What was outstanding last year, isn’t outstanding today. And what seemed like great value, now isn’t. As a result, people’s expectations are constantly rising.
This is great news for that tiny minority of small business owners, who continuously seek to raise the bar.
But not for the business owner, who thinks it’s okay to just work hard doing the same old things, the same old way.
There’s real power in thinking big. For a business owner, it looks something like this:
If you’re not feeling motivated, if you’re not making big exciting plans, if you’re not seeing meaningful progress — Start thinking BIGGER.
Small business owners often tell me that they struggle to get noticed by potential clients or customers. So, here are some ideas that can help you attract the attention you need and get people talking about your business, too.
Think about each of the ideas above. Then, consider ways you can incorporate them into your marketing (and the service you provide).
It’s great to feel optimistic about your business. That’s so long as your optimism is justified. You see, there are 2 types of optimism. One is essential. One is toxic.
I’m referring to justified optimism and unjustified optimism.
Unjustified optimism has the same effect on your mind as justified optimism. If your business is stagnating or shrinking, yet you choose to believe everything is great, it acts like a narcotic.
A narcotic?
Yes!
It takes away the pain (or urgency) you need to feel, in order to motivate yourself to fix what’s wrong. Here’s an example.
It’s like seeing black smoke bellowing from the back of your car, but choosing to ignore it and instead, telling yourself that your car is doing GREAT. The engine then gets trashed, because you didn’t take heed of the warning signs and take action when you should have.
Optimism is essential for business success. And business owners tend to be optimistic. Let’s face it, we have to be! The very act of starting a business, with no guarantee of success, requires a lot of optimism. The key here is to make sure that the optimism we feel is justified.
If things are on track for your business, your optimism is justified. It’s an indication you have exciting things to come. And that you should do more of the same. (You may also want to share your ideas with new business owners or young entrepreneurs. It’s a wonderful feeling.)
If things are off track, your business is spinning its wheels and you’re doing more of the same, yet you’re feeling optimistic, your optimism lacks justification. Don’t see that black smoke and ignore it. Instead, use it as motivation. Motivation to put better plans, strategies and tactics in place.
If you’re off track, this may help you: Here are dozens of free marketing tips and ideas – around 4,000 words worth of information-rich content.
Have you launched a new product or a new service, only to be disappointed by the interest you attracted?
If you have, then today’s post is just for you. It will explain why this often happens, along with some ideas on how to make your next launch a success.
Danny from New York emailed me with a great question. His accountancy firm launched a new profit improvement service 5 months ago. They contacted existing clients and also advertised it to the local marketplace. Very few people have expressed any interest. He wondered why.
I took a look at the marketing his firm used and was quickly able to identify a common mistake. A marketing mistake that many small business owners make.
It’s all about how ineffective (and potentially damaging) the word “new” is, when marketing something.
Sure, when you’ve just created or launched something new, you’re excited. You may even have a lot riding on the success of the new product or service. However, that newness is only exciting to you.
As far as the marketplace is concerned, something that’s new isn’t necessarily that interesting. In fact, newness can carry huge drawbacks, which will turn people away.
For example.
There’s nothing wrong with introducing something new. Far from it. Just don’t assume that because something is new, your marketplace will be interested in it or attracted to it.
Instead, you need to combine the fact it’s new, with additional benefits.
Benefits that your marketplace will find attractive. Benefits that reassure them. Benefits that are compelling. Benefits that are motivating. Benefits that will inspire them to want to know more, to hire you or buy from you.
Here are some proven examples you can use.
Our new (whatever) service provides you with:
Newness by itself has limited marketing power. You need to combine it with compelling, client-focused benefits. This will make it massively more attractive.
And always be mindful when launching a new service, that it will be perceived as somewhat risky. So, give people the reassurance they need. Provide guarantees. And if a risk-reversal is possible, use it. If you’re not sure what risk-reversal is, I use it here. It’s extremely powerful, because it makes hiring you a zero risk.
Keep these ideas and suggestions in mind, for your next (or current) launch. Because “new”, by itself, isn’t that attractive.
Today’s a very special day for you and your business. I’ll explain why (with 100% certainty) in today’s post.
Okay. Let’s go!
There’s no question about it, the marketplace needs providers from your industry.
As a business owner, the question is, why do they need you specifically? After all, your prospective clients can find dozens of alternative providers, on Google, in seconds.
Here’s the thing: The most successful business owners set themselves apart from the rest. They focus on being directly relevant (and thus highly compelling) to a profitable section of the marketplace. They may be the fastest provider, the cheapest, the most expensive, the most fashionable… whatever. The key here is that they’re not like the average provider.
They pick a profitable slice of the marketplace. Then they focus like a laser on being directly relevant to that niche.
So, they’re forced to compete for business against all the other, average providers. And that’s a really tough way to try and build a business. Here are just a few reasons why.
In short, you have to do all the soul-destroying things the average business owner does.
Yes, there are average providers in every industry. But I know for certain that you don’t want to be one of them. (I’ll explain why I know for certain in a moment).
You can choose to be meaningfully different from the average provider. You can make building your business so much easier and massively more rewarding. You can move your business away from the over-crowded average section of your marketplace. You can work with better clients, earn better fees and build a spectacularly better business.
Here’s the challenge.
And the average business owner will do exactly that. They will work too many hours. They will earn too little. They will decide to settle for less than they’re capable of.
But that’s not for you. I know for an absolute fact that you’re not average and that you want more from your business.
How do I know this about you, with 100% certainty? I know because you’re right here, right now, reading this!
You’re looking for ideas, guidance, clarity or answers. Maybe all of those things. That means you’re ready. It means the desire is there.
Don’t waste it!
Why?
Because this could be the defining day for you, which every successful business owner has. It’s the day where they decide to be the best they can be. To explore their potential. To finally find out what they’re truly capable of. It’s the day they choose the right path. The day they take action to build a business that excites and rewards them on every level.
I know that’s where you are right now. You’re ready. But more importantly, I hope you don’t waste this moment. Decide now to make this your day.