Ask a Business Expert

A: My first question to you is why should someone do business with you? What benefits do you bring to the client? Know that first before you even think of attracting business. And it must be more than just price!

Once you know the reasons why people should do business with you, and you can convey that message to the perspective customer, then you must work to make the customers aware of who you are. Obviously there are plenty of ways to advertise and you can spend lots of money in the wrong places. That is why it is so important for you to clearly define who your customer is. You want to be able to target your message to prospects that have a high probability of utilizing your services. Once you have made the list of types of businesses, then get specific to the actual businesses. You should then direct all of your marketing efforts to that group.

Your marketing goal is to be able to reach the prospect and inform them as to who you are, what you do, and how they can benefit from doing business with you. The most effective way of reaching prospects is through direct marketing efforts. In short, you want to market to people that have a high probability of buying from you. To help you determine who your customer is, contact a good list broker to pinpoint your customers. Once you have your list, communicate with them via a simple letter and a follow–up phone call. Be consistent without being a pain. There are many sources that can help you with the type of letter to send and also books written about proper telephone selling procedures. This is a start, but remember that it's not enough to just make great silkscreen products. It's making sure that enough people know that you make great silkscreen products.