Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Five Ways to Grow Your Business (with PR)

Tell Others About What You’re Doing - Wow, that seems ridiculously simple, but in today’s difficult economic climate, it’s often a step that is overlooked because it’s deemed “too expensive” to reach out and tell others what’s going on in your business. But that’s not really the case. The phrase “penny wise and pound foolish” comes to mind, because if you don’t spend a little to tell your community the good things you’re doing, they will simply never know. And you can’t grow if people don’t know you.

Keep Your Current Customers in the Loop - A newsletter, either printed to be distributed at point of purchase in your store, or via email or even a blog, will keep your customers in the know” about what you’re doing. Offering exclusive offers to those who sign up for your electronic newsletter or take a printed copy, will reinforce how you really feel about them. After all, no customers, no business.

Always Be Closing (On New Customers) - While being in “business” mode all the time can be overkill (and annoying to others) it’s simply makes sense to be on the lookout for new clients and get them in the “pipeline” by pitching your services to them. A great way to do this is to have an “elevator pitch” - a quick way to tell others about what you do and what you can do for them. That’s just one good tool in your toolbox designed to seek out new clients by spreading the word about what you can do for them. A PR consultant can help you rehearse that pitch and hone messages that will attract customers..

Bring “New” Things to the Table - Using the methods we discussed above, let your customers know about your new products, new services, new procedures, and even new employees. All are excuses, if you will, to stay in touch with your customers, and attract new ones. And let’s face it, “New” sells, in part because it shows you’re innovating and remaining fresh. Customers like that.

Seek Out Creative Help - Letting someone else take a crack at spreading the word about your business can be kind of scary for some, but letting go and letting others let their creative juices a shot can invigorate your business and give it new life. New approaches, new pitches, and new insights into possible new customer bases that you had never thought of before are just a few benefits to letting a public relations consultant assist your business. PR can often maximize the message while minimizing (or eliminating) your advertising dollar.

If you need help doing any of these things, Abbott Public Relations can be your partner, offering creative and innovative ways to get your message to the right customer.