Archive for the ‘Relationship Marketing’ Category

When your starting it out in business it can be really frustrating if you don’t know what marketing activities you should be focused on.

Here are four simple ways to market yourself:

1.  Speak

Find as many speaking engagements as you can. Speak for free if you must, but get out there regularly and speak at places where your ideal clients would be.

There are plenty of organizations out there that are always looking for people to speak at one of their meetings.

When you do speaking engagements make sure that you get the biggest bang for your effort by ensuring you:

• Record it
• Collect the names of the attendees
• Provide a handout
• Mingle about before and after your talk or speech

2.  Network

…like crazy.

When I say network I don’t mean just going around and collecting business cards.  It does mean spending time at networking events where you’re  going to meet your ideal clients and critical buyers.

3.  Publish

Don’t have a blog?  Start one.

Write for your local community newspaper or on line magazine where you’re clients would be looking for information.

If you’re a women entrepreneur there are some great free on line communities where you can post your articles for free and gain valuable exposure.  The Diva Toolbox is one that comes to mind.

Get out there by spreading your message.

4.  Internet

Again start a blog.  Blogs are great because they add valuable content to your website regularly and the search engines love them.

Start a newsletter so that you can stay in touch with your clients and potential clients.

Check out HARO (Help A Reporter Out) to search for queries by reporters who are looking for people to be interviewed or other opportunities to expose yourself to the masses.

One of these marketing efforts is good, but use all of them as part of a comprehensive marketing plan and your efforts will really pay off.

Sometimes I get so tired of the hype that marketers use to sell their products or services.  These marketers are sometimes the exact people who preach about being authentic and using the highest degree of integrity when marketing.  Here are some of my pet peeves and how to avoid them:

1. The Automatic Sign Up

This just happened to me last week at my local Chamber meeting.  I gave this person my business card and before I got home I had her most recent ezine in my in box!  Did she ask me if she could send it to me?  No, she didn’t, but I got it anyway.  And the icing on the cake…she told me if I put a link up on my website to her website she would do the same for me!  Now this may be appealing to some but I wasn’t falling for it!  Don’t do it!

2. Going, Going, Gone

Marketers who say stuff like, “We have 15 spots left, no I mean 17, no I mean 19.” Or the other version is, “Offer ends Monday, no I mean Tuesday, oops I mean Friday.”  Give me a break!  No matter if the game is played with numbers or time, the bottom line is it is still a game; and one that is insulting to potential clients.  Again, don’t do it!

3. Direct Messages

It seems like every day I get a new direct message from some yahoo  telling me how I must  check out this link so that they can sell me their stuff!  No thanks…and then I block them.  You heard me right.  When I get pitched to immediately I block them.  I don’t need to be sold too all day long and this is what some of these people on twitter are doing and frankly I won’t stand for it.  Don’t do this one either!

4. All Promo, All The Time

Some marketers send one promotion after another and it gets tiring.  Usually their ezine is full of useless information and when you check out their website they offer nothing free.  You guessed it, don’t do it!

5. Bad Twitterfeed

I like Twitterfeed,  but I really don’t need to get every feed, post, and link about everything.  Twitter is used best when used as a marketing tool; one that has been given careful consideration and is in line with your marketing plan.  There is no need to post every single thought, action or food you consumed because bottom line -  nobody cares.

6. Immediate Action Required

You all know what I am talking about!  You must act NOW.  Everything is urgent and it’s urgent all the time.  Give me a break…reading these emails and sales letter exhausts me.  I mean really do they think we have nothing better to do then stop what we are doing and attend to ANOTHER urgent message.  Now that is not to say that sometimes you get a notice and it is urgent but you will quickly learn if this is an ongoing case of the “emergencies” or if it out of the ordinary for this person.  If it’s all the time just hit the unsubscribe button.  And remember just don’t do it yourself!

Are you guilty of any of these mistakes?  If so, you know what to do…don’t do them again!

As a business owner our time is valuable so if you come across people who present their products and information in a manner that sends up the red flag then move on.

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.

Maureen and Hank Phillip Ryan from Channel 7 News

Last week I discussed with you some basic marketing strategies that every small business owner should be implementing in their business.  This week I would like to highlight three more advanced marketing strategies that can help  push your business into higher profits.

Tip #1:  Create Mini Celebrity Status

I remember when I first learned of this marketing technique it made me feel VERY uncomfortable.  The notion of creating celebrity status for myself seemed icky.  But once I understood this concept and the power behind it I quickly embraced it as a technique that could help me build my business.

For a very long time women business owners have taken a passive role in their marketing, blending in with all the rest of the business owners out there.  But when you embrace this strategy you take a powerful stand and become known and seen as a true leader and successful entrepreneur.

But you are probably wondering how you do it?  One way that you can build up your celebrity status is by rubbing elbows with other celebrities.  Look for opportunities to be photographed with high profile people.  This could mean having your picture taken alongside a famous key note speaker at an event or training that you are attending.  Post these pictures in your newsletter, blog or on Facebook.  It will automatically up your status!

Tip #2:  Grow Your List

Now I am not talking about growing your list one name at a time.  I am talking about growing your list significantly each time you make a concerted effort at it! How will you make yourself known to others?

There are many different strategies that you can take to grow your list.  When I was researching the best ways to grow my list I found several different strategies that would work for me and my business.  Each time that I have implemented one of the techniques I have been able to grow my list significantly.  And the more people on my list  the more people I reach.

Tip #3:  Have a Marketing Plan

Do you wake up each day and do a different marketing activity without any clear sense of how they work together?

Successful marketing is based on a clear well thought out plan of action that takes different marketing activities together to produce a clear outcome.  When you willy nilly market yourself do you get the type of results you are looking for?  Probably not.   So stop what you are doing right now and develop a clear game plan of what you are going to do and when.  Then track your progress and make adjustments as needed.

There are so many different strategies out there.  Pick at least three strategies and do them consistently to get the best results possible. Follow your plan and you will be on the road to higher visibility and more clients!

I read a great article the other day about the use of basic and advanced marketing strategies and how you need to use more advanced techniques in this economy.  And while I agree with the author, what I find more times than not is that people are not using the basic marketing strategies to there full advantage.

Here are some easy and simple tips that will help you get a grip on the basic strategies so you can move into the more advanced and see your business grow!

1.  The first basic marketing strategy is the development of your  marketing message. Who you work with, what their challenges are and how you solve their problems.  Trouble is, most new entrepreneurs particularly coaches (I can pick on coaches because I am one myself) have no idea who their target market is and what problem they want to solve.  I have told you over and over again how important it is to be crystal clear on this point or you will suffer greatly in trying to create a captivating marketing message.  It is impossible!  I know because when I first became a coach I mistakenly thought I would be a “life coach” ~ what the heck does that mean?  I wasn’t sure myself so I know no one else knew what that meant either.

2.  Your web site is a marketing tool and one that  people will visit. The problem with most websites is that they read like a brochure.  They don’t speak directly to the clients biggest challenges and they certainly don’t tell anyone how a problem will be solved.    And that my friends is what clients want!  They want to know that someone out there understands their problems and will help them fix it.

I remember reading a website of a woman, who happens to be a coach, and in fact was one of my instructors at coaching school.  Her website missed the boat completely… it talked about what coaching was and how the coaching calls would go, etc, etc.  Frankly, clients don’t care about stuff like that.  They care more about their problems than how you coach.

If you have a website,  find a professional to evaluate your site and give you honest feedback and suggestions for improvement.  I am currently working on a new program and this particular service is being added as a bonus to the participants so that I can show them how to build a more captivating site!  Watch for the details coming soon!

And by the way you should know your web site stats!  But that is a blog post for another time.

3.  The third basic strategy is that you regularly engage in marketing activities. I like to suggest that you pick three activities and do them regularly.  Two of the three should include writing and speaking and the third can be your choice.  The problem here is that although many entrepreneurs start out with good intentions, their writing or speaking activities fall by the wayside.

If you are blogging you MUST do so consistently.  To blog every once in a while will never yield you the kind of results that you are looking for.  Plan on blogging at least three times a week for it to be effective.

If you are doing a ton of public speaking, make sure that you pick your speaking engagements with your ideal clients in mind.  For example,  if you are a business coach for women speaking at the Men’s Auxiliary Luncheon  is probably not the best use of your time.

Finally,  by excelling in these basic techniques you build a strong foundation for taking your marketing activities to the next level. Next time I will discuss some more advanced strategies and how you can propel your business farther and faster!

Are you a confused?  Do you know who you should be approaching to ask for business? Do you feel awkward when asking the question, “Would you like to work with me?” Learning to ask the right questions, to the right people, at the right time is not as complicated as you might think.  Follow these simple tips to  bust through your fear.

1. The first thing you must understand is what you are asking for. This may seem obvious,  but for a lot of solopreneurs it’s as foggy as an early morning in San Fransisco.  What does your ideal client look like?  What do you want from your ideal client?  How will you know when you find your ideal clients?

When you bring clarity to these questions it becomes really easy to know what you are looking for AND to know when you have found it!  Without this clarity you are mulling around looking for clients in that San Francisco fog.

2.  What is your plan? How and where are important pieces to the puzzle.  This step is where you take action!  If you never ask, you never get clients.

When you ask a potential client to work with you, you are leveraging the value of what you do.  It allows others to know how you share your unique talents and gifts and ultimately how you help others.

3.  Make a goal and determine how many people you are going to ask to either work with you or, have a complimentary session, or come to a free seminar.  Whatever it is, make a goal to ask!

4.  Finally, be consistent and keep on asking. Don’t think that this is a one shot deal.  You must constantly and consistently ask for business or you won’t have a business because you won’t be bringing in any money!  Remember, without the money, it’s just a hobby.