The Importance of Marketing

Learning how to market properly is without doubt the most important and profitable thing you will ever your life as a business owners and entrepreneur.

In fact, I'd go further and say not only are there almost no problems in business that can't be overcome by good marketing, but also an effective marketing system is the most valuable asset your business will ever have.

How to Market Properly - 3 tips for Determined Entrepreneurs

1. Stop the hard-sell. The importance of marketing notwithstanding, you'll still do better in the long run if you focus on the long-term value of your customers and clients rather than the short-term view of making a sale. Yes, making sales is important, but in many ways it should be the last thing you try to do, not the first (or, to be more accurate, it should be the end of the beginning, the consummation of your seduction of the prospect, and the first sale of many -- andthat's why it's worth taking your time).
2. Look after your prospects, and they'll look after your profits. This isn't to say you should roll over like an obedient dog to have your tummy tickled in the hope of a treat, but it does mean you should put your customer first. Why? Because they are puttingthemselves first, and since you want something from them, and they can easily choose to go to your competitors, you need to give them that Big Reason to choose YOU instead of them. Thus, it pays to focus on finding ways to astonish, amaze and delight them so they won't dream of going elsewhere. And you can't do that if the only thing they ever hear from you is "please buy my stuff".
3. Seth Godin called it 'permission marketing', but it really is nothing new: focus your attention on getting contact details and permission to begin a dialogue with your prospects. This is the one thing I have real trouble with getting over to my clients. Most of them seem too afraid to let go of the need to sell and begin their relationship with their future clients and customers by giving away valuable information in exchange for their details. Fact is, though, it's the most effective way to sell.

So, just how much better are the results you get likely to be if you take this "softly softly" approach?

Well, it's going to, depending on your product or service, your market, and your own personality, but, as an actual example, a blog I am involved with converts at about 1% on the sales page to cold visitors; but if we can get their contact details in exchange for a high-quality 12-part email Guide, then the conversion rate jumps to a staggering 11.34%, using some pretty basic and very low-key sales strategies in the emails we send.

Now, the choice is yours. You can take the quick, dirty and easy route... or you can put a bit more work and thought into it and increase your sales by as much as 1,134%.

If you're serious about your business, then I think the answer is obvious, don't you?

Lead generation and direct response marketing specialist and copywriter Jon McCulloch is the author of for Small Business: How to increase your Direct Mail Responses by 300% or More. This book reveals the strategies he has used with his clients to realise response rates over 300% better than traditional direct mail... and for a limited time you can download 'BIG marketing Muscle for Small Business' right now. His clients have mailed over 1 million pieces using the exact same strategies he reveals in this book - so you know they're tried, tested and proven to work in the real world. And it's free. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Mcculloch