Right on time: you're ready to market your product, but is the market ready for you?

Entrepreneur, Nov, 1998 by Jay Conrad Levinson

* You've created the perfect direct-mail package, but it arrives on Monday, when your prospects are preoccupied with all the duties of the upcoming week, or Friday, when your prospects are thinking about the weekend. Solution: See to it that your mail piece arrives on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

* You've got an excellent product but a limited budget and a lot of competition. What can you do? Your best bet is to market when your competitors have eased up so you can gain the largest share of target audience attention with the smallest investment. That may mean marketing during what are typically slow months in your industry. But because this is when you can attract the most attention the fastest, it's worth it.

* Most business owners send out Christmas catalogs in September and October. If you sent yours in June or July, you'd get people thinking of your company before they thought of the competition - and later on as well. It may sound crazy, but if you explain why you're mailing at that time, it'll make sense to your prospects. Naturally, this also applies to holidays other than Christmas.

* Keep abreast of current events by watching television, reading newspapers, perusing newsweeklies and subscribing to industry publications. Tie your offerings to what's happening in the news.

* Be careful not to launch your marketing efforts too soon. One of the most common errors is to market before all your product's bugs have been ironed out, before your salespeople know all the facts, and before you're ready to fill the flood of orders you expect. Remember that patience is a guerrilla virtue.

One of the saddest moments in marketing happens when a snazzy newspaper story or big-time TV report features products that aren't vet in distribution. The business owner is so enthralled at the thought of free publicity that the news is released before people can get their hands on the product. Be warned: They won't remember the news story later, and the media won't give you another chance. Restraint is necessary, even with news coverage.

* Smart retailers wait a month after they open their stores before holding a grand opening. If they don't, customers will come flocking in, only to be met by untrained salespeople, clumsy sales procedures, poorly stocked shelves and messy surroundings. Polish these items to perfection beforehand, or your opening won't be so grand.

* Telemarketing calls that don't get through or that reach prospects' answering machines are a waste of time and money, since the primary goal of such calls is to reach prospects on the first try. Find out when your potential customers are most likely to be near the phone, and do your telemarketing then. It may be at 11 a.m. to businesses and 6:30 p.m. to homeowners.

* Never rush when creating your marketing materials. Remember, you're aiming for quality, economy and speed, and you may confidently choose any two - but not all three.

Jay Conrad Levinson's Guerrilla Marketing books are printed in 37 languages and am required reading in many MBA programs worldwide. His Web address is www.gmarketing.com; his AOL site is at keyword "guerrilla"; and his toll-free number is (800) 748-6444.