Slowing Down? Then Let's get going again!

In case you haven't noticed, the level of solicitations is increasing.

Door to door, telephone and of course those email blasts. Do you know the main reason? Business is slow and people have little or nothing to work on and smart entrepreneurs are turning everybody on staff into sales executives or laying them off.

If you're reading this blog, you too are probably trying to find a new, innovative idea to make the difficult task of soliciting more pleasing. Not only to the solicited, but mainly to the solicitor.

How much more interesting is that person knocking on the door or telephone caller when they have something to give you beyond that product or service they need to sell?

Just yesterday, a perky, medical looking professional (wearing a white smock) came bouncing into my office with the "just happened to be in the neighborhood" line. Extending a gift bag my way, she offered an "opportunity" to visit her new bosses dental office for a free exam and very low cost cleaning.

I've been going to the same dentist for more than 30 years and the effort he goes to keeping out of pain has earned my loyalty (never mind the free toothbrush, floss and chocolates I get on the way out). So, when I told my visitor this she nodded her agreement and left me a folder with all the information about the new dentist including some referral cards, a toothbrush, floss and a toothpaste sample. "What, no chocolate?" I thought to myself. She's not going to get my business!"

But seriously, I would bet you any amount of money that out of 25 people Miss Perky visited, she found someone that is going to have a need for a neighborhood dentist. She will successfully begin developing some new clientele that will begin raising that practice out of this slow down.

Whether there is a budget for it or not, you're going to have to be the one to take the incentive to getting your clients back to calling on you again.

This week I had a terrible experience. I found out a client of mine was releasing a whole new branding campaign and me -- the promotional marketing guru of Ventura County, California -- was out of sight and out of mind when they sat down to plan the campaign with the new logo.

I guarantee that won't happen again. And to insure my existing client base knows I'm around to help them out of this slow down, here is my check list of things I'm doing on a monthly basis.

#1. I'm going to email my client base and let them know this blog is available for their consumption.

#2. I'm going to make more sampling available to them at NO COST. Try it you might like it. I'll be showing promotional ideas and let them know a free sample is on the way if requested.

#3. I'm going to have a contest. Tell me the best promotional product you've seen in the last six months and the winner gets a brand new Fossil Watch. There will be two winners -- one for the guys and one for the gals.

#4. I'm going to invite them to pass the word to their friends about the contest and let them compete for the watches.

The Lesson for my screw up is to take away something that will insure I'm being better at servicing my client base even when we're not in the sales cycle. For me, and should be for you, it's about staying in the loop even when you're not in the sales cycle. If you've got great ideas and great stuff, showing and telling can as much fun as selling.

These four proactive marketing steps will gain me a number of new ideas and new clients while I’m able to provide additional services and make myself more available. It might not result in any immediate sales; but at least I won’t be out of sight and out of mind when the buying need starts again.

Call me at 805-485-2865 so we can plan a campaign for you or visit our website www.InnMkting.com to search through our idea base.