salesman should be second | | | | circumstances while you continue to do things in |
| nature. With marketing too, the responses should | | | | the same way stands as an eternal truth. I would |
| be creative and limitless. | | | | encourage anyone to go and see, hear and / or |
| There is such a choice of media now that for the | | | | read what Dan Kennedy has to say on this |
| marketers it can be overwhelming. The power of | | | | subject. A quick Google search will reveal a wealth |
| the internet and the universal ownership of | | | | of material. My best counsel is that you should |
| televisions mean that a vast number of people | | | | note well what he has to say. Dan is one of the |
| and markets can be reached quickly - almost | | | | foremost sales and marketing consultants in |
| instantly. A quick review of what people enter | | | | America. |
| into the search engines also helps paint a picture | | | | |