“Beyond the Vision”

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Sun, 09/26/2010

Welcome to my first blog, ever! For over thirty-two years I have been working with businesses on developing their marketing and sales strategies. Yet it never ceases to amaze me how many businesses have a great vision, and feel that the vision alone will carry the business to success.

While on occasion this may be the case, generally it is not. Small businesses in particular have a difficult time devoting time, energy and financial resources toward the marketing and sales of their product and/or service. In 1980 a radio station owner said to me, “a business could have Johnny Carson coming over for the day, but if no one knows about it, no one will come to see him.” Hind sight is 20/20, but he was so right!

The vision is a great start to a business, but only a start. If you haven’t completed a business plan, now is the time to get it done. It is not a coincidence, but two key parts of the business plan are the marketing plan and the revenue generating plan. More than ever before, it has become increasingly easier to market to your target customer, which can also increase your ability to maximize revenue.

While middle to large size companies continue to expose their brand through traditional media like television, radio, newspaper and direct mail, they’re joined by their small business counterparts when it comes to online and social media marketing. Networking, which I’ll discuss in more detail in future blogs, has become a relatively inexpensive avenue to market your business as well.

Business owners typically don’t want to sell, or be known as salespeople. But you know what, the minute you decide to be an entrepreneur or buy a business, you are, and always will be, a salesperson. You may not like it, but if you want to carry the passion you have for your vision to success, you need to accept the fact and live with it, and learn the sales techniques that will be beneficial. To make it a little easier, you have options to hire a sales team or a sales rep firm to sell your products or services for you. Just don’t wait too long and take a pro-active approach to your business development.

There is much more to do with your business, beyond the vision. Just don’t let ‘Johnny Carson’ in if you’re not going to tell anyone about it.

Until next time…