I was having a chat to a lady on the train to Hannover recently, and it turned out that she works in Germany with small businesses.  She's a marketing expert and kindly shared 7 of her top tips with me, which I have outlined below after some time trying to understand my scribbled notes!

1. Don't Advertise Like a Big Corporate
Big businesses advertise to create brand recognition, which they hope will lead to future sales.  A new or growing business can't afford to do that, so it's important that you design your advertisign and marketing campaigns to produce immediate sales. 

2. Offer a "Budget" Solution, a "Middle-of-the-Road" and a "Premium" Solution
Depending on your customer base, you'll find that some prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service or are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality.

You'll also find that the converse can be true - not all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service.

And then, of course, there aer some customers who have done their research, and know what the price for their preferred service should be, and they'll go for the "middle-of-the-road" solution.

By having 3 levels of service or product, you are covering 3 possible customer outlooks. 

Tip:  make sure that you price your "middle-of-the-road" option carefully - when presented with 3 options, most people choose the middle option, so this needs to give you the best return possible.

3.  Use Unconventional Marketing Methods
Look for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking.  For example, partner with other small businesses who offer compatible services, or try running an open day to generate contacts.

4. Put Your Advertising on Diet
Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions - the attention span of most humans is pretty short!

5. Make the Most of Your Customers
Your customers already know and trust you. It's easier to get more business from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you, so stay in touch with them, offer them special deals and make them want to buy from you again!

You may also want to consider using your customers to generate more business - develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. A referral is worth is like gold dust, but cheaper and more effective than many other means of marketing!

Each of these 5 marketing tips should provide a simple, low-cost way for any new or growing business to find customers and generate sales quickly.