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Take It To The Customer
By Sue and Chuck DeFiore
In the past, purchasing ad space was the solution to every
entrepreneur's marketing challenge. Then it was direct mail, followed by
telemarketing. But with advertising and postage costs on the rise, these
tactics have lost some of their appeal.
Today the competition is fierce for a customers' attention. In order to
compete, you need to employ take-it-to-the-customer techniques. Some of
these techniques can include attending trade shows, seminars, and
sending them to your website.
You want to promote your business and in doing so you want to maximize
referrals and conduct effective public relations campaigns. The
following are five sure-fire, inexpensive marketing methods:
1. Be an expert. Don't overlook your most accessible source of
promotion: yourself. Give speeches to industry groups, colleges and
community organizations, or offer workshops at conferences and business
expos. Provide sign-up sheets or marketing materials for potential
customers. Also, be a reference for customers, clients, vendors and
related businesses by circulating relevant information and providing
contacts. After all, home-based businesses thrive on a steady stream of
referrals from clients.
For those of us in the lease purchasing business, this means writing
articles for publication. Don't make it difficult, write about the deals
you've done. Give speeches at local real estate clubs on lease purchase.
Network with local groups (accountants, mortgage brokers, financial
planners, etc.). Operate your lease purchase business as we do, as a
business, and referrals will come to you, rather than you chasing the
deals.
2. Create a press kit. Getting quoted in the media or having an article
written about your business is a great and inexpensive way to target
your market. Watch for trends that you can tie your business into. Your
press kit should include a profile of your company, biographies of its
principals, product fact sheets and testimonials from customers. Make a
list of trade magazines, local newspapers, and radio and TV stations to
which you can send short releases on new products, deals, awards or
special events.
Again, for those of us operating a lease purchase business, become the
local expert in lease purchasing. Offer to write articles. Be sure to do
a press release when you start your business, and distribute it to the
local newspapers. If you run a group meeting, seminar, or any type of
special event be sure to send a press release to the local papers, radio
and television stations. Send out follow up letters after your deals are
completed to get testimonials, and keep a journal of your deals.
3. Circulate newsletters. Newsletters are a great way to showcase your
company's expertise and keep your name in front of prospective clients
on a regular basis. They show that you are not just a salesperson-you
are an expert with important information to offer. Develop a mailing
list of clients and send copies of your newsletter quarterly.
Again, for those of us in lease purchasing a newsletter can be the
perfect vehicle to use as a follow up piece to send to sellers, tenant
buyers and investors.
4. Network. You'll save money by selling through trade or professional
groups. Swamped with running the daily operations of your business, you
may feel you have little time to give. But you'll learn about sales
leads by joining groups of like-minded individuals. Also, serve on the
boards of community organizations, and host house parties tied to your
business-you can hire students from cooking or catering schools or work
out an arrangement with a local restaurant to keep costs down.
Whatever type of business you are operating networking is a must.
Develop a networking plan and follow through with it. We discuss this
extensively in our home business manual. Check it out at our products
page on our site.
5. Form alliances. There are several ways you can band together with
complementary enterprises to reduce costs and increase business
opportunities. Some involve complex legal paperwork, such as a joint
venture or a strategic alliance. Others are less formal partnerships,
such as a virtual corporation, where you assemble a group for a specific
project or client. For instance, as a contractor, you might partner with
two other companies to win a bid. Another type of alliance is a
consortium, where a group of companies with different specialties share
their services; for example, a consulting firm teaming with a graphic
artist and a photographer to create brochures and other marketing
materials.
In regards to forming alliances in lease purchasing, we have mentioned
on numerous occasions to work with accountants, mortgage brokers,
financial planners and real estate agents. The key is to forming and
keeping alliances is to reciprocate and to pay great referral fees. You
have to be sincere when forming alliances, if not, don't bother.
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About the Author
Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to
visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions
Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
Click here to learn more about Chuck and Sue DeFiore
Articles by Chuck and Sue DeFiore
 Managing Cash Flow 
Juggling The Day With A Deal
Various Aspects Of The Lease Purchase Business
Does Your Business Need An Attitude Adjustment?
Ethics in Business..A Lost Art
Referrals…The Secret Weapon
How To Give Yourself A $20,000/Year Raise
A Forgotten Marketing Tool - The Postcard
Using Those Business Cards
Is Your Business Safe?
Getting Started In Real Estate
Take It To The Customer
The Art Of Calling on Real Estate
Finding and Qualifying The Tenant/Buyer
Checklists for Tenant/Buyers and Sellers
The Lease Purchase Business Day
Warming Up to Cold Calls
Businesses - Leisurely Dining Or Fast Food?
How Do I Implement The Lease Purchase Plan
Guidelines For Choosing A Guru, Coach...
Are You A Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda?
Are You Profiting From O.P.P.?
The Many Ways To Profit From O.P.P....
How Do You Profit From O.P.P.?
Consulting Your Way To A Six Figure Income!
Business Partners & Marital Partners (Part I)
Business Partners & Marital Partners (Part II)
The "Psyche" of The Seller and The Tenant Buyer
The Divine Secrets Of The Ya Ya Lease Purchase Hood
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Please include the following courtesy notice on your reprint:
Article reprinted courtesy of Total Real Estate Solutions
http://www.totalrealestatesolutions.com
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