Archive for August, 2009

We have been examining the seven beliefs that many entrepreneurs struggle with.  In belief #3 we examine how to get started.  Read on to find out how to get started with marketing your business.

Belief #3  I don’t know how to get started

There is many ways to market yourself; there is no one “right” way.  One of the most common ways to get started is by joining networking groups like BNI, your local Chamber of Commerce, or targeted networking groups like women’s only groups.  No matter what group or organization that you join remember it’s about building relationships.  So if you do go to an event and meet some great people make sure that you follow up.  Make a time to meet for coffee to learn more about their business.  I can tell you that I have developed wonderful relationships this way and now do business regularly with the people I have taken the time to form a solid business relationship.

By focusing on networking instead of marketing you are shifting away from what you perceive as uncomfortable and move instead into an activity where you can authentically be yourself.

So go out and attend some networking events see if the shift from marketing to networking takes some of the pressure off.

My last post was the first in a series of seven marketing beliefs that many people have that get in the way of feeling and being successful when marketing your product or services.  Here is belief number two for you to ponder over:

Belief #2: Marketing makes me feel like a phony

How do you ensure that you never feel like a phony?  By being authentic.  That’s it – it’s that simple.  Just be yourself and you will never feel like a fake.

Many of us share the need and desire to be authentic. Think about who you currently do business with – your accountant, hairdresser, chiropractor, massage therapist.  Do you know, like and trust these people?  I would assume if you are doing business with them the answer is yes! If they can provide a valuable product or service to others, get paid for it, and ask for referrals why can’t you?  You have special gifts and talents that are just as valuable.  Be yourself and go out and share them!

When you think of marketing what immediately comes to mind?  Do you recoil in disgust at the thought of having to put yourself “out there”?  Do you immediately think cheesy, phony, pushy or inauthentic?  Well you are not alone.  Many business owners, particularly women feel uncomfortable with marketing. How do you get past these feelings so that marketing your business becomes fun, easy and authentic?

You’re in the Business of Marketing Your Business

Did you know you were in the business of marketing your business?  When you ask most people, “What business are you in?” they respond with what they do – I am a lawyer, a photographer, a graphic designer, etc.  But the truth is we are in the business of selling ourselves.

There are several ways you can market yourself; not all activities need to be done by you.  In fact I like to outsource many of my marketing activities to my Assistant; this frees me up to work on other aspects of my business.  However, no matter who actual engages in the marketing activities you must know enough to decide how and when to implement your marketing plan.  No matter how good of a coach, massage therapist, photographer or wellness expert you are, you will fail in your business if you don’t market yourself.  You must embrace marketing as another tool to help you spread the word about your knowledge and expertise so you can create the thriving business you dream of.

Your inner beliefs and thoughts influence everything about the who, what, when, where and why about marketing your business.  These thoughts and beliefs will either positively or negatively affect your business.  If you are one of the many women who feel uncomfortable about marketing you need to look at why that is.

Over the next several days I am going to review some common marketing mindset issues and give you some tips so you can love marketing!

Belief #1: I don’t know how to network effectively

I write, teach and train about effective networking strategies all the time.  I could be a millionaire ten times over if I had a dollar every time I heard someone say they don’t know how to network effectively.  And I hear it more from women than men.

Does this surprise you?  Well it did me.  Why? Because women by their very nature are relationship builders and effective marketing is about building relationships.

In order to build an effective business relationship, you need to build a strong network of trusted business professionals from a variety of industries so that you can give and receive quality referrals.  I have blogged extensively about effective networking and you can read my blog posts at by searching under “networking”.

The bottom line is this:  Networking is a great marketing tool, one of several in your business toolbox, but it won’t bring you immediate business.  I’m sure this is NOT what you want to hear, but it’s true.  The flip side of this is:  Through effective, targeted networking you can build a list of respected colleagues and business professionals with whom you can do the following:  engage in joint ventures, conduct business, share clients, build your list, and send quality referrals.

So how do you network effectively? Be genuine and authentic.  Listen for how you might be able to help the other person. Extending yourself goes a long way in building long lasting business relationships.  Did you notice something?  Nowhere in that description did I mention collecting business cards, being phony or trying to immediately pitch your product or service.   Which by the is a real turn off.  Instead the focus is on helping others solve their problems.  Do this and you will build your credibility very quickly and people will see you as the go to gal.  Next networking event go with the intention that you are going to help two people with their business and see what happens.

Have you ever heard the saying, “under promise but over deliver” ? It’s a great concept.  In short it means exactly what it says:  tell your potential clients what to expect but then give them even more for even greater impact! The other day I had an over promise, under deliver experience.

Read on to learn how NOT to make the same mistake!

Picture this…I am at an event to learn some new marketing strategies.  The individual who’s making the presentation has done a great job enticing people to attend this meeting by stating he will share earth shattering marketing information.  The copy he has written promises to teach some very specific information.

I get to the lecture, take out my notebook and pen and anxiously await to hear what he promises, and I wait, and wait, and wait.  I sit there for two hours and he never reveals what he claims in his sales letter.  At the end of the presentation one of the other participants beats me to the punch and says, “Excuse me, but are you going to tell us about x, y, and z…?”  He replies with some very vague response which leaves many of us in the room scratching our head wondering what just happened.  To top it off he promises to send each person a link to some “bonus” video tips.  I have to email him two days later to request the link.  When I get the link, guess what?   NO videos!

When you promote an event, teleclass, training or workshop not to mention what you state on your website copy you need to be really clear that what you say you can deliver, you deliver. There is nothing worse than being told you are going to receive a product, service or information to then later not get what you expected.  You need to deliver what you say you can deliver.  If you don’t your credibility is shot.

So be really careful when you are crafting your marketing message and materials.  Review them to be sure what you promise is what people will get. Want to look like a superstar?  Give them even more than what you state.   This applies whether or not the person pays for a training, service or product or whether it is free.  Do this and you will maintain your credibility in the eyes of your clients.

Everybody wants to be rich. But few know how to make it happen. So unless you win the Mega millions drawing tomorrow night you are probably going to need another strategy to be successful.

Here are some of the top strategies of successful entrepreneurs….

Do It Daily – The one thing that successful entrepreneurs understand is that in order to move their business forward they must engage in marketing activities each and everyday.  Daily? YES… DAILY!

Time Is A Precious Commodity – How do you spend your time? Do you watch TV during the day? Chat with your girlfriends instead of working? Do you allow others to interfere with your time and schedule? If you answered yes to any of these you do not understand how valuable your time really is. Successful entrepreneurs understand that how they spend their time NOW will determine their future. Spend your time wisely.

Stop Procrastinating – Successful entrepreneurs don’t’ put off what they know they can do today…in others words they don’t procrastinate.  This sense of urgency is borne not only from their understanding of how valuable their time is, but also from wanting to keep their clients happy. By acting immediately, they are ensuring client satisfaction.  And happy clients are clients that will return to buy your products and services over and over again.

One Thing At A Time – I love the phrase “one day at a time”. Well this is the same concept except instead of one day a time; it’s one thing at a time. If you find yourself in a constant state of overwhelm and confusion because you think your to do list is out of control, remember that all that’s important is that you do something…anything each day.  Worry won’t decrease that pile. But taking action and doing one thing and then the next and the next will.

Always Have A “Plan B” -  Although I don’t worry about the big stuff, I always have a backup plan if something goes wrong. What do I mean by this? Well if I am planning a retreat I don’t worry about filling the retreat, but I do worry about if the retreat center is not ready for us when we arrive. I focus my attention on the details and have a backup plan for if something needs to be “tweaked”. This insures that I have thought out all of the potential problems that could arise and already have a solution ready at hand.  I always have my “plan b”!

Don’t Do It All – Successful entrepreneurs understand how important a team is to the ultimate running of their business.  Doing it all is a recipe for burnout and disaster. Smart and savvy businesswomen create teams and delegate effectively. Hiring a virtual assistant, bookkeeper, personal assistant, housekeeper, etc., help to keep your mind of the small stuff and instead keep you focused on the big picture.

Have The Right Mindset – Successful entrepreneurs are focused on three things:  security, comfort, and money. The focus on security allows the successful business women to develop systems and programs that reinforce that need for security with an overall focus  on the big picture as opposed to doing tasks and activities that have only short term results. So remember to invest in yourself and your business for long term success.

No matter where you are in your business I encourage you to implement these strategies.  If you are new in business, start with one idea and build on from there. Take the first steps toward building that successful business.

Build it and they will come.  Sound familiar?  Well it might work for baseball fields but in today’s market it doesn’t work for list building.  Just because you’ve built this great site doesn’t mean people will continue to come back to it.  And worse, just because they visit the site at all doesn’t mean visitors will automatically sign up for your newsletter or other offer.

So what is a small business owner to do who wants to build a list?

I can think of 25-30 ways to build your list; let’s look at the top five:

1.       From Your Website: People are inundated with offers, newsletters and other information pouring into their email boxes daily.  But when someone does visit your site you want to be able to offer them something of value.  Offer them something really juicy to encourage them to fill in their contact information. Many people either offer a FREE Report, FREE Audio Tips Series or what is getting more popular a FREE Video Series.  You will need to have a automated mailing system to automatically deliver your FREE offer.  I recommend www.1Shoppingcart.com and  www.Aweber.com.  They have different features but the one thing they have in common is that they are both have an email management and auto responder system.

2.      From Your Emails: One of the biggest pieces of unused marketing space that most small business owners fail to capitalize on is at the bottom of their email message.  When you send an outgoing email include a well-crafted, 5 line or less signature message.  Include a link to your website with a call to action to sign up for your FREE offer.  I have personally gotten a ton of new sign ups from using this marketing tactic.  Remember it is not advisable to just sign someone up who has not asked to be put on your mailing list.  Instead invite new contacts to sign up for your FREE offer or newsletter.

3.      From Speaking Engagements: Giving talks and speeches are great ways to get recognized and to build your list.  You can have participants sign up for your newsletter or FREE offer while at the event.  If you use a service like www.aweber.com or www.1shoppingcart.com you will be subject to double opt in rules when adding names to your list.  Meaning that if you add someone to your list and they did not want to get your newsletter they will not confirm the request when it hits their in box.  No confirmation means they don’t get on your list.

4.      From Your Articles: At the end of your article make sure that you include an “About The Author” paragraph. Include a call to action with a link to your website where they can sign up for your FREE offer.

5. From Your Newsletter: When a newsletter is filled with great content it becomes noteworthy to the reader.  Don’t you just love to share something that you just found that could benefit someone else?  Well the same is true for a well written, tip filled newsletter.  Your current readers are sure to send along your great newsletter.  Make sure to include clear direction in your newsletter on how new readers can get your newsletter delivered directly to their in-box.

There are so many strategies to build your list and gain loyalty.   But remember the single most important action you can do with your list is to cultivate a relationship with your subscribers.  Because of this relationship they will grow to appreciate your products and services and are likely to buy from you again and again.

A couple of weeks ago I spent the morning working with a group of entrepreneurs who are part of the ICE Program (Inner City Entrepreneurs).  This mission of this program is to promote job creation, wealth generation and community development by helping a diverse group of urban entrepreneurs strengthen and grow their small business.

That morning the ICE Participants were to give each of the Private Sector Network members (people like me) their elevator speech.  For those who may not be familiar with an elevator speech, it is a 10-30 second verbal message about you and your business.

Now you may be thinking, “that’s not a very long time to get my message out”.  And you would be right.  But it’s also why you need to take the time to expertly craft your elevator speech so that it gets right to the heart of the matter.

The average American has the attention span of a flea, about 9 seconds.  It’s impossible to adequately tell someone about your product or service in 9 seconds.  So what’s the alternative?  Craft a short message that  leaves them curious about what you do.

Which peaks your curiosity more?

• “I am a business coach and I work with businesses that want to grow.”

• “I teach women business owners the seven secrets to attracting more clients and more wealth,  so their business can fit their lifestyle.”

The first example is  boring, ho hum, educational.  The second leaves you wanting more.  It makes you wonder what those darn secrets could be. We as a society are fascinated with secrets.  We can’t help it.  Look at any tabloid magazine and you will see exactly what I am talking about.    When someone says, ” I have a secret!”  what do you immediately think?  That you want to know what the secret is and NOW!

The first half of this message focuses on a basic need – money and the creation and accumulation of wealth.     Who doesn’t want to know more about creating wealth?  If someones told you that they could teach you a thing or two about creating a business that would bring in the money would you want to learn more?  You bet I would!

The second half of this message is about TIME.  Most of us don’t think we have enough of it and we definitely don’t feel we get to spend our time they way we want to.  Why is this concept so appealing?   Because it’s about freedom.   Freedom to do things we want to do but don’t have the time to do.

Do you see how in the second example I have succeeded in peaking their curiosity?  My odds of engaging them in a future conversation of how I can work with them has dramatically gone up.

Remember that the world operates from an attitude of “what’s in it for me?”  When crafting your elevator speech you want them to hear, understand and even feel in the message what you can do for them. By addressing their needs up front  you can be assured that they will be looking forward to hearing from you again.

Last week I wrote a post called “Happiness Starts Here”. This post was devoted to discussing tolerations in our lives and by how ridding ourselves of these tolerations we open ourselves up to a better, happier quality of life.

Tolerations are not the only thing that sucks our positive energy right out the front window.  Unresolved matters are also an energy drain and the sooner you handle the situations of your past the sooner you can focus your energy on the things that will bring you happiness and joy.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What situations in your life cause you to have unresolved matters?
• What would it be like if had no unresolved matters to address?
• How much of what you struggle with in your life is a result of unresolved matters?
• What needs to happen to get rid of all of the unresolved matters in your life and be clear of your past?

Typically when working with clients I see a pattern of unresolved matters in one of four key areas:

• Physical Environment
• Personal Well Being
• Money and Finances and
• Relationships

Are they any issues that have gone unresolved that you can think of from this list?  If so, what are they?  How are they getting in the way of your happiness?

By addressing and resolving issues from the past you gain more confidence, more time, less problems and more opportunities.

Now doesn’t that sound good?

If you are a coach, consultant, or subject matter expert one of the best ways to promote yourself is to write articles.  Does that statement make you want to run for the hills?  Well you may be cringing at the thought,  but writing articles is a great way to gain exposure AND build your list.  If you are resistant to the idea and don’t think you can write great content then follow these simple strategies to make your articles outstanding!

1.  Select a Killer Topic

If you want to capture the readers attention the first step is choosing a great topic.  Think about your ideal client first and what their wants and needs are.  Not sure?  Go to some forums and see what everyone is talking about.

If you still have no luck check out article directories like Ezine Articles to see what people are reading.  In the end if you don’t choose a juicy topic, no one will read your article; so pick wisely.

2.  Choose a Title That Captures Attention

You have gone to the trouble of writing this fabulous article, don’t drop the ball by choosing a wishy washy title that doesn’t draw readers.  Your title is the first opportunity to be exposed to your message.  If your headline is flat you leave your reader no choice but to move on to something that grabs their attention.

3.  Keep It Simple

Do you see how this article is broken down into simple categories that make it easy to read and locate specific information? When drafting your article remember that most people don’t have the time or inclination to read a long drawn out article.   They immediately feel overwhelmed when information is presented in this fashion.  And when they feel overwhelmed they are far more likely NOT to read your article at all.  So break it up to make it easier for your reader to digest the information.

4.  Keep Your Audience in Mind

Make sure that you write in a way that is easy to understand.  Don’t use technical jargon unless that is who your article is geared to, stay away from acronyms unless you are prepared to explain them and keep vocabulary simple so that everyone can understand it.  No sense writing a great article if no one can understand what you just wrote.

5.  Proofread It

Take the time to proofread what you write.  Better yet ask a friend or family member to read if too – they just might find something you missed.

6.  Don’t Forget To Tell Them Who You Are

At the end of your article make sure that you include a resource box  that lets readers and publishers know who you are and how to get in touch with you.   In addition to knowing who you are you want to have a call to action .  This could be a request to visit your website and sign up for your free report or to follow you on twitter or facebook.

7.  Get Exposure

So you have written the article, picked a great headline,  written an awesome resource box with a call to action.  Now you  need to submit your article to gain exposure and build your list!  I recommend Ezine Articles and Idea Marketers.  They are both free and relatively easy to use.

Now that you have all the information you need,  get out there and write a great article!

The other day I was with a group of really phenomenal women. While sitting there  I realized they needed a coaching intervention and fast!  Why?  Because they were tolerating things in their life that was sucking the happiness from them and surrounding them with negative energy.

I shouted “STOP” and  asked them to take out a piece of paper and start writing down all the things they were tolerating in their lives.  Some of these great gals sighed a big, long sigh recognizing immediately just how much they tolerated; they didn’t have to write it out.  Others were in denial claiming that they tolerated nothing and still others were not sure they should put those items down on paper fearful someone might see the list other than themselves.  But with some coaxing they all obliged me and started writing.

Ten minutes later these women had a list that collectively could have stretched out for miles.  Some of the women didn’t want to stop they had identified so many intolerables.  Most were in shock at what they put up with everyday.

When I first was asked to this exercise  I didn’t think I had much to put on my list.  But after a mere 15 minutes I had over 100 tolerations down on paper.

Now none of them were earth shattering — but all together they were just the type of annoyances that bogged me down and stopped my creative energy from flowing.

Just to give you an idea of what was on my list, here is some of what I wrote:

~need to have bedroom painted ~new blinds need to be hung in both upstairs bedrooms ~catch up with old friends from coaching school ~ get hair cut ~order new furniture for office~schedule mammogram~make appointment for ma with dermatologist ~finish copy for mastermind program ~finish testimonial page so it can be posted on site ~add information for networking group on site ~schedule events on calendar

Individually these items were pretty simple matters to take care of and for the most part I wasn’t even aware that they were bothering me.  But as a group, they represented a great amount of negative energy that was launching a daily attack on my well being.

I was completely unaware the impact that all these nagging things had on my subconscious.  But once I became aware of them they landed on the “To Do List” and once on the list it meant they had to be taken care of.

Some of them I did myself others I hired others to do for me.  But as I was able to cross them off “the list” my well being, happiness and creativity rose exponentially.  And, as my happiness and creativity began to increase so did my bank account!

My Challenge To You

I want you to get out a piece of paper and start writing down all the things that you tolerate in your life.  Keep adding to the list as issues come up. If you don’t think that you have any just walk around your house and jot down what you see that bothers you.  Apply this concept to all areas of your life including your home, work and relationships.   It doesn’t matter if you know right now how to resolve the matter; the solution will come.

EVERYTHING and I do mean everything that does not bring you joy needs to go on this list.  Now don’t worry you don’t need to tackle everything on the list immediately, but at least you will have a list from which to start from when you are ready.  Some of the items on your list will take 10 minutes and zero dollars to fix while others will take a bit more time, energy and money.  Either way you now have a starting point from which to move yourself into living a life free of tolerations.

Embrace this concept, eliminate tolerations and claim the life and business you dream of!