To make your business known among your target consumers, begin by promoting yourself and studying how the competition does it.
Q
I am new in business — barely a year old. Business is slow. There are months I hardly make a sale. How can I make my business known?
— JERRY, Cabanatuan City
A
You didn't tell us what kind of business you have. Neither did you give us any idea about the kind of products (or services) you sell. So, since your question is general, allow us to answer you in a broad way, too.
For starters, do you do any promoting?
* Promote yourself. Promotion is all things you do to make the target customer aware of your business, product, or service. Promotion can be, at its most elaborate, a multi-media program — on television, radio, print, online. The works! At its most basic, you can do a direct mail or house-to-house (or office-to-office) promotion campaign to well-selected potential buyers.
The multi-media approach targets a huge “public,” and is used by large-scale consumer firms. The second may be better for a small, start-up business like yours.
Promotion need not be expensive. For example, in the early stages of a service-oriented firm, personal contacts and door-knocking may be sufficient. If you are in retailing, you can send out promotional leaflets door to door. If you are in manufacturing, carefully prepared brochures and sales calls will usually do the work.
* Offer discounts on selected items and spread the word around. “Buy one-take one” deals never fail to excite housewives. Do you have a community newsletter? Publish a small ad or an “advertorial”, which can be an interesting feature story on your business that will attract the readers' attention. We know some businesses that put up posters at the back of pedicabs and jeepneys. Consider these as “moving billboards.” Then, come the holiday season, don't forget to reward your loyal customers with little tokens.
* Study the competition. How do they promote their business? What strategies do they use? Can you improve on these? While you're at it, find out too about their pricing, location, and other factors important to the customers' decision to buy.
If you give us a more specific idea regarding your business and products, we can be more specific in our advice. Do write us again. For now, good luck!
Source:Philstar
Q
I am new in business — barely a year old. Business is slow. There are months I hardly make a sale. How can I make my business known?
— JERRY, Cabanatuan City
A
You didn't tell us what kind of business you have. Neither did you give us any idea about the kind of products (or services) you sell. So, since your question is general, allow us to answer you in a broad way, too.
For starters, do you do any promoting?
* Promote yourself. Promotion is all things you do to make the target customer aware of your business, product, or service. Promotion can be, at its most elaborate, a multi-media program — on television, radio, print, online. The works! At its most basic, you can do a direct mail or house-to-house (or office-to-office) promotion campaign to well-selected potential buyers.
The multi-media approach targets a huge “public,” and is used by large-scale consumer firms. The second may be better for a small, start-up business like yours.
Promotion need not be expensive. For example, in the early stages of a service-oriented firm, personal contacts and door-knocking may be sufficient. If you are in retailing, you can send out promotional leaflets door to door. If you are in manufacturing, carefully prepared brochures and sales calls will usually do the work.
* Offer discounts on selected items and spread the word around. “Buy one-take one” deals never fail to excite housewives. Do you have a community newsletter? Publish a small ad or an “advertorial”, which can be an interesting feature story on your business that will attract the readers' attention. We know some businesses that put up posters at the back of pedicabs and jeepneys. Consider these as “moving billboards.” Then, come the holiday season, don't forget to reward your loyal customers with little tokens.
* Study the competition. How do they promote their business? What strategies do they use? Can you improve on these? While you're at it, find out too about their pricing, location, and other factors important to the customers' decision to buy.
If you give us a more specific idea regarding your business and products, we can be more specific in our advice. Do write us again. For now, good luck!
Source:Philstar
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