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7 Steps to Simple Holiday Marketing

By: Leslie Hamp

Tis the season for parties, gift giving AND networking. While many small business owners think December is a time to put marketing on the back burner, we think otherwise. The holiday gatherings can be a good time for small business owners to market. Why? A key Guerrilla Marketing tactic is networking, and networking is a natural during the holiday season. You'll see old friends and colleagues, discuss how the year went and share goals for the upcoming year.

Use the holidays as a time to lay groundwork for future business opportunities. When getting ready for those festive networking events, remember that appearance plays a major role in the effectiveness of your Guerrilla Marketing networking. You must always be "on," projecting yourself in as favorable a way as possible.

A few suggestions:

1. Be prepared. Before attending a holiday event, find out who will be there and how they are connected to the host(s). Mentally prepare some questions that you can rely on to create an interactive conversation.

2. Skip the elevator pitch and hand out business cards only when requested. Keep in mind that holiday gatherings are different from business networking meetings. While a guest may be from a company you would love to work with, pitching him or her in the midst of the holiday gathering may not be in your best interest. Instead, greet your contact warmly and sincerely, using eye contact.

Allow your contact some time to get acclimated to being with you. Don't come on too strong. But don't waste their time, either. Engage in casual conversation at first, especially about anything pertinent to the person you're interacting with. Make it friendly and two-sided.

3. Spend more time asking questions and listening than talking. Ask relevant questions, and listen carefully to the answers. Maybe you'll strike up a conversation with, "How has business been going?" or "Who are your ideal clients/customers these days?" or "Any new business plans for the New Year?" Spending more time listening than talking is a key Guerrilla Marketing concept we encourage all of our clients to master.

4. Be prepared with your own reply to "What's new?" -- something concise but intriguing, such as "Our graphic designer just knocked our socks off with another outstanding logo design and visual identity for a new client." If the person's eyes glaze over, move on to another topic. But if they ask questions, continue the conversation with short bits of information, keeping it a give-and-take exchange. You're sharing your expertise and how you work with others.

True blue Guerrilla Marketers not only enhance their message with gestures by varying their tone of voice, they also drive home their point by maintaining eye contact and smiling off and on during the conversation. True blue Guerrillas also alter their interactions by observing the others person's reaction to their words. Learn how to read your contact's body language and react accordingly.

5. Develop a strategy to stay in touch after the holidays. Your target audience needs to hear from you 7 to 10 times before they really hear what you're saying. If appropriate say, "I'm planning a new workshop with red hot marketing tips for small businesses. If you'd like, give me your card and I'll put you on our list and send some information."

6. Take advantage of automation to remain top of mind. Keep the 7 to10 follow-up rule in mind, and develop strategies that simplify the follow up process. Most of our clients say they don't have time to send postcards, letters and flyers on a regular basis, or the patience and sales force to call all those customers and prospects repeatedly. Yet follow up is key. Take advantage of automation. We encourage small business owners to adopt a simple, effective, online system to make follow up a snap.

7. Have fun! Being with someone who is enthusiastic and interesting is a powerful draw. Important elements of your contact are your smile, your attire, your posture, and your willingness to listen and look directly into the contact's eyes. Your nonverbal communication is as important as your verbal communication. The impression you make will come as much from what you don't say as from what you do say. Remember to be interesting and fun!

If you're at the right place at the right time, you'll not only enjoy the holiday gathering; you could also make some very profitable business connections for the New Year.

Article Source: http://www.articlekingpro.com

Certified Marketing Spitfires Leslie Hamp and Holly George are creators of the Business Boost In A Box. To learn more about the step-by-step program, and to sign up for their free Marketing Mastery Success Kit, visit www.boostyourbottomline.com

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