GROWING A BUSINESS

MARKETING & SALES

Marketing and sales are essential to building a fast-growing business. Read marketing insights on essential topics like closing the sale, getting the marketing mix right, and building your brand. Don't miss some essential business tips for building your marketing knowledge.

The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not those of Optus. The articles on this website contain general information only and are not intended to be relied on as legal, financial or professional advice. Readers should seek their own advice based on their specific business [or personal] needs.

Taking your business online

Online business has become crucial in this 21st century world, and if your business is not on the net, to your customers and clients, it may as well not even exist!

Producing perfect marketing

Marketing your business need not be a hassle and doesn't need to cost the earth either.

The internet attraction

When looking to grow a business, having a great online presence is key. With its news, opinions, video content, job board and podcasts, online media and marketing forum Mumbrella is fast becoming a favourite among industry insiders.

The bare basics of regional marketing

For a business based on tactile, sensory pleasures, paring marketing back to the bare essentials is just good business sense.

On the trigger

When it comes to communicating your marketing message and influencing your customers, trigger marketing makes all the difference. In a nutshell, it's about delivering your key marketing messages to the right customers at the right time.

USP - an important region for your business

For any business owner starting out in a regional area, one of the many challenges is coming up with a unique selling proposition (USP) that makes your business stand out. While it has to be unique, there are some important points of law you need to

Marketing success in your own regional backyard

Former Gourmet Traveller food editor, Rodney Dunn, couldn't ignore the call of the land when he moved with his wife Séverine and son Tristan across the Tasman to operate his own business. The Agrarian Kitchen, a farm-based cooking school, has been in

In regional business, a system a day keeps the Doctors okay

In business, the path to consistency is through systems - and in regional business, where population and target markets can be static, this is pertinent to success. Word-of-mouth travels - and it travels fast!

The power of CRM

Australian companies spend the majority of their time trying to find the best way to convert occasional customers into loyal devotees. And while it sounds like a tall order, changing customer behaviour isn't as difficult as you might think.

Marketing strategies to put your business on the map

In regional areas, competition for your market demographic can be fierce and loyalty is highly prized. And if you're looking to capture passing trade, getting its attention is no easy feat. So how can you get people's attention? The secret is to thi

The great tech divide

For a lot of business owners, technology is a scary concept. They would prefer to leave it in the too-hard basket. And this includes having a website. For regional small businesses, and not just those limited to tourist destinations, not having a web

Producing perfect marketing

arketing your business need not be a hassle and doesn't need to cost the earth either. Too many business owners forget the most important point about marketing a business: you need to tell everyone about it. It shouldn't be "a best kept secret".

Master your marketing to build your business

Individual contractors are often great at fixing drains or designing and building houses, but not great at marketing their services or closing the sale after getting a positive reaction from a potential customer to some advertising.

How to market your own business with an iPhone App

In the last 12 months, Australian companies such as CommSec, Qantas, Pizza Hut and Officeworks have all released their own applications, while smaller web-based businesses such as Lasoo.com and Catch of the Day have also developed their own apps.

A taste for brands

It takes time for a brand to develop and become well known among consumers. Satisfying your customer's needs is an important part of this.

10 ways to prepare your website for Christmas

It's that time of the year again - with only so many sleeps until Christmas, it's time for online retailers to start panicking about their key selling period.

Get the word out

Are you in business, but often think to yourself that you're not in sales - perhaps you can't stand selling and have decided that you can't sell? If this is the case, then you need to take a good hard look at yourself - because, guess what?

The Eureka moment

Ensuring your business is different from the rest will ensure it stands out and will hopefully make it a success, especially during tough times.

Hiring a Sales Person

It's a question many business owners have when they decide to hire a full time sales person. How should they be paid; on a base plus incentive package, or just on a percentage, and with or without expenses?

A simple selling mistake

Knowing what not to do when selling is just as important as knowing how to sell...

Tweet your way to marketing success

Social networking giant Twitter has grown from an internet gimmick into a full-blown marketing tool. For SMEs, being able to spread your message and sell to millions of people with no cash required is an offer too good to refuse.

The tipping point

One of the greatest influences on the growth of a business is something that is often under-rated, ignored or totally misunderstood and this might shock you -- it's called business communication.

Love is all you need!

I have a sole goal, and that's to be the lateral thinker for you. The articles I write and the tips I give emanate from my own experience as a business owner and an employer and from my regular access to outrageously successful business people.

Personal professionals

Networking is not something that can be underestimated in today's business world. The old adage rings true - it's not what you know, but instead who you know that often helps you get to where you need to be business-wise.

A bought brand

When bringing a brand to a new market, research is key. Is there a hole in the market shaped just like your brand? Or are you merely contributing to an already-crowded marketplace?

Presenting yourself

What do McDonald's, Claudia Schiffer and Paul Keating all have in common? All three have been successful? All three have devoted supporters, but do they all have critics? Well, possibly, but the standout characteristic is that they present well.

Skyline marketing

Finding new clients can often be a difficult process. Smart and successful marketing is essential to any growing business.

Keeping small business alive

The shops along Sydney's Oxford Street are playing up their uniqueness in the battle to win back customers, reports Peter Switzer.

The 5 secrets to closing the sale

I know a great salesperson told at the beginning of his sales career, that to be successful he'd have to learn how to CLOSE the sale. It sounded mysterious at the time, but now he admits it is the easy part when you know how.

Do you really want to grow your business?

Most business owners at some stage find themselves faced with what I call a growth dilemma. They don't know whether to grow their business or not. Hey, if you don't want to grow a world class business, don't worry, you probably are in a big

Brand building

We're all being told that what we have to do to make a success out of our businesses is to build a brand. And it has been good advice but one of the world's foremost gurus on advertising is recommending we opt for 'love' as a key tool.

The best policy

Don't mislead or deceive when selling. You might be passionate about your product or service and you want to make that sale, but don't let this get the better of you when you're selling.

On the wall

Here's an unusual success story about a business that specialised in a very unlikely product - wall charts.

Is it worth doing market research?

Researching your target market to find if there are any gaps in the market that can be filled is a great way to grow your business. Good marketing is also crucial.

Tips for writing a proposal

A good proposal is essential to getting new business. It's important that the proposal shows potential clients exactly what your business can offer them

Get marketing right

It really is worth reading everything you can to improve your marketing. And if you've launched a new business or added new products or services, you should be putting together your marketing plan specifically for this.

Being different

An important aspect of marketing is being able to set your business apart from the rest of the crowd.

Improve five areas of your business

Good businesses targeted to become great businesses have to be subjected to continuous questioning, in particular, are we best practice?

Advertising tips

Here are some tips to creating the type of advertising that will catch potential customers or clients attention.

Natural born sellers

Selling, whether it be products or just marketing your work, is an important part of any business. Here are some tips to ensure you and your staff are at the top of your game.

The power of communication

The legendary American screen actor Rod Steiger once said something to Paul Newman in the movie In The Heat of the Night that all business owners should remember if they want to build a great business brand.

What's crime got to do with it?

There are three fundamental questions that all businesses have to nail to ensure they become world class performers. By the way, there's nothing wrong with dreaming big and shooting to be the world's best -- it's a great motivation.

Are you passionate?

Advertising whiz kid Siimon Reynolds (who's now no longer a kid) once wisely told me that everything you do in business is advertising.

Planning your advertising

Advertising your business is important, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start.

Get Virginically positive

Promoting your brand requires innovative thinking to ensure your business gets noticed.

League of their own

Do you ever wonder why you choose one product over another?

How to show and sell

Exhibiting your business or product at trade shows can be a great way to market it. Here is a Q&A about how to get the best exposure possible.

The art of selling

The art of selling is one worth learning. Here are some tips to help you become a more effective seller that knows what customers want.

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