Photo (CC 2.0) blullana_miranda, on Flickr

“I need help in marketing my product. “

That short sentence is the one I hear often as I work with small-business owners.

Most often, when asked to clarify what they want, the owner talks about increasing his or her sales. They want to see more goods and services go out the door.

While sales certainly are a key part of an ongoing business, sales alone is not marketing. Using tools to products and services would be most often defined as advertising.

Marketing is more. Marketing can be defined as seeing goods and services going out of the door with that customer, and his or her friends, returning again and again. Marketing, in by my definition, is “everything you do.”

Marketing is knowing your customers. It is providing them the solutions to the problems they face. Take a simple need of fastening two things together. At such a broad level, there are lots of ways we might suggest getting the job done. But by asking questions, we learn that he or she is building the drawers for a wood cabinet. So maybe a wood glue would be best. And by asking even more questions, we more accurately can meet the customer’s needs.

Knowing your customers helps you understand what to stock and what new items might be of interest to your audience. Knowing the audience helps you in letting the customer know you exist, what you offer, and how you can help.

Marketing goes beyond the individual customer though. It includes being engaged in the community.

Marketing begins with two important facts. The first fact is that it is an investment in the future of your business. It is not a cost. And the second fact is that marketing takes a long-term view.

So the next time you ask someone for help in marketing, is your need simply to move the inventory you have on hand or are you looking to build a sustainable business into the future?

Todd Holder rings up our soaps and lotions. Photo by Becky McCray.

A common concern among small-business owners is how to increase revenue. Often, they try to do this by finding new customers.

That is an expensive way of doing it. On average, it will cost from $20 to $50 to get a new customer. Yet it only costs from $1 to $5 to expand sales to an existing customer.

Not only does increasing sales to current customers save money, but existing customers tend to spend more money than will new customers.

So whether you are encouraging your staff or doing it yourself, focusing on your existing customers can provide good returns for a low-cost investment.

Focusing on the existing customer starts with thinking in terms of not only today’s sale but the purchases a customer will make long term. A customer buying from a business represents income not only today but for many years.

An easy way to increase sales to existing customers is to offer complementary products and services. For instance, if you sell luggage, add a rack of luggage tags.

Often, these simple additional items offer a good rate of return. And these items move easily. The only requirement is that you and your staff need to make the customer aware that you carry them.

Another simple tool for increasing sales to existing customers is to remain in touch. The contact with customers can be about a new product or services they might like. These contacts also are a good way for businesses to thank them for their past business.

Of course, nothing can beat a good customer referral system where existing customers help you attract other customers. Make sure that you acknowledge or even offer an incentive for the referral.

Businesses selling to other businesses also should think about how they can help the other businesses increase their sales. One way is for businesses to work together to offer customers a combination of their products and services.

No matter what the economic climate is, getting more sales from existing customers makes good business sense, so take time to plan how this strategy can work in your business.

Art show – Used with permission – Nate Welk Photography

The bottom lime for survival of a business eventually comes down to making sales. You need to get money coming in the door.

There are many ways that you, as a business owner, can make your product and services available. One way used successfully by many art and craft businesses is by participating in shows that highlight such products. For some businesses, this is where they test new ideas. Others use this venue as a place to start. Some use it as one avenue of reaching the consumer while others depend on it as their sole outlet.

Recently I attend the annual “Pride of Dakota” show when it came to my home town.  

The show participants, as noted already, are in various stages of business development from those just starting out to those who have been in business for many years. One reason that many business owners want to participate in these shows is the size of the audience it attracts. You have a chance to get before a lot of people in a relatively short period of time.

Business owners have varying levels of success at these shows. I am always interested in how well they do at the shows. As I have talked with various vendors at this and other shows, I asked them if they had any tips on how to attract customers and build sales. This list offers some of what I have heard:

1. The first step is to get their attention. There isn’t just one way to do this. It is done through color, product display, lighting, signage and, of course, human interaction – a smile, a greeting or even just a wave. 
2. Once you have their attention, you need to engage them. Ask them how you might help or if they are looking for something specific. Share your knowledge about your products. As you engage, it is helpful if you are either standing or seated in something like a directors chair that puts you at eye level with them. Remember, you are the business owner so let your personality be part of your display and your brand. 
3. It helps it you can be out in the open and not behind a table although sometimes your products or the booth setup does not make that possible. 
4. You hope that you and other sales people are busy so think about answering basic questions through use of signs and displays. Questions about product details, price, and payment methods accepted are a good start. Depending on your product you may have a list of flavors or colors. 
5. Display as many different variations of your products as space permits but don’t get too crowded. Also, be sure to allow space for people to move around. 
6. Your booth needs to look professional. 
7. Don’t put everything at one level. Make the eye travel. Develop your display so that it causes the eyes to focus on certain things. 
8. In terms of display, remember that you will have lots of people moving around so make sure to keep items that might get damaged away from where there is heavy traffic or from where small children might be trying to get to something. 
9. You want your booth to attract people who are walking by and also to catch the attention of people who are further away. 
10. Don’t forget to have the name of your business prominently displayed. Having contact information displayed is also helpful. 

These are just some initial tips. If you are thinking of using shows as a sales outlet, go visit some to get more ideas. And ask people what attracts them at a show. Finally if you are selling already at shows,  ask for feedback on how you might improve your display. 

Having an effective booth at a show takes time and trying various things. You probably won’t be completely satisfied with your first display or your first show. The best idea I heard was to just keep working at it.

Good luck. 

More information on displays and visual merchandising can be found at”

NDSU Small Business Newsletter – Check out the “Marketing” section in the index

Visual Merchandising presentation slides

Farmer’s Market Displays