We spend a lot of time on this website telling people what works in terms of marketing and what the latest techniques for warming up leads and turning them into sales are. Today, we want to do something different. Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do in the world of business, and some of the oldest, most commonly used tricks in the book no longer work in the modern world. We're all in favor of having a varied approach to marketing, but some methods aren't worth the time you might invest in them.
The world has changed beyond all recognition since the internet was invented, and because of that, things that worked in the 1990s won't wash anymore. Customers are becoming ever more savvy, and they'll see some sales techniques coming a mile off and steer clear of them. There are also a few approaches that feel aggressive or unwelcome, and they're more likely to put people off your company than persuade them to buy from you.
We want you to be successful, which means we want you to spend your time and resources on finding ways to reach customers that will help you grow your sales. If you're still attempting any of the things we're about to list below, it's time to pack them in and swap them out for something that's more likely to work.
This was a popular way of generating 'leads' in the early days of the internet, and it wasn't all that successful even then. Now, there's no reason to do it at all. The people who sell email lists sell the same data over and over again, and the majority of people on them are sick of being approached by companies they've never heard of. Don't forget that the people on that list are unlikely to have expressed a direct interest in buying whatever product or service it is that you're selling. In all likelihood, they ticked a box somewhere on a website that opted them in for marketing related to something vaguely similar to whatever it is you're selling, and that might have happened years ago. Email lists are the coldest of all cold leads, and chasing them down is a waste of valuable working hours.
You'll regularly come into contact with older people who've been in business for many years and will proudly tell you that they made their first few sales by opening a phone book and calling their way through it until they found someone willing to buy from them. Even if that were true - which we doubt - it isn't going to work today. Most people don't pick up the phone to numbers that they don't recognize. In some parts of the world, it's already illegal to make unsolicited sales phone calls, and it's likely to become illegal in the rest of the world sooner rather than later. Not only will you not generate sales this way, but you'll damage your brand's reputation by becoming associated with unscrupulous marketing practices.
On the surface, this might seem like a smart idea. The streets around you are full of people. If you go out and stand among those people handing out business cards and flyers, those people might take them home and then call you when they're in need of whatever it is you do. Think about what you do whenever you're handed a flyer, though. Do you throw it in the trash as soon as you get home? Does it even make it all the way home with you? In most cases, unwanted paper solicitations like this get junked before being given a second look. However, a well-crafted flyer design can effectively reach your target audience. By reducing printing costs, you not only save money but also make the distribution process easier and save time, maximizing the benefits of your marketing efforts. You might get a sale from them once in a blue moon, but it's more likely that the cost of printing all those flyers will exceed anything you make back from them.
It's true that high-ranking business people are likely to have more money to spend, and that makes them the most valuable potential customer for your business. That still doesn't mean you should call them at work and attempt to introduce yourself, though. If you run a business, you should already be aware of how many people contact your office every day and ask to be put through to the 'owner or decision-maker.' You should also know that none of these calls are ever put through to you because you don't want them. If you want to reach professional people, join a network, and attend events. Make your introductions in person. Don't pitch to them out of the blue. It might not be illegal like cold calling is, but it's every bit as unwelcome.
Success with marketing strategies takes time and effort. If an idea is good, it will work eventually, even if it doesn't work the first time you try it. We like to use a metaphor from online slots to explain this. When a player logs into an online slots website, they have a budget they're willing to spend, and they know how much of that budget they're willing to part with before they call it a day in the event that they don't win. So long as they're still within that budget, they'll continue to play online slots until they score a victory. Marketing works the same way. You sometimes have to stick at things even when it looks like they're not working because eventually, they'll come good. Every online slots jackpot is potentially only one spin away. Every successful marketing campaign is potentially one step away from success at any time. If it's a good idea, try it repeatedly until you get what you once. Don't pass it over because you tried it once and nothing happened.
Now you know what doesn't work, head back to our homepage and find your way around the rest of our website to find out what does, and how we can help you. Marketing doesn't have to be a minefield, and we hope that in writing this article, we've managed to help you avoid stepping on a few mines!
