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Home Business Marketing Tips #1,2
Sincerity, Testimonials

Recently I had the good fortune to create a list of home business marketing tips while attending an information seminar for a skin care product line.

It was especially interesting as I sat there with the unique perspective of being familiar with and having access to many of the ingredients mentioned.

I found myself looking as at the marketing style being used and how it could be applied to my own business, and anyone else selling their own products.

While listening, a few things became quite clear.  Successful companies are focused, they have a plan and they stick to it.

BONUS TIP: there is much to be learned from network marketing (MLM) companies in their marketing techniques.  Many of the top sellers are marketing geniuses willing to share everything they know with their downline. If there is a product that you like enough to at least buy your own, it could be worth joining to access their marketing education. – One caution to this is that you do not become so involved that it keeps you from your own business, unless of course, you enjoy it more and make more money from it!  If it’s something that goes well with your own product, all the better! Be sure to check with their rules beforehand, some of these companies do not allow “side by side” selling.

Even though I have enough raw materials to last me a lifetime… even though I am paraben-phobic… even though one bottle could cost me over $50.00!… I wanted to buy something (lots of things!) by the time she was finished. What gives?

1. SINCERITY

One thing was apparent, the lady, I will call her Jane, believed in her products and it showed.

I don’t think that this is a huge hurdle in the handmade skin care business, of course we love the stuff, we make it! We personally decide what goes into it, which ingredients work best and have direct feedback from customers.

You can use your devotion to quality just the same as the big guys when marketing your home business. Don’t be shy, learning all that you can, do work that you are proud of and let it shine through.

2. TESTIMONIALS

She was using testimonials all the way through the presentation.

All through the talk she was mentioning this person or that person
who showed actual results – reduced redness, reduced puffy lines, reduced wrinkles, oxygenates the skin well beyond what is possible through exercise etc, hydrates the skin beyond what is possible through drinking 8 glasses of water per day etc. etc.

She told stories of her partner who uses two of the products faithfully before she has her coffee in the morning, stories of her husband who uses the stuff too.

Making claims is tricky territory, but a few success stories are always a good thing!  Be sure to keep your customers testimonials and use them in your home business marketing material.

Home Business Marketing Tips #3,4,5
Testing, Busswords, Samples

3. TESTING

The formulator and owner of the company is a pharmacist.

This lends credibility. The speaker was able to throw in buzzwords like “quality control”, “clinical testing”, “laboratory” and “pharmacist” :0)

Do you have a system for quality control? Testing?

If you do, be sure to make a point of letting your customers know. Don’t be afraid to do some clinical testing of your own.

Of course you cannot make false claims, but if your product is getting results, what better way to illustrate it than with numbers.

How about before and after pictures? Don’t forget personal testimonials.

“Jane” didn’t forget to point out that she used to golf a lot and spend a lot of time “getting as brown as possible” in the sun (those where the days!) And what a wreck her skin used to be and how much the product has helped her personally.

Get your friends and family to test your products for you and tell you what they think. You’ll get some great ideas to improve your product and some honest testimonials!

What does your product do for you? Don’t be shy. Have a product that you can stand behind 100% through testing, testimonials and authority in your area of expertise.

Be your own poster child!

4. BUZZWORDS

These people have teams of professionals to pinpoint what works.

She was throwing all kinds of fancy sounding things into her presentation. Most of which I recognized because of my work, but I would be surprized if many of the women there knew what a lot of them where.

She didn’t go into great detail but it sounded great.

Don’t talk down to your audience, be sure to include all of the details.

It will make you sound professional and knowledgeable. And it will open the floor for discussion.

Are there any buzzwords that you can throw into your marketing material?

How about brainstorming a few buzzwords right now. Things that are true, sound good and are pertinent to your industry.

What is unique about you and your company? What’s your edge?

Stand out in your field.

5. SAMPLES

The product was very good, the samples really helped to sell the product. But she didn’t over do.

She passed a bottle of various things around for us to have a small try. At the end we got to choose one small sample.

Always keep us wanting more!

Home Business Marketing Tips #6,7
Image and Presentation, Training and Education

6. IMAGE and PRESENTATION

Jane was 60 years old and had amazing skin.

She was very poised and friendly but very confident and professional. She exuded confidence and a sense of calm surrounded her.

The packaging matched the price tag and she was dressed in a nice outfit with matching accessories. It all came together to create a presentation that was believable as she obviously believed it herself.

Never forget that everything you do works together to create your presentation – the part your customer sees.

Think of it like an iceburg, there is so much going on beneath the surface, but your customer is getting a fresh view of what’s showing, make it a nice view :0)

And try to keep things simple, too much distraction or decisions will stall a purchase. Try to flow from one related topic to the other, joining all in a logical fashion.

7. TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Possibly one of the biggest things (besides her skin) that the presenter had going for her was her knowledge of her products and the fact that since

She was not manufacturing, developing and sourcing, she was focused completely on selling and marketing.

She sounded professional, she had personal knowledge, she knew what she was talking about.

She got that through training from the parent company – the team and through personal use of the products.

If you are the chief cook and bottle washer in your company, know your product and it’s ingredients inside out.

Learn everything that you can about how your business functions, including marketing. Be sure to stay focused so that you don’t waste time jumping here and there and going in circles, it’s easy to do these days.

Can you better your education? Take a course or two in your choosen field.

This will not only greatly expand your practical knowledge and keep you current in your industry, always a good thing… it will lend much credibility to anything you create and market.

It’s a very effective way to lift yourself up and to stand out amongst your competitors.

People like to have confidence when they purchase… certificates and degrees give them this. Not to mention the knowledge you will have when answering questions and creating marketing materials.

If you can’t learn it or would rather not spend your time on it, outsource or buy the tools so that you look professional and so that you are “out there”.

As a friend of mine used to say, you can’t do it without the right tools (a guy of course, but he was right).

Home Business Marketing Tips #8,9,10
Personal Touch, A Hook, An Audience

9. A HOOK

This company has a hook, which is oxygen, it is contained in their product – as well as a host of other natural extracts etc.

The facials that a person can get at the Spa use items that are from the company and contained in the product, but are not available themselves – oxygen treatment and enzyme mask are an example.

So guess who is dying to go for a facial because after listening to the presentation. All my “imperfections” and the chance to have them reduced, or even erased loom on the horizon.

And guess who is going to be sorely tempted again to go shopping!

The only thing that has saved me is my ability and desire try to recreate something of my own.

I am happy to say that I have been inspired!

Most people don’t have that. Most of your customers don’t have that.

If I didn’t, I’d be pushing to the front of the line.

That’s what you want your customers to be doing.

OK, those are the big guys, but you can see how all of these ideas are very doable. And you can see how they work. One at a time.

10. AN AUDIENCE

What if you don’t have “an audience”?

You can use these marketing tips in person, in your marketing material and on your website.

If you haven’t got a website, there are many easy options these days.

You no longer need to learn html or slave away designing your site from scratch.

It’s not something to be taken lightly, but if you are serious about marketing your home business, a website is almost a necessicity these days.

You can use it to extend your market reach, automate information availability and to provide 24/7 customer service.

And it sure beats taking phone orders and hand delivering like back in the cave man days!

I have just switched to SBI, I am amazed so far at the tools they have available not only to build a site, but to market it and use it in an optimal manner, they provide so much more than just a medium of presentation, they provide everything you need to get the presentation out there in a professional manner, in various forms.

And they have a 30 day trial period, they will refund your money if it doesn’t work out for you.

They have great customer service to answer all of your questions and more resources than you will ever need to learn anything you want to do with it.

If you are interested in making your home business website do the marketing for you, you should have a look.

Additional Information

Natural Mom Business Guide
Queen of KAOS – My Work At Home Mom Blog
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