Spread The Word and Get More Business

ServiceSeeking.com.au is a fantastic way of finding new customers, but your marketing efforts shouldn’t end there. There are other things you could be doing to give your business the best chance of not only survival – but success.

Most of us are in business because we want to make money. Nobody ever sets out in business to fail, but with so many businesses failing in their first five years, it can be an unfortunate reality. Lack of cash flow and poor business management are the top culprits, but when things get a bit slow, we need to use our initiative, get out there and find some more work.
Here are great ways you can get some more business through the door:

Networking

Networking is not only fun but can open up a host of business opportunities. Networking is all about building relationships and connecting with people – these people can also become your biggest promoters. Networking groups can provide support and information such as legal and regulatory changes, industry developments, new products and markets. They can bring out potential gaps in your products or services as well as improve your professional reputation.

And it’s not just about connecting with people so you can make a sale; it’s about developing long-term relationships and nurturing the associations for long-term benefits.

There are a ton of networking opportunities out there – just contact your local council and they can point you in the right direction (or use our old friend Google).

Sales Letters

With the global explosion of the internet and social media, it can be easy to forget about traditional sales letters. Direct mail can target the people you wish to talk to more directly without wasting money talking to the people that you don’t want to.

Sales letters are great for talking more intimately with people about your product or service and are one of the greatest weapons in being able to keep existing customers.  The point of a good sales letter is to sell, and if well written and executed, they work for every kind of business. 

Radio and TV

Radio and TV are listened to and watched by hundreds of thousands of people, so by using these mediums to advertise, you have wide-ranging target-ability.

Radio is obviously a much cheaper option than a television commercial, with prices starting from only a few hundred dollars for off-peak times to a few thousand for some of the more premium stations and premium listening times. According to Australian Radio Ads, 64% of listeners take action as a result of something they heard on the radio. Not bad, eh?

Television is a lot more expensive, with advertising starting at $20,000 for an off-peak low-budget commercial. If you want to advertise at peak time, around the 7 pm mark, it could cost you millions! But with virtually every Australian having at least one TV in their home (actually, most people have at least two!), it’s no surprise that a television commercial can offer a good return on investment.

Word of Mouth

If you eat at a great restaurant – you’re going to tell everyone about it. If a tradie does a super paint job on your house, you’ll want to share the good results with your friends and neighbours. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if you give someone bad service or a bad product, they will talk about that too! What is the moral of the story? Always do a good job so people will happily spread the good results.

You can also think about offering specials to people who introduce someone to your business as an incentive. Service Seeking is a great way to get the WOM thing happening!

No Excuses…

There’s no need to be a statistic of a failed business venture when there are so many great ways to drum up new business. It just takes some initiative and a bit of hard work. If you want to use any of the mediums mentioned here but don’t know where to start, you can also list your needs on Service Seeking, and there’s no doubt someone will answer the call!

Author Nikki Teller

Nikki Teller runs The Write Calibre, a business that evolved as she realised there was a considerable gap in the market for seriously creative, inspired and original online copywriting. Nikki’s legal secretary background helped shape the high standard of her proofreading and editing skills, and she further developed these talents while completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism and Public Relations). She has spent time freelancing as a copywriter in the UK and now contributes regular features to The Australian Writer.