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Is Your Business in a Slump?

By Sandra P. Martini

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 06Aug2007
Word count: 442
Viewed: 169 time(s)

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Your marketing materials should communicate that your business stands out and is *special*. You are not another of those "dime a dozen" small businesses. You offer extraordinary customer service. You get great results. You (fill in the blank here).

Business tends to slow down during certain times of year. If you are experiencing one of those "slumps", it's a good time to take a look at your marketing materials and *freshen* them up a bit to insure that they are doing their job.

1. Change out your f*ree information product/special report.

Have you been offering the same f*ree "taste" (special report, e-course, audio tips) of your services since Day 1? If so, it may be time to change things up a bit: if you had a special report, produce an e-course or audio tips.

This is a great way to let your prospects know that you have a lot to offer (your clients already know this!). You can also offer the new giveaway to your existing newsletter subscribers as a *gift* for their completing a survey for you.

2. Spice up your email signature/resource box.

Take this time to tweak your email signature and resource box. You want your email signature and resource box to include a compelling call to action.

In a few sentences, you want to inspire your readers to visit your website, sign up for your e-course, opt in to your ezine/tipzine or otherwise learn about you.

3. Obtain/Add new testimonials to your materials.

Have you had some client successes since the last time you updated your testimonials? Ask current and past clients for a testimonial that you can use -- remind them that they will receive publicity by being on your website or in your materials.

If you have some clients who would like to give you a testimonial, but don't know what to write, offer to draft it for them and they can review/edit. Most clients will happily take you up on this and it allows you to focus the testimonial on RESULTS, not just warm fuzzies ("Jane is such a great person and I love working with her" is a warm fuzzy; whereas "Working with Jane has resulted in a 30% increase in my ezine subscribers" is a RESULT).

Updating your marketing materials gives you the chance to keep things fresh. I've found that taking a step back every so often gives me a fresh set of eyes. I don't change much, but it's nice to tweak something here or there and see what happens. After all, marketing is all about testing. :-)

Sandra Martini, founder of "Get Control of Your Business NOW!" and award-winning author teaches small business owners how to attract more clients and create more success in their business while working less. For more information and to receive the FREE special report, "7 Wealth-Building Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs", go to http://www.SandraMartini.com Are you a Virtual Assistant, or aspiring VA, looking to build your business? Check out "How to Make Money as a Virtual Assistant" at http://www.VAGuideToMoney.com.

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