By Ilise Benun, www.marketingmentor.com
Are there really any secrets about marketing?
That’s what someone asked me the other day when I was describing our latest offering: Pricing and Marketing Secrets (www.pricingandmarketingsecrets.com).
At first I had to laugh because, let’s face it, there are no secrets. What we teach is neither original nor unusual. It’s all common sense and common knowledge.
On the other hand, the ideas often come across as secrets because people often forget what I consider the two main principles of marketing: communication and action.
Communication, because most of the problems I hear about stem from a lack of communication. For example, you don’t want to pick up the phone to:
* ask more questions, for fear of looking stupid.
* follow up with a prospect who expressed interest, imagining they would call you if interested.
* tell a client their job is taking more time (and will cost more money) than you anticipated.
Action is the other secret, because a lack of action often results in working for clients who can’t afford to pay you what you deserve or who offer boring projects. A lack of action results in taking whatever comes along, not actively pursuing the work you want.
My advice: Communicate thoroughly with clients, take the actions towards your ideal clients and jobs. Do the thing you’re avoiding. Don’t wait for:
* your prospect to reach out to you; reach out to her first.
* the phone to ring. Make those cold calls. Attend that event.
This is how businesses grow, not by sitting around waiting. That’s the biggest secret of all!
