Marketing Your Business - Most Ignored Marketing Rule #1 - Loyal Customers Don't Want Sales

It's the #1 deadly sin of most marketing campaigns.

Take a look at your daily newspaper (if your town still has one) or maybe your mailbox. See all those coupons?

• 10% off!
• SALE!
• Low Price Guarantee
• Save 20%, 30%, up to 45% - and more!

Here is the problem with these offers... you will only get two (2) types of people responding to them:

Type 1 - People who aren't your customers and are just price shopping
Type 2 - Existing customers who would have purchased from you anyway but will take advantage of these discounted prices.

Now, there's nothing wrong with price shoppers - especially in today's tough economy. But if the customers are only buying price - THEY ARE NOT LOYAL CUSTOMERS. The only thing a price-shopping customer sees in your business is what your product or service will cost.

Of course, there are a few businesses that thrive on the low-price business model - WalMart may be the best known. But, if I'm any indicator of what's happening to WalMart's market then they're spiraling towards their own destruction (remember, you read it first here!). I shop discount stores regularly; but I'll shop at WalMart ONLY when I need something cheap - something that I don't expect to last, that I know I'll only use once or twice, and therefore something I don't want to spend much money on. Anytime I'm looking for a real item - something that I expect to keep, use, and cherish for sometime - WalMart is nowhere on my list.

When it comes to WalMart - I'm a price shopper - not a LOYAL CUSTOMER.

Then, there are your existing customers who'll jump on the low prices. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - your customers will have purchased goods or services from you at a really good price. But, it's not entirely a good thing either, since - in my experience - most businesses use sales and discount offers to increase revenue and net profit and not primarily to make happy customers.

A large, retail company recently ran a huge promotion with discounted prices. During the promotion, things seemed to be going swimmingly. Customers were redeeming the discount coupons at a spectacular rate. But, when the promotion ended and the sales data analyzed, the company executives were surprised to find that sales revenues were almost unaffected - the increase was insignificant - even with the huge number of redemptions. Why? Because most of the redemptions came from existing customers who saw an opportunity to save a few dollars. The bottom line? The company's revenue didn't increase, their margins decreased, so they ended up with a smaller net profit during the time of the promotion.

"But," you ask, "doesn't this prove that good customers want sales?"

No, it proves that good, smart customers will take advantage of a sale - but that's not what they're looking for from you.

Loyal customers look for one AND ONLY ONE thing: COMFORT.

• They want to feel comfortable with you and your business.
• They want to feel comfortable that they're making the right decision while they're spending their hard earned money.
• They want to feel comfortable once they've actually shelled out for your product or service.
• They want to feel comfortable talking to their friends about their purchase.
• They want to feel comfortable that - should they ever need your product/service in the future - they know where to go.
• Then, once they feel comfortable - they want something new

Now, here's the concept most business owners either don't know, don't understand, or entirely ignore:

When suspects and prospects, customer and clients don't already have a relationship with a business that provides comfort, they'll shop price to make up for what's lacking.

So, when you're creating offers to send out to suspects and prospects remember:

1. Suspects and prospects don't really know you and feel comfortable with you or your business, so most will ignore your offer.
2. The only way suspects or prospects will consider your offer is if the price is so low that it makes up for their lack of comfort.
3. If your offer is made to existing customers, find something to offer other than price. For example, instead of a restaurant offering a 15% discount on a meal, offer a free, rich, to-die-for desert to every loyal customer that returns to the restaurant within a specified promotional period and orders the latest, delicious new entree. These customers:
   • already know the restaurant
   • feel comfortable that the new entree will be every bit as delicious as advertised
   • may already have tasted (or lusted after) the to-die-for desert
   so this offer gives them something NEW they can feel comfortable about.

Sales and discount offers are short term tricks to increase traffic to your establishment. They may work for a while but, like most short term fixes, there's the problem of diminishing returns - the more you use them, the less effective they'll be.

On the other hand, promotions and offers that focus on building comfortable relationships with prospects and loyal customers will put your business on sure footing for years to come.

How to Make Money Online With a Limited Marketing Budget

There are several low cost marketing options available if you are wondering how to make money on line with a limited marketing budget. One of the options available is that of free classified advertising.

Taking advantage of the various free classifieds sites is a great way to get started with your online marketing business. There are plenty of classifieds sites out there that will allow you to post ads totally free of charge.

Zero/low cost advertising is important when you're trying to get that first sale or working on a limited marketing budget. It wouldn't make any sense to jump straight into an expensive marketing strategy like Google AdWords, without knowing what you're doing. I recently heard about someone who jumped into an online marketing business "boots and all" and spent tens of thousands of dollars on marketing before making a sale. Definitely not a good business strategy! You really need to be wise, work within your budget, and not branch out into other more expensive marketing methods until your business can support those kind of business costs.

Some of the sites I have had good results with include inetgiant.com, adlandpro.com and jihoy.com to name a few, but there are thousands to choose from. Some also offer additional services such as a facility to submit your ads to other sites for greater exposure - there are also inexpensive tools available to do this yourself.

There are certainly plenty of ways to market your business without maxing out the credit card so give them a try!

Craig Dobinson is a business coach and mentor who assists serious entrepreneurs in building a profitable online business with multiple income streams. Craig and his team assist people with no previous marketing skills in generating profits that exceed $250K or more in their first year.

Top 6 Vital Qualities to Look For Starting an Online Internet Home Based Business

If you are looking for a professional Online Internet Home Based Business you don't want to sell vitamins, overpriced trendy juices, or travel packages.

You want to represent top tier products that have value to people in any walk of life and you don't have to stack in your garage.

You also want a business that will make you money when you're not working. You want to attract other success minded entrepreneurs and you don't want a repackaged MLM company.

You really want a home business and NOT a 2nd job. You want business partners not another boss.

A business with a professional image and a 6 figure income potential has these 6 vital qualities:

1. Mentor

One of the most important elements of a successful business is having a mentor who is competent, experienced, successful and accessible and who has a financial stake in your success

2. Marketing System

When you start out with your online internet home based business you probably have little or no experience in online marketing so it is crucial that there is a turn-key marketing system which leaves nothing to chance and where you effortlessly can duplicate established procedures.

3. Product

You'll want A unique stand alone, high quality product that sells well outside the company and enriches the lives of those who posses it.

4. Company

You are looking for a solid company with a long term vision, with transparent and legitimate operations and a sound leadership.

5. Direct Sales Business Model

It does NOT matter how great or life changing a product is if the business model does not fully compensate you to be a full-time business owner in a matter of months, not years. The Direct Sales business model is your answer to this objective.

6. Dual Compensation Structure

This compensation structure allows you to generate a full time income on your own terms. Ad this happens from day 1. It also gives you another full-time residual income from the efforts of your organization over time.

I assure you missing even one of these elements will result in the same frustration and lack of success you've probably been seeing up until now. I know because I have struggled with similar problems.