The Best Marketing Tactic for Small Businesses

Do you know what the #1 way to get new customers? Talk to people.

Yes, that's right. The best marketing tactic for small businesses is conversations. 

Before the internet. Before email. Before social media. Even before phones and faxes. The way you got new business was by talking to people.

These technologies help, but by no means do they replace the need for conversations.

If your business is struggling, you might want to ask yourself if you're having enough conversations.

I'm working with a CEO now with a lot of talent. He has a great product, a great service, and a lot of credibility.

But his business is struggling. Not enough people are buying.  And believe me -- there are a LOT of people that should be. He does legitimate data-driven marketing for e-commerce shops. There's a lot of BS in that space. This guy is the real deal.

He's looking everywhere except to 1:1 conversations to understand why.

Websites. Emails. Landing pages. Social media posts. Content. Webinars. Podcasts. He's even developing a course for a prestigious university.

These are all legitimate ways to tell the world about what you do and to attract customers. 

But they are all means to an end. And the end is a genuine connection with another person.

I've been in high tech marketing for a couple decades now. Do you know how I found every single one of my jobs? Do you know how I found every single one of my clients? Do you know how I uncovered every opportunity that led to something bigger and better? 

Conversations.

Everything you do as a small business should be around having conversations with people. I don't care if you're selling a can of bubble gum flavored soda pop or creative design services, you'll want to talk to people.

Retailers can introduce you to distributors. The local importer from Taiwan can tell you that Asia and Europe chew more gum than the United States. Joe can tell you that Sally is struggling to find a digital ad manager. 

I've worked with a lot of big brands, and yes, email marketing, digital ads, and social media campaigns grow marketshare.

But if you're still struggling to make your way past the million dollar revenue mark, or three million or five million -- remember to establish a daily goal to talk to people. Ask what they're up to. Tell them what you're up to. And ask them to introduce you to two or three more people.

You might see that growth that has been so elusive so far.

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