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Explanation of how to increase sales and get more business. Also refer to advertising, word-of-mouth, location, business improvement, customer satisfaction, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions

Getting More Business

by Ron Kurtus (revised 10 December 2005)

Getting more business usually means getting more customers and sales. It is gaining a larger market share. Advertising and accessibility are important factors in the growth of a business. Repeat business will maintain your operation, while word-of-mouth advertising will assist growth with new customers. Ethical conduct is advertised and helps you grow.

Questions you may have include:

• What sort of preparations need to be made?
• What factor does location play?
• What about advertising?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Preparations for growth

Before attempting to get more business, you must lay some groundwork. The Course to Succeed in Business is organized in the order of actions you should take to establish a successful business.

Prior to working on getting more business, you should have:

1. Measured your business and established a starting point.
2. Organized your business operations, including using ISO 9000.
3. Reduced business costs, including using TQM methods.

Only after fulfilling these items are you ready to start working on getting more business. Company leaders, who bypass these steps, end up damaging their businesses with "quick fix" methods that don't work in the long run.

Accessibility

There is an old saying that the three most important factors in business success are: (1) Location, (2) Location, and (3) Location. Accessibility to your company or store is certainly important in maintaining and growing a business.

Business operations that depend on walk-in trade must have a good location to succeed. Those that use the various media to communicate with their customers must have a clear channel and easy access. For example, a business that operates via telephones obviously should have enough open lines to avoid constant busy signals to customers wanting to purchase.

Advertising

Advertising is letting people know what services or products you have available and how to reach you is necessary in business success. Standard advertising is done through the mass media. A more effective form of advertising is done though customer satisfaction, resulting in repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising.

Repeat business

If you satisfy or please your customers, they will usually return to buy from you again. Quality products and service is the best form of advertising.

Word-of-mouth advertising

Customers will often tell others about your business. If they are happy, they may refer other customers to your business. If they were dissatisfied, they will certainly tell many not to deal with you.

Ethics

The ethical conduct of a business effects its advertising. A company that is honest will get good word-of-mouth advertising. One that is exposed in the newspaper or television for unethical or criminal activities gets bad publicity, causing customers to look elsewhere for their business.

Summary

Going beyond having a good location and doing extensive media advertising, an effective way to get repeat and new customers is by satisfying your existing ones with superior quality products and service.

Answers to Readers' Questions

If you help customers get what they want, you will get what you want.

Resources

The following are resources on this subject.

Websites

ISO 9000

Total Quality Management (TQM)

eCommerce

Business Resources

Books

Top-rated books on Business

Miscellaneous

Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. How can you prepare for growth?

2. What is the equivalence to store location in e-commerce?

3. What is the best type of advertising?

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Business. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

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Getting More Business