SUCCESSFUL KITCHEN TABLE MARKETING
Technology Now Allows the Small Business Owner to Sell and Compete Worldwide, Even From a Home Office. Here Are a Few Important Keys to Make it Work for You.
By Lance Murkin
With the advantages of computers, fax machines, and the Internet, the "small-time" operator can really step up and do business on a worldwide basis. There's nothing like walking into my office to see faxes of orders on the floor or turning on the computer to hear that famous "You've got mail" ringing in my ears, especially when my mail consists of orders off the website.
Even so, I'm still just a small-time operator. My fax and computer connections help me do business with my suppliers quickly and easily and makes ordering much more convenient for my customers. There are a few "real keys" I've discovered to help anyone successfully market from their kitchen table. Let's take a look.
BOOKLETS--Producing simple 12 to 24-page booklets is easy, fun, and result-producing. Booklets have a higher perceived value, especially when you give them away free. You can turn a report or two into a booklet, give it a tag line title and a cover, and you're in business. Booklets are very inexpensive to produce and even on standard white paper with black ink can look very professional if done right.
Another great way to use booklets is to lead your prospects into other sales. A short, informative booklet can easily refer the prospect to your MLM program or a higher-priced course or offer you have.
Jeffrey Dobkin tells the story of how a roofing company gave away free booklets explaining how to roof your house yourself. The booklet made it look so hard (which it is) that people gladly paid the company to do it for them. What a great idea!
POSTCARDS--Postcards are inexpensive to print, inexpensive to mail, and nearly everyone reads them. You can't beat that! Regular postcard mailing to your customer list can keep them up-to-date on new products coming out or just remind them of your products. Toll-free 800 numbers work well with postcards, as well as web addresses.
ADVERTISING--Well-targeted advertising is nearly a no-lose way to generate business. Be careful how much you spend when testing new ads, however. It's easy to lose your shirt testing bad ads.
The first thing I do is look for other people advertising the same thing. If there isn't anyone else in that publication running ads at least close to what I'm selling, I won't place an ad. In this day and age, SOMEONE has placed the same ad you're going to in that magazine and if it's not there, that means it didn't work. So start where you see others successfully selling and then work your way into some of the "marginal" magazines or newspapers.
PRESS RELEASES--I've personally had great success using press releases. Magazines, newspapers, and newsletters are always looking for products and services geared toward their readers. A well-written press release with a cover letter can result in hundreds or thousands of orders from the right publications. I've done it and I know many others who have, as well.
Press releases are the cheapest and one of the most effective ways to market your products. I've used press releases to promote a number of booklets. Then, when folks read the booklet, it "upsells" them to more products. All that with a little paper and ink, right from my kitchen table.
ARTICLES--Articles, like the one you're currently reading, are also a great way to promote your business. When you write an article, you can come across as a helpful expert, ready to use your expertise to guide and inform the reader. And hopefully, they'll buy some of your products and services in the process.
CATALOGS--As soon as you have enough products, it's a great idea to create a catalog. People hang onto catalogs and will order from them again and again. They also create credibility with your customer. A good friend of mine received an order from a catalog that was more than three years old.
INTERNET--If you have a website, put it on everything we've mentioned above--press releases, ads, articles, catalogs, and booklets. The more people see your site, the more likely they are to order and once again the more professional you appear.
Although this is a concise overview of these topics, anyone can successfully market their products or services right from their kitchen table. I've done it and so have thousands before me. Use these tools, do your homework, and you can't go wrong.
Lance Murkin is the author of KITCHEN TABLE GOLDMINE: HOW TO MAKE $1,000 A WEEK FROM HOME, available nationwide at bookstores or online at
www.amazon.com
or
www.realwealthpub.com
For a catalog of his products, write:
Lance Murkin c/o Real Wealth Publications P.O. Box 6782 Lee's Summit, MO 64064
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