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Another free Sales article for you by Lorraine Ball
Titled: Want To Double Your Sales
Want To Double Your Sales
Article Summary: Two years ago, my firm Roundpeg suffered from split business disorder and as the owner, so did I. Offering marketing services for small business owners, we also offered team building and training services to Fortune 500 firms.
Two years ago, my firm Roundpeg suffered from split business disorder and as the owner, so did I. Offering marketing services for small business owners, we also offered team building and training services to Fortune 500 firms.
Neither segment was large enough to stand alone, so I spent my time split between both. When someone asked me what I did, I was never quite sure how to respond and often said too much.
Networking associates overloaded with T.M.I. (Too Much Information) rarely had a good referral for me. How could they? If I didn't know what I did or who I wanted to meet, it was unrealistic to expect others to be able to help me.
A drastic change was required!
Narrow Your Focus and Create a Plan
And so I made a decision to narrow my focus, targeting small business owners exclusively. This was the segment which had been most productive and I believed if I created an action plan to support the change I would see improved results. I began by evaluating every element of my marketing plan, eliminating elements which no longer fit the overall direction of the business.
My Goal was to become well known and respected in a smaller circle. I wanted to be the go-to person for small business marketing in Indianapolis.
•I gave up chasing "corporate gigs" and I concentrated on small businesses.
1. I pulled 650 prospects from my database which did not fit my core target. I turned the contacts over to a competitor. ( There was no changing direction after that!)
2. I discontinued my corporate eNews and gave up memberships in organizations which were not relevant for my core small business customer.
•Next I redirected my time and resources to attract the attention of small business owners,
1. Networking venues and groups were selected because they would allow me to spend more time with small business owners.
2. To be seen as a thought leader, I knew I needed to be more then just a member. Since I was being more selective in the events I was attending it was easier to commit to taking on a leadership roles in organizations which served this market.
3. And finally, I revised all our marketing material to support this new focus. We added information and phrases which are relevant to my core customer/
The Result
In two years I have moved from being self-employed to running a business with a team of four employees and two interns. Roundpeg is known for our small business expertise. Many of our current clients and referral sources have no idea we ever worked with larger firms, and they never need to know.
Tightening our focus has allowed us to concentrate and grow!
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:
Lorraine Ball
Lorraine Ball spent twenty years in corporate America, before she came to her senses. And gave up the fancy VP office, huge staff, big budget and the frustration of never getting any real work cone.
Today, you can find her at Roundpeg, a small marketing firm, based in Carmel, Indiana. Along with an extraordinarily talented team, which includes Bonnie the dog and Clyde the cat, she shares what she knows about marketing; helping small businesses, become big businesses.
Keywords: Marketing, Business, Networking, smallbusiness
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