Jim Connolly Marketing

I made a mistake. And I’m sorry

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marketing, referrals, word of mouth recommendations

Mistakes. We all make them.

Much has been said about the need to learn from our mistakes. It’s extremely important. After all, it’s how we improve. It’s how we build better relationships and stronger businesses.

There’s something else about mistakes, which every business owner needs to understand. I’m referring to the importance of taking responsibility for our mistakes and then apologizing. The sooner the better.

Because…

  • By taking responsibility, you demonstrate leadership. As a business owner, there’s a direct link between your ability to lead and your commercial success.
  • By saying sorry, you switch the situation from confrontational to conciliatory. Instead of blaming one another, both sides can now focus exclusively on putting things right.

Learn from the mistake. Take responsibility. Say sorry. And then work on the resolution.

P.S. Read this » 10 leadership habits of highly successful business owners.

Success isn’t an accident: These habits make it happen

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Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of business owners. Some have achieved extraordinary success, and I noticed they share certain habits… things that set them apart from the average entrepreneur.

Curious to see if these habits could work for me, I implemented them. Many didn’t seem to help much. However, others had a profound and transformative impact. Today, I want to share some of these habits with you.

In no particular order.

They know when to rest. Yes, when it’s time to work, they certainly work. However, they make sure they regularly relax when it’s time for family and friends. They know that balance isn’t a luxury, it’s absolutely essential.

Small business owners in general tend to work hard and many, maybe most, also take too few vacations. It’s very hard to operate at your best, when you’re overworking. Be kind to yourself. Take some time out to sharpen the saw. Even if it’s to close an hour earlier occasionally and go for a walk. It’s hard to be productive when you don’t feel productive. Go on. Give it a try.

They learn how to be great decision makers. Great decision makers get all the information required. They study it. They then request expert advice, if needed. Next, they consider the benefits and the costs of making the decision. They then consider the benefits and costs of doing nothing. Finally, they decide.

I’ve learned that the most common error business owners make, is to ignore the costs and benefits of not making the decision. The cost of not making a decision, even a risky one, can be absolutely massive.

They out-think their competitors. Successful business owners learn to think strategically. Other’s waste years trying to copy an idea, because it’s claimed to have worked for someone else or they read it in a book or they heard it on a podcast. They have no idea of exactly how that idea was planned, or if it applies to their business, or if it’s even effective today with the economy extremely unpredictable.

Strategic planning gives you the power to decide what you want, then create your own success map, based on your specific needs. Such as your resources, personality, strengths and the economy you’re working in.

They do it their way. They write their own playbook for success as they go along. They know that by having a less prescriptive approach to business, they get noticed. This is something I picked up on at a very early stage.

When I started my current business in 1995, I intentionally did things differently. This included identifying the managers at all my local banks, accountants and office supplies companies, then inviting them to local business events. As I got to know them, I also referred them to prospects. All for free. The word spread. Without spending a dime on ads, just a few months after starting my business, I was known by hundreds of local business owners. I had more clients than I could handle.

Look for smart opportunities to zig when your competitors zag. Tip: Remember that the process of giving and receiving, starts with the giving part. So, give something useful. Be helpful. You’ll attract more bees with sugar than with vinegar.

They are selective about their inner circle. As a mentor once told me, ‘If you hang around with people who’re going nowhere, one day, everything they have will be yours’.

They master time management. Every minute counts, and they make sure their time is spent on high-impact activities.

They make connections in advance. A strong network is an asset that pays dividends when opportunities arise. As I mentioned earlier, I invested a lot of time 30-years ago

They keep their promises. Reliability builds trust, which is the foundation of great reputations and strong businesses.

They do more than expected. They know that it’s the additional, unexpected ‘extra’ that people remember.

Final Thought

I hope these insights resonate with you. More importantly, I hope they encourage you to take action.

What next?

I started, by using and implementing just one of these habits, to see where it would lead me. I then selected another, and another. You get the idea. One at a time.

The question now is, which one habit are you going to start with?

Your business needs to avoid these people

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Marketing, business avoid

There are certain people who you and your business need to avoid.

Some are easy to spot.

For example.

  • The marketing expert who has to pester people on Linkedin, because their own marketing doesn’t work.
  • The business consultant who claims to be in demand, yet offers free consultations.
  • The leadership expert who’s just like all the other leadership experts. (Think about that for a moment).
  • The social media marketing expert who needs to use paid ads or spam, to get your attention.
  • The web designer whose website is outdated and ugly.
  • The copywriter whose content is uninspiring.

Others are harder to spot.

  • The strategist whose own strategy isn’t working.
  • The accountant who understands the numbers, but can’t express what they mean to your business.
  • The business coach who has never built a successful business.
  • The success coach whose personal life and professional life is a mess.
  • The Google ads or Facebook ads expert, who knows just enough to sound convincing.

Here’s the thing: With a slick website and some testimonials (fake or otherwise), anyone can claim to be an expert in anything. So, before you hire the services of an expert, ask them to back up their claims in a way that is both meaningful and verifiable.

Personal recommendation

The best way to avoid hiring the wrong provider, is via personal recommendation. Ask your friends and trusted contacts if they have someone suitable they can endorse to you.

However, there’s a critically important additional step you need to take, before acting on a personal recommendation.

Make sure to ask the person giving you the endorsement, if they have first-hand experience of the provider.

Otherwise a friend or contact may give you the name of someone they’re aware of, but have no actual experience of that person’s ability or effectiveness.

Even if they have first-hand experience of the provider’s work and their recommendation is glowing, still do some background research. Be as sure as you can be. Only when you are fully satisfied with their credentials should you consider hiring them.

I hope this helps you avoid making a costly mistake. Equally, I hope it helps you locate, and benefit from, the best quality providers for your business.

Turning upism

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turn upism, prepared, definition

Turning upism is the philosophy of staying around long enough for something positive to turn up. It’s about buying time for a positive change or opportunity to arrive.

Though the term may be new to you, you see examples of turning upism regularly. Just consider the countless actors who achieved worldwide fame late in life, when the right casting opportunity turned up. And those politicians who only achieved high office after decades in politics, when the right opportunity to stand for office turned up.

What does this have to do with business?

Quite a bit, actually.

Turning upism and business

In business, success comes to those with the persistence to keep on doing the right things, correctly. However, as in the above examples, turning upism isn’t merely about persisting or waiting.

We also need to be prepared for when the opportunity turns up.

I wrote a while back about a friend of mine who was invited onto a popular, national radio show. She’s an amazingly gifted architect and the show is an absolutely perfect fit for her. After she told me about the invite, I was just about to congratulate her… when she said that she turned the offer down! She went on to say she just couldn’t do it because she’d be too nervous.

Prepare for your opportunity

Here are a few useful ways to prepare, for when turning upism presents you with the dream project or major client / customer that you’ve always wanted.

  • Make it a habit to be on the look out for people who you can put in place, in case you need additional team members.
  • Talk with your suppliers. Find out how quickly they can scale up if you have a sudden, vastly higher demand than usual for whatever they provide.
  • Make sure your financial details are clear and detailed, should a serious party ask about acquiring your business. This will help you get the best possible price and show them you’re a serious operator.
  • Talk with your bank manager, in anticipation of a future, major project. Make sure you have access to the cash flow required, for what can be a sudden, huge spike in your outgoings.
  • Get some media training, before you need it. Learn how to speak on camera, how to talk with clarity and how to overcome any fears about there being a huge audience.
  • And if you’re hoping to go ‘viral’, contact your web host to make sure it has the capability to handle huge volumes of traffic. I’ve seen what happens when a server can’t cope, and masses of valuable traffic is lost.

You get the idea. Prepare in advance.

Whether someone knows about turning upism or not, the longer you’re in business, delighting your customers or clients, building your reputation and your brand, the more likely it is that something wonderful will turn up. So be ready. Get the maximum from the opportunity. Because you’ve earned it.

Marketing 101: Pick a frequency

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marketing 101, pick a frequency, content marketing, frequency

Here’s a content marketing tip, to help you attract the attention of prospective customers AND motivate them to buy from you or hire you. It’s all about one word that has two extremely useful meanings. That word is Frequency.

Allow me to explain.

I was prompted to write this after 2 emails I received.

  • The first was from a long time reader. Sophie got in touch to find out why I hadn’t published quite as many newsletters recently.
  • The second email was from a former reader. Rick emailed to say he’d unsubscribed from the blog, because I publish too often.

There’s a powerful lesson here for anyone who wants to grow their business.

Frequency

Clearly, I’ll never be able to keep everyone happy with the frequency of my newsletter. For some it will be too little. For others it will be too much. If I keep Sophie happy, I lose Rick. If I keep Rick happy, I lose Sophie.

So, here’s what I do.

Rather than try and get the frequency right for everyone, I use a different kind of frequency. A frequency that works. Every. Single. Time!

More importantly, it’s the kind of frequency, which you can use to attract more clients or customers and build your business.

The other type of frequency

There’s another kind of frequency. The kind radios use. If you tune your radio into the same frequency as a radio station, you receive their signal. You’re (literally) on the same wavelength as them.

When you’re on the same wavelength as your marketplace, you’re in harmony with them. And they’re in harmony with you. Sophie and I are on the same wavelength. If you’re a long time reader, you and I are on the same wavelength, too.

In short: I only write for you and Sophie.

Now, that won’t be the right frequency for everyone. But I don’t write for everyone. And there’s a very good reason why. It turns out you can’t keep everyone happy. And the harder you try, the weaker your signal becomes. Before you know it, no one is on your wavelength.

Though I used the example of newsletters / blogging for this post, the exact same strategy works for every kind of content marketing.

Supercharge your marketing

If your marketing isn’t resonating with your marketplace, it’s entirely possible your signal is too weak. This happens when you try to be relevant to as many people as possible.

You land in the middle. In my earlier example, you’d be too infrequent for Sophie and too frequent for Rick. Lose, lose.

By landing in the middle, you become directly relevant to no one. This means your marketing message will lack the motivation it needs, to inspire your prospects to take action. Only clear, directly relevant marketing has that kind of impact.

So, pick a frequency.

Shun the masses.

Embrace the community you wish to serve. Focus only on them, their needs and their wants. Be generous. And be generous as often as you can.

Pretty soon, you will have a community of people on your wavelength.

  • People who will value what you do.
  • People who will miss you when you’re not there.
  • People who will hire you.
  • People who will recommend you.
  • People who will talk about you.

Just imagine how valuable that will be for your business.

When you enter Attract Mode, people will hire you

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Here’s a marketing tip, which is based on attracting clients. Yes, they come to you. I’ve done this since 1995 and today, I’ve given it a name. Attract Mode.

When you do work you enjoy, to the highest standard you can, and make it visible to prospective clients, you enter Attract Mode. And people will hire you.

This holds true for every type of service I can think of.

Here’s an example of what I mean.

marketing attract mode, attract mode, show your work, show your knowledge, marketing tip

Last week I spent around 6 hours, spread over a few evenings, working on the hedges that surround my house. It’s great exercise, I love doing it and the weather was perfect. After about 30 minutes, someone came over, complimented my work and asked if I would give him a quote, to tidy up his garden hedge. I thanked him and explained my situation, that I’m the homeowner, not a gardener. He said, “Okay” and went on his way.

In total, 4 people asked me the same thing in that 6 hour period. Because without even knowing it, I was in Attract Mode.

What does this have to do with you, your business and the way you market your services?

Show your work, where prospects will see it

You can enter Attract Mode and reach thousands of times more people than I did, with the service you provide.

How?

By sharing your knowledge, the way you work and your passion for what you do, where your prospective clients will see it.

How will they see it?

It works like this.

  1. You choose a digital marketing platform to create and publish with. I love newsletters and WordPress. You might prefer YouTube or podcasting, whatever. The key is to find a space where you can demonstrate your knowledge, the way you work and your passion for what you do. Along with how to get in touch with you.
  2. You then need to determine where your prospective client’s attention is. This might be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or a more industry specific social platform.
  3. Then, when you’ve published a ‘piece’ that demonstrates your knowledge, the way you work and your passion for what you do, you share it on the social platform (or platforms) used by your prospective clients.

After a while, if you get the value, focus and balance right, you’ll be able to ignore the second and third step. By then, people who have discovered your newsletter, YouTube channel, podcast, blog or whatever, will be sharing it for you. In my case, I publish marketing tips and ideas, which are shared by my newsletter subscribers and those who visit my site.

Welcome to Attract Mode

By including easy ways for people to contact you, interested prospects will reach out. You won’t need to push. Which is good. Because pushing only causes people to push back.

Instead, you’ll be in Attract Mode. People will come to you. You won’t be selling to them, they’ll be hiring you. This changes the whole dynamic of how you grow your business.

Will this work for everyone?

No.

  • Partly because some business owners won’t be able to resist turning what they publish into a series of sales pitches. No one is attracted to sales pitches. No one.
  • And partly because they’ll quit too soon. This isn’t magic. It’s marketing. Real world marketing, which your audience (prospects) will take time to discover. It also takes time for them to develop a connection with you and to identify what you do with what they need.

Attract Mode has been a cornerstone of my marketing since 1995. And it works spectacularly well, when done correctly.