SMT007 Magazine

SMT007-Feb2024

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FEBRUARY 2024 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 49 courage to get your message out there in many different ways. Be creative and persistent, so that you draw in the customers and make them want to work with you. is will not be easy at first, but a compre- hensive marketing plan with detailed actions, dates, and milestones consistently followed is the best way to get your name in front of poten- tial customers. Sales: You Have to Talk to Someone Once you've determined your strategic direction, created an ideal customer profile, and launched your marketing plan, it's now time to put yourself in front of potential cus- tomers. ere's just no way around it; you have to follow the leads you developed. One sugges- tion is to take your ideal customer profile and use it as a template to search out the right cus- tomers. I liked using LinkedIn. It helps me find the right customers and learn a lot about them. Armed with this knowledge, you can make your move. Now, con- nect, meet, and start the sales process. It is oen said that every sales- p e r s o n a c t u - ally sells twice: T h e y s e l l t h e customer, but they have to sell their own com- pany on ser v ic- ing that c u stomer. at's when the target account form is espe- cially useful. When done properly, this form will provide your entire team with a comprehensive profile of the customers you are targeting, why you are targeting them, and why the team and the com- pany should focus on them. e account plan tells the ops folks the kind of business they can expect, including the technology and services. One way to be better than everyone else is being easier and more pleasant to deal with. You can also have the best process controls. Understand your customers' needs today and for the future. Customers want to be understood, so look for ways to be better and climb to the top. Don't be afraid to think differently. Successful com- panies aren't afraid to break new ground, to go where no other company in their market has gone before. Don't limit yourself to the "rules" of your marketplace. Break them and set your- self apart. Marketing and Selling: You Must Be Found "Build it and they will come" only applies to movie baseball fields in Iowa. e rest of us must work hard at being noticed. is means developing and implementing a comprehen- sive marketing plan. e good news is that there are so many solid options to help your company be seen. Use trusted sources to pro- vide industr y-specific content in I-Connect007 publications, news- letters with Con- stant Contact , and net work- ing tools within L i n k e dIn a n d HubSpot. ese c o m p a n i e s a r e e f f i c i e n t , ef fective, and e c o n o m i c a l . Make the most of digital marketing using SEO and Google ads. Let your marketing plan encompass all these ideas. It's worth the time, effort, and cost. Developing a good marketing plan is the key to getting your name out there. e most important thing about a marketing plan is to be consistent and patient. You must have the

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