Chip Bishop Communications and Management, Inc.

Professional marketing skills…

- Cape Cod Times

Chip's Ten Low-Cost Sales & Marketing Ideas

Exceed Expectations – 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers. Pamper them with exceptional customer service. Call them by name. Look them in the eye. Solve their problems speedily.
Generate Word of Mouth Referrals – Don’t be shy about asking for written and oral “testimonials.” An unhappy customer will complain about you to nine people; a happy one will tell just one other person. What are you waiting for?
Build Your Network (and cut your ad budget). Meet your prospects in person and establish a relationship before making a sale. Join a committee or professional association. Contribute to a blog site or organize a meetup. Choose to be sure and steady and not controversial.
Create a Sales Graphic – E-mail or direct mail it to friends and qualified prospects from your database. Include it with your invoices, tack it to bulletin boards, and insert it into your Chamber’s newsletter. Challenge your creative side; design it yourself. Dare to be different.
Freshen your Web Site – Give visitors a reason to come back often. Update your home page regularly with news, offers and sign-ups. For the best search engine return, select key words that people will use to find you. Harvest e-mail addresses constantly.
Host an Open House - Give prospects a reason to come to your door. Sponsor a Chamber after-hours party or ice cream social. Invite someone special as a draw. Don’t depend on others to get a crowd; work the phones.
Use Free Media – Make business news by making something special happen. Give an award. Run a contest. Salute your umpteenth customer. Write a brief news release; e-mail it to community newspapers, radio stations and web sites. When writing a release, make it newsy not an advertisement.
Use Social Networking – Create your own MySpace or Facebook page, post a special video on YouTube. Don’t know how? Ask your kids.
Coupons, Coupons, Coupons – Remember, the first sale is the first step toward the second sale. People expect special pricing and free tryouts. Post special offers online; include them in mailings.
Dress Up Your Communications – Make your message stand out from the rest. Use fun graphics, snappy slogans and special colors. When sending mail, hand-write addresses and use special stamps instead of a meter strip. Call 1-800 STAMP-24 for a free stamp catalogue.