10 Reasons To Commit...

As I travel around, I am hearing more and more rumblings from agents talking about how their business is slowing down.  They don't have any clients to work with, things are drying up...I've even heard of some agents who have gotten part time jobs to make ends meet?  How has this happened?

The time of year plays a part in it.  The market itself may play a part in it.  Believe it or not, the agent's own feelings of self doubt play a large part in it.  But...have you stopped to consider, excepting the great phone calls that you have been receiving due to the market, what have you done to keep your marketing machine going from your current and past customers, not to mention the masses out there.

Therefore, as this "new" market is getting underway, let's re-think our objectives and priorities and "re-invent" ourselves to ensure that this doesn't happen again.  So, without further ado, I give you...

10 Reasons to Commit To A Marketing Plan

1.  The Market Is Always Changing.  New families, new prospects, new lifestyles
      change the marketplace.  Nearly one third of the people in America will move this
      year.  Nearly five million Americans will get married.  When you stop advertising,
      you miss evolving opportunities and stop being part of the process.  You are not in
      the game

2.  People Forget Fast.  Remember, they're bombarded with tons of messages (an
     estimated 2700) daily.  An experiment proved the need or consistency in marketing by
     running advertising once a week for thirteen weeks.  After that period, 63% of the people
     surveyed remembered the advertising.  One month later, 32% remembered it.  Two weeks
     after that, 21% remembered it.  That means that 79% of the people forgot the
     advertisement that was placed.

3.  Your Competition Isn't Quitting.  People will spend money to make purchases, and
      if you don't make them aware that you are selling something, they'll spend the money
      elsewhere.

4.  Marketing Strengthens Your Identity.  When you quit marketing, you short change
     your reputation, reliability, and the confidence people have in you.  When economic
     conditions sour, smart people continue to advertise.  The bond of communication is too
     precious to break capriciously.

5.  Marketing Is Essential To Survival And Growth.  With very few exceptions, people
     won't know you're there if you don't get the word out.  When you cease marketing,
     you're on the road to nonexistence.  Just as you can't start a business without marketing,
     you can't maintain one either.

6.  Marketing Enables You To Hold Onto Your Old Customers.  Many enterprises survive
     on repeat an referral business.  Old customers are the key to both.  When old customers
     don't hear from you or about you , they tend to forget you.

7.  Marketing Maintains Morale.  Your own morale is improved when your marketing is at
     work, and especially when you see that it does, in deed, work.  Cutting out your marketing
     seems a signal of failure to those who actively follow your advertising.  That may not be
     many people, but it will be some.

8.  Marketing Gives You An Advantage Over Competitors Who Have Ceased Marketing.
     A troubled economy can be a superb advantage to a marketing minded entreprenour.  It
     forces some competitors to stop marketing  giving you a chance to pull ahead of them
     and attract some of their customers.  In all ugly economic situations, there are winners
     and losers.

9.  Marketing Allows Your Business To Continue Operating.  You still have some
     overhead:  telephone bills, yellow page ads, rent and/or equipment costs, possibly a
     payroll, and your time.  Marketing creates the air that overhead breathes.

10.  You Have Invested Money That You Stand To Lose.  If you quit marketing, all of the
       money you spent for ads, commercials and advertising time and space becomes lost
       as the consumer awareness it purchased slowly dwindles away.  Sure, you can buy it
       again, but you'll have to start from scratch.  Unless you are planning to go out of
       business, it is rarely a good idea to cease marketing completely.

Just thought you should know.

Have a profitable day!

Steven