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by:AmericaWhere.com and Allyn
Cutts
1. Negotiate
Have you noticed that some people seem to
always get the best deals? Yeah, you pay full
price and think you did OK until they show up
with the same thing, only they paid several
hundred dollars less. It really get your goat!
How do they do it? They're not afraid to ask
for an extra discount.
Yep, don't sell yourself short because you
didn't ASK the next time your advertising rep
makes an appearance! Even if you're already
getting a discount, ask for a bigger one. You
have not...because you ask not.
2. Trim
Bigger is always better...or is it? When it
comes to advertising, don't be surprised if
some of your short ads meet with more success
than larger more expensive ads. Trimming down
on the size and cost of advertising doesn't
mean you'll be trimming the results!
3. Exploit the Freebies
What's the difference between advertising and
publicity? ...who's doing the talking. Yeah,
when you sell yourself, it's advertising. When
someone else is selling you, it's
publicity...and it generates credibility and
interest that you don't want to miss out
on.
Think about the different ways you can get your
business in the spotlight. Do you have some
news… write a press release? Write some “how
to” articles with a short byline at the end and
release them to ezines, magazines, newspapers,
and other publishers. Why not promote the
product of a non-competitor in return for them
promoting yours...think of the totally
different market they affect!
Yep, there are a lot of ways out there to get
free advertisement that will benefit your
business. Of course you won't be able to rely
solely on the freebies, but hey, you can get a
little extra for nothing!
4. Improve Your Offer
Is your deal too good to pass up? If not, you
need to improve it. Hey, I'm not talking about
cutting prices even more...you've still got to
make a profit. You can make the deal sweeter
just by increasing the readers knowledge of the
value of the product, or adding bonuses that
are perceived as valuable, but cost you
little.
Motivate buyers with expirations. Yeah, an open
ended offer encourages procrastination...which
leads ...yep, nowhere. When the customer knows
he has until Saturday to purchase an item he'll
pay more for on Sunday, he'll make it a
priority to head for your shop.
Advertising doesn't have to wipe out your bank
account to be effective. When you learn to
negotiate, know when smaller ads are as
effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and
create an irresistible offer, you're on your
way to skyrocketing profit margins!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Who is Allyn Cutts, and why should you
care?
Allyn has spent over 24 years helping
businesses like yours find new customers and
increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a
marketing and sales fanatic, providing
measurable marketing solutions that drive huge
results for small-to mid-size business clients.
Allyn works personally with clients to design
and deliver off-line and on-line direct
marketing strategies that focus on metrics and
measurable results. You can learn more about
Allyn Cutts at www.AllynCutts.com and you can
call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM and 4 PM
Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Advertising doesn't have to wipe out your
bank account to be effective. When you learn to
negotiate, know when smaller ads are as
effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and
create an irresistible offer, you're on your
way to skyrocketing profit margins!
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