Herman School of Business
Marketing...marketing...
My wife runs her small antiques and gifts store on Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week. Like other merchants she has seen a decline in buying from her regular “browsers.” They still come through the store every couple of weeks but buy less, because for most of them it is a way to spend time while perusing the new items picked up at estate sales every week.
But my wife does not stand still and wait for the economy to turn around. Usually she works from 11AM to 5PM on Saturday. Last week she put an ad for a “yard sale” on Craig’s List and she was at the store by 8AM loading up the front yard with stuff. She put out a rack of vintage clothes she bought from a defunct consignment shop. She stocked the yard with small pieces of furniture, placed pictures leaning up against everything out there, and had signs announcing her discount prices blocks away on telephone poles.
She had her best weekend in a long time.
For the last few weeks I have been doing mundane envelope stuffing, hand addressing, folder filling work getting media kits and signed copies of my book out in the mail to meeting planners who could possibly recommend me for a speech at an upcoming event…or pass on my material to another friend who could use my services. Many of these people I will meet over the next year at various monthly functions, or next week when I go to Las Vegas for the national convention. Is this basic marketing fun to do? No. Does it make me smile when I work all day making copies of media material and folding dust jackets to put in the package? No.
But when I do meet these meeting planners at upcoming events I have something to refer to when we introduce ourselves to each other. Marketing may be one of the most boring events at this level…but it will lead to a contact that I need to become successful in arranging speaking engagements next year.
What did you do this week to market yourself or your business or your project?
- Posted: 28 July 2008
- Comments: 0
- Category: Business success
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