Do the obvious since nobody else Is: By this point you are bored out of your mind and wondering if the advice will ever end, but this one could be the most important. Do all of the obvious marketing things you have read about or heard about and you will stand out from the crowd. I would venture that 90% of us know what we should do and only a small percentage of us are actually doing it. So if you do it you will stand out. A good example is when I receive an online inquiry complete with the prospect’s phone number. I send an email right away and tell them I will call at the time they specified. When I do call them, almost without fail they are shocked that someone actually called. I feel the same way when I sign up for something and a person actually calls me to confirm I am satisfied with the whatever. The pharmacy called me the other day to ensure my prescription was working out okay and I had never done business with this pharmacy before. Wow.

Combine business with pleasure and charity: Spearhead an event, party or conference for a cause you care about. That puts you in the position of getting to know lots of people, and shows off your leadership skills. "I host an annual baseball game where I take

hundreds of clients to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field," says Kate, who owns a public relations agency in Chicago. "Last year, I took 300 people and we raised $10,000 for a local children's hospital. Few people turn down a game and it's a great networking opportunity for guests. It lets me reconnect with current clients and impress potential clients."

Ensure your web presence: This is the "free sample" approach to bringing in business. Research active e-mail discussion lists and online bulletin boards that are relevant to your business and audience. Join several and start posting expert advice to solve problems or answer questions. You may need to keep this up for a bit. But the rewards come back in paying clients and referrals. "E-mail discussion lists have been my single largest source of clients over the last eight years," says Horowitz, a small-business marketing consultant based in Northampton, Mass.

Court local media: Editorial features convey more credibility with prospective clients than paid advertising does. To get coverage from the local media, whether from the town newspaper, from TV or radio stations, or from trade journals, you need a fresh, timely story. It's usually worthwhile to hire an experienced publicist to position the stories, target appropriate media representative and write and send press releases. Usually, you can work on a short-term or contingency basis.

Don't let customers simply slip away: Make an effort to reel them back in. It costs a lot less to retain a disgruntled or inactive customer than to acquire a new one. If you haven't heard from a customer in awhile, send a personalized e-mail (you can automate this process), inquiring whether all is well. For a customer who suffered a bad experience, pick up the phone, acknowledging the unpleasantness and ask if there's anything you can do. A discount can't hurt either. Being kind to customers is the smartest low-cost marketing you can do.

Pick Up The Phone: Have we forgotten how to phone our clients? While email is a quick way to communicate it is starting to be like people asking “How are you” and then not listening for your answer. Email, as much many people depend on it for a living, does not take the place of a phone call. It is impersonal, subject to misinterpretation and frankly a lazy way to communicate. Phone someone out of the blue tomorrow or call them and tell them their order is on the way and you will be surprised how a little human interaction can lead to more business.

Boost your profile at trade shows and conferences: You can quickly create signage, glossy postcards with your contact information, product news inserts or an event mini Web site - all with Microsoft Office Publisher. Check out its versatile features<<<<Back<<<<