Branding. We’re all exposed to continuous advertising. Yes, it’s now continuous (rather than “continual”) because it’s impossible to escape. You know it. I know it. It’s everywhere. And the businesses that are most effective are the ones that have established their brands. Brands are critical to recognition, and recognition is critical to successful advertising.

There has to be something that sets you apart from your competition. Who are you? What is your USP (unique selling proposition)? What’s your field of expertise? When people mention your name, what’s the first thing they associate with it? No matter what type of business you have, figure out what sets you apart and establishes you as the expert, the go-to person of influence. What do you offer that your competitors don’t?

Review your strengths. Review your competitors’ weaknesses. By doing so, you’ll quickly hone in on your USP and have a clearer sense of your brand.

When you figure out who you are, speak up—boldly, confidently, and continuously promote yourself to your customers and prospects. As you define who you are and build your brand, the goal is to have it linked, so that if someone said your name, a prospect would say, “Oh yeah, he’s the ____ guy,” or “She’s the one who. . . .” And fill in the blank with whatever your expertise is.

What you stand for is now as important as what product or service you offer. Marketing is becoming more about talking to your customers and prospects, not talking at them. It’s all about interactions and building trust. Be honest about who you are, what you stand for and what you offer or your customers will see right through you and walk away.

No matter what business you’re in, the last thing you want to be is perceived as a commodity. Why? Because people buy commodities based on price alone, and that is the least profitable, most unrewarding arena to play in.

When you’re a commodity, the only way to get clients to buy from you is to offer the lowest price, and that does two really negative things. First, obviously, it cuts into your profit margin. Every time you lower your price, you lose valuable margin. But what’s even worse, the second negative—the customers you gain by winning on price have no loyalty. As soon as they find what you offer for a lower price, they’re “outta there.”

The name of the game to boost your profits and really grow your business is customer retention, and you’ll never score customer retention when you’re a commodity . . . when you’re like all the other apples. Your repeat customers are your most profitable ones, and I’ve preached a lot about the importance of getting your customers to stick with you.

While for others it is the prospect that unhealthy cliques might develop in the workplace.  Others still fear that this type of hiring practice will leave them open to allegations of discrimination from within the workforce, particularly if existing employees are overlooked for promotion in favor of someone who has been referred by a colleague.

On the plus side, despite the potential problems (which can be overcome if handled carefully), hiring through referrals represents a huge savings to employers, who can dispense with the often extortionate costs of advertising as well as the considerable time that is typically required to sift candidates and go through the interviewing process.

These savings, however, are minimal compared to the other benefits of hiring referred candidates, because the latter have been found to work harder and stay longer than candidates who are hired through other more traditional methods.  Not only does the employer win in terms of increased productivity, but in retaining the individual’s services for longer, she also avoids staff replacement costs, which can, in some cases, amount to up to ten times the employee’s annual salary.

Consider these facts the next time you hire.

You can ask them to go online to leave reviews and comments on your work as a means of improving your overall image and making what you have more appealing. You can always ask them to fill out surveys relating to their experiences with you as well. Try not to pressure them into giving fully positive reviews though or else people will feel like you’re desperate for attention.

A customer referral program can also be worthwhile. You can offer free items to people who refer your business to other people. This is one of the best marketing tips for small businesses to use in that it ensures you will get the coverage that you demand.

• What’s your impression of when and how you’re greeted on the phone?
• Is the person pleasant to speak with?
• If you have an automated system, is your options menu easy to navigate?
• If you have an automated system, is it easy to connect with a real live person?
• Is your outgoing voice-mail message professional and friendly?
• Is your outgoing voice-mail message current?

How many times have you called somebody and heard an outgoing message that was from a just-past holiday, or perhaps from their vacation two months ago? Don’t laugh. Something that simple sends the wrong message to your customers.

As the consumer, you benefit from these loyalty programs by getting discounts and special perks. These programs help to shape your future buying habits.

Every time you find yourself selecting one store or company over another because of your desire to build up rewards points, you can remind yourself that these loyalty programs work.

A big caveat to these programs working successfully is that loyalty programs must be easy to understand and use – for your customers AND your staff.

All customers are not created equal and that very notion is reason enough to establish a loyalty program. You want to encourage those who spend more with you to…well spend even more. The best part is that they’re very likely going to do just that.

The bottom line: Keep growing and strengthening your customer relationships. It is the surest way to boost your profits.

Success leaves clues. Think about some successful entrepreneurs you know and ask yourself these questions:

• Do they talk with confidence?
• Do they make excuses?
• Do they worry about what others think?
• Are they action takers or do they put things off?

Think about how you would answer these questions about yourself.

All customers are not created equal, and using a standard ‘promotion or discount’ for everyone makes no sense. While every customer should get a great ‘wow’ experience, those who are more loyal, those that spend more and refer more, deserve more.

There are three questions you want to prepare a ready and compelling solution for. Answer these ahead of time and you will see your revenues and profits grow.

1. What else do my clients want if they accept my initial offer?
2. What can I offer them right now?
3. What can I find to offer them that I myself don't have, but could obtain from another business?

If a customer chooses a particular item, can you find a compelling reason to induce them to upgrade and buy something that costs a little more (up-selling) and brings you a little more profit? If so, will your offer be in their best interests or yours? This is a key question. If you take the philosophical standpoint that "I'm here to do what is right for the customer," then you will likely begin to win more customers than you can count. However, if you're selfish and think, "I'm going to get as much money out of this customer as I can," then you will lose more long-term business than you can even begin to imagine.

Second, for each item that you sell, think of complementary items that you might offer that would make the offer more attractive. If you're ready to give compelling reasons why a customer should buy something else from you, then you have understood the concept of cross-selling. Fast food restaurants offer a soda at a "special price" for a cross-sell because the profit margin on sodas is so high.

Proper Timing - The best time to ask your up-sell / cross-sell question is AFTER the customer has committed to the initial purchase, but just before they pay for their purchase. Once they commit they're instantly in a purchase mindset. But after they pay for their purchase, they have mentally closed the transaction.

The Basic Tips on How to Get More Business Prospects

1. Create Awesome Marketing Tools

We aren’t saying that you should dedicate 75 percent of your total budget to cover printing, PowerPoint presentations, and a website. We are suggesting that you should put a good amount of thought into the image you want your business to put out there. You should sit down and create a list of things you will need whenever you reach out to a new customer. This includes specialized stationery, brochures, and even presentation tools.

2. Greet Your Clients with Panache

A voice mail might not seem like it plays an important role in your marketing plan; however, when your kids answer the phone when potential client calls, it doesn’t look so good for you. A professional voice mail is how to get more business clients to take you seriously.

You can even go as far as creating one of those voice mail systems that has your clients press “1” to hear more about the services you provide, press “2” to hear all of your contact information and so forth.

3. Focus on Your Target Clients

One mistake a lot of people make when they are trying to figure out how to get more business is by trying to reach too many audiences. Instead of spreading yourself out so thinly, why not focus on the group that closely matches the type of people that could benefit the most from your services and/or products? By focusing on this smaller group of specific people, you can create a good rapport with them, and that is exactly what you want.

Get More Business by Using Your Products or Services

4. Offer Samples of Your Product

Instead of just going out there and passing out flyers and business cards, why not show potential clients why your product and business are worth their money. If you are a baker and you’re trying to get your products out here, offer samples to restaurants and diners. If they like the products, ask them if they would be willing to sell them as part of their dessert selection. Of course, they would keep a percentage of the sale, but it will still help you get exposure.

5. Offer Your Help

If you offer a service, like landscaping, car repair, web design, or something else, why not offer potential clients the opportunity to use your service for free or for a greatly discounted price. Let’s say you are a new landscaper and you are trying to get businesses to use your service for their lawns. You can appeal to the owner or the general manager and offer to cut their grass for 50 percent off for the first time. This will give you an opportunity to get your foot in the door and wow them with your attention to detail, how tidy you leave the grounds, and your overall professionalism.

6. Attend Trade Shows

A niche trade show is a fantastic way to get exposure and draw a crowd. At these trade shows, you’ll be side by side with other people who are in a similar business as you are, so you’ll want to put your best foot forward. However, if you play your cards right and have awesome items and services that people will want, it can be a great way to drum up new clients.

7. Do Some Digital Surveillance on the Competition

As much as we want to think that you are the only company out there that offers the products and services you specialize in, you aren’t. Fortunately, the internet exists, and you can look at the reviews, see their business model, and see what sort of specials they offer. Now we aren’t suggesting that you copy your competition, but see what works for them and see how you could emulate that kind of success.

8. Seek Out Your Consumers First

Don’t leave it to your potential clients to find you online, be proactive and reach out to people. Create a personalized email telling your prospective client how they could benefit from using your services and why they would be remiss if they didn’t. People are much more inclined to consider someone when they are personal and make an effort to connect.