Tuesday, February 12, 2008

"Remember the Hook" when marketing for your small business

Have you ever been fishing or seen how fishing is done? Without some sort of “hooking” device, very little fish would be caught (most do not just jump into the boat willingly). The same is true in selling your product line. Even when you have the most wanted product around, if you do not inform customers where to buy it (the hook in this example), you will see very little quantity sold.

When you think of a hook, remember, it is to grab the client’s attention long enough for the sales process to begin between the buyer and seller. The hook is not meant to make anyone buy on the spot (but it could), rather the hook’s goal is to have the clients open up their minds and communicate (verbally and/or non-verbally) to you, “I am interested in potentially buying your product. Can you please inform me about it?” This allows you, the salesperson, the opportunity to move the client into a sales opportunity for a purchase. A hook must be deliberately directed to target the clients that you would like to sell your product line to; there is no “one-size-fits-all” hook, so you want to have multiple hooks designed for your different clients.

By having different hooks in the marketplace, your business unit increases the opportunity to produce sales across a vast number of potential demographics.

Hooks are not only for your new customers; make sure that your product is using hooks for repeat customers as well. With so many products, promotions, and messages out there for a customer to listen to, make sure that you “reel” them in before someone else does.

Happy fishing!
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