Sales and marketing

For marketing to be effective, whatever the size of the business, it is important to work to a plan.

Direct marketing involves targeting individuals, preferably by name, with information about your product or service. This can be achieved through mail shots (conventional and e-mail), telephone calls, door-to-door sales or face-to-face contact.

From the point of view of business, the media’s insatiable quest for the new and newsworthy represents something of an opportunity; an opportunity for free and extensive publicity.

Small businesses often do not know how much to spend on marketing. Decisions on expenditure are made on a 'whatever we can afford at the moment' basis, which among other things means that the marketing budget is the first to be squeezed when times are hard.

Before selling your product or service you need to establish what makes it sellable and unique.

With more and more businesses now selling online, it is important that they bear in mind the rules that govern what is known as distance selling.