Direct marketing- a channel free approach to reach the Customers

Direct marketing is a channel free approach to reach the customers and offer them products and services. This method of marketing is considered to be a controversial sales method. The most common modes of direct marketing are telemarketing, solicited and unsolicited emails, coupons, leaflets, brochures, door drops and catalogs. All these sources are used to reach the potential customers and make them aware about the product or service being offered.

Companies used to market their product through advertisements on television and radio but that was not cost effective because not every person in the target market is watching the television ads or listening to the radio when the ad is being broadcasted. To get the attention of the customers the companies have to broadcast the ad again and again. This activity requires a lot of financial backing. Whereas using modes like telephones, emails, leaflets and brochures it makes sure that almost all the potential customers have been reached.

Direct marketing helps to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time through the right channel. Direct marketing can reduce the market segment size to 1. Each individual customer is being approached and focused. Direct marketing determines the differences in the customers and then markets the products and services to them according to their different requirements.

Social networking websites also give an opportunity to directly market a product to the potential customers. The network spreads through social marketing very quickly for businesses. A simple example to it could be that whenever a natural disaster hits the world the social marketing media raises funds and spreads the whole story to the world with in no time. Social media targets individuals through community.

Now customers have become less responsive to the direct marketing as a lot of direct marketing campaigns tend to entice the customers about a product or service but do not fulfill the requirements of the customers. People are now involved with online communities and they look for recommendations made by the people about a product or service. Direct marketers now use Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and other social networking websites to reach the customers as the customer’s attention is now more concentrated towards these means.

The competition have become so much tough that companies now keep the records and maintain a data base of all the customers and related people in the market so that they could contact them individually and promote their business.

Strive to Solve People’s Problems, Not Make More Money, It Pays Off In the End

What Michael Douglas said in the movie, Wall Street, ‘Greed is good”, holds true for a very short time. After a while, people can see through your game and quit on you. This does not imply that money is evil. On the contrary, it is one of the fundamental needs, not more or less than trust, relationship, love and freedom.

Customer relationship is crucial

For any business to succeed, retaining an old customer carries immense value and is even more important than acquiring a new customer. The only way you can hold on to your existing customer is by building a relationship of trust and value. Nobody in his right mind expects a free service or product, but everybody is justified in expecting value for money they spend. Once they realize that you have delivered on your promise and gone out of the way to make them feel comfortable doing business with you, it becomes quite easy to build a strong relationship.

Always think long term

Being short sighted in business and chasing profits by unscrupulous means is akin to committing business suicide. The early days may not be very rewarding financially, but if you care to think of a long term goal and concentrate on consolidating your customer base, it eventually pays off handsomely. Always look at the larger picture and strive to reach higher goals. The struggle may be very tough and frustrating when you start out, but will be well worth it when you hit your long term goals.

Transparency and honesty is very valuable

The fine prints and hidden costs, which many companies resort to in the marketplace, may fool people for some time, but when word spreads, it can damage the business very badly. In the garb of helping people, if you lure them in with the promise of solving their pressing problems and take them for a ride, it can cost your business dearly. Customers and business associates would love to do business with you if your business conduct is above board, your transparency crystal clear, your honest effort and sincerity in solving their problem very evident. Once you come across as someone competent, knowledgeable, honest and transparent, they will even pay you more than your competitor who may not have all these qualities.

Show genuine interest in problem solving

Don’t just pretend to be interested in solving someone’s problems, because you will eventually get caught, waste other person’s time and money and make him or her angry beyond salvage. If you want to win someone over for the rest of his life, you must make genuine effort, show real concern and take pains to solve problems and it will pay off in the future.