Every day your customers and prospects are bombarded with messages.

From radio, television, newspapers, magazines, outdoor posters, signage and merchandise promotions, by direct mail, over the telephone, by fax, by E-mail, through the web.

These numbers are "facts" ... every day in the life of your marketplace this is what happens;

What this says is 32,000 times a day something passes in front of our eyes. That we are exposed to 570 advertising, marketing, PR and promotion messages daily. We "see" or "hear" only 76 of this lot - by the end of the day we can name a dozen ... and 3 of the 12 we think of as negative. We did not like it, understand it, believe it.

And we are suppose to be good in marketing and sales with odds like this. WOW!

So yes, we need to repeat our message. Here are 13 Real! Reasons How Repetition Will Build Your Reputation.

You will not live a day without hearing or seeing something from the fine folks from Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A. Coca-Cola. They are truly everywhere. And they are everywhere often, too.

Coke is the worlds most recognized icon. In fact, more people have seen the Coke logo then the symbol of any single religion! A truly scary thought.

Okay, you're not Coke. You can't do what they, or Boeing, or Microsoft or McDonalds or Nike or Intel can do. These major players have the resources few others possess. Still, we can learn from the big boys.

The Coca-Cola formula is Repetition Will Build Your Reputation. Do the same and you will benefit.

An offer is mandatory for marketing and sales success. It is equal to 30% of your marketing success.

What is an offer? An offer is an extra, a bonus, something over and above features and benefits. More - for the customer.

First, you must have an offer. It is not a discusable option - it is truly mandatory to have an offer as part of your message.

You must talk about it, too. There is no reason for you to "assume" your audience got it the first time. Do not hide your news under a basket - do not bury it at the bottom of your space ad, at the end of your direct mail letter, E-mail message or fax-marketing paper. No, your offer must be clear - and clearly visible.

Plus, it must be repeated. Remember, Repetition Will Build Your Reputation. Say it or write it over and over, again and again.

Know this is true. Your marketplace is an "animal" ... always on the prowl.

And equal to 40% of your marketing success. Getting your message to the right market.

In my seminars I've found the business audience rolls over at a 60-70% rate every 12 months. Meaning 2/3rds of those you talk to today aren't there within a year.

At home the move rate is somewhere between 16 to 18% at the low end - up to a full 30% on the top.

Younger and single move more than middle-age and married. Those without children change residences more often than those with. White collar workers move more than blue. Students are almost constantly on the move. Major city dwellers move more frequently than small town and rural.

So, with these facts, you must repeat your message. Because those you are talking to now will not be there in the very near future. You must repeat your message because your marketplace is different.

On the opposite end, good ideas get tired. Even die.

Speaking of Coca-Cola, each year they create dozens of different televisions commercials. To be run on different programming and at different times of the year. Always testing a new and different way to reach their marketplace.

The 32,000 "flashes" a day dictate "different" is needed. Another way to get the same message to the same audience. The same thing, said another way.

This does not mean you throw out the baby with the bath water. It does say don't get too comfortable with what you have - even when it is working well. Test new ideas, try new concepts.

You must reach for new markets. Different places to sell to vs. your current marketplace.

Why? Well, remember, 40% of your marketing success is talking to the right audience.

And because no one has too much business. You may have too much business on Tuesday. Or the last week of the month. Or during the summer - or holiday season. Yet, you do not have too much business - even when you are busy.

Are you prepared for hard times if/when your prime clients go south? When the bubble bursts? Are you ready to move immediately to another marketplace?

Maybe it a geographic move, maybe it an industry move. Maybe it a method or process move ... i.e., to the web from bricks and mortar.

Repetition Will Build Your Reputation applies to reaching new and different business, too.

Idea #2 in this set talks about what an offer is, and the need to repeat it over and over.

This Idea says you need to test different offers. As they too wear out over time. And different audiences respond to different offers.

Age, sex, family size, language, culture, education, job responsibilities, geography, religion, countless other demographic and psychographic factors, and experience with you, your company, product and service, all affect response.

All of which means different offers will work (and not work!) at different times with different people. As all customers are not created equal. And certainly, all prospects are not equally appealing.

Test is Direct Marketings middle name. Test different offers.

There is a difference between features and benefits. A big difference.

Features are facts and "things". Benefits are what they bring to the customer.

I.e., no one buys red buttons - a feature. They do buy what happens when you push a red button - a benefit.

Most likely you have 3-7-12 or more benefits for your product or service. Yet, when you look honestly at your list, I'll bet there are only 2 or 3 or 4 reasons why the customer buys. Meaning the others are "frosting" - not the cake. Okay stuff, not the real reason people buy from you.

If you do not know what turns prospects into customers, and what keeps customers coming back again and again - find out.

Experiment to learn what works best - and then do it again and again.

Although creative is only 20% of the success of any marketing program, even the best presentations wear on your audience.

The same offer repeated time and time again can work well. Especially when it is presented in a different format, layout, look, design. So your customer sees and hears your story over and over - yet, each time in a slightly different way.

No matter your media choice - broadcast, print, electronic - you can test the text and graphics. Learn what moves your audience to do more business with you by repeating your message in different ways.

You must reach for new business. Because unless you do you will die. Period ... you will die!

Oh, not today or tomorrow. Still, unless you are constantly on the look out for "new" you will not last forever.

New can be more business from your current customers. Another department or division. Another plant or location.

New can be another service or product line sold to those who buy something else from you now.

And new can be from those who do not know you - are not buying from you today. They're with your competition. They're your marketplace - reach out to them.

Repetition Will Build Your Reputation applies to getting new business, too.

If there is a group many do not talk to enough, its' their current customers.

Many say their customers know all about them. Many say they don't want to go after their customers for more business. As sellers they'll sit and wait for the buyer to ask for more.

Well, both these thoughts open the door to you losing your customers. Why? Because customers only know what they know ... they do not know what they don't know. And it is a "fact", your customers do not know as much about you as you do.

So, plan on building your reputation by repeating your message. To your customers, too.

The next thing many are timid about is converting marketing to selling.

I.e., Ask For The Order.

Although I believe many people do not like to be sold, they sure do like to buy. And they will buy from those who ask, who express interest, who stand up and say "let's do business together".

This does not mean you become the "ugly American" or "used car salesman". It does mean you are politely aggressive. You reach out and "touch". You invite your audience in. You repeat your message. You AFTO.

Can you name 5 television commercials you know ran unannounced only once?

Do you post one billboard in one location for one day?

Do you put one ad in one newspaper one time?

I trust your answer is "no" -- with an explanation mark B to each statement. As that is not how it is done.

You need to be seen again and again. On a regular basis. Even a schedule. You need continuity.

Why? Look above to the introduction ... and the 32,000 "flashes" and 570 advertising messages. All this action in the marketplace means it will be easy to miss you - if you do not have continuity.

Even if you have a "season", a selling time of the year that is yours - you need to be about in the down-time, too. It is a rare category that doesn't sell year 'round. At least enough to keep the doors open. Remember, Repetition Builds Your Reputation.

When you tie your sales force into your marketing, you enjoy success.

When you do not - you leave money on the table.

So, build a follow-up and follow-through program into your marketing efforts. From the beginning. i.e., tie your sales team into your marketing results.

A captive outside or inside sales group makes this planning easier. Yet, it can still work well with an independent rep organization, a distributor or dealer network.

The key to results is marketing and sales working together.

As Repetition Builds Your Reputation.

That's it ... another fromThe Baker's Dozen collection.

13 Real! Reasons How Repetition Will Build Your Reputation.