Pesky mosquitoes are one of the biggest drawbacks of camping and in some places they can be so numerous and so aggressive that they can make your life miserable. Mosquitoes can make you wish you had never left home and can drive you out of some areas if you don’t have some means of protection against them.

Copyright 2006 Kelly Robbins

One of the many things you hear marketing people talk about over and over again is how important it is to know how you are different from your competition. An example of this is in the "elevator speech" many of us prepare. The ability to describe what you do and how you are different than your competitors can be the key to getting referrals and gaining new business.

Does everybody know what you do and what services you offer? Do you?

If there is one thing I cant say enough it is that the most important part of your mailing campaign is your mailing list. It is vital that you put the right amount of energy into learning about lists who to mail to so that your mailing efforts arent wasted. There are a few different ways that you can get an adequately targeted list.

There is a simple but almost mystical law which governs promotion and marketing and their relationship to the amount of business generated: business will come in to the degree that you get your message out, promote, let people know you are there, advertise, write to people, call people, e-mail people and generally communicate to existing or potential clients.
It isnt a fact that registers easily and it almost takes faith to follow this dictum until you have seen it work over and over in all sorts of different businesses and organizations (as I have).

Keeping in touch can dramatically increase business, when done properly.

Copyright 2006 Dave Kahle

"I'm concerned about what my competition may be doing. I know I should be aware of what they're doing, but I'm not sure how I can find that out."

This is an issue that's growing in importance. Our industry is heating up and becoming more competitive. All around us things are changing at an ever-increasing rate. That means that it's more important than ever for you to be aware of what your competitors are doing so that you don't get blindsided or seriously outmaneuvered.

So youre starting a small business. You figured out what you wanted to sell or do and went out and got it all set up, had your DBA framed and on the wall and now all you need is for someone to buy your product or use your service. Right?

How are you going to go about getting your public to know you even exist?

Promote! Promote! Promote!

How many leads have come into your business since the beginning of time that never closed? That is a salient question. Who knows how many, but I bet there are a lot.

Whether a small company or a large one with a sales force, the leads that are always best are the ones that are easy to close. But what about the prospects that were reached but never closed? They are in an abyss - The Unclosed Sales Lead Abyss, technically speaking.

Marketing online and offline couldn't be more complex and competitive than it is today. Markets have fragmented and advertising mediums have splintered into hundreds of specialized niches, all requiring specialized expertise in order to achieve respectable results. Marketing channels too, are splintered and controlled by conglomerates. It's a realm that is often beyond the average marketers view let alone their ability to control it.

The right direct mailing list targets people who want your product or service.

The direct mail mailing list is a key factor in a successful direct mail marketing campaign and a major point to consider in small business marketing strategies where marketing ROI (Return On Investment) is a key concern.

What really makes your direct mail marketing and advertising campaign successful?

The biggest single factor in the success of your direct mail marketing strategy is who you send your mailings to.

A. You need a list.