Top 5 tips from Verb Marketing
Top Tips
We speak to Dean Currall, MD of Verb Marketing. I frequently get asked; “What’s the best course of action for my business if I want to market myself better?”
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ften, many people are left surprised when I say that most of it isn’t to do with marketing at all. Certainly in the typical sense, many businesses believe that marketing is exclusively about outbound promotion but in fact most of it is to do with inbound, salience marketing and conversion. The truth is, you got this far without a marketing agency telling you what to do, so why don’t we make you better at what you’ve already proven to be successful for you. Below is 5 quick tips for ‘marketing’ your business more successfully: 1. Enhance your corporate image: The biggest mistake many businesses make is not investing enough in their ‘corporate appearance’. They believe quality of service is everything and I’m afraid to say it isn’t. Many larger companies want their contractors, suppliers and partners to suit their corporate image and often many tenders, proposals and BID’s are won on the presentation rather than definitive knowledge that you’re the best. Simply put, if a company has never used you before, how would they truly know? 2. Have a process: For many businesses, attracting customers is only half the problem, the other half is getting them over the line. Often, businesses believe that a meeting and a slick speech is all you need but businesses are always looking to see if you’re capable and experienced enough to deal with their demands. Platforms like Sales Force, Active Campaign and a good CRM can bring leads back from the dead or help successfully convert those stubborn leads. 3. Give stuff away: As I’m writing this, I’m offering 5 tips for good marketing and what I can tell you is that it’s worth every minute because it generates leads. Let’s say a person reading this
right now is looking for marketing, then I’ve put myself in a better place to win the work because I haven’t sold, I’ve simply shown my capabilities without asking for anything in return. I’m already ahead of my competition due to this simple interaction and I did it in a way that creates value for the reader.
4. Invest in the small things:
Recently I bought a new door and some better office furniture. Some of my staff asked about the door to see why I was so bothered. In my mind, that was the first thing the customer saw and it had to fall in line with my brand. It sounds crazy but customers sub-consciously absorb many points of information and make a judgement based on appearance. If you’re asking for a large investment, make sure everything looks suited to that request. Simply put, would you buy a designer handbag in a shed? Would you question the integrity of the product based on where it was being sold?
5. Listen first, talk later:
I have seen dozens of sales people go straight into what they sell before asking a single question about the other person. These people are selling services and not solutions! How easier would it be if I simply asked you what you did? Let’s say you tell me you’re an accountant then I can immediately tailor my pitch to talk about how to market yourself to get as much auto-enrolment work while it lasts, rather than just sell you at ‘I can market any business’. By asking the question, you’re getting the answers to the test. Before any pitch I always ask my client, ‘so what are you looking to achieve’? They tell me, and I just keep referring back to their objectives. I look like I’m the most suited agency in the room and I often get the business.
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