Have You Ever TRIED networking?

I sincerely hope your week is going better than my last client's, all he seems to do is work every single hour of the day and is either too busy to look at his business from a different viewpoint, or too stressed with money worries to see all his hours are pointless.

He is a typical small business owner ( not in double glazing I may add ), he has a workforce (that think he is disorganised and goes about everything back to front.)

He has a showsite with large overheads, escalating fuel costs and a nagging workforce asking for pay rises. He carries a huge amount of stock that he is too busy to sell and not much of a family life left to enjoy.

But hey .. he's got his own business, but sadly he is spending far too much time working IN his business when in these times, you need to be working ON your business.

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED NETWORKING?

It is extremely rare to find a double glazing company at a Networking meeting. Business breakfast or evening meetings are all about promoting your company and getting members to assist you and gain your extra word of mouth referrals. although it sounds like hard work, it can be an unusually productive way to establish your company amongst loyal members of these clubs. In some clubs you are guaranteed the business. It can assist with the classic, know you, like you, trust you relationship required to gain trust.

1. Be friendly and positive.

2. Have some information handy for those interested.

3. Spend more time listening than speaking, collect business cards for planning strategic alliances.

4. Make sure you follow up any interest with a phone call.

THE Glazing Guru Manual - get yours today www.glazingguru.co.uk

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal! The Glazing Guru The Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

Now Is The Time To Get Selling!

Now don't say I don't help you out every once in a while ... as an ex-sales consultant myself, I know only too well what happens when footfall through the doors goes down. When Business Owners are pulling their hair out, do you know what your staff are doing? I'll tell you ... they are working much harder at Putting the Kettle On! Less customers, means more leisure time, more leisure time means less energy being generated and without interaction to keep your salespeople occupied and up for the challenge.. well it becomes really hard to get motivated when that one customer eventually DOES step through the door. How many opportunities are LOST every day because you are too busy doing all those other things that you never seem to get round to Sales Training and I'm not just talking about your designated Sales People, I'm talking about EVERYONE in your business from the person who answers the phone, all the way through to the person who deals with your mail. When times are tough, the BEST Strategy to deploy when all around you start Discounting is to UP YOUR SALES STRATEGY and maximise EVERY PERSON WHO COMES YOUR WAY. Out of ideas? Grab a copy of 100 Ways to Sell Anything Fast from the website now, it's only £7.00 and gives you 100 Ways to Motivate EVERYONE in YOUR business to Sell Anything Better Than They Are Doing Now. www.glazingguru.co.uk Don't forget to check out the blogspot for lots more like this! www.glazingguru.blogspot.com

THE Glazing Guru Manual - get yours today www.glazingguru.co.uk

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal! The Glazing Guru The Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

IFA'S ARE YELLING "HELP!"

On dear, retail sales are down for the second month in a row, housing prices slide further and IFA's ( Independent Financial Advisers) are yelling "help!"

Until a few months ago Mortgage Advisers had 27,000 different mortgages to sell, that figure has now dropped to just 7,000. That is going to have a knock on effect in the Home Improvement Industry as the vast majority of your target customers re-mortgage to pay for their home improvements.

Now as a Business Owner you have probably been thinking that puts you firmly in charge of your own destiny, but it is not entirely true. For example I knew a business owner who had 75% of his annual turnover wiped out when Rover closed it's doors, not his fault, just the marketplace changed around him, nothing he could do.

There is a hugely successful Marketing Guru in the UK called Chris Cardell, who wrote this week:-

"For the last decade, the economy has been so good - that even those who were average at basic business skills - such as Marketing, Advertising and Sales - did OK. In fact, some did very well.

That's led to complacency. Unfortunately, many of these business owners are about to get a big shock.

When people stop spending money (everything points to this happening) the only way to survive - and indeed thrive - is by making sure you are outstanding at Sales and Marketing."

Change is inevitable, but surviving it isn't, you need to take action now before you lose control.

This weeks tip:-

Get Friendly with Thy neighbour!

If you know someone who runs a kitchen company, why not ask if you can send out a flyer of yours when they next do a mailing. People who buy home improvements do not just stop at one, kitchens, bathrooms and builders can all be your complimentary lead generators. You will have to oblige with theirs - but what a powerful alliance you would build especially in a local community.

1. Have a great offer for THEIR customers only - an exclusive

2. It should sound as though this great offer is possible only because your companies are working together

3. Test & Measure

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal!

The Glazing Guru

The Glazing Guru

Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

THINK LIKE A WINDOW DRESSER

With the housing market sliding further still, people would normally be looking to stay and improve, and that is excellent news for your industry. The only problem is that those same people normally borrow money to make those improvements and it's the mortgage and re-mortgage market that is currently pretty much a closed shop for a few months.

So, chins up and look at what you have to hand right now and start tempting them in.

For all those people who say "just looking thank you" have something they can't get out of their minds, better still give them a flyer with your offer on before they leave, get their contact details .. do something new and unexpected for every single person who comes your way for the next month & then tell me there is a recession looming.

Glazing Guru Manual : Section One ( yes we are still there ) : Lead Conversion

WINDOW DISPLAYS / OUTSIDE DISPLAY MODELS

People love to stand and look into windows and show models, the feel safe that they will not be sold to or harassed. Do something interesting to make sure they come inside - with a special offer "such as a FREE Report" or Money Off Voucher - inside - we want them in the showroom to talk to.

1. Your top priority is to get people IN your showroom, so make an offer they cannot refuse.

2. Change your offer and window displays regularly to KEEP people interested.

3. Display the product that has most mass appeal.

4. Test and Measure.

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal! The Glazing Guru The Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry