A lull in your business means that you need to extend the extra effort needed to attract clients, follow up on leads, and stay in contact with and extend your power base.
While you can accomplish this by engaging the services of a direct marketing firm, you should first consider activities that don’t cost any money, especially at a time when budgets may be tight.
Below are a few basic actions to start with:
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- Phone calling
- Personal visits
- Mailers
- Emails
- Fliers
- Social networking on the Internet
- Newsletters
- Holding seminars
- Product, service or media briefings
- Instructional videos posted online
- Community involvement and volunteer work
- Articles or op-eds self-published on your website or for a publication
- Speaking engagements (Toastmasters, professional, fraternal and other clubs)
- Participation in church activities (but selling should not be your primary purpose for being there…) and so much more.
Most, if not all, of these methods are proven, build tremendous goodwill, get you better known, and cost little more than your time and energy. If your revenue has dipped, then you’ve got the time to devote to building your business back. A lull in your business is the right time to begin attracting more attention.
Remember, it is just as important that this campaign enhance your reputation throughout the community or circles in which your product is needed. In addition, the fact that you are out there doing something about your business – instead of just sitting idly at your desk, waiting for things to turn around – will boost your morale as well as the company’s earnings.
