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"Great Strategy, the Success Factor"
Dear Friends:
After our recent blast of Indian Summer, fall is officially
upon us. And with the change of seasons comes some great news:
September is one of the two best months (the other
being January) to ramp up your marketing efforts.
Why the fall? It’s simple – change is in the air,
and people are extremely receptive to it.
Think back to when you were in school: September brought a
heightened sense of awareness, the start of a new school year,
the time to make new friends . . . retain that cultural mind-set
and are generally more receptive to learning about how your
products or services will benefit them, making the time ripe
for you to make your move.
Of course, the country’s continuing economic situation
means we’re receiving an extraordinary number of inquiries
from companies who say “marketing’s great,
but where do we start? We’ve never had to pick up the
phone before!” Fear not … you’re not
in this alone. And to help get you rolling, I wanted to share
a couple of marketing tips that work.
Strategy First, Last, and Always!
First, keep in mind that you do NOT need to spend tens of
thousands of dollars to make the phone ring. You don’t
need to hire an expensive PR firm, nor should you engage an
ad agency to produce and place high-priced commercials on
TV, radio, or in print. What do you need?
One word: STRATEGY.
Let me give you an example: a local company was trying to
extend its business to the southern states. They were experiencing
difficulty because this new market distrusted California-based
companies. One agency suggested that they would conduct market
research and draft a marketing plan . . . to the tune of $75,000.
Needless to say, the company’s new Marketing Director
was a bit nervous about this approach!
Allison Bliss Consulting met with the company (for a total
of $180), to provide a 6 month marketing strategy to reach
their goals and suggested that the company start with these
three simple things:
1. Pick two or three high profile companies in the target
region you are trying to open and provide free service to
them for two months
2. Allow Allison Bliss Consulting to interview those companies
about their service, and write up “success stories”
that talked up their satisfaction
3. Use those stories to help the company convince other prospective
customers in their new market of the reliability and value
of their service—a slam dunk (and a very low cost solution,
too!)
The results: our (very happy) new client said it best: “We’d
never done any marketing before, and we were overwhelmed by
the campaign the ad agency proposed. The advice we got from
Allison Bliss Consulting was so good – she provided
strategies that were ready-to-implement without a high dollar
price tag. We‘re now providing service in Texas, and
expect further expansion in the South in the months ahead.”
Avoid the Winter Blahs
What can Allison Bliss Consulting do for you? We can help
you devise a sensible, high-value, low-cost marketing strategy
. . . one that fits in with your objectives, budget, and unique
requirements. And, because we’re not burdened by the
analysis-paralysis of a big agency, we can do it FAST.
We can help you put the right strategy or campaigns into place
now, before the typical lethargy of winter begins
to sap everyone’s buying mood.
And that’s your final tip for fall: business buying
decreases dramatically by mid-October, as people clean up,
clean out, and get ready for the holidays and year’s
end. So the time to act is now – do so by calling
Allison Bliss Consulting, (510) 864-8500.
Isn’t it time for a change in your marketing direction?
When you’re ready to make one, remember:
Knowledge
Is Bliss.
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