Marketing is often made out to be highly complicated and technical, in reality it is far from it. Below are ten marketing tips that can be implemented today, which require only common sense and your knowledge of your business.

1. Have a clear picture of what marketing is really about: Often people think marketing is just about selling or advertising. This is partially true, but there are many other factors involved in marketing. These include: research, strategy development, advertising, selling, PR etc. Understanding this will enable you to gain a clear insight in to the marketing concept, and make more informed decisions.
2. Understand the competitive environment: Marketing activities always fail if a firm doesn’t understand the environment that they operate in. If you know: what your competitor does, how they do it, what the consumer wants, and how you can take your company forward, you will be able to make informed decisions about your marketing. An informed decision will increase the chances of success. If you don’t understand your environment, give up and go home. You will fail!!!!!!!!
3. Get your pricing strategy right: Most firms work out the basic cost of a product or service, and then add a mark up for profit, i.e.2-3%. Technically this is correct. Alternatively try putting a mark up on a product that is the maximum price the market will pay. This might be only 2-3%, or it might be 50-100%. Always look to charge the most that you can get away with, without damaging your sales, brand or company.
4. Harness the power of existing relationships: We all know how hard it is to gain new customers. With your existing customers you already have a relationship. At this point you have reduced some of the barriers in the sales process. So try up-selling to them. Work out what your customers have bought from you in the past, and then develop an appropriate target spend. I.E. you sold a web site to them last month, how about an e-marketing package to go with that website.
5. Develop a networking strategy: How often have you walked in to an event and thought what am I going to do? Make an event work for you. Try to ensure that everybody in the room gets your business card, this is the first step. From this speak to a fair number of people, but try not to give the hard sell. Once you have identified who you could do business with try to arrange a meeting with them. At any future meeting you can then give your sales pitch. (Note: have a 30 second intro pitch for any contacts you meet: who you are, what you do, and the benefits that you provide)
6. Use PR as free advertising: A timely and newsworthy press release is just as good, if not better than a costly advertisement. It gives you credibility, a favourable image and most importantly it’s FREE.
7. Create a competitive advantage/USP: You provide a better service, cheaper service, your more in-tune with your customers needs. Try to do something that your competitors can’t or wont.
8. Get your customers to sell for you: Positive word of mouth is one of the best marketing tools. If you can get your customers to speak highly of you, this again breaks down barriers in the sales process. Making your chances of doing business greater.
9. If it doesn’t work stop it: Just because you thought something was a good idea, or you have spent a lot of money, isn’t a valid reason for continuing. Be ruthless with your self, if it doesn’t work cut your losses and move on.
10. Never spend on anything that doesn’t give back: A fancy web site or advert might look good, but unless it puts money in your pocket don’t bother.

Do you know exactly why people don’t seem excited to buy your product? Have you ever wonder why your competitors make more sales even though they have a terrible product to offer? Even worse, why people couldn’t even be bothered to live their email address in your opt-in form and subscribe to your free newsletter?

You may wonder people just don’t feel interested to buy your product or maybe your price is too high. Or you’ve finally realized that your product is a pile of junk and decided to find another product to sell.
You’ve got to stop whatever you’re doing and think for a moment. It is not your product to be blame. Sometimes your own salesletter which is the one that kill your business. You’ve written some words that people don’t even want to hear and scare the hell out of them. Studied has shown using these words will decrease your sales up to 75%.
So, what are exactly the bad words you should never say in your newsletter?
1) Buy – This specifically asking people to take out their wallet and spend some money. Bare in mind, most people surf the Internet searching certain information for free and sometimes they need more time before considering buying your product. Whatever business you’re doing, using this word alone can destroy your business in split second. Instead of using the word ‘buy’, change it to ‘claim’ or ‘invest’. Ask yourself, which one sound better, “Buy this amazing product” or “Claim this amazing product.”
2) Learn – This will remind people back in the old days where they have to study and learn in 1st or 2nd Grade. Nobody wants to squeeze their brain out and learn something new on the Internet. Information on the Internet is just too huge. Nowadays, people want fast information and have no time to learn. Instead of using the word ‘learn’, it is better to use the word ‘discover’. Now we are giving somewhere. Does this word sounds a lot better, “Discover 10 Easy Tips To Improve Your Golf Swing.”
3) Tell – You don’t have to use this word to explain the benefit of your product. People will not listen to you if they don’t recognize you. Study this two words carefully, “Let me tell you the secrets of becoming a millionaire” or “Let me reveal to you the secrets of becoming a millionaire.” Which one do you think that will make people keep on reading your newsletter?
4) Things – Using this word will not make your salesletter sound astonishing. It makes the salesletter very boring to read. This will make people lost their confidence in whatever you’ve offered to them. Instead of using the word ‘things’, consider to revise it to ‘tips’, ‘tricks’ or ‘techniques’. “Get these 5 great techniques right away” is far better than “Get these 5 great things right away.”
5) Stuff – This word is what most marketers used to describe how great the product is. If you change it to ‘Insider Secrets’, definitely this will give people an urge to act right away. Consider this two words, “Click here to download your 7 stuffs” or “Click here to download your 7 amazing insider secrets.” Which one would you like to click?
If you can avoid this 5 bad words, your sales will definitely boost up to the roof. Don’t neglect the power of these words. Now, it’s time for you to check all your salesletter and change it (if any) right away. You will be surprise of the outcome.