Firstly, a reminder to most of my business owner friends, but in this instance about your personal taxes (because most of you have to deal with this): estimated taxes for the second quarter are due June 15th. This one always feels as if it came a little quick (2 months instead of the normal 3), so you’ll want to make sure you have that all set up in time.
Yes, yes, I know. So much “fun” to write that check. But we have to do this … and hopefully it might provide for you a little reminder to make sure we get more ahead of the game this year on some pro-active tax planning for you and your business.
I mentioned that we do a lot of work with Newtown Square, PA business owners, of course, and so as a result I happen to receive a fair amount of marketing from clients and friends, in addition to the marketing that comes my way simply because people want to sell me their stuff.
So I thought I’d at least take this week to talk about how I’ve seen some of my business clients do well in getting their marketing to be actually welcomed by their prospects.
Because as much time as we spend “in” our businesses, it sometimes comes as a bit of a shock that our clients and prospects just don’t seem to care as much, right?
And in my (experienced) opinion, that’s often because we ignore this truth in the way we speak to our clients, and to prospects, and how we communicate to them.
Three Key Tips To Effective Marketing Messages For Newtown Square, PA Businesses
“If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.” -Zig Ziglar
Let’s face it — most people will not instantly welcome marketing with open arms. Your prospects are busy, and they don’t want to think about you and your products or services. So, Newtown Square, PA business owners need to learn the tricks of becoming the most popular guest at the party.
First, you need to be consistent in your marketing. The majority of Newtown Square, PA small businesses are inconsistent in their follow-up to prospects (if they even DO follow up at all!). They might send an email or direct mail piece and then wait months before sending another one.
Unfortunately, without consistency, your prospect has no idea who you are. Do you know how quickly emails from unknown senders get deleted? Furthermore, inconsistency can cause a perception of ineffectiveness. Nobody wants to buy from a company they don’t trust.
Second, go beyond the “pitch”. Too often businesses and entrepreneurs, struggling to survive, send marketing pieces whose only goal is to promote their products or services … again, and again.
Now, promoting your products is necessary, and even great. But you need to do a lot more than that with your marketing, if you want to get your information actually read! Your marketing messages should be positioning you as a respected authority in your industry. Be sure to include testimonials, endorsements, and awards your company has won, along with your sales message.
Third, tell stories and speak to what your prospects care about. Your follow-up and marketing must be informative … so provide valuable information! If you’re showing up with no value, you’ll wear out your welcome fast. You need to communicate that you are on their side and deserve to be trusted. You’ll accomplish this if you provide them with accurate, insightful, and *interesting* information.
You’ll notice that I try to put these tips into practice myself … and they’re a big reason why our practice continues to grow, even in our current economy. You can do it too, if you’re not already!
Feel very free forward this article to a Newtown Square, PA business associate or client you know who could benefit from our assistance — or simply send them our way? While these particular articles usually relate to business strategy, as you know, we specialize in tax preparation and planning for Newtown Square, PA families and business owners. And we always make room for referrals from trusted sources like you.
Warmly,
Stephen Venuti
610-353-0686
Stephen J. Venuti, CPA, MST, LLC
