What marketing advice have you taken away from a seminar and applied to your business?

I enjoy going to seminars, as I find it’s a great way to learn new marketing ideas. I always look for at least one take away idea, I can put into practise, because if you’re not learning and growing, then you become stagnant and the world will pass you by.

There’s no point having 100 ideas, if you don’t implement any of them. So write down your ideas and think how you could use or modify these strategies and tactics to grow your grow your business.

Remember the old adage “A short pencil is better than a long memory”

Once the event is over and the hype starts fading, I grab my notes and go over them looking for the biggest payoff, or the easiest to implement, so I can take action.

Last week I had the chance see to Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of Guerrilla Marketing, in action. Jay’s book Guerrilla Marketing was one of my first Marketing Books, I read.

This book laid a solid foundation in my marketing arsenal and the approach I apply with my clients.

It’s better to Out think your competition than to Outspend them.

So I thought it would be useful, to share some of his ideas, from the notes I took at the Marketing Event.

Marketing is a process not an event, it does not have to end.

The 22 Concepts behind Guerrilla Marketing

Marketing is an investment, you need to invest
Time
Energy
Imagination
Information and
Some money
Marketing is simple – do it right
This works for all small businesses, it’s not complicated, it simple to use
Track your profits
Psychology- understand human behaviour – repetition
Adding excellence – use focus
Look for Geometric Growth, rather than Linear Growth
68% of customers are being ignored – don’t ignore your customers
Look for business that have similar customers, JV, collaborative, co-operation, Fusion Marketing
Meme communicates a message, idea virus, rather than a logo
Educate them, Give customers information, they need to make a decision
Your marketing, should not be ME Marketing, focus on solving their problems
Advertising does not work by itself, you need marketing synergy (have marketing weapons at your disposal)
How many new relationships did you create today?
Embrace technology, it’s not a fad
Define your customer
4% want to buy right Now
4% Want more info
92% don’t care
Focus on Small details – eg Disneyland, it’s clean, rubbish is picked up within 15 minutes
Use marketing to gain their consent
It’s a Two way conversation – Dialog, not monologue
Sell them what they need (not what they want) listen
Sell solutions, benefits. Find their problem and solve it
In Guerrilla Marketing, Jay has over 200 low cost marketing weapons for small business. To find out what these marketing weapons are, I suggest you buy his book Guerrilla Marketing

Networking is a terrific way to get noticed and, if it is done properly, it can ultimately mean more sales for your business. However, for it to work successfully you need to bear one thing in mind; networking should not just be seen solely as a sales platform, but as a way for you to exchange business ideas with like-minded individuals. Indeed, one of the greatest mistakes that people make when networking, is that they try to sell their products and services before they have even attempted to get to know someone on a personal level. In this article, I will look at some of the key factors you will need to consider to make networking a fruitful experience for you and your business.

One important question you will need to ask yourself from the outset is, ‘Where are the best places for you to carry out your networking?’ Here you have many options. You can attend events run by professional organisations in your particular industry, or you can connect with various interest groups in your local community. Alternatively, you can attend events hosted by your local Chamber of Commerce or Business Link, both of which bring business owners together. However, if you find yourself short of time in being able to physically attend these events, you can always consider networking on the Internet. This can be done in a variety of ways. For instance, you may find it beneficial to sign up to a forum that deals with your type of business. Here you can share lots of ideas and services with the other members. Another good way to carry out online networking would be to make use of the multitude of social media sites available on the internet. There are many to choose from and you cannot help but find something relevant to your business type or interest.

Another key factor to take into account before you begin networking and marketing your business, is to make sure that you have a good idea as to what your Unique Selling Point will be, or USP as it is known. Ask yourself the question, ‘What unique services you can offer your future networking contacts?’ It is also a good idea to be clear on what type of businesses you are interested in speaking to when you attend any events or when looking online- ‘What type of customers and other contacts do you work best with?’

Finally, there are a few other factors you will need to be mindful of when networking. As I said at the start of this article, do not see networking as just an opportunity to sell your products and services; if all you do is hunt down business owners with the aim of selling to them immediately, your networking will come to an abrupt end. A better way to view networking is to see it as a mutual activity, where you will make a number of valuable contacts which will help you in a variety of ways and you will be able to help them in return. This of course will naturally lead to more business for you over time, but be patient.