By Rebecca Hardcastle, Marketing Account Manager, The Refinery

Successful business development is key for any growing business. Marketing and advertising are essential components, but how do you ensure you get value?  We believe it begins internally.  Every member of your organisation is an ambassador. Do they all know your marketing goals and/or messages for 2012? If not, they should. Truly integrated strategy starts from within, long before a business engages with the market. Once this is addressed, you can apply some general principles, which would appear straightforward but are often ignored:

• Choose the media that reaches your target market – not the cheapest offer that is made to you! – 
Select a publication that your target audience read. If you’re advertising on the web, niche keyword selection is critical.
• Write copy that your prospects want to read
 – Your prospects’ primary interest is in their business not yours! What will your product or service do for them? What problem do you solve for your customer?
• Establish your credibility – 
If space allows, include testimonials authenticating the outstanding results your products and services generate.
• Motivate prospects to contact you
 – Include a limited-time offer or something for free eg: a free consultation to prompt your prospects to take action.
• Tell prospects what you want them to do and how to do it
 – This is your “call to action”. Tell them to call you, visit your web site or send you an email.
• Follow up your offer with the information prospects need to make a purchase
 – Whether your prospect is on the phone, opposite you in the bar or visiting your website, help them clarify the problem or concern they have and detail the solution you provide. Then remind them what action you want them to take.
• Continue to educate your prospects and clients
 – Stay in touch.  Contact them at least every month. Get the conversation going by discussing a common problem and mention the solutions you provide.
• Apply these principles consistently over a period of time
 – Business development is a long process. Normally expect to work at it for at least six-months from initial contact through to sale.

Winning business is easy if it’s done in the correct way and we know how to get you noticed at The Refinery. Give us a call on 720200 if you want to know what we could do for you.