Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

Why a radically better approach is essential!

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marketing targets 2020, 2020 goals

Photo: Shutterstock.

Note: I’ve never started a post like this before. I’m asking you to read this to the end, as it challenges some incorrect, common knowledge, which can seriously hurt your business results.

In today’s post, I’ll explain how to remove the barriers that currently hold you back from achieving the business success you’re very capable of. It’s based on a spectacularly effective process I use with my clients. And it can radically improve the way you think about the whole topic of success and achievement.

Now allow me to deliver on those hefty promises.

Ready?

Let’s go!

To start, I want you to think about something for a moment. Here it is: What are your business’s growth targets for the coming year?

Let’s now think for a moment about your targets.

In particular, why you chose to set those specific growth levels for your business. Because this is something business owners often (very often) get completely wrong. And it massively limits the potential of what they can achieve, before they even start.

I get to speak with business owners, all day, every working day of my life. It’s been this way since the mid 1990’s.

And…

Here’s what I see at this time, every year

You will have 2 similar-sized businesses, in the same city, serving the same marketplace, yet with drastically different targets for the year ahead.

  • One will aim for a 10% or 15% increase in overall growth, and a slightly higher increase in profits.
  • Another will aim for a 45% or 50% overall increase with a higher profits percentage.
  • The majority of the time, the business owner with the higher targets will out-perform their rival. And often by a very considerable amount!

This is something every business owner should find interesting.

Why? Because this huge difference in results happens, even when they have almost identical resources available.

Here’s the part where I challenge some common knowledge.

This may surprise you. But I’m not saying that by setting a high target, you’ll do X percent better. That’s not only too simplistic, it’s a totally wrong-headed approach, which usually backfires!

In my experience, we need to go a little deeper than that.

A radically better approach is required!

Here’s what we know: When a business owner sets a target, it’s usually based on (or just above) what they believe their business can realistically achieve. Their belief is what sets the target, not the other way around. That’s why setting yourself an unrealistic target, if anything, is counter-productive. If you’ve ever tried to fool yourself like this, you’ll already know you’re too smart to believe it, so it doesn’t work.

To paraphrase a popular motivational quote: “If you don’t believe it, you won’t achieve it”.

So, how do you set, and then genuinely expect to achieve, truly inspirational business goals?

Here’s what I’ve found keeps on succeeding

In working with business owners, I’ve seen amazing results by helping them identify why they believe that (whatever target) is probably the best they can realistically expect. This includes helping them determine why they think anything beyond that relatively low target is unrealistic for them. And the breakthroughs are amazing, especially if they’ve reached a bit of a plateau in recent years.

So, how does this help you achieve at such a higher level?

It looks like this.

  • When you have genuine reasons to believe, based on cold, hard facts, that you can absolutely achieve way, way better results, it dramatically improves the way you feel about the potential of your business.
  • This causes a likewise improvement in your decision-making, as it aligns with what you now know is absolutely possible for you.
  • This then leads to smarter marketing / business development activities.
  • Note: It also brings you massively more clarity and a matching increase in your motivation and energy.
  • And every business that makes smarter decisions and takes the actions required has to improve. It’s pure cause and effect.

Why not take a look at your targets for 2020 and determine if you’re setting yourself up for a spectacularly exciting year, or a re-run of 2019. If you’d like me to help you get it right, read this and get ahead of the masses who will wait until January.

One bad apple: The thing about influence!

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marketing influence

Photo: Shutterstock.

Who influences you?

It’s impossible to connect with someone, without that person influencing you. Even a total stranger who smiles (or frowns) at you as they walk by, will influence what you’re thinking. They’ll also shift your focus, to a lesser or greater degree.

However…

By far, the greatest influence on how you think and how you feel, are those with whom you habitually associate.

The business impact of one bad apple

All it takes is one bad influence to screw up the dynamic of a wonderful, or potentially great, team.

I was mindful of this last week. I spoke with the CEO of a great, Chicago-based manufacturing company. He’s a former client, turned old friend. Anyhow, he wanted some advice. It turns out the son of one of their co-founders joined them as their new CFO in 2018. I knew them as a forward thinking company, respected in their industry for making some super-smart decisions.

That was then.

Today, things have changed.

It turns out the new CFO lacked vision and was exceptionally risk-averse. My former client explained that in just 14-months, the guy had dented morale, led to a number of good people leaving the company and caused them to miss out on what proved to be an outstanding opportunity, which was grabbed with both hands by a major competitor.

Thankfully, at the request of his own father, the CFO finally left the company. And the race is now on to get their rhythm back, so they can start moving forward and making things happen.

The lessons here?

I’m sharing this with you because it’s the second time in under a week, that I’ve had similar discussions with business owners about negative influence. From a business development perspective, you need to be extremely diligent regarding those you habitually associate with. In the above example, the co-founder’s son was so fear focused regarding growth, that others soon started to regard every opportunity as ‘a loss waiting to happen’.

Balance is important, for sure.

But when someone has the attention of the decision makers in your business, that person also has the ability to influence them, what they think (and therefore your results); either positively or negatively. This doesn’t just apply to fellow directors. It applies to anyone, who has access to you and your team.

It’s always worth questioning:

Who are you (and / or your team) listening to?

What have they got you thinking?

Are they influencing you positively or influencing you negatively?

Put a number on it

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marketing targets, numbers

Photo: Shutterstock.

I have a very quick, yet powerful marketing tip for you today.

Decide what you want from your business, in all the key areas. Then, turn that want into a target, by putting a number on it.

You can’t hit a target that doesn’t exist

It’s ineffective to say you want more customers or you want to grow your business.

Why?

Because the thing you want is undefined. It’s non-specific. So, you can’t focus on it. However, as soon as you put a number on it, you have a target. And your target then allows you to make all future marketing decisions with clarity.

For example, there are things you’ll need to do in order to attract 4,000 new customers over the next 12 months, which you won’t need to do, if you only want to attract 40. The number is what gives you your target. And your target will then rule in, or rule out, certain strategies. It will also let you accurately measure whether you’re on track or not.

Here are just a few areas where you need number-based targets, in order to make the right decisions.

  • How will you know when you have enough money in the bank? Put a number on it.
  • How will you know when your business is valuable enough? Put a number on it.
  • How will you know when you are getting enough word of mouth referrals? Put a number on it.
  • How will you know when your business is retaining enough existing clients? Put a number on it.
  • How will you know when your profitability is high enough? Put a number on it.
  • How will you know when you have enough subscribers? Put a number on it.
  • How will you know when you have enough visitors to your website? Put a number on it.
  • How will you know when your professional network is large enough? Put a number on it.

Replacing general goals with specific targets makes all the difference. And if you are serious about absolutely smashing your targets, let’s talk about it.

Your marketplace is watching. Give them something to remember!

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Marketing, get noticed

Photo: Shutterstock.

All of your clients (and prospective clients) have something in common. Something that you need to be aware of, if you want to market your business successfully.

It’s simply this: They notice things. Even the things they never mention to you.

For example.

  • They notice if you treat them like stars in order to get their custom, then treat them like numbers once you have it.
  • They notice if you promise their project will be delivered on schedule, but you’re late.
  • They notice if you’re more focused on what’s in it for you, than what’s best for them.

Thankfully it works both ways, because they also notice.

  • When you treat them like stars in order to get their custom, then treat them like superstars once you have their custom.
  • When you promise their project will be delivered on schedule, then deliver their project (and your promise) on schedule.
  • When you’re more focused on what’s best for them, than what’s in it for you.

Here’s why this is massively important to your business

Not every client complains when they’re receiving a poor service. The vast majority say nothing. However, they’re highly likely to take their custom to a competitor.

Not every client says “thank you” when you’re delivering an outstanding service. However, they’re highly likely to remain your client and to recommend you to everyone.

People notice what you do. So do something worth noticing. And look for opportunities to do it every day.

An easy win for your business. In just 3 simple steps

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marketing, cookie cutter

Photo: Shutterstock.

The biggest wins in business are often so easy and obvious, hardly anyone notices them. Here’s one such example. It’s based on 3 simple questions.

  1. Are your services designed around the needs and wants of your clients (or customers)? The vast majority of businesses in every niche offer a strikingly similar range of services.
  2. Are your opening hours deliberately timed, so you can be there when your clients need you?  The vast majority of businesses in any industry simply copy each other.
  3. Did you set your fees based on the unique value your business provides? The vast majority of businesses set their fees closely around whatever their competitors charge.

Offer exactly what your ideal prospective clients need. Be there when they need you. Then charge what you’re worth.

It’s easy. It’s obvious. All it requires is the courage to walk away from the cookie cutter and do it.

Finish the year strong with my free marketing guide

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marketing, free guide

You’re going to love this.

Okay, maybe ‘love’ is a little too strong. How about, you’re going to find this extremely useful… yes, that’s it.

So, here we are my friend. The 4th quarter of the year starts today. And no matter how things are going for you right now, this post will help you finish the year stronger. It also shows you how to get my massive, free marketing guide.

Let’s start by looking at what we need to do, if we’re on course to smash our 2019 targets.

  • We need to remain focused.
  • We need to avoid easing up or getting cocky.
  • We need to carry on doing the right things, correctly.

If we reflect on our 2019 results thus far and find that we’re not on course, we also need to act. Don’t worry. I’ll give you a great resource to help, in a moment.

  • We need to start by fully accepting the urgency of the situation.
  • We need to resist the temptation to hunker down and hope things will ‘just get better’ by themselves.
  • We need to get strategic about what we do in October, November and December.
  • We need to make better decisions.
  • We need to take better actions and / or take action more frequently.
  • We need to determine that we will finish strong and turn things around.

First, some good news

Even if you’re off target, you can still make 2019 a successful year. And here’s why.

Equipped with the right strategy and support, your decisions will improve, your actions will improve and your results will improve.

The key is to act. And to act in accordance with the results you’re currently experiencing.

Now some really good news

If you’re not sure what to do next or you can’t afford to invest in professional marketing support right now, I’ve got you covered.

I’ve prepared a massive (over 4 thousand words long), free marketing guide. It’s packed with ideas you can use to improve your sales and marketing results. It covers things like; how to use the amazing power of curiosity in your marketing, ideas to boost your email marketing results, getting connected to the right people, how to use Endorsed Relationships, turning your website into a sales / lead generation machine, some ideas on how to benefit from inbound (attraction) marketing… and lots, lots more.

There’s nothing to sign or download, everything is on this one, huge page. Marketing Tips and Ideas For 2024.

I hope you find it useful, my friend.

When you’re 1% away from switching the light on, you’re still in the dark

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marketing, business success

As we approach the final quarter of the year, people have started asking me who I think the winners in 2019 will be. Here’s my prediction, along with some tips you can use, to finish the year stronger.

It’s based on one of the many things I learned decades ago, from the late Jim Rohn.

To paraphrase Jim: The business owners who will have thrived this year, will be the same type of people who thrived last year. And they’re the same type of people who will win big next year, too.

Who are these business owners and what do they do differently from the rest of the pack? Here are 3 examples, along with links to longer answers, if you want to dig deeper for ideas.

They’re the business owners who do all the work

I’ve been in business for almost 25 years and helped thousands of business owners succeed. I’ve discovered that whenever a business reaches a plateau, it’s always down to one or more decisions the owner is avoiding. They will tell you they give their business 100%, when what they often mean is they do 100%… of the things they are comfortable with.

My tip to any business owner who’s not getting the results they want, is this. Always start by looking for a decision you’re avoiding.

Then take action. Because 99% isn’t enough. And here’s why, along with what to do.

Remember: when you’re just 1% away from switching a light on… you’re still in the dark!

They’re the business owners who protect their thinking

They avoid the people whose influence is causing them to stumble. We all know that the influence of positive people causes us to improve. That’s because these amazing people bring energy and ideas with them. This is why business leaders join mastermind groups. It’s why they surround themselves with other leaders.

However, pessimistic or negative people do the exact opposite. This is why we have to limit our association with them as much as possible. They leave us worse than they find us. They are a source of problems, stress and confusion. They drain our energy, dent our confidence and cause us to lower our expectations. And as one of my mentors used to say, if you associate with negative people for long enough, one day everything they have will be yours.

Note: There’s more on this extremely important topic here.

They’re the business owners who back themselves

When they believe in something, they take decisive action. These business owners understand that success is not anointed.

This is the mindset behind every leader, not just in business. It’s not that these people are fearless. They get fearful when they need to leave their comfort zone. We all do. What’s different, is that leaders use fear as their compass. As Susan Jeffers said, they “Feel the fear, and do it anyway”.

I hope you find these observations useful. More importantly my friend, I hope you do something with them.

How to win big, when the economic forecast looks bleak

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Marketing focus

When people are afraid, it’s often said that they’re scared stiff. That’s because fear has the power to stop us in our tracks.

And with good reason.

When people lived in caves and the roar of a huge predator scared them into hunkering down, until the threat had passed, it was a life saving strategy to be scared stiff.

However, the business owner who applies that cavemen fear strategy to their business, places a very low ceiling on their potential. Being scared into inaction is always a mistake. Often fatal.

In fact, it’s at times like this that real leaders lead. And it’s where some of the biggest gains of their lives can be made!

For example, when there are negative economic forecasts for their country, industry (or both), their entrepreneurial brain gets to work. They know their fear-frozen competitors will stand still. So they develop a strategy to gain a disproportionate chunk of market-share.

One of my business mentors had a great tip, about dealing with fear. It went something like this:

If you notice fear is stopping you from moving forward, ask yourself what direction the fear is leading you. And if you don’t like the direction, wake up and start leading your business. Because it desperately needs you to regain control.

We know from the 2009 global recession, that fear focused competitors will start cutting back, as they take in the economic warnings. Doubly so, for my UK / European readers; as brexit looms and they have no idea exactly how it will hit them, their customers, clients or suppliers.

That creates a massive vacuum.

A huge chasm of inaction.

And a vast expanse of rare potential!

That expanse will be filled, just as it was in 2009, by strategic, proactive business owners. Business owners with the entrepreneurial spirit to embrace the opportunity and move their businesses forward. Business owners like you, my friend.

Words matter

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Ogilvy marketing quote

They matter because your prospective clients aren’t mind readers. And they’re in a hurry. So, they need you to get to the point.

Think about it. There’s a world of difference, between measurable outcomes and superb results. Wasting 50 grand of your client’s money is a very measurable outcome – but it’s not a superb result! However, we see vague nonsense like that in marketing messages every day.

The key is to aim for clarity and impact. And only use as many words as necessary. (I used fewer than 90 words here).

Marketing has changed. Have you?

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marketing change

Before social media became mainstream, marketing was all about what you said.

Today, marketing is all about the way you operate. That’s because the service you provide, and the promises you keep, create a story. And in a connected world, the providers with the best stories win. They get the referrals, the word of mouth recommendations, the free publicity and the repeat clients.

If you’re attracting too few clients or making too few sales, don’t just improve your message.

Instead, look for meaningful ways to improve what you do. Because when you give your marketplace a story worth sharing, they’ll share it.

How to make your marketing massively more effective

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content marketing, trust

Take a quick look at the following 2 statements. Which of them do you find the most appealing?

  1. I wrote this blog post, now I want you to read it.
  2. Business owners often struggle with this challenge, so I wrote this quick tip to help you.

Unsurprisingly, your marketplace is massively more attracted to the second statement. Despite this, the majority of small and medium sized businesses use the first approach in their marketing.

Rather than focusing on the wants and needs of their marketplace, they focus on what they themselves want. And it’s costing them a fortune in missed sales opportunities or client enquiries.

I received one such email earlier today. It started off with; “We’re delighted to announce our summer 2019 range is in stock and available to order”.

Let’s unpack that headline and see what message it sends to the reader.

  1. The vendor is excited.
  2. The vendor has an announcement.
  3. The vendor has new stock.
  4. They want me to order it.

As you can see, they’ve given me (I’m an existing customer) very little motivation to do anything. Their message is all about them and what they want. By switching the focus to their customers, they could have built a more compelling message. Instead, they’ll be wondering why that email’s response rate is so low.

The lesson here

The lesson is pretty obvious when you see an example broken down, like the one above. But sometimes in our eagerness to market our products or services, we can unintentionally make similar mistakes.

This is why I recommend you deliberately check, to ensure the focus of your future marketing is always about “them”. Also, review your existing marketing and shift the emphasis of any self-focused material, so that it’s them-focused… their wants and needs.

Show them how passionate you are about helping them. Show them you care.

And make solving their problems the cornerstone of your marketing.

Are people holding you back? Here’s what you need to know

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biz dev, professional development
.

There’s a pattern for success that seems to repeat itself again and again.

I’d like to share it with you.

It’s simply this: Successful people are very selective, regarding who they associate with.

The reason this is so important, is that everyone we give our attention to influences us. Think about it. When you spend time with an optimistic person, your attitude and overall mood improves. Conversely, when you spend time with a negative person, your fears and doubts increase.

One of my mentors once gave me the following advice. “If you hang around with people who’re going nowhere, one day, everything they have will be yours“!

Thankfully, the opposite is also true.

Get around the right people

By associating with successful people, you’ll massively increase your own chances of success. The conversations and inspirations you’ll expose yourself to will be consistent with progress and achievement. Their expectations from your successful associates will also be greater, causing you to raise the bar.

This all combines to improve how you think. As your thinking improves you will find yourself making better decisions. And as decisions precede your actions, your results will improve.

This sets a positive cycle in place, which creates unstoppable momentum. It’s one of the least discussed professional development strategies, yet it’s also one of the most powerful.

We don’t live in a bubble

Life is complicated. As such, there are some people we need to be around from time to time, who are negative. This could be a family member. It might be the person next who’s going through a tough situation. That person in need could be you or me one day, and we wouldn’t want people turning their backs on us!

It’s not about avoiding people when they require help.

It’s about balance.

This simply means not spending unnecessary time with people who have a damaging impact on us. And proactively associating with those who inspire us to be the best people we can be.

The cookie cutter guide to destroying your business

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marketing, cookie cutter

Today’s post comes with a warning. Don’t rely on general advice to solve a serious, specific problem.

I’m writing this, following a surge in emails from readers who’ve wasted time and money making the same mistake. I want to help you avoid this common and expensive error.

Let’s start by looking at the best way to mass produce cookies!

Cookie cutters are highly effective. They let you create lots of identical looking cookies, really fast, based on an identical template.

Of course, this means they’re of no value whatsoever, if you want to create individually hand-crafted cookies.

Why am I telling you about cookie cutters?

Simple. The marketplace is packed with cookie cutter guides to marketing. These marketing seminars, books and online courses are designed to deliver step-by-step instructions, which anyone can use to produce ‘marketing’. They’re strikingly similar and extremely general.

They have to be. Because they’re designed to be sold to as wide a range of business owners as possible.

This model works EXTREMELY well for those selling online marketing seminars, marketing programs and digital marketing products. Why? Because production costs are low and it scales to infinity! They create a generic product once, which can be sold unlimited times at an enormous profit. That’s why we’re seeing more and more of these products being sold.

However, it doesn’t work for the end user. I see this confirmed in increasing numbers, from readers who’ve wasted time, lost money and missed opportunities to grow, by following general, unspecific marketing advice.

Think about it: When your marketing is similar to everyone else who’s using these general marketing ideas, your marketing becomes camouflaged. Lost in an ocean of businesses, doing extremely similar things.

  • This makes it way too hard for prospective clients to find you.
  • And if they do find you, you’ll look too similar to your competitors, so there’s no reason to contact you.
  • Oh, and if they do contact you, they’ll be price sensitive, because you seem like all the others. When providers look similar, prices or fees are used to determine value.

My advice to you?

Ignore the cookie cutter!

Successful marketing is always specific. It’s about getting noticed by your prospective clients and giving them compelling reasons to hire you or buy from you. It’s about developing marketing that’s focused on your unique business and your unique goals. It’s about identifying the exact type of clients you want to attract, then making your business irresistible to them.

So, ignore the cookie cutter.

Get intentional.

Rise above the noise of all that generic marketing, which is currently making you invisible to people who want to hire you or buy from you.

That’s the only way to get the attention you need, the sales you need and the results you need.

Marketing Tip: How to hide stuff in the fine print

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marketing lies, liars

Have you noticed something about the fine print we find in marketing and on packaging?

It’s printed really small.

And there’s a reason for that. They would rather we didn’t see it. So, they do their best not to make it stand out. It’s one of the reasons I hate sales and marketing.

The fine print is where they hide caveats. It’s where they bury disclaimers. It’s where they tell us that the promises in their marketing are grossly inflated. Or that their product doesn’t look as good as it does on the packaging, etc.

This got me thinking: Surely there’s an ethical, positive way to use the fine print?

So, I had some coffee.

Then I went for a long walk.

I came back to the studio, had another coffee, put “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane on… then it came to me.

Imagine this.

  • How would you feel, if you read the fine print and discovered that it actually confirmed the product to be just as good as they said, in the LARGE print? Maybe even adding an additional benefit?
  • How would your prospective clients feel, if your fine print confirmed your marketing claims and reiterated you were being totally honest with them?

That’s the kind of eye-popping surprise that people remember. It helps build trust. And it’s also the kind of story, which people like to share with their friends.

I’m here for you

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kindness, business, contribution

If you’ve ever been an a difficult situation, you’ll know there’s amazing power in those 4 words. Just knowing someone cares enough to want to help us, by itself, can improve things.

What does this have to do with business?

Here’s the thing: Not every business owner reaches out to help others. This includes many business owners who have a kind heart and feel they ought to do more commercially, to help others in need. It’s understandable. By default, business owners are busy people. They have problems of their own to deal with. And they have employees and customers relying on them. Too few hours in the day, etc.

Of course, the same is true of all those business owners, who DO offer to help. If anything, they’re often even busier than the business owners, who tend not to reach out and help.

Is there a business case for genuine kindness?

I don’t know.

Maybe looking for a commercial angle renders the whole thing pointless. It ceases to be an act of kindness, and instead, becomes a calculated tactic, disguised as kindness. And once the target learns that someone tried to profit from their difficult situation, any good faith is destroyed.

Here’s what I do know.

Business is all about people, so it tends to reflect life in general. Just as selfish people usually have fewer friends, business owners who are perceived as selfish tend to have fewer business contacts, who feel motivated to recommend them and their selfish approach.

Since starting my business in 1994, here’s what I’ve found, time and time again: Business owners who are contribution focused, are regularly talked about for all the right reasons. They have zero problem with referrals, as people eagerly recommend them. Think about it… it’s more rewarding and less risky, to recommend someone who’s known for their kindness.

So, maybe there is an unintentional benefit from operating our business from a contribution mindset.

That’s worth considering, if you’re a business owner, with a kind heart, who wants to help, but finds it hard to justify the time required.

Why you’re attracting fewer clients and how to fix things

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business potential, marketing, decisions

I often hear from business owners, who have a very similar problem. In fact, most people reading this will have the problem, to a lesser or greater extent. So, I thought I’d share it with you, along with some ideas on how to stop it from hurting your business.

Okay. So, here’s the challenge.

Business owners look back over the past year or two and notice they’re slowly getting fewer new clients or making fewer sales. Interestingly, this happens, even though they’re working hard and providing the same exceptional service.

Typically, business owners will approach this challenge by changing their marketing; only to find that it doesn’t help much. And this is because, in many, perhaps most cases, the problem isn’t directly related to their marketing.

To find a way forward, we need to start by looking at what’s happening in the marketplace.

The evolution of your marketplace

Your marketplace is in a rapid state of evolution.

  • Some of your familiar competitors leave the marketplace.
  • New, agile competitors arrive, with many offering better deals, more flexible options or a wider range of services.
  • Some existing competitors decide to up their game, developing interesting new services or products.
  • And the speed with which things change has never been faster.

As a direct result, the bar keeps rising.

What was an exceptional service or product line a year ago, isn’t exceptional today. And what used to be exceptional value is now the absolute minimum expected.

Presented with this evolving reality, the expectations of your clients (and future clients) rises accordingly.

This is critically important.

Why?

Because any business owner, who works hard month after month doing the same exceptional things, the same exceptional way, ceases to be exceptional. By doing more of the same, you’re standing still, while the marketplace evolves. This places you in an extremely risky (and unsustainable) situation.

There’s a proven way forward, which has worked for countless clients of mine. Here’s a very quick overview.

Moving forward: It’s not about change!

Change for its own sake is pointless. The change needs to be meaningful. Otherwise, things become different, not better.

Instead, focus on improvement. Research your competitor’s; prices, services, product lines, guarantees, promises, opening hours, and payment terms, etc. That’s your baseline (currently) for standing still. To make progress, you’ll need to improve on what they’re doing.

However, meaningful results requires you to go beyond iterative improvements on what everyone else is doing. Meaningful results come from identifying what your prospective client’s want and need, which isn’t currently being provided.

This isn’t easy and it can take time. However, the rewards for your effort and time can be HUGE.

Here’s a useful place to start

Look at your business through the eyes of your ideal prospective client. Next, consider the kind of service and results they want. Then, using their wants and needs as your guide, seek out ways of achieving their desired outcomes, which are OUTSIDE the current scope of your services.

Resist the temptation to just tweak what you already do, or copy what one or more of your competitors are doing. You need to be meaningfully different if you want to make meaningful improvements and see meaningful results.

This is a massive subject and I’ve just scratched the surface here. I hope you find it a useful starting point.

I also strongly recommend you read my previous piece on building an agile business. It’s got lots more ideas and tips, which fit nicely with what I’ve shared with you today.

Have a great day!

Marketing tip: Press pause!

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I want you to think about the following for a moment:

  • The last tweet you sent.
  • The last newsletter you published.
  • The last Linkedin post you shared.
  • The last Facebook update you posted.

Each of those actions could easily be a prospective customer’s first exposure to you (and your business). If so, it will help form their first impression of you.

Here’s the thing. First impressions count.

  • First impressions count, even if you are having a bad day.
  • First impressions count, even if they are inaccurate.
  • And first impressions count, because if you screw it up, you often won’t get a second chance!

So, what’s the solution?

Well, here’s something that can certainly help you.

Drum roll please…

Pause…

It pays to pause for a few moments before you publish ANYTHING. That’s because most of what you publish is easy to find via search engines or the social networks you use. And we know that the vast majority of people now check providers out, before deciding to hire them or buy from them.

Think about the wider, longer-term implications of what you are saying. Never underestimate the impact of an angry tweet, a needy Linkedin post or a spammy Facebook update, etc.

Once it’s published, it’s out there. It’s in play. It’s carrying your name. And it’s carving your reputation.

Tip: Read this » How To Build a World Class Reputation.

Be where their attention is!

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marketing

The next time you’re on your way to or from work, try this.

I want you to take a look at the people around you; car passengers, bus passengers, train passengers or pedestrians. Notice what they are paying attention to?

No, they’re not looking at billboards.

They’re looking at a phone or a tablet.

So, be where their attention is

There’s a huge opportunity for you here. That is, so long as you’re willing to publish useful information, which your prospective customers will want to consume, to combat the boredom of a dull journey. Newsletters, podcasts, videos and blog posts are perfect for this.

However, there are a couple of things to consider, before you invest your time and effort getting onto their mobile device.

Firstly, make sure you publish something that’s useful to them. If you do, they’ll share it. Your audience will grow. And your name and reputation will spread.

Secondly, make sure that whatever you publish is mobile friendly. Many small business blogs and newsletters are challenging to read on mobile devices, and that’s just not good enough. If you want to engage readers, give them a great reader experience. If you want to engage viewers or listeners, make the audio-visual experience crisp and clear.

The payback?

When you’ve earned the attention and trust of your audience, by turning up regularly with useful, interesting information, and you have a business announcement for them (a new product, offer, service, event, book etc.), they will listen. And because they know your work and trust you, the response rate can be off the charts.

The opportunity is here and it’s huge. Plus, the financial cost of reaching all those prospective customers is tiny.

The question is, what are you going to do with all this potential?

And your answer will depend on this: Knowing and doing.

How to know if you have a winning idea

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marketing decisions

If you’re in the process of making an important business decision, today’s post is just for you. At the very least, it will help you increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Okay. Let’s go!

I’d like to start by sharing something with you. It’s about certain questions, which people ask me all the time.

Here’s just a small sample.

  • If I provide (whatever) as a new service, will it be successful?
  • Will I be more successful, if I become a niche provider, rather than a generalist?
  • Is (whatever) a good name for my new business, product or service?

If you take a closer look at those questions, you’ll notice they have something in common. They’re all decisions. And by asking me the question, the questioner is asking me to decide.

Great ideas are not anointed

Here’s the problem with that approach: Great ideas are not anointed. There are many factors, which determine whether a business idea will fly or flop. Ironically, one of them is the ability of the business owner to make business decisions.

For example, when the first tablet computers were made (years before the iPad), they flopped. They flopped, not because tablet devices were a bad idea. Apple’s success proved that beyond all doubt. They flopped because of the poor decisions that were made about the design, development, marketing, pricing and quality of the first tablet devices.

Will that idea of yours succeed?

If the research stacks up.

If the numbers work.

If you’re committed to making timely decisions based on good data.

If it’s marketed professionally… you’ll possibly knock it out of the park.

But you’ll only know for certain, if you try. Yes, there’s a risk attached to trying. In fact, there’s a risk attached to every decision.

Think about it, even the decision to do nothing, is itself, a MAJOR decision. And it’s a major decision, that comes with a huge risk attached.

Really?

Yes! Every time we choose to do nothing, we close the door on a potential opportunity. That’s a risky strategy, unless we know for certain that our idea can’t succeed. And it’s hard to know for certain, if we refuse to, at the very least, give our idea a try.

10 Reasons to be massively optimistic about your business

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marketing optimism

  1. You’re never more than one idea away from a life-changing, breakthrough result.
  2. And you’re never more than one email or phone call away from your biggest order or best ever client enquiry. I was reminded of this last month, when a client informed me that he’d just landed his first ever million dollar contract. Just 10 months earlier, he was close to quitting!
  3. You can increase your fees (or prices) by 200%, as long as you increase your value to the marketplace by 200%, first. Of course, the same is true of a 300% fee increase, etc.
  4. Whatever problem you’re facing right now, has already been overcome by countless other business owners. This means the answer you need is already out there. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.
  5. Business doesn’t need to be boring. Remember, you’re in control. You can choose to do work that truly inspires you.
  6. And because you’re in control, you don’t have to work for low quality clients, either. As I said last week, you can’t build a great business with bad clients.
  7. Thanks to social networks, you can listen to your marketplace and find out exactly what they want. This means you can develop a product or service, knowing in advance that the demand will be high. No more guessing!
  8. You’re living in the golden age of business. This is the era, which past generations dreamed of. For example, YouTube gives you a free, global TV channel. WordPress gives you a free, global publishing platform and Gmail gives you free, global message distribution.
  9. Fact: When you improve your strategy, you improve your results. And you can choose to improve your strategy any time you want to.
  10. Finally, you don’t need to hunker down and “hope” things will improve. You can choose get moving on anything listed above, right now, and start enjoying the results.