Jim Connolly Marketing

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).