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Recommended
Marketing Planning Articles |
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Coaches often struggle to grow their businesses because they focus too much of their effort on a few key potential clients or opportunities. It’s easy to get excited about individual sales, but the reality is that they aren’t the key to creating big sales growth. If you’re serious about making your business successful you need to create massive connections with people, not just occasional ones. Here are three key tips to help you make this crucial activity flow smoothly for you.
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Are you having trouble squeezing Client Attraction activity into your work schedule? If you already have a job or a growing practice, it might be tough. So how do you make time for the recommended hours you need to attract new clients?
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Studies have shown that most potential clients don't make a purchase until you reach out to them at least seven times. That's why it helps to give your target market an extra incentive to sign up for your newsletter. This article includes a list of 17 types of giveaways you may want to consider.
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Everybody wants more prospects. After all, if you don’t have prospective clients, you won’t make any money. But even more important than the quantity of your prospects is the quality. It’s not worth it to have thousands of prospects who simply drive you crazy and you’d never want to work with them as customers and clients. You need to give the right people the right reasons to work with you and to stay working with you. Here are some ideas to help you attract the right prospects to your door.
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Marketing and promoting what you’ve got (with consistency and conviction) is very valuable because it’s the answer to someone’s problem, and if you’ve been given a talent and a gift for helping others, you OWE it to them to let them know you’re out there. But it’s HOW you promote that makes all the difference.
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Does your marketing lead anywhere? Is there a plan and a purpose behind your content or do you just toss something out there and see what happens? While there is a place for general content marketing that keeps us in the forethoughts of our prospects, there is also a need for funnels that strategically guide readers through from introduction to sale. While there are many ways to construct a content marketing funnel, this easy 3-step model will get you started quickly.
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Do you ever find yourself being afraid of marketing in a BIG way for fear of growing too big and too fast? Typically, the worry of growing too big is based on a fear of change, fear of overwhelm, fear of failure, and perhaps fear of success at the same time. It all comes down to a fear of LOSING CONTROL.
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Discover 50 guarantees that you can incorporate into your small business marketing plan.
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Many of your customers face roadblocks that prevent them from purchasing your small business products or services. Consider offering them a FREE solution that will remove their roadblocks so that they can do business with you.
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Too often aspiring and passionate entrepreneurs and business owners who try to “get” marketing, unfortunately have it all wrong. Well, most of them (99% in my opinion) out there think marketing is just marketing. Marketing is not marketing. Marketing is not branding. Neither is advertising. Marketing is about response.
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If you want to pull clients in with your marketing, first you’ll need to get their attention by providing real solutions. And, I mean not the fluff you see out there – but real solutions your clients can use and get results from.
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The average response rate on an advertising or marketing campaign is only 5 to 10%, and the close rate is even lower. So for your advertising to be effective, you need to do more than just put your ads out there. You have to have a sensible follow-up system that keeps your business present in potential clients’ minds while presenting you as someone they want to work with. This can be challenging, but having a good follow-up system makes it much easier.
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You just put the finishing touches on your kick-butt marketing plan that’s going to skyrocket your business. Hooray! Only problem is that kick-butt marketing plan isn’t going to do a thing for your business unless you actually put it into action. And that, alas, is where most marketing plans end up — a really good idea that never got implemented. So, how do you stop that from happening? Here are 3 steps to help you move from thinking to doing.
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When I started my coaching business ten years ago, marketing was totally different than it is today. What worked then doesn’t work as well now. Yet I see small business owners who cling to certain marketing methods because it’s comfortable.
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Social proof is a key component of making an offer to a potential client (prospect). Here's how to get it even if you are brand new as a solo-preneur.
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The dictionary definition of relevant is “bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark.” It’s all about what people need NOW in an ever changing world of tactics, strategies, and solutions. The good news is, you don’t have to go into fear mode to address staying relevant. It’s an ongoing job of seeing where you are, where your prospects are, what the winds of change are blowing your way, and of course where your passion is directing you.
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There’s no question you can start and grow a business without a marketing plan. However, I can tell you from personal experience, if you’re feeling stuck and can’t get to the next level, it’s probably because you never took the time to put a marketing plan together. Having a marketing plan really is the key to growing and sustaining a successful, profitable business. Otherwise all you’re doing is winging it, and winging it only takes you so far.
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I learned many valuable lessons from being in business for myself as a teenager. An important one was that you don’t really have a sale until the check clears the bank. I also learned that you don’t have to do work you don’t want to do. And that was when I learned that you must always put your area code with your phone number on every marketing piece you produce. Why is this still important today?
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Most entrepreneurs have NO idea how much they really need to be marketing in order to effectively and consistently attract more clients and make more money. You need to be really clear on what you want to accomplish that will make you happy with your progress.
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Discover how to ramp up and supercharge your small business marketing efforts.
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Jennifer will take you through her three-stage process for creating a marketing plan.
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The only way to make sure that you always have a full practice is to always market. And the best way to do that is to make all the pieces of your marketing pie run on a system, like a well-oiled machine that doesn’t need you to be there the whole time, just once in a while to make sure everything’s going smoothly.
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If your business is not thriving like it used to, it's time to stop blaming the economy. Remember, nobody knows exactly how long this economic downturn will last, and some elements of the recession may be here to stay indefinitely. So it's time to adjust to the new climate. Here are some things you can do.
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As a small business owner, you must decide which task you should complete to start your day off on the right foot.
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To get more clients from networking, you’ve figured out where your best clients have come from and where your ideal clients can be found in large numbers and inexpensively. It’s time to create a marketing plan that has you focusing on “fishing where the fish are.” The more focus you have, the better the results.
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Discover 7 widespread mistakes small business owners make when creating free offers.
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With these Google tools you can conduct great market research that makes getting clients and creating a successful business a lot easier.
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Discover the secrets to crushing your competition in the competitive small business world.
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Of all the things entrepreneurs struggle with, marketing is probably the most difficult and most dangerous. Why? Because it directly impacts the success of your business. Here are 3 steps to get you started.
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I'm so excited to share with you today the essence of what EnergyRICH® marketing is all about. You see, the mistakes I’ve seen over and over and over again, mistakes that I’ve made myself in the past and mistakes that I see continuously being repeated by entrepreneur after entrepreneur have actually taught me so much! I’ve learned that it’s all about the 4 C’s!
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What makes you different? Does it shine in your web copy, in your newsletters, in your videos, and when you talk to people? So many of us struggle to figure out what this point of difference is. Here are some places that you can look to find your point of difference.
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One common mistake I see small business owners and entrepreneurs make time after time is this, relying on one source for leads. When you rely on only one marketing source, like word of mouth, your business may look like feast or famine. Either you’re buried in work, stressed to the max, or you’re starving. Nothing is coming in and you spend your days worrying about how you’re going to pay next month’s bills. So how do you avoid that situation?
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Marketing Metrics. It's a scary sounding term, but it's not as complicated or time-consuming as many small business owners think. If you want to get more clients and make more sales, it's essential to be able to assess which aspects of your marketing, sales, and products/services funnels are working and which aspects aren't. Ultimately you need to be able to (easily) understand why clients are buying and why they are not. To get you started here are six things you can do to help create easy to track marketing metrics that will help you get more clients and close more sales.
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The TV show So You Think You Can Dance is a great model for solopreneurs, who quickly have to "audition" for potential clients. Find out the 5 things dancers do that will help your business.
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You may have wonderful ideas for products and services and you may have worked hard to set up a great small business website. Perhaps you’re networking and trying really hard to get people interested in what you do. However if the results have been disappointing or a bit slow, it’s not the economy. The problem is more likely that you haven’t built your sphere of influence.
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In today’s instant communication era, a personal letter sent through the mail is considered somewhat of an anomaly. But that’s why it’s so valuable. When you write a note by hand and the sentiment is personalized, it demonstrates to the recipient that they were important enough for you to pull out the stationary box and choose your words carefully. And as a business owner, sending a “thank you” note sends a very clear message: you are important and valued. Here are 5 easy steps to the perfect “thank you” note.
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Many business professionals look at marketing completely on the surface. If your business tends to market by simply advertising, handing out business cards or flyers, it may be missing a few key ingredients. Along with getting word out about your business (the “Know” factor) your marketing should be focused on building relationships. When you focus your marketing on building relationships, you are taking the first step towards potential clients getting to know, like, and trust you.
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The staying power of visibility- not just to be seen, but to be MISSED, is to be sought out, to be longed for. This is all part of the emotional imprint that your business leaves on others. Here are 5 tactics to make a lasting emotional imprint on your audience so they miss you when you’re not around and keep you top of mind.
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Getting clients through networking is important for you to succeed in your own business, no matter what level you've reached (start-up, ramp-up or already successful.) Problem is, while networking to get more clients, you may be unclear on "what to say" and "how to say it." And that means you can easily make people's eyes glaze over, which is NOT good for Client Attraction. Time to change that!
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Perhaps you can relate to this scenario: You attended a single networking event and connected with all kinds of great people – some who went as far to say that they’d be contacting you soon to learn more or to set up a time to speak about how you might be able to help them. The next day your phone doesn’t ring, nor do you receive any emails from your new prospects. Why is it that we expect immediate results from our marketing attempts?
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Your marketing should drive traffic (website visitors, people) to your website so that they can sign up for your list. Your list will allow you to leverage the “Know, Like and Trust Factor.”
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Most of us would do anything to snag a TV interview where we could promote our business, book, program, or event to viewers around the country. And there’s a rise of a certain type of talk show called “branded entertainment” that could get you there faster than you think, because you can pay to appear on them. This is no secret in our industry, but because these shows are targeting many of my clients and members, I’ve received several questions asking about these types of opportunities and if they are worth it. So let’s discuss what these opportunities are, the pros and cons of this type of marketing tool, and open up a conversation about it as well.
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When you grow your list, you grow your business. It’s as simple as that, but often times our lists are one of the most neglected marketing tools we have. It’s not that we want to neglect it, but it’s often hard work to consistently grow our lists. But by following these five easy steps, you’ll be well on your way to building your list with targeted subscribers who are eager to buy what you offer.
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Many solo entrepreneurs and small businesses are realizing that yes, they really do need to be online. At this point, especially for small business-to-consumer businesses that are looking for affordable and effective marketing, I’d say it’s almost non-negotiable (unless the people in your target market are Luddite’s - in that case, whip out that rotary phone and cold call away!). But you can’t just slap up a Facebook page and expect to be able to cancel all the rest of your marketing. So how do you use online marketing to connect with your prospects and clients offline (and blow your competition out of the water while you’re at it?) Here are 4 new ideas for integrating online & offline marketing.
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Getting clients can be difficult, without a list. While it’s possible that a client will find you today and buy from you or hire you, most clients need to be touched 7 – 9 times before they take action. Most small business owners don’t have time to reach out individually to each lead, 7 – 9 times.
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We know that credibility is important. It helps brand your business. It’s also a primary buying trigger. After all, we buy from people we trust and consider experts. The good news is that with a plan you can achieve or increase your business credibility. Here’s how.
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There are many marketing tactics to use to grow your business. As a matter of fact, there are more than 100 ways to market your business! From direct mail to Facebook and Twitter, from sponsorships to email marketing, from paid ads online & offline to networking – the sky is the limit on what you can choose. No matter what tactics you choose, here are some things to consider.
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My clients often ask me, “What is the quickest way to get clients, when you need money, like yesterday?”. My answer is simple: speak in front of a room full of people. Do a workshop, event, lunch and learn – whatever you want to call it. Just get out there and speak.
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Are you using an old style approach to coaching? Admittedly, if you’re a coach trained in the “old school” method, or you’re new to coaching and you haven’t quite found your footing yet, this new paradigm of blending information with coaching can feel uncomfortable at first. You need to know how much content to include in your coaching sessions, and even more importantly, WHAT content your clients are most likely to pay you to deliver. Here are 3 easy steps you want to take to help get you started.
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Learn how your product or service can help your prospect avoid an emotion or situation that causes pain.
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Shoestring marketing wisdom that will help you on your small business journey.
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You have to make it easy for people to do business with you. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling — products or services. And it doesn’t matter what type of business you’re in. Never, ever, ever make your prospects and clients work too hard to do business with you. What do you need to tell them every single time?
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You’re a small business for a reason. And if you are the only one working in your business then you’d likely call yourself a micro-business. But no matter how you identify your business, the fact remains that you likely cannot afford to market like a big business would. And, you really can’t afford to sit around waiting for your marketing to work. Here are a few advertising ideas that will get you quicker results.
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Small businesses don’t have the same marketing muscle as large businesses. A small business simply doesn’t have the advertising budget needed to build a “big” brand and to gain recognition in the market through that brand. So how is an entrepreneur to compete with the “big guns?” The answer is to try utilizing effective communication strategies with their customers.
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Know what you're selling and learn the importance of making an emotional connection.
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Insights into the importance of marketing for your small business success.
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Learn 5 marketing mistakes small business owners can't afford to make.
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Recognize the importance of learning how much time you must spend marketing your small business.
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Your influence is the power you have to affect others. The more you have, the more you can sway people. You can direct their attention to your business, to events or to websites. You can motivate their decision to buy. However, boosting it takes a strategic plan, commitment and a system. Here’s how to boost your influence for more business profits and success.
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Your business is always changing and evolving. As you grow, your business grows. Growing can mean a lot of different things - higher paying clients, creating products or programs, or adding a new line of revenue. As your business continues to shift, you will find that it might be time to upgrade your client.
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It sounds magical, doesn’t it? Attracting leads, clients and sales to you effortlessly. In fact, it almost doesn’t sound possible. But the truth is, it IS possible, even if it isn’t magic. It’s all about good, solid marketing principles. And if you follow the below 3 keys, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing that for yourself in your business.
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Whether we admit to it or not, we as humans love things like gossip, soap operas, eavesdropping, sharing secrets, peeping, and Entertainment Tonight (basically, everything on the E! cable network). For whatever reason, we stay glued to the minutest details of peoples’ lives. It’s something you should think about implementing to attract clients.
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As a self-employed professional or small business owner, time is your most valuable resource. It can be tough to juggle business with life and create balance. The best way to make the most of your time is to implement metrics. Metrics will allow you to measure results of your actions so that you can better manage your available time.
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Think about those great ideas you have, just sitting on the backburners of your mind. You want to makeover your brand, but you just can't afford to hire a designer right now. Or maybe you know your fulfillment processes are a nightmare, but you're so swamped that you just need to get by for a little bit longer. You don't have to unearth your business in order to make these changes happen. If you choose one area to work on at a time, you'll eventually start to see a shiny new version of your business appear.
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If you’re like many entrepreneurs, the thought of marketing makes you slightly sick to your stomach. And it’s more then a simple like or dislike of marketing, it’s the idea of trying to fit it into your to-do list. You already have a million things going on, how can you possibly fit marketing in?
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Part of attracting clients to you in large numbers involves having people get to know YOU. Having more clients consistently is about having a better quality of life, something they're not convinced is entirely possible. For many self-employed people that's just not a reality right now. They don't have that kind of role model showing them that self-employment CAN equal freedom and fun. SO, the idea is that, if people get to know you better, like you more and trust you faster, the sooner they'll be ready to buy from you, right?
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Ready to add tens, hundreds or even thousands of new subscribers to your email list in a very short time? Then pay attention to today’s way to build your email list because we’re going to skyrocket your sign-ups with contests and giveaways! Discover a step by step plan to get your contest or giveaway going?
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Here are 3 reasons Coaches, Consultants and Small Business Owners need to consider integrating mobile marketing with their current marketing plan.
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It's a phenomenon that happens to most people in business for themselves after a few years. When solo-entrepreneurs first get started in marketing their business, they have gusto, they have energy, and many take a no-excuses approach to getting clients. They're WILLING to do what it takes, and they do it often (most of them). But after a few years, they begin to rest on their laurels, they get lazy, and after a while, they stop doing what they used to do to get clients.
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Here's a list of how to relate to your market in a far more intimate way.
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Find out how to set up a marketing strategy that makes the best use of both high-tech (Internet) and high-touch ways to build your list of prospects and keep close to your existing customers.
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Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) many marketing challenges can be traced back to a handful of marketing mistakes. Read on to learn about the top 5 marketing mistakes business owners make.
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There are two different types of interactions involved with marketing a business, resourcing and transacting. Knowing the difference between the two (and understanding when to use them) is key to the success of your business.
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“The only difference between salad and garbage is timing!” When you’re in a service business, timing is EVERYTHING. If you wait around, let the proverbial ‘hot iron’ get cold, that hot lead turns into a cold lead, and you can just forget about turning it into a happy paying client. The question then becomes, ‘How can we ALWAYS be around to have the elusive Perfect Timing?’
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If you already have an established online business – or even if you’re just starting out, you may be under the impression that your marketing efforts will be based solely online. After all, you have a business that is online and where is a better way to market it than through the Internet, right?
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Would you be surprised if I told you I've actually mentored a LOT of marketing consultants and business coaches who help others build their businesses? Many of these consultants and coaches come to me because, even though they know how to put these steps into practice, they still don't have a full practice, or at least not consistently. WHY?
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Over the years I’ve attended my share of live sporting events, but I must say there’s a lot to like about live NFL games. In fact, I’d like to share 3 of those lessons below that you too can use to build your business.
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I’m writing this from the airport at 7:03pm. My goal is to be done at 7:13pm and schedule this post. I’ve got 30 minutes until my plane boards and I can complete three small tasks to move my business forward.
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Think of marketing like exercise. You’re not going to see results if you only do it once in a while. It’s only when you stick to your plan that you will get the outcome you want. As a matter of fact… there’s a lot more marketing has in common with physical fitness.
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One common mistake small business owners and entrepreneurs make time after time in their marketing is this — relying on one source to generate their leads. Here are some ways to market your business.
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Most business owners go into business, in part, to create a desired lifestyle and that lifestyle usually doesn’t involve working 24/7. The best way to avoid that is, wherever possible, to create leverage.
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Have you ever become a victim of your own perfection paralysis when it comes to marketing yourself? I talked to a few clients this week who have been toying with the idea of putting together a talk to promote their services for months but haven't done anything about it.
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Through these three areas of Eat – Pray – Love, the author gained a deeper understanding of herself and got into touch with her passion for life. She came alive in a way that was deeply genuine and self-appreciating. This got me thinking…. what if you apply these principles into the marketing of your business. What would this look like? What would be possible?
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I am trying to be as real with you as I can - honesty is my strong suit. A lot of marketers and coaches have been lying to you. Now, I do believe that most of them have not done it intentionally. They forgot or are so focused on their position they have ignored their own facts. So, I ask the question, what if we stopped marketing?
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So many businesses are "launch-based" -- never earning revenue unless something is actively being promoted or clients are locked into long-term contracts. And then, once that promotion is over, the business owner is frantically trying to create the next program, product or service to launch. Imagine it, high revenue one month, low revenue the next two, then high again, then low. Your revenue isn't meant to be a roller coaster ride.
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It is so important that we always – ALWAYS – make it easy for people to find us when they are ready to either do business with us or when they want more information – or to follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
Here are ways to help people find you when they’re ready.
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Sometimes, it's best to not reinvent the wheel or "fix what ain't broke," as the saying goes. Let's say you have several clients you absolutely LOVE (they get great results from working with you, they pay you on time and never negotiated, you like them, they send referrals, etc.). Now, look at where all of these clients have come from.
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I just returned from an awesome vacation visiting friends and hanging out in New York City and on the Connecticut shoreline. Everywhere I go I’m surrounded by lessons on what to do or what not to do when it comes to marketing. I’ll share a few observations I made while traveling.
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Just like clothes in your closet, there are probably tasks in your marketing plan that no longer fit and serve your business. And at the same time, there might be a buried treasure hiding under all the junk - something you've forgotten about or didn't know you had in the first place! So here is a little Spring Cleaning Challenge for you.
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You already know the importance of marketing your business. You may even have gone so far as to write out a marketing plan and are now implementing it. Good for you! You’ve done more than most small business owners have done. But is simply marketing your business – working your plan — going to bring you the success results you want?
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Are you on track for hitting all your business goals for the year? If YES - congratulations. If not, now is a great time to review and modify your marketing action plan. Here are five key areas to focus on with your quarterly marketing makeover.
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Find out what the newest hot thing in marketing is for the big guys, and how you as a solopreneur have the upper hand.
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There are three very key ways to make a difference and make money right now. Do all three and you WILL make millions while making a difference. Read on to find out what those keys are.
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It’s a well-known fact that these days your prospective clients don’t ask if you have a brochure anymore, they ask if you have a website. If you’re a savvy 21st Century entrepreneur you can probably readily answer that question with an enthusiastic “yes” and give them your website url. But you aren’t always standing in front of a prospect and they may not always find you by searching for you online because most of your prospects have no idea that you even exist yet.
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Everyone wants to attract affluent clients for their business – why not sell to those who have the money to spend? But not everyone knows how to gain these clients successfully. Moving from a general clientele to a wealthier client base requires a shift in your mindset, but it's a shift that can pay off tremendously for you and your business. Here are a few basic tips on how to appeal to affluent customers.
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Your Marketing Action Plan, or MAP as I like to call it, is at the heart of your business. It lays out exactly what you're going to be doing, when you're going to be doing it, and how you're going to be doing it. It should be a document that you constantly refer to and update as necessary, and having a MAP in place takes out a lot of the guesswork when it comes to running your business.
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In marketing your business, there's a line *out there* between what's effective for your ideal clients and what's just plain annoying.
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Many business owners, especially online, preach about "marketing with integrity" and "marketing authentically" and then immediately do things which, in my opinion, are exactly the opposite of what they preach. Here's just a few marketing mistakes I've seen recently which make me cringe.
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Could one phone call change your life? What about one article submitted to the right publication, or meeting one person at an event? Here are three simple tips for using the power of one to help you rev up your marketing, increase your leads and, as a bonus, connect you to your source of power.
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Sometimes business owners make marketing more complicated than it needs to be. Follow these five mantras and you'll go a long way toward simplifying the path to closing that all-important sale.
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The sluggish economy has every small or solo business owner figuring out how they can get the biggest “bang for their buck”. Bootstrapping needs to be part of your small business planning.
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Remember, marketing isn’t a magic button (although it’s pretty darn close). But it can’t fix everything. Below are 5 things marketing can’t do for you.
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What Marketing Can Do For You (And No, the Answer Isn’t Everything) While marketing is as close to a magic button we have (think the Staples Easy Button) to transforming your business, it’s still not an actual magic button. So here are some misconceptions about marketing.
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A mentor of mine once said that when it comes to business, “the marketing is just as important as the mastery.” They were basically saying that the know-how and the “what” of your business is important, but if no one knows about you and what you do, it doesn’t matter.
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What's different in 2010 and how will it affect your marketing? There's a sea change underway - a great shift - happening in human evolution. Here's what that means for your marketing, and the number one secret you need to know to ride the wave and not be left behind.
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The real challenge for the woman entrepreneur isn’t how to deliver a great service but how to find time to market. Unfortunately, avoiding marketing only leads to feeling guilty or overwhelmed. Or worse, feeling downright scared because you’re cash flow is shriveling up. If you’re being totally honest you have to admit that the reason you don’t seem to find time to market is because you’re either not sure what the best way is to market your business, you don’t want to feel pushy or inauthentic, you’re not sure where to start or you’re afraid that it won’t work and you’ll have failed. Here are some simple tips to get you started.
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There's a hard truth about marketing: People don't care about businesses (and that includes your business). What they care about is how your business's products or services can solve THEIR problems, meet THEIR needs and make THEIR lives easier. So what can you do about it?
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Most entrepreneurs market their business half-heartedly. One month they’re marketing machines the next they are too busy and marketing goes out the window. Inconsistency with your marketing plan creates inconsistency with your new-client-flow. You can create a system that will promote an on-going marketing flow and stop the roller coaster ride!
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Why would you waste one dollar or one hour on marketing that doesn’t work? It happens all the time and the reason is often just a lack of knowledge or understanding about what would work better. As small or solo business owners, who can afford to waste time or money on marketing your business that doesn’t work?
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About 80% of your marketing results come from 20% of your marketing efforts. If you can correctly identify the 20% of your marketing that works, you will save an incredible amount of time in your business. And as any good shoestring marketer knows, time is money.
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Discover why free marketing is essential to today's small business owner.
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Whether you are selling a product or service, there are four powerful marketing principles that are essential to your success. Although these marketing principles are fairly simple, once applied they can be incredibly powerful tools for building your small business.
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Every single day, consumers are exposed to over 3,500 advertisements in magazines, newspapers, billboards, television, radio and the internet. As a marketer you have an incredibly difficult task to accomplish: you need to find some way to get through all the “noise” and grab your prospect’s attention.
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I regularly interview small and solo business owners who call my coaching company looking for help. After getting a sense of what their business is all about, what their biggest goals are, and what lifestyle they are trying to create, I ask them what their biggest challenges are. Nine times out of ten, it’s getting more clients and the problem is marketing. Here are some tips on what you need to think about in order to begin to master marketing.
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Here are three quick and simple tips you can use if you’re not getting the response you want from your marketing. Use them to keep your mindset, your emotions and your actions in alignment with your highest and greatest good and you’ll find that your audience begins to respond positively to your marketing!
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Everyone talks about multiple streams of income, but not too many people talk about multiple marketing streams. I’ve come to believe that having multiple marketing streams is at least as important as having multiple streams of income.
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Here are five Essential Marketing Action Steps that I believe will help you more than anything else, at least in the beginning stages of your managing your business.
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Learning to ask for what you want in your business does not come naturally to most entrepreneurs. Let’s discuss some key principles to help you formulate a plan for asking the right questions, to the right people, at the right time, to get the right results.
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Of course, we all would love to have instant results with any marketing strategy we implement. Actually, that’s what we call “making a sale.” The real key to marketing effectively is consistency and the best way to do consistent marketing is to have a plan in place and then work that plan.
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Small business owners often make the mistake of creating and marketing products and services that they are passionate about without learning first if there is a need or demand for them in the marketplace. This can lead to unnecessary struggle, frustration and disappointment. You think you’re doing everything right but the sales just aren’t rolling in.
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Basically, there are two things that must be in place before any of your offerings can be successful (read: profitable). One is that it must be designed for a target market. So, there must be a group of people who you are targeting to offer your product/program/service toward.
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When in business for yourself, we succeed by getting "yeses!" It is the "yes" that excites us and makes us money! The "yes" enables us to help more people. But many time Helpingpreneurs wait - they want the time to be right - but the most authentic you can be is showing up everyday and going after the "yes."
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Solopreneurs say that they want more clients, but they do not act that way. In this article I will share with you five steps that are specific and aggressive, so if you really do want more clients then jump in!
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It pays to play to your strengths. But how do you pinpoint the areas that will increase revenue and earn you more money? Simple: by following the Pareto Principle. Developed by Italian economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto, this short, simple rule states that 80% of our results come from 20% of our activity.
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Now, remember that intuition is not fear or self-doubt. Those emotions are just trying to side track you from stepping into your place of power. You can tell if it’s fear or self-doubt because you’ll find yourself saying things like, “It’s not the right time” or “I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
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Are you finding it hard to connect with enough prospects? You are doing all of this great work, but not very many people know about it or at least not enough for the flow of business to be moving smoothly and easily? Stop. Start. Stop. Start. Well, there isn't one perfect way to consistently connect with prospects, but there are many ways!
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Small business owners are busy people, there’s no denying that, and too often we get so caught up in the “business of the business." When it comes to working on our own business, whether it’s the bookkeeping work or filing tax papers or doing some marketing activities, we often feel stressed, anxious, and worried about all the other work that we need to do, too. Rarely do we gift ourselves with the full attention and sacredness that we give to the exchanges we make with others. So here are some tips to help make your marketing work — or any of your work for that matter — a more sacred experience.
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Would you blow your entire annual marketing budget on just one ad to run once during the Superbowl? Of course you wouldn't. You know that people seeing your message just once wouldn't be enough.
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How many times have you thought "If only I had more clients, all my problems would be solved"? Most businesses - regardless of whether micro, small or corporate giants - have found themselves believing that all their business problems would be solved if they could just get more clients. True? Well, maybe.. read on.
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Today I know it’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of negativity right now but if you want to succeed you absolutely MUST rise above it. People are still going to buy no matter what the economy is doing. It’s YOUR job to position your products and services as the ones they buy.
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During my recent vacation I tried very hard to completely forget about work. But while traveling throughout California I just couldn’t resist picking up a few marketing “gold nuggets.” I think you too will find them insightful.
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Discover 12 deadly marketing mistakes and how to avoid them. This is part 2 or a 2-part article.
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Discover 12 deadly marketing mistakes and how to avoid them. This is part 1 or a 2-part article.
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Sure-fire 10-step formula to quickly get started as a coach or consultant. And, if you are a well established practitioner, these ten tips may just give you the swift kick in the pants you need to re-invigorate your marketing.
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”But this won't work” said Steve. “I’ve tried it in the past and had no response.” Does this sound familiar? My newer clients often resist implementing certain strategies based on past experiences. However, I usually find out that it wasn’t the strategy itself – but how it was implemented that caused the dismal results.
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Building a coaching or consulting practice can be rewarding and lucrative. Sadly, many who get started on this path simply can’t make it. Almost daily I talk to people who give up on their dream of “solopreneurship” and, resentfully, join the ranks of job seekers.
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It seems nowadays every marketing guru and their brother-in-law has a “deadly sins and how to fix them” book, ebook or at least an article! But apparently nobody is reading this stuff! How do I know? Because nine out of every ten businesses continue making the same marketing goof-ups.
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5 Marketing Lessons from Apprentice: How a Team of Donald Trump Apprentice Wannabes Made $12,788.94 from Thin Air in Just One Day.
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Are you on track for hitting all your business goals for the year? A quick check-up of your promotional efforts can reveal "week spots" and help identify what needs tweaking to give your business a healthy boost in the next few months.
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Did you know that Max Factor was a marketing genius? You won't believe the strategies he used to get the rich and famous clamor for his services and products. His strategies can be simply replicated in your business to attract all the new and repeat clients you want. Here is how...
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A marketing rip-off that makes me sick! If you are interested in learning how to better promote your business, there are hundreds of "gurus" out there ready and eager to RIP YOU OFF!
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Did you know that most solo-professionals hire the Cheshire Cat as their marketing consultant? Frankly that’s the only conclusion I can come up with watching so many excited entrepreneurs eager to build a great business but ending up overwhelmed by too much information and
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Lately, I've been hearing a lot of reasons about the tough times and why people aren't making money. But what I'm not hearing are all the reasons why people can make money. So what are YOU doing to increase your revenue this year, this month, this week?
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There are still some skeptics out there who may not understand why you should change your marketing to be more receptive to women, but just look at the numbers!
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The difference between highly paid soul-preneurs and everyone else, is that they follow the formula religiously. Luckily, the formula includes ample opportunity to be yourself -- authentic, genuine, powerful and confident.
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Find out the real secret behind successful marketing.
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There is always the temptation at the start of a new year to set the whole marketing machine up in advance. If you’ve been a solopreneur for more than, say, six months you know how overwhelming the endless to-do’s get – especially the repeated ones like podcasts, blog posts, ezine issues, online article distribution, tweets and more. (Well, OK, tweets are addictive, but all the other stuff sometimes gets forgotten in the big shuffle of running your own biz.)
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Ever gone shopping with your spouse or loved one to buy a large-ticket item? It won't take you long to find out that you both make buying decisions VERY differently. So how does that affect your marketing strategies?
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What questions do you need to ask yourself during a recession?
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If you're a bit concerned about how to stay in touch with your community during these tough economic times I have a solution for you. The answer is NOT to pull back. In fact, the people who actually make the extra effort NOW will stand out head and shoulders above everyone else because the impulse for many is to pull back. Here's whatcha do...
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Learn the seven marketing habits of super-successful companies.
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Whether you are a professional in a solo-practice or own a small business, chances are you feel overwhelmed when it comes to marketing. While you may be an expert in your field, consistently attracting new clients probably isn’t one of your strengths. Here is just a short list of "marketing culprits" that are likely keeping your business from reaching its full potential.
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Women are high value customers because once they join your brand, and are happy, they are likely to stay loyal to you. What's more is women talk a lot to their friends. They talk about what they like and they talk about what they don't like. So you definitely want to keep your female segments happy and loyal. Here are some devices you can use in your marketing right now to ramp it up.
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I once had a client who would tell me he figured out how to "fix" his business and what he needed to do to succeed. Unfortunately, he did this DAILY. Each day he had a new marketing strategy that he would drop everything else to implement. It was exhausting as well as counterproductive - for both of us. Does this sound familiar?
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Learn the keys to creating a client communication Plan - a simple system for building a relationship with your prospects.
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In Part I of this article series, I shared how I've used my inner and outer environments to support creating a million dollar business. Since you're marketing YOU, how you feel and how you think about yourself plays a big part in how successful your marketing will be. Here are three more environments you want to pay attention to so that you can focus on what REALLY brings in money and joy to your business.
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Recently I was named the Attraction Marketing Expert at IdeaMarketers.com. Stepping into that "expert" role publicly has me thinking about Attraction Marketing and what is it, really?
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This is the third article of a three-part series. I'm illustrating the marketing challenges of a small business. If you don't remember anything else about marketing, remember this: Frequency is king.
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This is the second article of a three-part series. I'm illustrating the marketing challenges of a small business.
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One of the Million Dollar strategies that's helped me experience rapid growth in my business is to make certain that my environment supports my success. What I'm talking about goes beyond cleaning out your desk drawer and simply hanging a crystal from your ceiling fan string.
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We all recognize the importance of having a business plan (even if we haven't yet done one), but do you recognize the value of a good marketing plan? While most marketing plans take up a few pages of the standard business plan, I recommend you take the time to create a dynamic marketing plan if you really want to kick your business into high gear. A good dynamic marketing plan is ...
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It used to be if you were a small business, you were at a distinct disadvantage with your marketing compared to the bigger companies. No more. Small business owners will actually have an edge over bigger companies thanks to the emerging marketing model. Yes, you heard right. Emerging marketing model. The old ways of marketing are dying. And a new regime is coming of age.
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Same old same old just doesn't sell anymore. To make your marketing stand out, you need to get creative. Below are five tips designed to get your creative juices flowing.
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It's not your grandfather's communications model. Communications has drastically changed. Target markets are fragmented, customers have more demands on their time and they've learned to shut out the majority of marketing messages out there. The old ways of marketing don't work the way they used to. To succeed in the new communications model, you need every advantage you can find. And that includes harnessing your creativity.
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When I first joined Gold's several years ago, I didn't pay much attention to the "muscleheads" - the professional bodybuilders. But I've come to realize they can teach us a lot about marketing and business success. Here are 7 lessons we can all learn from.
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It's a dilemma that most small businesses and startups face: You must market and advertise, but you're strapped for cash. Fortunately, ideas, energy and imagination can make up for meager marketing budgets. Whether you're an established company or a nascent
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Having the right mindset for your marketing can mean the difference between amazingly impactful marketing and marketing that is blasé and falls flat with little to no results. Learn ten marketing mindsets that will help you stay the course and focus, expand past your comfort zone, and keep your energy up so you don't get down on yourself and get frustrated with your marketing before you've given it a chance.
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Most small and solo business owners don’t begin to see the profit potential in their business. If you own a small or solo business, I’m sure you had a big dream when you started. Whatever your dream was, it certainly included making the most of your business. Here are just a few tips that can help you be more successful than 90% of your competitors.
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People are talking about a recession and that means fear is in the air. Well if you want your small or solo business or practice to flourish anyway, make sure you’re not making any of these common mistakes. Just correcting one of these can make a huge difference in the results you’re getting.
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Here are 10 of my favorite ways of building relationships with clients and potential clients and gain more success for your business.
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What does America's past-time have in common with marketing? Plenty! Read on.
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To prepare yourself to magnetize your ideal clients you want to first pre-pave the way for connecting with your ideal clients by having two strong, EnergyRICH® legs to stand on.
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Marketing your business doesn't have to be overwhelming. The trick is to create effective marketing rituals that are easy to follow through on each day. Here are six marketing rituals to make sure marketing gets done and you bring in a steady stream of new clients.
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Learn to recession proof your business. During this time solo entrepreneurs stand the biggest chance of not only surviving, but thriving. Learn why.
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If you are a small business start up, a micro or solo entrepreneur, you're probably wondering where to find the money that will allow you to grow your business.
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How do you consistently find time to work 'on' your business instead of in it. Employ these simple, effective tips and you'll be on your way.
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Your overall marketing system is probably the most important system in your business and the one that can also be most overlooked (hard to believe, I know, but true).
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If you're going to advertise, you need to be smart about it -- or you can quickly find yourself with a blown budget and not much to show for it. Here are seven questions to ask yourself before writing out that check.
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Handling emails, filing, problem solving (unless you are solving clients' problems), administrative trivia, surfing the 'net, sorting your Outlook files, paying bills, fiddling with your website, creating brochures... are a waste of time. These tasks don't put women entrepreneurs closest to the money; they pull them away from i
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Playing small with our marketing strategy keeps us feeling small as well. The antidote is to set the marketing strategy bar high, aiming attract dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people, not just one or two. When we stretch ourselves with this type of vision we leapfrog our thinking past its comfort zone, right into the "gulp" zone.
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Motivate yourself and others using my direct marketing innovative marketing ideas to get three new clients now!
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Taking my struggling consulting business online and following the business model I now do turned everything around for me, financially and otherwise. So when I started hearing from my mentors that I might want to add some offline marketing tactics back into the mix, I was hesitant to say the least.
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Want to build your fan base by attracting more clients and customers to you and your products and services? Then build a platform. A platform is media lingo for having a solid base from which to pitch your work. It's about numbers, about how many people know what you do.
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Are you working with the same level of client you were a year ago? How about the same type of client as two years ago? If the answer is "yes" then it's time to look at moving "up-market."
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Learn how testing is vital in marketing.
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Here are some tips that will help you seriously build your platform.
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Most of us build our small businesses around a basic talent, skill or passion that we assume will easily make us profitable. Yet our surveys show that attracting new customers is the main area where small and solo business owners (SBO's) say they need help. Learn more.
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The single biggest, non-renewable asset you have is your time. There are only three things you can do with it: waste it, sell it, or invest it. As an entrepreneur or a service professional, what you do with your time acutely impacts how much money you can make. If this year you want to make clients come to you, earn a six figure income, become the expert in your chosen field, positively impact lives of many people, gain fame and earn respect of your peers - you have to invest your time into creating Marketing assets!
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Marketing is more than just one technique. It's about becoming proficient at many little things. Here is my list of a few of those little things. I call them '15 Irrefutable Marketing Proficiencies'.
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Develop Your Marketing For Your Potential Clients. Not Yourself. Follow up, Follow Up, Follow Up!
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Marnie Pehrson, award winning novelist, and founder of over 10 successful websites and mother of six introduces you to 7 business building strategies that she learned the hard way - she learned these after 13 years of business. She shares these techniques with us and shows us how to avoid the mistakes she made. What does Marnie do now to build her businesses? Some of which are LocateACoach.com, BuildEbooks.com and IdeaMarketers.com - read on to find out.
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Are you trying to be perfect? Trying to plan everything ahead? Standing in your own way? STOP. Learn what to do instead!
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Learn - and eliminate - the 5 most common marketing errors that solo-entrepreneurs make.
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