| I would recommend you have a good foundation | | | | because I could easily handle all the work by |
| of marketing knowledge before you begin your | | | | myself. I slowly began to market less to |
| business. Reading a copy of Guerilla Marketing for | | | | businesses and more to the residential area. |
| the 90's will give you the proper foundation you | | | | Today I don't market to the business sector at |
| need to plan your marketing strategy effectively. | | | | all, though I still work for my business customers |
| You don't need the newest edition. Buy it if you | | | | that I originally had.After narrowing my focus to |
| want, but you will pay several times the price. | | | | only concentrate on the residential sector I began |
| Good entrepreneurs get the most for their | | | | experimenting with various marketing methods to |
| money and the important concepts talked about | | | | effectively reach this sector. My initial objective |
| in the book have not changed much since the | | | | was simple. I needed to inform as many residents |
| 90's.In this article I will talk about what my | | | | as I could that I was here. A friend told me about |
| marketing strategy was when I was starting out, | | | | a local newspaper that runs once a week and is |
| how it changed over the year, what worked for | | | | specific to his community of Dunwoody, Georgia. I |
| me and what did not and the marketing lessons I | | | | picked up a copy of the paper and skimmed |
| learned from my experiences. | | | | through it. The first thing I noticed was that the |
| My very first form of marketing was flyering | | | | classifieds section was clear and easy to read. |
| mailboxes around my neighborhood in early 2003, | | | | The headings and sub headings were clearly |
| back when I was doing computer support only | | | | defined. I could easily open up the classifieds |
| part time. At the time I had never picked up a | | | | section and quickly locate the category I was |
| marketing book and I knew absolutely nothing | | | | looking for. I looked at the computer section and |
| about the subject. I only knew that people | | | | saw that there was about 3 or four people |
| needed to know what I was offering. This | | | | advertising there already. I sent an email to one |
| method was mostly effective in my own condo | | | | of the businesses advertising in the computer |
| complex because on each flyer I wrote " **the | | | | section asking them how they liked their results - |
| name of my complex** resident offering | | | | I did not mention what business I was in. I got a |
| computer support for **name of my complex**. | | | | response back from the person saying they got |
| In this way I think the flyer did not seem like | | | | more new customers from that paper than from |
| such an intrusion, as each resident was getting | | | | any other. He also asked me what business I was |
| the flyer from one of their own neighbors, not | | | | in so I told him. I also told him I was grateful for |
| just some everyday solicitor. I flyered other | | | | the info he had given me and that I would be |
| complexes but never matched the success I got | | | | happy to share with him what was working and |
| in my own.Soon after flyering some calls started | | | | not working in my own marketing efforts but I |
| coming in. I would go do a job for one household | | | | never heard back from the guy. Probably he was |
| which would often lead to referrals and those | | | | miffed that he had helped out a competitor. I |
| referrals to referrals. In one case I got a total of | | | | don't really understand this kind of attitude. I think |
| about 6 new customers from just one referral. | | | | that - to a certain degree - if businesses help |
| Eventually I grew tired of flyering and stopped it | | | | each other out everyone wins out in the end. But |
| altogether. I always felt very shady while I was | | | | that's a subject for another post.I paid about $60 |
| doing it. Later I found out I was right to feel | | | | per month to have a 5 or 6 line ad in this paper. I |
| uncomfortable as a search on the Internet | | | | made sure the text in my ad was different from |
| informed me it is illegal to put anything in a | | | | the others. The ads already running were all |
| mailbox that does not have postage.During the | | | | offering a very braod range of services; business |
| two years that I was doing computer work part | | | | support as well as home support. I wrote my ad |
| time I got all my business from flyering and word | | | | so that it was more specific - my ad stressed |
| of mouth. It was not a lot of business because | | | | home technology support , not home and |
| computer support was just a side gig and I didn't | | | | business. I also made sure my website URL was |
| have the time devote a lot of resources to | | | | in the ad.During the first few months that the ad |
| getting more business.When I went completely on | | | | I ran I was very pleased with the results. My |
| my own in January of 2005 I was still not very | | | | phone was ringing and I was getting some good |
| knowledgeable in marketing and did not have any | | | | business. One thing I noticed during this time was |
| kind of formal plan or strategy, nor did I know | | | | that my ad appeared first among the 3 or 4 ads |
| what my target market was. Starting off I | | | | in the computer section. Also the first line in my |
| figured every sector and category was a | | | | ad, my business name High Tech Homes, was in |
| potential customer. It didn't matter if it was a | | | | bold lettering. After a few months the response |
| fortune 500 company, a 4 family house, a 15 | | | | started leveling off and then diminished altogether. |
| employee office or a car dealership. As for | | | | When the responses stopped coming I picked up |
| services, I thought I would simply offer anything | | | | a copy of the paper to see what might be wrong. |
| and everything - from installation of DSL Internet | | | | It quickly became clear. I was no longer the first |
| in an apartment to setting up an entire IT | | | | computer business in the section. Also for some |
| infrastructure for a 20 person office and | | | | reason the name of my business was no longer in |
| everything in between. If someone asked for it | | | | bold lettering. Without the bold face my ad was |
| and I didn't know how to do it, I would simply | | | | more difficult to pick out. By this time however I |
| learn how to do it or gather a team to get it | | | | was getting enough residual business that I did not |
| done. I attended seminars on how to win | | | | need to advertise in that paper any more. |
| government contracts and made appointments to | | | | Anytime I met with a customer I would try to |
| meet with certain government officials that might | | | | gain an insight into their consumer behavior by |
| help me make the right government contacts, not | | | | asking my them why they chose my ad and not |
| realizing I did not have the resources to take 3 | | | | the others. If my ad was not the first on the list |
| and 4 days to write detailed 10-20 page proposals | | | | the response I usually got was that they simply |
| nor the proper business history to win these | | | | called the first add on the list and got no answer, |
| contracts. From a marketing standpoint I was | | | | at which point they moved onto the second ad |
| clearly a ship without a sail.My first method of | | | | which was mine. From this I learned two things. It |
| marketing was to simply tell everyone I knew | | | | helps to be the first ad in your category, and the |
| what I was doing. I utilized my parents by getting | | | | importance of never missing a business phone |
| good leads from them or having them call their | | | | call.I've learned some important marketing lessons |
| friends who were business owners to tell them | | | | in the time I've been in business.* Try to focus on |
| about me. This worked out well, landing me my | | | | a niche marketOnce I abandoned the business |
| first quality business client; a small office of about | | | | sector things got much easier for me. I was able |
| 6 employees. This client was a good source of | | | | to focus my marketing efforts more effectively.* |
| revenue for me in the early days.Next I took a | | | | When advertising in classified sections, I've found |
| stab at what I would soon find out is the | | | | the most success with papers that have clear and |
| toughest form of marketing out there - cold | | | | concise classifieds.The papers that did the worst |
| calling. I now have respect for anyone able to do | | | | for me were ones where the classifieds section |
| this for 8 hours a day and be successful at it. I | | | | was messy and the major headings and |
| simply do not have the patience or the tough skin | | | | categories were not well defined.* Differentiate |
| for it nor do I take the constant rejection well. | | | | yourself in your advertisingIf your ad is going to |
| Most of the businesses I called did not have a | | | | stand out from all the other ads it is going to |
| need for me for one reason or another - they | | | | have to be different. When forming my strategy |
| were a franchise and got their IT support from | | | | for some phone book advertising I opened up a |
| the franchisor, they got their support from their | | | | copy of the phonebook I had and thumbed over |
| corporate parent, they had a support agreement | | | | to the computer section. I was surprised to see |
| with Dell and called them for all their needs. Maybe | | | | that almost all the ads looked the same. All the |
| I would have found more success with this | | | | businesses were offering the exact same thing - |
| method had I stuck with it longer, but I did not | | | | upgrades, virus help, system crashes, networking, |
| have the patience to put a lot of effort into to it. | | | | high speed internet. Ad after ad, all with the same |
| The funny thing is, on my very first cold call I | | | | services listed in bullet point, all blended together |
| was able to schedule a meeting with a small | | | | with the occasional picture of the computer |
| business located right across the street from | | | | monitor with a frowny face or a guy standing |
| where I lived. We had the meeting and to this | | | | over his computer looking frustrated. I fired up |
| day that client is my best business customer. | | | | Adobe Photoshop and came up with an ad that is |
| Since I landed a great client on my very first cold | | | | completely different, offering a totally different |
| call I started wondering what everyone was | | | | set of services along with a couple of the usual |
| complaining about with cold calling. Turns out my | | | | ones just so the viewers know that I can do all |
| next one hundred or so calls landed me nothing | | | | the usual stuff as well.* Be creative in your |
| and I quickly gave it up.I had some business | | | | advertisingGoing back to my previous example, |
| customers but was not having the success I | | | | nothing that I saw in the phone book was very |
| wanted to have in this sector. I was growing tired | | | | creative. The ad I made up is very attention |
| of writing a lot of lengthy proposals for projects | | | | grabbing. As I write this the ad will be coming out |
| just to be turned down. Looking back one of the | | | | this very week. While I can't say for sure exactly |
| problems was that I was only one person. I didn't | | | | how well it will do, I have a very good feeling |
| have the resources to hire a full time staff that | | | | about it.If you are starting out I hope that what |
| could back me on projects. Instead I was trying | | | | I've written here will help you to improve your |
| to rely on hiring associates on a contract basis | | | | own marketing strategy. If you have already |
| who were already working full time. I didn't feel | | | | been in the game for awhile you may be able to |
| completely confident going into meetings to sell | | | | concur with some of the things I've said based on |
| large projects or contracts because I didn't have | | | | your own experience. If you have anything to |
| a full time staff behind me, and that lack of | | | | add I would like to hear it, either in a comment |
| confidence probably showed through in my | | | | posted here or in an email sent to me. Happy |
| presentation.I began to realize I was having much | | | | entrepreneuring.Carlos Cabezas writes about |
| more success in the residential and work from | | | | entrepreneurship and solopreneurship on his web |
| home markets. Since each job was smaller, I | | | | site, He runs solo computer business called High |
| didn't have to spend hours or days writing a | | | | Tech Homes and an online training and tutoring |
| proposal for each job. I felt more confident | | | | business called MyOnlineTutor.net. |