A customer has to see you eight times before he believes you are real

Eight is just a number I made up... but if customers have 

- met your people at trade shows,

- received a follow up e-mail with a signature,

- seen your logo or business card,

- had face-to-face meetings,

- attended a branded webinar, 

- seen your publications in the literature, 

- been drawn through a link to your website, or 

- heard about you from other people

After about eight times it seems to sink in that you are a player in their market. Suddenly you are a real company and, when you are mentioned, they will say 'Yeah, I have heard of them.'

Make sure your company name and logo is clearly visible on any documentation you generate whether it is e-mail, technical reports, golf shirts or coffee mugs.

“The only thing worse than being talked about, is not being talked about”, Oscar Wilde

One of your jobs is to get talked about...

Every Employee is a Salesperson

No matter what they are doing or where they are going every last one of your employees is a salesperson. 

Make sure that you use effective internal communications so that every employee understands your product and its benefits to the customer. 

Made sure they have business cards or other material with them whether they are going to lunch, to a conference, or on vacation to Disneyland. 

You never know when they are going to run into prospective customers and the total volume of the contacts your company makes, counts. 

Make sure your family members all have your business card in their wallets – it is amazing how often a business card pinned to your grandmother’s refrigerator will turn into an introduction or a lead.

Make sure your employees are proud to work with you and that they will talk positively about your company whenever they are given the chance, this includes EVERYONE.

Write your marketing documentation for a Grade 3 reading level

Many of the people marketing new technological innovations today have a brilliant and extensive vocabulary. They tend to write in flowery, expansive phrases describing the customer’s problem to them!

The target of the marketing documentation is often an engineer whose classical education was neglected and who is looking for the bald facts on your product in the least time possible. The target audience is more likely to appreciate a description which is 140 characters long or less. Keep it short, keep it simple, and give the straight facts.