Get Ready to Increase Sales and Profit

By Mara Ulms

The message for the new millennium to achieve success in business is crystal clear: success comes from developing an edge that puts you way ahead of your competition. To develop this edge you need to be able to measure your sales success by measuring your individual performance.

You need to develop personal strategies that constantly boost your business and personal development. To attain this you need to stop and analyse the barriers that prevent you from achieving success. You have to turn these barriers - the problems - around into challenges that have a positive focus.

So, how can we capture our customers' imagination and develop greater loyalty to our products and services. We need to recognise that today's customer is more choosy and more selective in the buying process - they are looking for added value for their dollars.

The customer looks for and wants more quality from the product and service delivery. The line between selling and service is blurry and we need to ask ourselves what we can do in marketing, to capture the imagination and loyalty of today's customer - our customer in the new millennium.

The 3 Rs of Adding Value to Your Business

1. Reputation

Having a total commitment to raise the profile and image of your business in the marketplace. Go out of your way to deliver excellence in customer service and focus on doing something extra special for your customer. Work on innovative strategies that leave an impression on the customer with a 'WOW'.

2. Reliability

Never over promise and under deliver. Focus on how to maximise your hours to create a balance in order not to spread yourself too thin - doing too much at one time and going around in circles will not achieve quality results. A commitment to quality ensures a high standard and adds support and value to your business image and credibility.

3. Relationship

No matter how effective you are, the importance of relationships must not be underestimated. We need to develop greater communication skills and always work towards a win-win philosophy. Ask focused questions and find out who your customers are, get feedback about your product and service and develop a customer profile data. Treat them with TLC and Think Like Customer.

The 3 Rs give support in achieving success in marketing your business and add value to you and your business image.

Mara Ulms has an extensive background in sales and marketing, seminar presentation and training and presented to our Victorian members last month. She owns Fashcor Marketing and has worked in Sydney, Melbourne and the United States. She can be contacted on (03) 9459 8288.