Stephen Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , tells this story. A man saw a woodcutter in the forest, sawing a tree with a dull saw with great difficulty. He asked the woodcutter:

The Life Hacker telegram channel contains only the best texts about technology, relationships, sports, cinema, finance and much more. Subscribe!

— Dear, why don't you sharpen your saw?
“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw, I have to saw!” groaned the woodcutter.

Very often, instead of thinking about a convenient tool to achieve a goal, we try to achieve this very goal without a tool at all. What if you have a business and no time for marketing? The office is rented, people are hired, and there are few orders. New customers and sales are urgently needed, a lot of chaotic movements are made, some kind of advertising is given, accounts are created in social networks, because friends say this is necessary. No results.

However, the most urgent, the most urgent in such a situation is to stop rushing from side to side, trying to sell everything, to everyone and everywhere, in the hope that it will “shoot”. You need to sit down for a promotion plan. That is (bingo!) to engage in the very marketing for which there is no time. Do not understand what is us business directory database, learn more by clicking on the link.

Why? Everything is very simple. No clients, no business.

Having a sewing machine at home and being the most popular tailor in town are two different things. Even if you are doing something for which there is a demand, and you have all the necessary resources to turn it into a product or service, this does not mean at all that you have a business.

A business is when you sell a product or service and get  paid for it . And in order for people to buy from you (more than once, miraculously finding you, and not because you traded water in the desert), they must receive information about your offers. Just when they need it. So we again returned to the key task of marketing - business development.

What does "my business is doing well" mean? Very simple. New clients are coming. Those to whom you have already sold come back to buy more from you. The average check per purchase is growing.

What about those who have little time for marketing? You must answer eight questions for yourself. Asking the right question determines the course of action to take to increase sales. Some of them can be done right now, others can be planned for the future or discussed with partners.

1. Who are your customers? What do you know about them?

The modern concept of marketing has gone quite far from the usual socio-demographic characteristics of "women aged 25-35 with higher education, living in large cities." Knowing the interests of customers allows you to determine where to look for them. Knowing their needs helps formulate a proposal. Understanding what their typical day looks like determines the communication strategy. And even the tone of communication should match how your audience expresses itself.

2. Why do they buy from you? How is the purchase decision made?

What needs does your product cover? What client tasks does it solve? Are you sure you know the reasons for the purchase? After all, it depends on how to talk about the product and where to promote it.

3. What is the most popular product? Why is it selling well?

This is what you have done well. Analyze why. Think about whether something can be improved, made special. And communicate with those who buy. They will tell you everything you need to know.

4. Do you promote the product or does it "sell itself"?

If you think that the product is selling well and nothing needs to be done to promote it, look at it from the other side: how much money can you earn if you invest in promoting such a successful product. How many new customers will come and buy this product if they receive information about it. Many people think about reverse street directory, learn more about it.

5. How are your customers finding you?

Analyze where they come from: through point-of-sale advertising, online advertising, social media group or page, print advertising? Is it possible to do something so that the channels through which people already come to you become even more convenient? Plan to advance through them, especially in conditions of limited resources.

6. What should the person who sees your advertisement do?

Check if there is a call to action in your promotional messages (“Buy and get a discount / gift”, “Register for our event”, “Subscribe and be the first to know about all our special offers”). Is it clear to everyone who sees what needs to be done if the message is of interest to him (is there a phone number, a form to fill out, a purchase or registration button)? Only a very interested buyer will look for your phone number or address. Don't lose everyone else at this stage.

7. Do you have discounts for regular customers, referral program?

We are talking about offers like “Bring a friend and get a gift” and the like. Retaining an existing customer is cheaper than acquiring a new one. Give him discounts, points, special offers. Enter it into CRM. Stay connected, but don't get bored. Unobtrusively remind about yourself and offer bonuses.

8. Who are your competitors? What can be learned from them?

Many entrepreneurs are afraid of high competition. In fact, this is a sign that there is a good demand for a product or service, that there is a lot of money in this niche. Let's look at competitors as an opportunity, not a problem. What do they do better than you? What interesting ideas are being implemented? It is especially useful to observe competitors who are located in other geographic markets and are not, in fact, competitors. If you borrow their idea creatively, you may become a shining star in your market. Steal like an artist!

Paret 's Law  in this case works like this: 20% of your actions bring 80% of the profit. Figure out what 20% of your activities bring you money and focus on those. Promotion (that is, marketing) makes one of the most significant contributions to business development. That is, if you put just 20% more effort into your marketing, the result will be stunning.