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Business guides  Sales and marketing

One of the basic needs of a business is to market and sell its product or service. Long-term business success is based on the ability to build a growing body of satisfied customers. We give you a general introduction to marketing and selling in your business.

Understanding your customers

Using input from customers to meet their needs and wants better

Business is about selling. It is important to understand what your customers' needs are in order to be successful.

How to find the customers, products and services that make you the most money – Part one

This guide will help you identify your profitable customers and encourage them to buy more of your profitable products and services.

How to find the customers, products and services that make you the most money – Part two

Knowing your customers’ average lifetime value will help you decide how much you can afford to spend on marketing.

Setting the right price

Understanding the benefits and effects of price changes

Setting your prices low may lead to high sales volumes but you make more money by selling less at a higher price.

Pricing your product or service

One of the most important roles in a business is pricing products and services.

Increasing profits – should I go for increased sales or higher prices?

It is an age-old business dilemma: would I make more profit if I lowered my prices to sell more, or should I actually increase prices, accepting that I might sell slightly less?

Promoting your business

How to get free media coverage to boost your business

With clever use of some simple but effective public relations exercises, even small businesses can harness the power of publicity to boost sales.

Advertising – getting more for your money

How to make sure you get your message to the right people, in a way that engages their interest and encourages them to act on it.

Drawing up a marketing plan

This guide explains how to develop a dynamic marketing strategy to build your business and make sure it is focused.

How to sell successfully to consumers using direct marketing

Direct marketing is one of the most exciting, powerful and instant ways of marketing products and services.

Raising your profile in the local community

By taking part in activities in your local community you can do more to raise your local profile than any amount of paid advertising.

Market research for beginners

One of the most important factors in business success is a good knowledge of your market.

More effective selling

Selling skills

Being able to sell is an essential skill; this guide will show you some effective techniques to help you become more successful at selling.

How to make your claims truly credible with testimonials

Your most powerful sales tools are your satisfied clients. Here's how to harness their goodwill to sell more of your products and services.

Extending your product range

Expanding your business by extending your product or service or range

Expanding a business can be dangerous as you have to learn a new range of skills to make sure it's a success.

Improve your ability to see and grasp opportunities

Being successful is not just about introducing new products and services, but making old ones obsolete.

Exploiting a gap in the market

Finding space in a crowded market – operating in a niche

When surrounded by competitors in the same business as you, you need to find a gap in the market, and exploit it.

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