Eight Steps to Higher Revenue

Information Technology professionals will tell you that Microsoft does not necessarily have the best products in the marketplace. Yet Microsoft enjoys a market leadership position matched by few in the history of capitalism. The answer to that anomaly may lie in their unsurpassed ability to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The steps outlined below can help you differentiate yourself and reap greater rewards.

Strategic Planning
Put together a plan that addresses your objectives for the year ahead. Integrate marketing and financial data to segment existing markets and pinpoint new opportunities (Mailmark can help you with this if we’re getting your customers’ “amount spent” information). Understand how you want to attack your markets in terms of corporate positioning, products, pricing, branding and promotion. Some of these things may be taken care of for you if you’re a franchisee. Budget and allocate your expenditures where you expect them to generate the highest return (Mailmark can help you with this as well).

Market Research
Understand the competitive landscape and know how to position your products and services against it. Mailmark can help you to quantify the untapped opportunities within your new and existing markets. We can then select and acquire new customers that are most likely to generate revenue for the long term.

Product Development
Continuous improvement in your product and service offerings helps keep you a step ahead of the competition. Being first to market with a new technology or value added service helps to establish you as an industry leader. Your reputation as an innovative expert will be cemented in the minds of your customers. Examples of product development initiatives at Mailmark include our enhanced database segmentation capabilities and full color fully variable 1 to 1 text and graphic execution capability…variable data printing.

Sales Collateral
Brochures, sell sheets, fact sheets or mini-CDs with a brief rich media presentation can help educate your customers on why they need specific products and services and why they should buy them from you.

Web Development
Depending on your business, developing a web presence with “sticky” content (giving customers a reason to return to your site again and again) can strengthen your bond with customers and further differentiate you from the competition.

Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is unique in its ability to target a specific audience with a specific message. It yields measurable results, so you know if your investment is paying off. It’s personal (one more shameless plug for Mailmark’s variable data print capability) and it allows you to convey complex messages with great impact.

Advertising
An integrated marketing campaign across multiple media will yield the best results. Having a print ad presence that’s sure to reach your audience can be invaluable.

Public Relations
Developing contacts with local, regional or national media can create tremendous value whenever you have a compelling story to tell.