ForumsAdvertising, Sales and Marketing

Healthcare, Welcome Nicky

I would be happy to help you. Tell me what I can do. It sounds like you need a Marketing Plan.

What kind of business did you start six months ago,

Go to Members page and share some info about you and your business.

LUCKIEST

I have a medical supply company and am in a similar situation. I have been in business for almost a year and I need customers. I thought I would share what came to mind after reading your blog:

Try Hospitals and Doctors Offices. Ask the Office Manager if you can leave brochures for patients that are uninsured or underinsured. How about your former place of employment/co-workers. Would they had out brochures?

Also, do you have any ideas for me? How so I speak to the people who make the decisions for purchasing equipment where you used to work? Any suggestions?

Thanks and good luck!

Caring Medical Group

Also expand your marketing through a brochure to churches and community organizations - get into the community. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let the plan work it's way. You need a marketing plan and the answers above are the beginning of a great one. Follow their advice. You can do most of it yourself and come back here and some of us have shown they are willing to advice you. I would try this before spending more money.

Give it more time. It is hard to wait for things to work their way through but plan the work and then work the plan. I am full of cliches today, sorry. I hope this helps.

One of the things that I have noticed is that a lot of people think that just because they started a business, that people will come flocking in to get their product/service.

My company has been located in the St Louis Mo area for over 23 years now, we have been featured on local news shows for the last 4 years during the holiday season, have been on several different radio stations every year for the last 5 years during the holiday season, have had metro newspaper do a full page article about my business with pics, have been in the local community paper every holiday season for the last 3 years, display at all of the major art and craft shows in the St Louis metro area. Not to mention the thousands of customers I have in the metro area. Even with all of this activity in my hometown, I still run into people who have never heard or seen my product.

What I am trying to say is that no matter how great the idea, it all comes down to getting the message out. You can never stop getting it out because as soon as you think you have it covered you will realize that you don't, because someone will have never heard of your service and can use it or know someone who can use it. Think about it this way, everybody knows about McDonalds, Coke, and Budweiser.
They keep advertising because they want cusotmers to think of them first when they have a need.

Analyze where your most potential customers would be, (medical offices, churches, car washes, etc.) and pound the pavement getting your message out to them. Don't give up. Remember that for every 10 no's you will get a YES.

Jim

Jim,

Great response. The key to reaching as many people as possible is the variety of delivery system of your message. In other words advertise in as many places ass it makes sense for your business and target audience. Notice that Jim talked about multiple ways of exposure.

The better you understand who your target audience is, where they live, what they watch, what they listen to or read - the better the marketing plan you can develop to reach them.

Advertising is not a luxury for businesses, it is a mandatory for successful business growth. It has to be smart and show an understanding for the target audience.

You have gotten some great insight and advice, I hope it helps.