It’s no secret to say that marketing is a valuable strategy in business.
It’s no secret to say that marketing is a valuable strategy in business. After all, you do need people to have an awareness of your existence, so it is important to promote yourself. Traditionally, people have used print marketing as a way to get word out, and recently, the buzzword in business has been digital marketing, using social media and the like to promote products and services. However, according to some industry experts, these are no substitute for face-to-face marketing.
What is face-to-face marketing?
It is what is says; it’s talking to others in a face-to-face format. This could be at a networking event, where you shake hands and chat to other business owners. It might be a conversation with a customer on the shop floor. It might even be at a public event, where you stand on a platform and convey your message to not one face, but many! Let’s just hope the fear of public speaking isn’t an issue for you. Basically, face-to-face marketing is you and the public in a variety of arenas.
Where can you conduct face-to-face marketing?
We have already alluded to this, but consider the following places.
- In your store (if you own one) with individual customers, engaging in useful banter where you can offer the welcoming touch to your customer, while dropping hints about your product and services
- You could hire an event venue to promote your business, and speak to guests from the stage, as well as mingling with them over drinks and food later on
- On the street, where you could both hand out flyers promoting your business, while at the same time find ways to engage members of the public in conversation
- At social gatherings, whether they are industry related or not. For example, you can market your business to other parents at the school fair, or arm yourself with business cards at a friends wedding (especially useful if you actually are in the wedding business)
- If you haven’t already gathered our gist by now, you can basically market your business anywhere. All you need is yourself, a respectful manner, and somebody else to hear your pitch.
Why is face-to-face marketing useful?
When you are with another person, you can do what a poster or a simple flyer cannot. You can have a conversation with somebody who can help your business, be that a future customer or a possible investor. You can build a rapport with that person, show them the face behind your business, and hopefully develop a working relationship that engenders both trust and respect. You can answer their questions, find out more about them (to help you tailor other marketing methods), and put your best sales tactics to work to help you sell whatever you are offering. In short, to misquote a popular Hollywood movie (Notting Hill), you’re just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to buy your product!
Finally
So, put your best foot forward and make the effort to communicate face to face with the people you meet on a daily business. Your friendly face, winning smile, and delicate sales pitch may just win them over to your side.
