Marketing Matters: Small Budgets and Sales Closing

Don’t let a small marketing budget stop you from growing your company. Photo: ©istock.com/Violka08

Q. I own a small company with a small marketing budget. Do you have any suggestions?

A. It’s difficult to provide guidance without knowing the exact size of your company, but here are two cost-effective suggestions:
⦁ Join your local Rotary Club, chamber of commerce, real estate agency association or property management organization. Acquire, then work, the membership list. Offer to speak at functions.
⦁ Contact other service companies, such as electricians and plumbers. Offer a referral fee or quid-pro-quo as an incentive: They distribute your promotional materials and you reciprocate.

Q. At what point during the sales process is the best time to close the sale?

A. As soon as you determine the customer is ready to move forward. This can occur at any point in the sales process — at the beginning or conclusion. You should be able to determine the appropriate time by evaluating the customer’s verbal clues and body language. Listen more and talk less.

Q. I’ve just committed to participating in my local home and garden show. How can I attract interest in my booth?

A. Preparation is critical. Here are a few suggestions:
⦁ Set up a table or booth with your company logo as a backdrop. Use colorful, visual support materials, and set up a computer monitor with pest-related slides and/or videos.
⦁ Use giveaways such as balloons, hats or T-shirts.
⦁ Hold a “presidential roach race,” using food coloring to “paint” the cockroaches red, white and blue. Name each roach for a candidate. Contact the media, informing them of a unique opportunity to cover the nation’s first “primary.”

You can reach Harvey Goldglantz, president of Pest Control Marketing Co. and author of Marketing Matters, at hgpcmcinc@aol.com. His book, Marketing Matters, is available from the PMP bookstore.