NFIB

Don't Stop Pedaling--Your Marketing Efforts Will Pay Off
09/ 27/ 2002

It's often surprising (shocking may be a more appropriate word) to the owner of a new company how much time and effort goes into even the smallest details. For instance, creating and following up on proposals to potential customers can require weeks of careful attention--without the guarantee that they will even make a purchase.

A one-hour sales presentation can take up the better part of three days--including a day or more for prep time, one day for travel back and forth and a day to follow up on details requested by the customer. Yet the customer still may delay a purchasing decision or may not go with your company at all.

The same is true with getting the word out about your business. The creation of brochures, ads, press releases and other marketing tools can take a surprising amount of attention. Trying to get a story in the local newspaper or an industry journal could be your ticket to wider recognition, but first you might have to make half a dozen phone calls just to find the right editor at the publication, make revisions if the story is accepted, wait for approval and wait for the story to run. By the end of the process, you may wonder if it's worth it.

Take heart. It is worth the effort. During the first few years of a small company's existence, the owner's time may be consumed in countless details that don't seem to pay off. But eventually, the small achievements begin adding up. The customer you spend months courting finally decides to make a big purchase. Your story that appeared in a trade journal (months later than you thought it would) generates calls from potential customers and other media organizations.

Your years of networking will result in a wide circle of contacts, and many will refer new business to you without your having to solicit it. With good fortune, you'll attain a level of activity that requires new employees, expanded office space and new services or products. As the saying goes: "It may take years to become an overnight success."

One thing leads to another, and if you pay attention to all the details, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, you'll eventually reach the point at which your company's momentum will turn. The first years may feel like spinning your wheels. The beauty is that at a certain point, you'll gain traction and your efforts will take off.

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