Business Owners, Do you ask for what you want from customers?

How do you get your clients and prospects to take action to obtain the results you want when marketing your business?

Why you ask them of course!  Seems simple enough and yet, so many business owners never ASK!  Let me give you some examples of common marketing asks.

1.) When you create a post on Facebook by using the works “Please share this post” is proven to get results vs those who simple hope and pray that your posts will get shared.

2.) Same thing applies on Twitter, when you include a RT (retweet) at the end of a post, the percentage of people who will actually do it rises dramatically.

3.) Complete a survey – when you want to get to know your clients and prospects on a deeper level, how many of you create a survey of questions and ask people to give their feedback?

4.) Please share your comments to a blog post

Sometimes the most obvious eludes us

Gaining data is the best way to make meaningful change in any business and without the data it’s simply a guess.  Remember these tips when gathering data:

1.) Know who your target market is

2.) Know where you might find your target market

3.) Ask questions to determine your next course of action

4.) Ask people to share your content to their audience who you have determined could also be your audience

Stop shooting in the dark!

You don’t get results when you shoot in the dark.  You increase your marketing efforts substantially when you know the demographics and psychographics of our target audience.  You begin to create content that they want and need and then they share it because they are finding value in what you have to offer.  From a marketing perspective that is the Know, Like, Trust factor I so often talk about.  Prospects have to get to know you, they may try you out in a limited way until they trust you enough to continue to work with you and share your information with their friends.

So what can you do this week to learn more about your clients or prospects?

Here’s one question to ask your current clients that will uncover information valuable information to share with new prospects?

Why did you choose to do business with me?

If you are a retailer....What do you like most about shopping here?

Would you share a testimonial with us about our service?

JoAnne Funch is owner of GIR-Graphics & Innovative Resources, providing creative marketing solutions to small business owners who want to gain visibility off-line or on-line through strategic marketing ideas and consistent branding messages  For free marketing tips & to schedule a free consultation, visit her website www.girpromotions.com. and, connect with JoAnne on http://www.facebook.com/GIRpromotions Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn