#SmallBiz #Marketing

In the last post we talked about how to learn about your big fish and prepare for the first contact you’ll make with them. This first contact is essential to your success. You need to instill confidence in them. They need to know you can fulfill exactly what you are offering on time, at a good price and at the quality you promise. Today we’ll actually go through the big approach and how to make that perfect first impression. Before you put together your approach plan, you nee

In the last post we talked about how to bring the big-company mindset into your business and your team. This will help you overcome the mental obstacles that will keep you from being successful. Now, that you’ve learned how to overcome that, we’re going to talk about who your fish is. It’s important to know about the fish you are looking for before you put a plan together. We’re also going to take a moment to talk about the potential “red tape” you may encounter along the way

In the last post we started our series on catching big clients, or “fish”, that will sustain your business over the long run. Today we’re going to take that a step further by talking about how to understand and think like a big fish company and how that can help you plan your approach and find success. Before you can start the process of landing big clients, you have to make sure your entire team is onboard with your approach and vision. There are six keys to finding big clie

In the last post we talked about how to figure out what your customers want out of a positive shopping experience. Today we’ll talk about the concept of Deliver +1 and how this concept can take your customer service to the next level. I've decided to split up this post so the next one will cover the 1% Rule. Consistency is the key to any great customer service experience. If you want to take your satisfied customers to Raving Fan status, you have to go above and beyond the av

In the last post we talked about the first secret to building a solid customer service plan and how to decide what your vision is. Today we’ll talk about the second secret in taking your satisfied customers to raving fans. You must know what your customers want. Know who your customers are and you will know better how to serve them. Demographics are really important here. An upper-class woman in her 30’s is going to have completely different expectations than a working class

Customer service is a pretty hot topic and can make or break your business. Consumers have little patience for lousy customer service and easily get tired of waiting in long lines, trying to get a live person on the line, going through an interrogation to return something or trying to communicate through a language barrier. If you provide them with a simple, efficient, pleasant experience they will revisit your business over and over. More importantly, they will tell everyone

In the last post we talked about the first three of the 7 specific areas you need to consider in your franchise prototype process. Here are all seven again: Primary Aim Strategic Objectives Organizational Strategy Management Strategy People Strategy Marketing Strategy Systems Strategy These 7 areas will fine turn your plan for the ultimate level of success. Today we are going to cover the last four. Think of constructing your business model like planting a tree. At first, it’

The 7 specific areas you need to consider in your franchise prototype process: Primary Aim Strategic Objectives Organizational Strategy Management Strategy People Strategy Marketing Strategy Systems Strategy These 7 areas will fine turn your plan for the ultimate level of success. In this lesson we are going to cover the first three. Primary Aim It’s essential in business development to set goals and see a vision for the future. This needs to go beyond the business and you ne

Today I'd like to talk about the three keys to business development and how you can put the right bricks in place to build a solid foundation. There are three main areas of business development: Innovation Quantification Orchestration If done well these three areas will help you build a solid foundation for you business. Let’s talk about each one of these for just a minute. Innovation Innovation should not be confused with creativity, which is the expression of ideas. Innovat

The biggest area of turn-key businesses is franchises. There is franchise for ever industry in the world and they are fairly easy to acquire and come with practically a pop out of the box pre-assembled system. McDonald’s is a prime example. In fact, a $40 billion, 28,707 strong example. There are a few things we are going to talk about: Business Format Franchise The Franchise Prototype Franchise Prototype Standards Business Format Franchise The business format franchise came

Today I'm going to talk about the life cycle of a business and how to get the most out of each cycle while also extended the lifespan of your business. The four different stages of a business life cycle are: Infancy Adolescence Growing Pains Maturity We’ll talk a little about what each of these cycle’s means and how they can each help expand your business’ lifespan. Infancy This is generally consider the technician’s phase, which is the owner. At this point, the relationship

Today I'd like to chat about the different types of support staff you need and what makes them so important. There are essentially three key roles that need to be filled to set your business up for success: The Technician The Manager The Entrepreneur All of these roles need to be played simultaneously by different people with the right talents. It’s all about balance. The Technician This person represents the present and all that needs to be done for the physical aspects of t

We are going to embark upon a journey through the world of e-myths and debunk them to help you avoid falling into the e-myth trap. First, let’s take a minute to talk about what an e-myth is. An entrepreneurial myth, or e-myth, is an assumption that anyone can succeed at business with: Desire Some capital Projected a targeted profit This sounds great, but it just not realistic. Think of starting a business as a marathon. Sure, everyone starts out of the gate at record pace, bu

There are three key areas of public relations you can use to boost your advertising results ten-fold over your paid advertising. The key to public relations lie in: Public relation or publicity Merchandising Promotions With a solid plan in place that encompasses all these areas, you’ll have a great approach to use public relations in the best way possible. Public relations include all that is the media. Don’t limit yourself. The attention of newspapers, television, radio, mag

It’s extremely important to build relationships with your vendors and those around you can bring in new customers/clients and increase awareness of your company branding. The people you work directly with on your products and services are really the ones with the most to gain when you find success. By taking the time to get to know them, you’ll find a whole host of opportunities you didn’t realize were there. Look for great ways to offer your vendors rewards for helping grow

Today you’ll learn how to use direct mail marketing and, yes, telemarketing to your full advantage. I know, the word “telemarketing” might as well be four letters, but there is a way to help customers feel like they are getting personal attention and keep them from blocking your number! With the success direct mail marketing has had and the availability of computers, these can be used as a powerful marketing tool for your success. Telemarketing is best for high priced, high m

Today I’d like to talk about how to turn prospects into customers and retain them for future marketing to. While, your marketing is doing its job, you need to be working on turning those prospects into customers. There are a few key ways to draw them in and seal the deal. You need to be: Inviting Informative Enjoyable The biggest fear of most new customers is the dread buyer’s remorse. You want to avoid this at all costs and this should be mitigated if you’ve provided a quali

There are 5 major components to good advertising copy: (The order of these is essential to success) Command Attention Showcase Benefits of Products/Services Prove the Benefits Persuade People to Embrace the Benefits Call to Action Advertising is sales in print. So, you need to think about the unique benefits your products/services offer and showcase that in a persuasive way. You need to emphasize results, not features. Let’s take a minute to talk about each of these component

Direct response marketing is a marketing that demands a direct response from your potential customers. This type of marketing is used to answer questions, present your branding, products and the reason you do what you do. Customers love this, as they are offered the opportunity to response, whether that be in the way of signing up for a newsletter, posting a comment on your site or blog, or purchasing a product from you. So, what does direct response marketing look like? Well