December 6 - Market/Locate Your Target Market

Every Entrepreneur should cease of complaining of no sales rather, such individual should challenge himself of not taking his product to his target market. There can be no sales or sales boosting without the people knowing, until they know, they wouldn’t patronize you. Your sales will be limited to the extent of where it is be known. 

Therefore, if you indeed want a sales boosting at the end of the year, you should stop complaining; rather, start working on how to market your product/service to the reach of your target market. Don’t limit the marketing of your product/service to where it has been since the beginning of the year; take it across border to those who need it. 

Bridge the gap between you and your existing and prospective customers, a time like this is not a time to segregate your prospective and existing customers. Don’t be tribalistic, don’t be racial, don’t be religion sentimental, hence they are your target market, approach them for sales boosting. 

Your Marketer, Your Marketing and Your Sales

Don’t be deceived by thinking of the cost to hire marketer because you are the first professional marketer in your business and company. Don’t hesitate in marketing individual, group of people, cooperative, society, school, church, community, state and nation as a whole. Engage God to be your Marketing Manager as His coverage is unlimited; He can market you products/services beyond your reach as you take the bull by the horn also. 

It is your friends, families, colleagues, enemies who you market and have establish the value your product contains that will become your volunteer marketers from their community to another. The effect of your marketing reflects in your end of the year sales. Never wait for the goal, go for the goal, don’t wait for sales to come, rather, go for the sales. 

Maximize every available means to market your product, don’t be an onlooker, speak out, show it off, be proud of it, talk about it, don’t be a contributor only, make your product/service known through legal means.

CLOSING THE GAPS BETWEEN YOU AND TARGET MARKET

You cannot close the gap or bridge between you and your target market without you identifying these bridges first. Underlisted are some gaps that have been consciously or unconsciously created by you or other party, which is preventing you from crossing to your target market. 

1.       Ignorance: Many people are ignorance of people who need their product/service, thereby, their sales has been stagnated due to the battle of ignorance. 

2.       Laziness/Idleness: Some carry precious seed in their hands but are too lazy and always idle to tap the fortune therein, instead of working towards increasing their sales, they are at a corner murmuring, complaining and pushing blames. 

3.       Procrastination: Many people don’t know how to plan or don’t plan, which makes them a victim of procrastinating what the steps they would have taken to boost their sales. 

4.       No Target: A man with no target cannot appraise himself, therefore, for you to reach your target market wherever they are, you need to give yourself target that will drive you hyper on the street. 

5.       Big Me: Pride has crippled many businesses; they are too big to take their products to where it will sell because of some individuals. There is no products that doesn’t have is value except robbery and other social vices and if people involved in such practices are proud of it, how then should you be proud. I read of a woman celebrating her 40years, who came back from Dubai and is into Danfo driving, she started out of frustration of the drivers she gave and she made N24, 000 the first day she drove herself. 

6.       Lack of Relationship: Poor or no relationship has deepened the gap between them and their target market. There is no relationship that doesn’t cost and isn’t rewarding. Be visible and friendly to your target at all times. 

7.       Low or No Negotiation Power: Have a negotiation power; it is built by experience and exposure. Give a fair and winning price that will make your customers to always come back again and again. There is no need to lie just like someone said it is business ethics, lie can take you to your desired place but will never let you maintain or stay long there because you will be relegated when the truth appears. 

8.       Competition: Boost your sales by not been threatened by competitors. Competition brings healthy progress, it makes you a better you. Don’t define it from the angle of the corrupt minded man; define it from a neutral angle.

The essence of competition is to make you work harder, sleep less, get better result, travel farther for you to be farther. Dare more than what your competitors are daring, chew more than what they are ready to chew.

9.       Fear: Don’t be afraid of the bogus billboard of others, crash the fear of the people you want to market, they humans like you are. You need to come and ask me the courage I gathered to enter some stronger place, except you don’t have a product, service, gift, talent, skill you have to offer. Hence you are bringing something valuable on the table, then, you can only be rescheduled for times but surely, you will be accepted later. 

Approach them for those goods you needed, it doesn’t matter what you have on you, that is negotiation power still talking, the truth of the matter is, nobody is ready to turn down a promising offer. 

Dapo Olaleye, an Associate Pastor in Balance Gospel Ministries International Headquarters. He is the President of Business Xploit Group with Nine Subsidiaries through which lives are blessed around the globe. Chancellor of Business Xploit institute, Facilitator in School Of Discovery (Gospel Dominion Prayer Ministries), author of seven books (Unlocking Your Potentials To Profits, Uncommon Sense Guide To Making Money, Woman! You Are A Blessing Not A Burden, Ladies Of Dignity, More Than Money, A-Z Secrets Of Academic Excellence, Becoming An Academic High Flier and Generating God’s Ideas For Business, Ministry, Career (CD)). He is an alumnus of Daystar Leadership Academy and Daystar Business Academy and Student of Word Of Faith Bible Institute. He can be reached via: bizxploit@gmail.com, 08122927079.