Marketing tips Marketing help

Australian business owners topped my list

November 12, 2018 by Jim Connolly

Photo: Shutterstock.

As regular readers will know, I have long been an advocate for adopting a global approach to business. It’s not something that works for every industry, but where it’s possible, it’s exceptionally effective. That’s because it affords you greater protection against economic conditions, whilst also providing you with a wider spread of business.

I was mindful of this earlier today. I discovered what I’d already guessed: That the biggest market for my paid services in 2018 has been Australian business owners. If you’re interested, here’s the top 5.

Australia.
UK.
Canada.
Ireland
New Zealand.

The United States has topped my list, every year for almost 20 years. But things change in business. And the rate of change has never been greater. Which is why as business owners, we need to adopt an agile mindset. Because what looks certain today can change in a heartbeat.

Getting noticed

November 9, 2018 by Jim Connolly

Photo: Shutterstock.

Our clients or customers have something in common. Something that we need to be aware of, if we want to market our business successfully.

It’s simply this. They notice things. For example, they notice:

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

And it works both ways, because they also notice:

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

Here’s the thing…

Not every client complains when they’re receiving a poor service. However, they’re highly likely to take their custom to a competitor.

Not every client says “thanks” when we’re delivering an outstanding service. However, they’re highly likely to remain our client and to recommend us to everyone.

The bottom line: People notice what you do. So do something worth noticing. And do it every day.

Stop using buzzwords in your marketing. Really. Stop it

November 8, 2018 by Jim Connolly

Photo: Shutterstock.

One thing in business is certain. There’s no shortage of buzzwords and phrases. Here are just a few that I’ve seen in use recently.

Intersection.
Deep-dive.
Disrupt.
Ruckus.
Knowledge transfer.
Ideate.
Pragmatic.
Wheelhouse. (As used in “that’s in my wheelhouse”)
Paradigm.
And all those compound words, ending with ‘hack’ or ‘hacking’

Those buzzwords and countless others, are used by people in an effort to appear informed or fashionable. Interestingly, buzzwords have the total opposite effect.

Here’s how they work against us (and our marketing).

Buzzwords make informed people cringe. Not only is this embarrassing, it’s a terrible idea if we want our peers to take us seriously or recommend us.
Buzzwords confuse the uninformed. And that’s the last thing we need, when we want people to understand our message.

In short, buzzwords not only add nothing positive to our marketing, they actively weaken it. And because they’re 100% unnecessary, we can remove them with no negative impact.

Remember: One of the keys to effective marketing is to always aim for clarity.

Why?

Because clarity sells.

Sorry to disturb you

November 7, 2018 by Jim Connolly

Photo: Shutterstock.

I received a marketing email this morning, which started with the following 4 words: “Sorry to disturb you”.

There’s a lot of subtext in those 4 words.

The sender knew what they were doing was wrong, which is why they opened with an apology.
Clearly, they also knew that their email was a disturbance. I’ve never heard of them.
Knowing this, they still decided to send it anyway.

Like everyone else who received that email, I stopped reading after the opening sentence. They may have had a great message, an outstanding offer or a wonderful opportunity to share. But their email let them down, so no one will know.

Oblivious to this, the sender will be wondering why they received no positive response. Especially if they genuinely have something valuable to share.

If we consider this to be merely an example of ineffective email marketing, we totally miss the point!

I believe it provides us with a powerful microcosm of ALL ineffective marketing.

Does your marketing pass the coffee shop test?

November 5, 2018 by Jim Connolly

Photo: Shutterstock.

Is logic ruining your marketing results?

Yes. Probably.

And here’s why.

Your prospective customers make purchasing decisions based on feelings. Not on logic. Understanding this principle is essential if you’re serious about growing your business.

Here’s a very quick example of what I mean.

People don’t visit coffee shops for the coffee.
They already have coffee at home.
They pay between 300% and 500% more for coffee at the coffee shop, because of how the experience makes them feel.

Logically, they’d save a ton of money by drinking their coffee at home, sitting in their favourite, comfortable chair. But people, including your prospective customers, don’t make purchasing decisions based on logic. They make them based on feelings. (I explain how emotions drive decisions, here).

If your marketing message is based around a list of benefits, that’s way too logical. And it’s losing you a ton of money. Your service or product may be less expensive, more premium, faster or whatever. But are you explaining how it will make your prospective customers feel?

In short: Logic tells. Feeling sells.

I’m busy and I’ve never heard of you!

November 1, 2018 by Jim Connolly

Photo: Shutterstock.

The most successful marketing is built on strong foundations. This brief post will help you get it right.

Before you market anything to anyone, there are 3 important questions your prospective customers need you to answer.

I’m really busy. And I get pestered with sales messages all day. Why should I give you my attention?
Everyone promises an outstanding service. Most fail to deliver on that promise. What meaningful reasons are there for me to risk buying from you (or risk switching to you from my current provider)?
I’ve never heard of you. I’ve never done business with you. Why on earth should I trust you? (I answer this here, in yesterday’s post).

The best marketers answer those questions fully, before they sell anything to anyone. And I strongly recommend you do the same, my friend. Because if you do, you’ll capture attention, create a compelling message and build the trust required for your marketing to succeed.