Tis the season for parties, gift giving AND marketing. While many small business owners think December is a time to put marketing on the back burner, we think otherwise. The holiday gatherings can be a good time for small business owners to market. Why? A key Guerrilla Marketing tactic is networking, and networking is a natural during the holiday season. You’ll see old friends and colleagues, discuss how the year went and share goals for the upcoming year. Use holiday networking as a time to lay groundwork for future business opportunities. A few suggestions:
1. Be prepared. Before attending a holiday event, find out who will be there and how they are connected to the host(s). Mentally prepare some questions that you can rely on to create an interactive conversation.
2. Skip the elevator pitch and hand out business cards only when requested. Keep in mind that holiday gatherings are different from business networking meetings. While a guest may be from a firm you've been wanting to work with, pitching him or her in the midst of the may not be in your best interest.
3. Spend more time asking questions and listening than talking. This is really a key Guerrilla Marketing tactic. Maybe you’ll strike up a conversation with, "How has business been going? What kinds of clients are you looking for these days? What’s up for the New Year?”
4. Be prepared with your own reply to "What's new?" -- something concise but intriguing, such as "I just heard back from my graphic designer about a project I've been working on." If the person's eyes glaze over, move on to another topic. But if they ask questions, continue the conversation with short bits of information, keeping it a give-and-take exchange
5. Develop a strategy to stay in touch after the holidays. If appropriate say, "I'm doing a new monthly newsletter with red hot marketing tips for small business owners. If you’d like, give me your card and I'll put you on my list."
6. Take advantage of automation to remain top of mind. Use this easy, effective system to make follow up a snap. Visit www.easywebautomation.com to learn more.
7. Have fun! If you're in the right place at the right time, you’ll not only enjoy the company and conversation. You could make some very profitable business connections for the New Year.
Happy Holidays and Happy Marketing!
Looking for more ways to market your business? Sign up for your FREE Marketing Mastery Success Kit that puts you on the Fast Track to business success at: http://www.boostyourbottomline.com.
© 2007 BoostYourBottomLine.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Marketing Spitfires Holly George and Leslie Hamp are creators of the Fast Track to Marketing Mastery program. To learn more about the step-by-step program, and to sign up for their *FREE* Marketing Mastery Success Kit, visit www.boostyourbottomline.com
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