| All businesses want to market their products and | | | | 4. Make the best use of all the space on your |
| services but you may think this will be expensive. This | | | | stationery. |
| article will suggest some free marketing ideas - ideas | | | | Don't waste the back of your business card: let it act |
| that are not only free to learn about, but which you | | | | as an advertising space. Don't just print your company |
| can implement at no cost! Truly free marketing ideas. | | | | name on your letters and invoices: include a logo, |
| So what are these free marketing ideas? Well here | | | | slogan, details of your less obvious products and |
| are 7 which really can cost you nothing: | | | | services, etc. |
| 1. Provide excellent customer service. | | | | 5. Dress the part, or dress to impress. |
| You should want to do this anyway, so the added | | | | Make sure you dress appropriately to emphasise the |
| cost is nil, but the benefit in terms of your reputation | | | | professionalism of your business. Even if you are a |
| and your customer retention and recommendation | | | | manual worker or tradesman, make sure your overalls |
| rates will be great. Customer service is an area where | | | | are smart and clean every morning, and show off |
| you can easily compete with the big corporations. Go | | | | your company logo. If your business provides products |
| the extra mile by ensuring that every customer goes | | | | or services to offices, make sure you dress smartly |
| away completely satisfied: fully understanding your | | | | enough to look as if you belong on their premises and |
| product and how to use it; or thoroughly happy with | | | | are not just a cleaner or delivery boy. 6. Spring clean |
| the service you have provided; and ready to | | | | your office, shop or premises. Really tidy up - get rid of |
| recommend your business to their friends and | | | | all the junk, throw away the posters peeling off the |
| colleagues. | | | | walls, wash down all the surfaces and vacuum all the |
| 2. Ensure your telephone answering system is first | | | | floors. Your customers will really notice the difference. |
| rate. | | | | Add a vase of fresh flowers on the reception desk |
| During working hours, make sure every call is | | | | and promise yourself to do this every month or so |
| answered within 3 rings and that the greeting you give | | | | from now on. |
| is friendly and personal. Ensure that the person who | | | | 7. Check out your website for spelling and grammar |
| answers your calls is trained to deal with the majority | | | | errors. |
| of customers' questions themselves or, if they can't, to | | | | Your professionalism is in doubt right away if your |
| ensure all the necessary information is passed on with | | | | website is riddled with typing errors, misplaced |
| the call to the person who can. Don't let callers be | | | | apostrophes, poor punctuation and grammatical |
| passed on repeatedly, each time having to repeat their | | | | mistakes. Don't assume your website designer will |
| details and problems. | | | | correct your text - he or she is an expert in |
| 3. After hours or at busy times - make sure your | | | | computers not grammar. If you can't afford a |
| answerphone message is professional, helpful, and | | | | proofreader, ask a fussy friend or relation to check it |
| proactive. | | | | for you. |
| Not just "please leave a message" but "we are so | | | | Now have a brainstorming session to come up with 7 |
| sorry that no-one is able to help you right away, but | | | | more ideas of your own. Maybe you are thinking |
| we promise to call you back by 9:30am tomorrow if | | | | "that's not marketing" but it certainly is - marketing is |
| you would be kind enough to leave your number" or | | | | about promoting your business to your customers and |
| something similar. And make certain you always deliver | | | | all these free marketing ideas will do just that. |
| on that promise. | | | | |