Sales and marketing

Marketing matters. It drives sales and helps promote your brand and products. Discover how to market your business and reach your target customers.

Exceeding customer expectations can help you attract and retain customers. Discover the benefits of customer service and how to achieve excellence.

This page provides an overview of the different ways you can promote your business. It covers topics such as sales techniques, market research, creating and optimizing a website, and developing a marketing strategy.

Effective selling is about stressing the benefits of your product. Discover key sales techniques from market research to overcoming objections.

Market research can provide you with insight into your market, competitors, products, and customers. This overview will help you research your market.

A well-designed website can be a highly effective marketing tool, promoting your business to people all over the world 24/7. Discover how to create a website that can bring your business to a whole new audience.

Setting prices is a crucial task and getting it wrong can be disastrous for your business. Find out how to set prices to maximise profitability.

Successful businesses are based on implementing successful marketing strategies. Read about the steps that you need to follow.

From demonstrating that you understand your customers to handling complaints promptly and effectively, learn how to set up a customer care programme.

Use published market research and your own research to get data you need to target new opportunities, and understand your customer's wants and needs.

Market research can help you to identify your target consumer, find out what they think about your ideas and help you target the right market.

Are you confused or sceptical about what market research can offer? We reveal how to use market research successfully for your small business.

Bristol-based Kabuto Foods aims to take instant noodles to a whole new level. But what what inspired Crispin Busk to launch the business?

Janie Thomson applied for a match-funding grant through her local council and this helped with initial marketing costs. Here are her publicity tips.

Market research expert Rob Sheldon explains the differences between qualitative and quantitative research and the role they play in market research.

How to market your new business, including doing a SWOT analysis, developing a marketing strategy, creating a marketing plan and hitting sales targets

Writing to customers and prospects, via email, leaflets or direct mail, can be an effective way to promote your business. Here's how to get results.

Use this checklist to help you write an effective press release, including how to structure it, what you need to include and what format to use.

Social media has transformed the way businesses talk to customers online. We explain here how social media can help your business.

Jane Lee of IT PR specialist Dexterity explains how start-ups can harness the power of effective public relations for the good of your business.

Some ideas are so powerful they generate publicity year after year after year. These 14 tips might encourage journalists to cover your business.

It takes skill, but training, practice and experience can help anyone get better at selling. Andrew Milbourn, sales director of Kiss the Fish, explains.

If all you do when selling is list a product's features, you'll bore potential buyers and you're unlikely to get the sale. Try this approach instead.