By coming here I hope to find some new clients, but also get some great ideas for how to help my current clients.  

Most of the presenters here have worked for huge companies that have very sophisticated marketing strategies and are accustomed and equipped to test every component of a sales package. They know whether one headline will bring in more sales than another. 

For awhile, this frustrated me because I figured that a smaller company will never have the resources to do this kind of testing... it's just too complicated. 

But it doesn't have to be. No matter how much or how little advertising you do, think of ways to challenge your ideas by trying something a little different and find out if you can get more sales. Start by keeping track of your promotions, and how many people respond to them. Then try to put yourself in your customer's shoes and see if there's a different way to approach them. Think of a different emotion or need that you can appeal to. 

If you have an ongoing ad in the paper that's not performing, here are a few changes you can make.... the only way you can find out what works is by changing it and seeing what brings in more sales:

Improve the offer: Is there anything that can make the offer more appealing to your customer? Can you offer free shipping if they call within a certain time frame? Can you fiddle with the price? Can you throw in something for free when they respond? 

Separate yourself from the crowd: Who is your competition? Is there anything that your company does better than theirs? Point it out in the ad. 

Ask yourself how much does your potential customer know about you, really? Some people know that they need your product or service and are just searching for the best deal available to them.  Other people are trying to solve a problem in their lives, and they need to have you connect the dots between their problem and your product (the solution). Approaching these different types of customers is as different as having a conversation with a relative or a stranger.  The only way to find out what works better in your marketing materials is to try both. 

Experiment with the call to action:  Decide what you want the reader to do when they see your ad, and spell it out for them.  Call this number to get your free sample.... stop by today to try on these comfortable stretchy pants.... become our friend on Facebook and receive a special deal each week. If your call to action is weak, or confusing then the reader will do nothing.  But if you give people something specific to do (and give them a good reason that they should do it) then you will have a result that you can measure.  

If your promotional efforts don't seem to be going anywhere, try changing one thing at a time and watch for improvement.  If your promotions are going well, you can still make more money, and find more profits by finding small ways to improve your message.