The very best salesmen in the world have found a way to move any product to any consumer. We jokingly refer to them as the ones who could "sell ice to an Eskimo." They're the classic salesmen, the ones with charisma that remind the consumer of their innocent neighbor instead of the greasy used car salesmen across town. How does the average Joe, without that special charisma, learn to sell a product? Those who own their own home business understand the need to use marketing techniques that will move their products from their garage shelves to the consumer's hands. They do so in a number of ways.



First and foremost, great marketing techniques do not necessarily have to cost a bundle. While every business should have a marketing budget, the marketing budget does not have to burst every time the company advertises. Free advertising exists. How? With the home business, family and friends of the home business owner become the best endorsers of the product, if the product indeed does what it claims to. When a home business owner first opens shop, he often gives the product away. Seemingly illogical, if the product is great, the home business owner understands that those he gives the product to will rave about its uses, and thus they will share the good news with others, with paying customers. Thus the home business owner has free advertising.

Secondly, the home business owner takes advantage of community-wide events. He pays attention now to local fairs where small business or home businesses can rent booths. At such a fair, the small business can make far more contacts simply because of visibility than they could working at home for the day. While this particular marketing strategy may cost some rent money for the booth, the contacts made will more than compensate for the cost of the fair.

Finally, the home business owner aims for a specific client. Once he has determined his core clientele, he seeks out ways to reach that clientele. For example, let's say the business owner's product has specific implications for the stay at home mom. The business owner will find a way to advertise his product through MOPS meetings and at the local pre-schools. He uses the same marketing approach that we see in Eddie Murphy's film Daddy Daycare. In the film, two laid-off dads start their own daycare. The film shows them handing out fliers outside of businesses where moms of small children frequent: the beauty shop, the super market, and karate class.

Great salesmen understand marketing strategies. They find ways to make their product and service available to their clients. The biggest drawback to a home business lies in the lack of visibility. Thus home business owners must work twice as hard and simply pay attention to the opportunities available for visibility, and then make themselves known.