The Savvy Entrepreneur

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We live in a world where there is a plethora of options – we are deluged by products, gizmos and gadgets, some of which we don’t really have any use for and most of which tend to get obsolete in no time at all. So if you’re a marketer, you must know how to sell your products effectively so that customers know what they stand to gain by buying and using them. A successful marketer avoids making fatal errors, mistakes that could kill their chances of success. There are many marketing don’ts, but the most important of them are:

• Being too intrusive: No matter how badly people want to buy something, they’re not going to buy from you if you’re too intrusive. I hate callers who ring my doorbell when I’m busy and refuse to go away; I get irritated with cold calls from salespeople who gain access to my mobile number through mass marketing lists that they purchase and hound me at all hours of the day; and I find pop ups that block the web page I’m trying to view a big nuisance that I must close immediately. So when you’re intrusive and in your customers’ faces, you don’t start off on the right foot or make a good impression on them. You tend to drive them straight to the arms of the competition at times. It’s hard enough earning a good reputation, and your job is made even more difficult when you have to overcome a bad one.
• Treating the customer badly: Some salespeople and marketers believe they are above certain customers and don’t treat them well. Remember Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman? The man who refused to attend to her because of the way she was dressed had to eat dust a little later. So don’t prejudge your customers or assume that you know what they can or cannot afford. Your job is to sell your product and so your focus must be on closing the sale alone.
• Failing to offer follow up service: Your job is not over once you’ve sold a product, and if as a marketer you think it is, you’re making a huge mistake. Very often, people become repeat customers because of the after-sales service you offer – no one wants to buy a product for which they are forced to put up with shoddy service and maintenance. When I buy a car, I want to know that maintenance is going to be a hassle-free experience and that spares are not too expensive. If I feel cheated after the initial promises made at the time of the sale, I’m certainly not going to buy from the same company again or recommend it to my friends.

This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of accelerated online degrees . Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com .