17 marketing ideas to grow your business - Free Seminar  This is your chance to claim a FREE place at a marketing seminar to run at Hothorpe Hall near Market Harborough this May following on from the very popular event that took place in March.

Just to let you know that my marketing seminar at Hothorpe Hall on Tuesday night is now fully booked.  In fact, there are now 92 people confirmed for the 60 places available.  From previous experiance a good number of people who say that they are going to attend seminars don’t actually turn up on the day.  I am hoping this is the case for Tuesday otherwise we are going to have to get a few extra chairs!

So iff you would like to attend I’m afraid you can’t - but don’t worry, the next free seminar will be taking place in May.  Details will be on this website shortly.

Free Marketing Seminar Reveals 17 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business

Claim your FREE place at a new marketing seminar at Hothorpe Hall near Market Harborough this March.

Blackthorn Griffiths Accountants are delighted to sponsor this event at Hothorpe Hall. This early evening seminar takes place on March 18th from 6pm and is free to any business owner or staff a business growth function working for companies employing between 1 and 300 staff.

Date: March 18th

Time: 6 for 6.30pm till 8.30pm

Location: Hothorpe Hall in Leicestershire

Cost: FREE

Title: ‘The 17 Marketing Cogs Seminar’

Discover the 17 essential marketing areas you need to be engaged in to win more new business and keep your existing customers for longer.

To claim a free place (and bring up to 3 friends with you) please call 01858 44 55 43 e-mail seminar@idealmarketingcompany.com or visit

Important: Places MUST be claimed in advance. If you turn up on the night without a prior reservation, you will be charged the normal fee of £40 per person.

Five top tips to keep clients coming back for more

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

We have all heard the phrase ‘The customer is king’ but how many of us pay it more than lip service?

The truth is, for the average small business, it is far more cost effective to target your limited marketing resources towards your existing customers than to constantly spend a fortune trawling to attract new ones. After all, it costs seven times more to attract a new customer than to maintain an existing one.

Think of your customers a bit like a bath. Your taps are new customers arriving into your company. The bath plug – or effective customer service – prevents your customers from leaving. It takes a lot of energy and effort to constantly have new customers arriving all the time, but preventing them from leaving is a great deal simpler.

Why do my customers leave?

A whopping 75% leave because of ‘perceived indifference’. That means that they stop doing business with you because they feel that you aren’t interested in them; that you don’t make them feel special anymore. When a rival company writes to them with a special offer, they can be tempted away because you never bother keeping in touch.

So, while you may think you are treating your customers well, most of them probably think otherwise. When a customer leaves they don’t usually make a fuss or complain – they quietly slip out the door never to return.

Making them stay

Perhaps you really are going out of your way to serve your customer, but they just don’t realise it. Well perception is reality, so if 75% are leaving because of ‘perceived indifference’, here are five easy-to-implement ideas on how to change their reality:

1. Capture their details and keep in touch with them. At least once a month write to them or e-mail them with a special offer, product preview, clearance sale, new product line, open evening or whatever. This lets them know that you are thinking about them and finding new ways to serve them

2. Ask them how you are doing. Conduct a customer satisfaction survey on an annual or regular basis depending on your customer base. You can even offer an incentive if they complete the form. This will help you see where you could be better – even if it’s only down to perception.

3. Conduct regular customer forums. This allows you to tell your best customers more about what you are up to and to find out from your customers what they like about your service and products. It can also be a useful opportunity for customers to meet your staff (especially background staff) and of course, other customers. If you’re feeling brave, let them talk about you while you are out of the room for an hour and then listen to their feedback on what they like and don’t like about your company.

4. Develop more than one contact point. If a buyer leaves or your contact leaves, the relationship between your two organisations disappears overnight. But if you have more than one point of contact, the relationship is far stronger and can withstand the odd member of staff moving on. When a carefully planned company pairing system really works, your two organisations become so closely intertwined that no other company will get a look in. For example, an office supply company or printers can act as a virtual stockroom delivering items the same day they are required. This locks out the competition and makes you indispensable to the day to day running of your customer’s business.

5. Be honest. Own up to mistakes, and don’t pretend to be something that you are not. You can’t build a long-term relationship that is based on mistrust. A customer would rather you held your hands up to making a mistake than trying to shift the blame where it doesn’t belong.

So remember, whilst most companies spend their hard-earned marketing and sales effort attempting to attract elusive new customers, they probably have most of the business they will ever need sitting on their database.

Many thanks to everybody who came along to the LCB in Rutland Street Leicester for a short seminar I was asked to run on pricing by www.cirt.org.uk.  It seemed to go well and I tried to make that point that people are interested in value rathr than price.  They will pay the price if you can make it clear what value they are getting out fo what you are selling. 

Afterwards a number of people asked about future events and I was pleased to be able to tell them about my FREE evening seminar on the 17 key marketing areas that everybody should be engaged in.  It takes place at Hothorpe Hall on March 18th.  There are now only about 4 places left (!) so if you would like to attend please contact me today at alastair@idealmarketingcompany.com and let me know haw many places you require.

I was passed some research information today that was carried out by The Directors Centre. It looks at which is the most effective selling method. Number one was face to face selling with 43%. Second highest was referral business and the third highest was networking with 8%. All other methods ranked 5% or less and included advertising, telesales and the internet.

So the question is, given this research are you going to focus all you activity on face to face selling and forget most of the others? If you do you would be a fool. Look at the question again.

‘Which sales method is the most effective?’

I think this means which is the most effective way to CLOSE a sale. There can be no doubt that a one to one conversation with a person is the best way to close a sale, but what about generating the enquiry in the first place? Without advertising, the internet, e-mail, PR, direct mail and so on where would these prospects hear about us? Would they trust a large contract to a company with no website or brochures?

My website generated 2 calls yesterday from companies wanting speak to me about marketing consultancy one in Leicestershire, the other in Northamptonshire. They had never met me, but had found this website because it well optimised and comes up high in the search engine rankings. This is not a co-incidence, but is part of The ideal Marketing Company’s marketing. I am seeing the companies later this month in person to offer a free 1 hour marketing consultancy. At the end of the hour they are free to take away the ideas and use them for themselves or they may decide to engage my services if I have the time available and they like what they see. Would this be classed as ‘ face to face selling’ or business generated by the internet. The truth is it is a combination of these to ‘marketing cogs’ that work together to power your business forward.

I agree totally that you cannot beat a meeting to close a sale, but generating the enquiries in the first place is every bit as important and reminds me just how misleading surveys can be if you take them at face value

We all need help with different areas of our businesses.  At last, here’s an easy to follow mentoring programme that reveals the power of marketing for small business owners like you who want to:

• Have a clear sense of direction in your business where it is heading over the next 5 years and how it is going to get there
• Generate enquiries though successful direct mail and e-mail programmes
• Read about the success of your business in the local / trade and national press
• Convert more leads to appointments, and more appointments into sales
• Produce a brochure and leaflets that people read rather than toss in the bin
• Create a website to get noticed by Google, and visited by prospects
• Become the ‘go to’ company within your target markets
• Convert more customers, launch more successful products and keep more customers happy
• Receive more warm leads and find out how to close more sales more easily
• Keep your customers loyal and buying from you again and again
• Increase your profits by creating a simple sales strategy that makes sure even a junior sales person can increase their average order value
• Decrease significantly the chances of losing major contracts and improve the chances of extending the work you do for your best clients
• Make networking work for you and excel at exhibitions
• Have your company and products stand out for the crowd
• Learn how to make your advertising results increase 50 fold
• Ensure your customers stay with you for longer and spend more with you than ever before
• Stay ahead of the competition and maintain the lead in the market place

The Marketing Mentor - Launch Seminar - in asociation with Blackthorn Griffiths

The Ideal Marketing Company is delighted to present a free marketing seminar at Hothorpe Hall – The 17 Marketing Cogs. This early evening seminar takes place on March 18th from 6pm and is free to any business owners or people with a marketing function within a company employing less than 300 staff.

Date: Tuesday March 18th

Time: 6 for 6.30pm till 8.30pm

Location: Hothorpe Hall, LE17 6QX (near Market Harborough)

Cost: FREE

‘The 17 Marketing Cogs Seminar’

What will this free marketing seminar cover?

There are 17 key marketing areas or cogs that every business should be working on regardless of their size or the sector they are involved in. This seminar looks at what the 17 areas are - and which ones are the most likely to have a big impact on your business.

Who should I attend?

If you are the owner or manager of a small company, you’ll be only too familiar with these problems -

• Fear of Failure - too many small companies go out of business because they don’t understand how to market themselves. Out of the ones that survive the early years, few rarely go beyond ‘making a living’ for the owners
• Small businesses don’t have big budgets to spend on marketing
• Business owners don’t have enough time to attend lots of courses & seminars
• Lack of ideas and fresh ways to attract customers
• Not enough time to put any existing marketing ideas into place.
• This seminar is aimed at companies who want to grow, but don’t know the best way to go about it and have limited marketing budgets to spend.

How will this Marketing Seminar help me?

‘The 17 Marketing Cogs Seminar’ will help you to see how you can:

• Have a clear sense of direction in your business – where it is heading over the next 5 years and how it is going to get there

• Generate enquiries though successful direct mail and e-mail programmes • Read about the success of your business in the local / trade and national press • Convert more leads to appointments, and more appointments into sales • Produce a brochure and leaflets that people read rather than toss in the bin

• Create a website to get noticed by Google, and visited by prospects• Become the ‘go to’ company within your target markets • Convert more customers, launch more successful products and keep more customers happy • Receive more warm leads and find out how to close more sales more easily

• Keep your customers loyal and buying from you again and again • Increase your profits by creating a simple sales strategy that makes sure even a junior sales person can increase their average order value • Decrease significantly the chances of losing major contracts and improve the chances of extending the work you do for your best clients • Make networking work for you and excel at exhibitions

• Have your company and products stand out for the crowd • Learn how to make your advertising results increase 50 fold • Ensure your customers stay with you for longer and spend more with you than ever before • Stay ahead of the competition and maintain the lead in the market place How do I book a place?Free places for the 17 Marketing Cogs Seminar are limited, but there are still some available. To reserve your place please e-mail mentor@idealmarketingcompany.com or call 01858 44 55 43 for more information

Testimonials

Here’s what people who have attended The Ideal Marketing Company’s earlier seminars have said:

“I would recommend this because it is useful - no matter what your business, no matter what size.” Anne Jackson

“Very interesting and very enthusiastic delivery. Made me realise that effective marketing need not cost a lot of money!”

Jason Yeomanson, Thrifty Car Rental

“Gives you a new insight into marketing - simple to understand, effective and informative – all delivered with a bit of humour – very good.”

Sandeep Sudra – National Legal Services

“A great way to get you to re-think and re-plan your marketing strategies without breaking the bank. I have already implemented a number of the techniques learned from the course.”

Jonathan Tolley, Prime Litho

“10 out of 10 for content, I would definitely recommend this course.”

Chandni Karia,

“An innovative, inspirational look at approaches to marketing for small businesses. I feel totally motivated.”

Claire Bower, Parsnips Drama Group

“It’s relevant to everyone – not just sales and marketing departments. The day covers a wide spectrum of people and varied ideas. A great overview on marketing.”

Steve Smith

“Well explained solutions to help all businesses.”

Caroline McCarty, Pure Adventure

“Informal atmosphere with non stuffy delivery – a no nonsense delivery of key marketing concepts that can be readily applied.”

Steve Izzard, BML Ltd

“A refreshing change – re-lit the fuse”

Diane Carter, S&S Plastics

“Thought provoking, relaxed, great buzzy atmosphere, packed with ideas – something for everyone. It was thought provoking and stimulating. It has given me new ideas and refreshed old ones and given me plenty to work on.”

Jacky Pratt, Ambition Coaching

“An absolute must for any new business in order to be confident on how to progress ones business.”

Norrie Andreassen, Pure Adventure

“Logically presented, palpably effective ideas – common sense, highly effective marketing ideas in an informal and enjoyable environment.”

Tony Leatham, dobiz.net

“There was a real ‘feel good’ and positive atmosphere - I’m certain everyone else learned a great deal too during - comprehensive and informative”

Julia Trustram Eve, English Wine Producers

“A good opportunity to start again with the end in mind.”

Bob Kottritsch, Brillianz

“Easy and practical advice served up with cheek and charm! Marketing made

do-able.”

Stella Welton, Archway House Natural Health Centre

“A good overview of marketing processes with some useful ‘real’ applications. This material is highly relevant and a must for every small business owner.”

Bruce Rae, Brillianz

“A helpful short course on marketing for SMEs.”

Brain Ridgewell, The Worshipful Company of Horners, former Marketing Director of Castrol Oil UK.

“Well delivered and all very useful – not like some courses when you start clock watching! I will recommend to others.”

Julie Ulph, Fusion Ltd

“Strong ideas, informative material that clarified and brought together ideas.”

Leroy Stevens, Blue Marbles Ltd

“It has shown me a better way to market my company”

George Neal, NEG Plc

 Book your FREE places for “The 17 Marketing Cogs Seminar”

call: 01858 44 55 43 or e-mail mentor@idealmarketingcompany.com for more information

“Just one of the ideas, used once made £600,000″

The Marketing Mentor Programme is aimed at small business owners who want to make their business a success, but have a limited marketing budget.

Big or small, successful companies are already using the marketing ideas you will hear about on the programme. However, in order to make the many complex subject of marketing easy to introduce and simple to understand, the programme breaks them down into 17 areas or ‘cogs’. Each ‘cog’ is important to your business, but depending on your company size and industry, some ‘cogs will be bigger than others.

Month by month, the programme will take you through all 17 areas, and you will learn about which should be your ‘big cogs’ and which are your ‘small cogs’.

From the start you will be inspired to take action, but unlike a book or an expensive one day seminar, this programme doesn’t leave you high and dry. You will be mentored throughout 18 month programme in all the key marketing ideas that you need to know about for your business to succeed.

The Marketing Mentor programme consists of a collection of ideas and resources that give your business a significant advantage over the competition and positions you for marketing success long after you complete the programme. It consists of:

§ A comprehensive 17 part folder with notes on how to apply the ideas to your business.

§ A one day conference where you will meet up with other business owners to learn all about the programme and determine which are your key areas for action.

§ 17 monthly teleconferences where you learn more about each area in turn, including practical examples and where you can discuss your ideas and experiences.

§ A monthly audio / web based teleconference for your records, plus notes, feedback, practical examples and templates.

§ Online resources including updates, ideas and experiences from other companies on the Marketing Mentor programme.

§ A complete recording of “The £100,000 Marketing Seminar” - your full day seminar containing over 100 marketing ideas that are ready to be applied to your business.

§ A goal setting CD that helps you to discover your personal and business goals.

§ ‘An Extra Hour a Day’ – short time managment programme that shows you where to create more time to do the things you want to do.

Plus valuable discount vouchers and offers for recommended companies.

Individually priced, the components of this programme are worth over £2,900 but the Marketing Mentor programme costs just £40 a month for 18 months.

(All prices quoted are subject to VAT)

To find out how to enrol, call 01858 44 55 43 or e-mail mentor@idealmarketingcompany.com

Delighted to say that I’ll be deliverering a free maketing seminar in Leicester this evening on behalf of Creative Leicester.  Around 20 business owners will be attending the meeting at Birstall Road from  6pm onwards.  The main theme of the evening will be on PR and how to make the most of it, but I will also be talking about The Marketing Mentor programme and how small business owners can use it to quickly and easily improve their success through marketing.

This will be the first time that The Marketing Mentor programme has been discussed in public so it will be interesting to listen to what people make of it. �