Thoughts on Marketing…

Some people have businesses that offer a steady stream of products that  customers want and need over and over again – Grocery stores are in that position, as are feed stores and sites that sell health supplements or cleaning supplies.

Those are all things we as consumers “use up” and need to replace.

But what if you sell something that doesn’t get used up? For instance, an e-book on reducing debt or books like mine that teach about better marketing.  No one “uses up” a book!

And, if you sell things like hot tubs, greenhouses, or even children’s swing sets, you’re in a similar situation. Not too many people need to buy replacements for those items on a regular basis.

So you might think that once your customer has purchased, that’s the end of the story. You think you need to find a new customer.

Of course you do always want new customers. But don’t ignore the old ones.

Instead, think about what else you could offer those customers.

It’s been proven time after time that it is far easier to sell to a past or present customer than it is to find a new one. Take advantage of that fact to offer those folks something new.

The person who sells a debt reduction guide could write and offer a new book on ways to bring in a few extra dollars – or on little-noticed ways to trim the household budget. They might even write about how to drive a car in a more fuel-efficient manner.

As for hot tubs,  greenhouses, and swing sets – those products offer a world of ideas for add-on sales. You could offer everything from e-books to supplies. Even if you don’t carry the items yourself, you can easily set up affiliate accounts at cj.com and shareasale.com and begin promoting to those customers.

Think about your past customers – what else do they need?