What is Marketing in the First Place Guerrilla Selling : Unconventional Weapons and Tactics for Increasing Your Sales By Jay Conrad Levinson Marketing is a process, not an event. Marketing is absolutely every bit of contact any part of your business has with any segment of the public. Guerrillas view marketing as a circle that begins with your ideas for generating revenue and continues on with the goal of amassing a large number of repeat and referral customers. The three keys words in that paragraph are EVERY, REPEAT, and REFERRAL. If your marketing is not a circle, it's a straight line that leads directly into Chapters 7, 11, or 13 in the bankruptcy courts. HOW IS GUERRILLA MARKETING DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL MARKETING? Guerrilla marketing means marketing that is unconventional, non- traditional, not by-the-book, and extremely flexible. Eighteen factors make it different from old-fashioned marketing: Instead of investing money in the marketing process, you invest time, energy, and imagination. Instead of using guesswork in your marketing, you use the science of psychology, laws of human behavior. Instead of concentrating on traffic, responses, or gross sales, profits are the only yardstick by which you measure your marketing. Instead of being oriented to companies with limitless bank accounts, guerrilla marketing is geared to small business. Instead of ignoring customers once they've purchased, you have a fervent devotion to customer follow-up. Instead of intimidating small business owners, guerrilla marketing removes the mystique from the entire marketing process, clarifies it. Instead of competing with other businesses, guerrilla marketing preaches the gospel of cooperation, urging you to help others and let them help you. Instead of trying to make sales, guerrillas are dedicated to making relationships, for long-term relationships are paramount in the nineties. Instead of believing that single marketing weapons such as advertising work, guerrillas know that only marketing combinations work. Instead of encouraging you to advertise, guerrilla marketing provides you with 100 different marketing weapons; advertising is only one of them. Instead of growing with an idea of diversifying, guerrilla marketing suggests that you grow if you want, but be sure to maintain your focus. Instead of aiming your message at groups, guerrilla marketing encourages you to aim it at individuals. Instead of counting up sales at the end of each month, guerrillas count up new relationships, know that they are the foundation of increased sales. Instead of thinking of what they can take from customers and prospects, guerrillas think of what they can give. In the information age, they freely give information. Instead of avoiding technology, guerrillas embrace it. If they are technophobic, they make an appointment with a technoshrink. Technophobia is fatal these days. Instead of being haphazard and unintentional all guerrilla marketing is intentional, from how the phone is answered to the attire guerrillas wear. Instead of talking about yourself and being "me" marketing, guerrilla marketing talks about the customer and is "you" marketing. Instead of going for the sale with marketing, guerrilla marketing goes for consent to receive marketing materials, then only markets to those who have given their consent. These are 18 very critical differences and are probably the reasons that the concept of guerrilla marketing has filled a void in the world's economy, explaining why the guerrilla books have been translated into 37 languages, sold over one million copies, are required reading in most MBA programs, are available in audiotape and videotape versions, as computer software, as a nationally-syndicated column, as a newsletter, and are the most popular and widely-read marketing books in the world. The essence of guerrilla marketing boils down to a blend of common sense, realistic expectations, and a fervent commitment to a plan. It is hardly a miracle worker, but when accomplished properly, does seem to work miracles for those with the patience, aggressiveness and willingness to constantly learn. These days, marketing success does not belong to those who learn everything about anything, but to those who learn one thing after another. Learning about marketing and guerrilla marketing is the best place to start if you are to become a master of marketing. ***************** Jay Conrad Levinson is probably the most respected marketer in the world. He is the inventor of "Guerrilla Marketing" and is responsible for some of the most outrageous marketing campaigns in history -- including the "Marlboro Man" -- the most successful ad campaign in history. In his latest book, "Put Your Internet Marketing on Steroids" Jay reveals how you can use marketing steroids legally to make your business insanely profitable. "Discover A Galaxy Not So Far Away and Change Your Life Forever!" Get "The Adventures of Stupidman"   Click here! Need Help With YOUR Biz And Can't Afford a Consultant? Get the "7 Stars of Online Success", a unique set of manuals, software, tools, tips and tricks allowing every netpreneur to make their online home business profitable. Read a special FREE report: Click here! Go on reading: Top right