March 28, 2024

Sales and Marketing Advice for Florida business

Why consistent marketing action is key to business growth

Ron Stein | 6/9/2014

Before the college football season starts every year, the referees who officiate the games attend clinics. The purpose is much of what you’d expect -- reviewing any new rules and instruction on how to look good when calling a penalty.

However, the most important reason is to bring more consistency to interpreting the rules of the game across the college football landscape. It’s known as covering the “points of emphasis”.

Lack of consistency is probably the number one complaint that coaches and fans have about football officials. It may be the only thing fans and coaches agree on.

The need for more consistency on the field of play is critical. And it’s just as critical in your business, too. Because nothing will kill the effectiveness of marketing and sales as much as the lack of consistency.

Strategies and tactics that change at the drop of a hat are all too common. It’s the one central theme that keeps businesses from reaching their goals.

Think for a moment about why most people who want to lose weight and get in shape never seem to get there. Exercise and diet require commitment and consistency. It’s the key to forming a habit that allows people to reach fitness and health goals.

The same goes for your business.

Whatever you do to create a great brand, generate leads, and close sales, the key to success is consistent strategy and processes.

Develop a consistent message. Successful branding is established with persuasive and simple messaging that is consistently applied across all of your marketing materials and activities. Consistency doesn’t mean that you must always use the exact same words, just that you always communicate your core message faithfully. Create a document with your key messaging points and coach your team, including partners, on how to consistently deliver it -- in presentations, social media, news releases, advertising, and even email. You’ll find it helpful to have several versions of your message in fifty, one hundred, and one hundred and fifty word sound bites. Consistency is the key.

Consistent follow-up is the key to staying top of mind. Follow-up is critical regardless of your industry, product, service, or size of the sale. Even if your sales are typically made on the first or second contact with a buyer, you’ll risk leaving money on the table when you don’t stay in touch with your customers. Develop and implement a solid system of frequent, consistent communications. A systematic approach using email, invitations to special events, phone calls, and handwritten notes is a must. Create a simple chart that lays out the follow-up steps that makes sense for your audience -- what you’ll do and when after the previous contact. Consistency is the key.

Refresh your commitment to consistent marketing every day. It’s easy to get distracted. There’s a new fire to put out or and unexpected opportunity to jump on. You decide to put off your scheduled blog update or the promise you made yourself to follow-up with a prospect. It’s sort of like skipping your regular trip to the gym. Sure, it’s all right to do that once in a while, yet it’s not the habit you really want to fall in to. Review your marketing action plan frequently. Update your customer and prospect database to make sure that the right people are touched at the right time -- and in the right way. Consistency is the key.

When you compare the best companies to their competitors you’ll find that they have one big thing in common -- consistency is a major point of emphasis.

Consistency is important for your business. Have processes and procedures that you believe in and use without fail. That will help you reach the “fitness and health” goals of your business.

People will know they can consistently count on you and that will lead to amazing results.


Ron Stein is President of FastPath Marketing (www.marketing-strategies-guide.com) and the author of the Rapid Impact Marketing & Selling Playbook. As a speaker, coach, and consultant he works with small business owners helping them to accelerate the path between their vision and the actions needed to reach, win, and keep customers. Ron is the creator of the FastPath to More Customers Now! 7-step marketing system based on more than twenty years as a successful business owner, corporate CEO, business development executive, and salesman. He is also a mentor at two nationally recognized business accelerators. Ron offers one-on-one and small group mentoring, conducts seminars, and consults. He can be reached at 727-398-1855 or Ron@FastPathMarketing.com.

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