KEYZ BACKGROUND

Known by many as Keyz to the City, Keeana has focused all her efforts for the past 3 years on developing What's Da Bizniz as a recognizable and competitive marketing company. A graduate of Northwestern University, Keeana "Keyz" Barber has become recognized for her ability to create strategic maps and plans that have lead to a slew of successful ventures. With a renewed energy and focus, look for Keyz to brand What's Da Bizniz everywhere for 2008, as she shows the world why she's "Always on Bizniz".

Contact Keyz:
keeana@whatsdabizniz.com
www.myspace.com/whatsdabizniz

A question and more often complaint I hear from fellow entrepreneurs is how to sell more of their product.  Indeed there is often a comfort in the creative process like recording the record or creating a new line of shirts, but the ball often drops when it comes to selling these new creations.   All too often entrepreneurs are so closely tied to their product or business that they often fail to sell it to anyone.  Many of you know artist who have catalogs full of music, but besides a few hundred copies, none of the masses are aware of it!   This article will be dedicated to some very easy to follow tips for generating more sales and i.e. more money for your business.

Tip #1         Be Prepared
Preparation is the number rule of advice for any entrepreneur.  How prepared are you to make the sell?  I have encountered so many people that complain about not being able to sell or generate money, but when I ask them about their product they say it is “in the process” of being created.  How can you sell without a physical product or a sales pitch?  Specifically to artist, you should be prepared to sell 100 copies of your product on the spot.  If you want success you have to be prepared for it.   

Preparation does not stop at having your product.  Preparation also includes researching your prospects, where do they shop, what are their hobbies?  If you are attempting to sell custom sneakers you need to know everything about your targeted audience, from their myspace pages, where they currently shop, to the hottest new colors their rocking.   How prepared you are for selling has everything to do with how quickly your product moves. 

Tip #2         Work Harder

Increase # of Prospects
This is an obvious but often ignored strategy.  The simplest and most effective way to increase sales is to increase the number you target.   The odds are against you that if you attempt to sell a t-shirt to 10 people that all 10 would say yes, but if you target 100 people then odds are more favorable that you will hit your targeted 10.  If all else fails, from a marketing prospective, those are 100 people that now at least know that your product exists, next time the sell should be easier.    

Outshine your Competition
Working harder does not stop with increasing your prospects.   Outshining your competition by working harder and smarter is a key to success.   An example is an artist who sells as a peddler on a busy street.   If someone sees this artist everyday, that doesn’t necessarily make them want to buy.  Instead if the artist works the area everyday but at different time slots, he is working harder and smarter then someone who comes for the same 7 am crowd everyday.   He is not only increasing his odds of selling but also increasing awareness of who he is and his willingness to work hard for what he wants.   

There are other ways to outshine your competition in the area of presentation.   One myth is that presentation is all about how much money you put into your product, but that is a gross misconception.   Presentation is as much about effort and care as it is about money.  As an artist you can find a student graphic designer that will design your cover for a trade of business referrals or advertisement during your campaign.   Having a more professional and polished look goes a long way when you are trying to separate yourself from the competition, so start thinking about how you can be special. 

Tip #3         Network
Network, Network, Network, not enough can be said about this #1 golden rule in business.  I have met many aspiring designers or models who never go to their industry events or when they do, never actively network or distinguish themselves.   As the old adage says, closed mouths don’t get fed, and successful careers don’t happen by chance, they happen by a strategic chain of events.   Specifically if you feel you are the next artist to blow then you need to be at every artist showcase, find the promoters, find the DJ’s, and better yet offer to help these people and get inside their network.   The idea of helping others is one that is foreign to many aspiring entrepreneurs.   The trade-off is in your favor.  It gets you on the inside of the network, allows you to be seen in good favor by those you admire, and gives you insight into your industry.   So get out there and begin creating your allies!

Tip #4         Cross-promote
Cross promotion is one of the key marketing tools used to influence today’s consumers.  Many do not understand what the term actually means and the power of its impact.  Cross-promotion is an intertwining of brands and campaigns to reach the targeted audience of others.  A more matter-of-fact example is the cross promotion of 50 Cent and Vitamin Water.  Obviously 50 Cent was not the creator behind Vitamin Water; however their marketing department recognized his appeal to an audience they wanted, so he was hired as the “face” of the campaign.   In return many of their ads featured 50 Cents upcoming album or music, which equals free advertisement for him.   Another example that worked on both ends was LL Cool J and FUBU.   This is a great example of a mutually-beneficial cross promotion.  LL being a pioneer and respected MC helped to bring authenticity to FUBU, and alike as the brand became more popular so did LL Cool J’s popularity and relevance as a “current” icon.   Now with this clarity of definition and benefits, how can cross promotion work for you.   There are always ways to cross promote brands, from assistance with promotion in exchange for logo placement on their flier, to hosting a big concert for free if your name and face are advertised with the concert, to simply having a double-sided flier with your details on one side and an associates on the other.   All of these are examples of easy ways to cross promote.  The goal of cross promotion is simple, aligning yourself or brand with an entity that has an audience that you would like to tap into without doing as much work.   So what are you waiting for, start getting out there and cross promoting!

Tip #5         Create Demand 
The question that we must all ask is why would someone buy your product and they don’t know about it.  Why would someone sponsor an event that they’ve never heard of?  The key to selling is creating an awareness and demand for your product, so sometimes entrepreneurs must create a niche campaign or surplus of the product before demanding sales.   An example is Lil Wayne’s mixtape frenzy.   As much as he “floods the market” he continuously keeps himself relevant to hip hop so his demand goes up.   Another option is to create an extremely high buzz for your campaign and keep the public anticipating the product; however the timing of your release is key.   Another example can be given for fashion lines.   If you align your fashion brand with some of the hottest executives, artist and socialites in your area it will create a “hype” for your line and customers will want to buy your product.

In closing there are hundreds of techniques that can be used to help boost your sales. The point of this article is for you to start using at least one of them and GET OUT THERE AND SELL!  

Got your own techniques?   Share them with us or tell us what you think about the one’s listed…keep it real, but keep it clean!!

Keyz   

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