Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

How to turn Free Offers into paying customers

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make free offers work, marketing free offers, freebies
Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash

Yes, free offers can massively increase your sales. But you need to use them correctly in order to get the best possible results.

Let’s go.

There’s a famous saying that tells us, when it comes to business, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”. We’ve been trained to believe that a freebie is seldom really free.

Why should this matter to you?

Allow me to explain.

Is it a free offer or just a mutual exchange?

I remember visiting a new cafe in my local town. They had signs everywhere offering free WiFi. The guy next to me called one of the staff over. He explained that he wasn’t able to access their free WiFi. He was told that in order to access it, he would need to set up a free account, giving his name, his email address and his postal address. The customer replied, “No way! I thought you said it was free? I already get more than enough spam”.

An awkward conversation followed, with the owner trying to defend their position and the customer saying the free WiFi offer was deliberately misleading. And of course, all this happened in front of the other customers. That negative exchange will have totally changed the customer’s experience.

The impact of a fake free offer will vary from person to person and from situation to situation. But it will be there. And you need to be aware of it, if you refer to mutual exchanges as free offers.

Full disclosure is a must

There is a way to largely mitigate the negative impact of the kind of free offer used by that cafe. It’s all about providing full disclosure. If you want people to take some kind of action in return for the offer, make it clear. If you ask for contact details, let people know why, right there, in the same space where you make the free offer.

People respond a lot better, when you’re being open and honest with them. For example, if you ask for their details, tell them what you intend to do with that information. If you don’t plan to sell their information, or send them ads from 3rd parties, tell them. Tell them that you respect their privacy.

Note: This also applies to online lead generation (or lead gen), where people are asked for their personal details in return for some kind of freebie. And remember that there are regulations governing the way you request, capture and store data, etc. These vary from country to country.

A genuinely free offer

If you make a genuinely free offer, (like the example below) with no strings attached, nothing concealed, it creates a much better impression than the previous examples. It also sets you apart from the masses. People will look for the usual disclaimer, but it won’t be there, because there isn’t anything for you to disclaim. They’ll quickly see that you’re being totally honest with them.

It will instantly improve how they feel about you, your business and the services you provide. It will help you earn their trust. And it will directly, dramatically improve the story they tell their friends.

The deli counter: A great free offer template

If you want a template for the best kind of commercial free offer, look no further than the free samples on a deli counter. It’s simple. And as long as the food is delicious, it’s highly effective. The prospective customer tastes the food ahead of buying it. If they like it enough, they’ll buy it.

Another reason why I chose the deli counter example, is that the profit margins on food are typically hundreds of percent. So the free offer costs the business very, very little. The prospect, however, attaches value based on the retail price.

Your free offers should strive for the same type of balance: A low cost for you to provide it, but a higher perceived value to the prospect.

In short, I recommend you take a structured approach to your use of free offers. Do the research first, based on what your goals are for the offer. Remember that full disclosure is extremely important on many levels. And whenever possible, use that deli counter example as a template.

An important lesson from the last 7 days

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marketing tip, biz dev

Today, I’d like to share a profoundly important marketing and business development idea with you, which is often ignored.

What makes it “profoundly important”? It’s literally (not figuratively) essential if you want to build a successful business and a very bright financial future! That’s why I am also going to show you how to get started.

I need to begin by asking you a question. How many of the marketing or business development tasks you worked on last week, were due last week?

Your answer to that question is important. It’s a great snapshot of how long-term or short-term your current horizon is.

The next 6 months, 12 months and 36+ months

It’s natural to focus on making your next sale or getting your next customer enquiry. It’s really important, too. However, it’s profoundly important to come up for air and look to your future. To work on the foundations of your marketing and business development, which will determine your success over the next 6 months, 12 months and 36+ months.

This might include answering key questions like.

  • How can you greatly increase the number of sales you make, in the next 6 months, 12 months and 36 months or more?
  • And how can you increase the profitability of those sales?
  • What could you be doing in order to significantly improve your customer retention rate and the number of customer referrals you receive?
  • What valuable, new product or service could you be working on, for your current and future customers?
  • Who are the useful people you need to introduce yourself to now, so you’ll have an existing relationship with them in your medium and longer term? There is a direct link between how well connected you are, and how successful your business will be. There’s more information on this here, (in the 3rd marketing tip).

Today’s important tasks absolutely need to be worked on. But the only way to build a spectacularly bright future, is to work today with our future in mind. We need to regularly make time to think, plan and work on our longer-term success.

This means resisting the temptation of being so wrapped up in today’s business challenges, that we have too few foundations in place, for the future success we are capable of achieving.

Plant a seed today

Make time today, even if it’s just 15 or 20 minutes, to advance a business idea you have. In doing this, you’ll be planting a seed for the future success of your business. Then tomorrow, plant, water or feed  another seed. And again the day after.

When harvest time comes, you’ll be very glad you did.

Photo by Stas Knop on Pexels.com

Your customer and your business, are one

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customer focus, focused on customer, us and us

What I am about to share with you is gold dust. And if you take a moment to read it, it can radically improve the success of your business.

It starts with this very simple idea.

You cannot develop greater value for your customer or deliver higher levels of service to your customer, without benefiting from it equally. That’s because your customer, and your business, are one.

Now I’ll explain why.

There’s only us and us

In business, when it comes to the vendor and the customer, there’s no us and them. There’s only us and us. You already know that customers are an essential part of your business. Logically, when you make things better for them, you make them better for your business, too. Your customer, and your business, are one.

A common objection I get when explaining this to business owners, is a version of the following.

But Jim, if I go to that extra effort and expense for my customers, it will cost me in time and money. The customer will benefit, but I’ll lose out.

Here’s where the confusion occurs.

Business owners will look at their current numbers, subtract any extra time or financial investment, and it doesn’t add up. What they’re missing is that their current numbers are a fraction as high, and a fraction as profitable, as they would be with the improved model.

Invest in delighting your customers

How do you switch to the improved model? You do it by developing your business, so that it’s transparently designed to be of massive value to your customers and prospects. I provide lots of useful information in that link, which you’ll find useful.

Here’s what we see from those rare business owners, already embracing this customer-focused attitude.

  • They attract the best customers.
  • They thrive in every economy.
  • They retain existing customers for massively longer.
  • They generate a buzz around their products or services, simply by doing what they do.
  • They never need to sell based on price.
  • They enjoy a hugely valuable profile in their marketplace.
  • They attract high-value opportunities, from brands who want to collaborate with them.
  • They are far more productive.
  • They attract endless word-of-mouth referrals.
  • They truly enjoy every working day, because all of the above things are happening.

All that, and more, can be yours, when you fully embrace the idea that your customer, and your business, are one. You’re then free to grow a high-profit business, doing your best work, for the best customers.

Do this correctly and you’ll be amazed at how quickly, and how dramatically, things improve for you.

Give yourself a huge competitive advantage… that’s rarely mentioned

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Empathy business, marketing, relationships

Empathy is rarely discussed when people talk about building a successful business. However, empathy is one of the most important components of effective marketing.

Think about it.

  • The vendors you feel closest to are those who understand you.
  • The vendors you value the most are those who appreciate you.
  • The vendors you’re most loyal to are those who take the best care of you.
  • And the vendors you tell your friends about are those who eagerly go the extra mile for you.

Why does this happen?

It happens because business is all about people.

More specifically, it’s about how people feel. That’s because our feelings are what drive the decisions we make, and our decisions are what lead to the actions we take. Feelings are what cause people to hire you, buy from you, trust you, recommend you and remain a loyal client or customer.

You truly care. So don’t keep it a secret

Yes, you care about your clients. And they know it.

But what about your prospective clients? Does your marketing reflect the fact that you’re passionately committed to helping them? If you’re not sure, try this.

Take a look at your most recent marketing or the content on your website, through their eyes. Does it leave the prospect in no doubt that you care about the people your business serves? If not, get to work on it.

A lot is said about the importance of out-smarting our competitors, yet little is ever said about out-caring them. Ironically, one of the smartest things we can do, is to make darn sure that our prospects know how much we care.

Why?

Because very few of your competitors, even those who care a great deal, will make it a core part of their marketing. They just take it for granted that prospects will know.

So, give your business a huge competitive advantage. Make it clear that you genuinely care about the people you serve. It will massively improve the way prospects feel about you. And those feelings are what drive their decisions and their actions.

Why didn’t I get the contract?

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Why not me?

Thousands of business owners find themselves asking that question every day. They’ve lost out on a big sale, an important contract or massive project and they want to know why. Why didn’t they land it? Why was a competitor chosen instead?

There are a multitude of reasons why they didn’t get chosen.

  • Their proposal was very professional. But someone else’s proposal gave 3 recent, checkable examples of exceptionally high quality work.
  • Their presentation was really good. But the CEO’s best friend personally recommended another provider.
  • Their meeting with the prospective client went well. But their marketing caused the prospect to assume the fee would be lower, so the prospect hired someone cheaper.

It’s natural for our initial reaction, when we miss out on something, to be externally focused. We tend to look for reasons why another person wasn’t smart enough to see how good we are and hire us or buy from us. That’s certainly how I used to think.

But not any more.

Get picked or chosen

Experience has taught me, that it’s a great deal more profitable to look for ways to improve. To focus on how we can do better the next time and massively increase our odds of success. 

We start by replaying every situation where another provider was picked. We then unpack it and look for all possible opportunities to improve.

For example.

  • Could your opening be stronger?
  • Do you check for clarity (often enough) before moving on?
  • Does your proposal, presentation, or sales pitch have maximum impact?
  • And is it memorable?
  • Are there enough trust building assets included — enough reasons for a prospect to trust you?
  • Are you leveraging your contacts?
  • Do your testimonials inspire confidence and desire?
  • Could you improve with expert training?
  • Is your content, proposal, follow-up, etc., professionally written or DIY?

Those are a few of the most obvious places to start looking for ways to improve.

Be an engaged observer

And finally, decide to become an engaged observer. Pay attention to the most effective individuals you encounter, including those who sell their products or services to you or your business. Look for things they do that you can test in your own presentations. Also, look for things they avoid that you can test removing from your presentations. Oh, and when you’re is a situation where someone else is being ‘pitched’ to, observe what you can. 

It’s highly probable that you’re just one or two adjustments away from a significant improvement in your conversion rate. So give it a try.

Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

Build a better contact network, starting now

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building business contacts, better contacts

They say it’s not what you know, but who you know that counts. That’s because knowing the right people is essential for business success. It’s also why you’ll never meet a successful person who hasn’t built an extremely valuable contact network. Today, I want to help you build an equally valuable network of your own. 

It starts with a question: How many business contacts do you have?

You can easily get an approximate figure by adding together your LinkedIn contacts, your social network followers/friends and the contacts in your address book, etc. For some reading this, the number will be in the hundreds. For many it will be in the thousands or tens of thousands. And for others it will be a hundred thousand or more.

Here’s a far more meaningful question: How many business relationships do you have?

Business relationships are harder to count. These are the people you connect with on a deeper level. Not just numbers on the social networks you use. Not just names in your address book, who you have no real history with. 
 

Vanity metrics 

Building more and more contacts can be intoxicating. These contact numbers are often referred to as vanity metricks, because most of the numbers are visible to others, such as our social network contacts, and how many followers or online friends we have.

It’s a way for normal people (like me) to finally be like one of the popular kids at school. Even though we know hardly any of these people, we have the BIG contacts number. Go us!
 

Business relationship building

The number of meaningful business relationships we have is a lot less public than our vanity numbers, but a lot more meaningful and massively more valuable. With this in mind, how much time do you dedicate each day or each week, to building and nurturing business relationships? 

Here’s a tip to help you get started.

I want you to imagine you already had meaningful relationships, with 6 people who are useful and/or influential. Now write those 6 names down. Next, take time over the coming week to learn a little about them and how to get in contact with them. Finally, get in touch with each one, introducing yourself and letting them know how YOU can assist THEM.

[Important] Read this: Bring your seed, not your need.

The number of positive replies you receive will depend on lots of factors. This includes things like, how useful your assistance is to the other person, how effective your initial introduction is, how interesting you make yourself sound, and even how good your timing is, etc.

But if you stick with it, always seeking to improve your approach, you will find yourself building extremely useful, mutually beneficial business relationships, with amazing people.

Plus, they’ll get to see just how awesome you are, and introduce you to their contacts. 

You don’t need more awareness. This is what you need

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tanning photography of flying eagle owl

When a business owner is failing to get the sales they need, increased awareness is almost never the issue.

Think about it.

If all they needed was increased awareness, they could just advertise their product or service correctly. Depending on their advertising budget, they could reach thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of prospects. And fast.

It’s far, far more likely they have a different problem.

Most commonly, it’s one or both of the following.

  1. It could be that too few people who are aware of (whatever they sell), are motivated enough to buy it. In this case, the business owner needs to figure out how to inspire prospective clients or customers to take action.
  2. It could also be that too few people who do buy it, are impressed enough to tell their friends or become a repeat customer. In this case, the business owner needs to improve their product or service. They need to make it highly referable. Something worth talking about.

Now what?

The first challenge is to identify and accept the actual problem. Acceptance is by far the hardest part. In my experience, once the problem has been accepted by the business owner, they’re 90% of the way to resolving the whole issue. 

The second challenge is correcting the problem. And that’s massively easier. There are lots of proven ways to quickly and inexpensively put things right.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

How to know what your prospects REALLY want from you

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feedback

Here’s what we’re told. The key to business success is to give the marketplace what it wants. That sounds easy enough.

  1. We ask them what they want.
  2. We provide them with what they want, and we do this to the best of our ability.

The trickiest part there is step one. That’s because history assures us that people tend not to tell us what they actually want. 

  • Some will tell us what they think we want to hear.
  • Some will tell us what they think makes them look smart.
  • Some will tell us what they think makes them look considerate. 
  • And others will tell us what they think makes them look edgy, unique or creative.

If we really want to know what people think, we need to study what they do. Their actions speak louder and with greater accuracy than their words. That’s worth taking into account, the next time you’re tempted to survey people.

Here’s an alternative approach. 

Try this instead

Social media provides you with a wonderful way to see where the attention of your marketplace truly is. You can see what they’re excited about, what they’re worried about, what they’re investing in and what their challenges are, etc.

This can give you valuable feedback, equipping you to make better decisions and spot new opportunities.

Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

How to lower the risk & make more sales

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risk reversal, risk reduction, marketing, risky

One of the most effective ways to increase sales, is to lower or remove the perceived risk attached to buying from us or hiring us. It’s easy to see why. Let’s face it, we’ve all paid for a faulty product or poor quality service at some time. So today, I’ll share some ideas with you on how to make more sales, using risk reduction and risk reversal tactics.

Let’s go.

Risk reduction

A proven way to reduce the risk, is to offer a free sample of your product or a free trial of your service. Combine that with relevant, recent testimonials from delighted customers to further reduce the perceived risk. And if you have been trading for a long time, include that prominently in your marketing to reduce the perceived risk even more. If you have any relevant awards include them, too.

A word of caution. There are lots of risk reduction tactics out there, which actually increase the perceived risk. I’m referring to free samples or free trial periods that come with caveats. The prospect sees all the strings attached, rolls their eyes and moves on.

Risk reversal

Risk reversal is when you take all the risk, and not your prospective customer. Hiring you or buying from you is now risk free. The prospect has literally nothing to lose. And as you’d imagine, it’s a spectacularly effective marketing tactic.

However, risk reversal is only suitable for certain types of product, and certain types of service. The following example may help you decide if it will work for you and your business.

This is a very personal example, because I offer risk reversal myself for this service. It’s simple. The service is based on a 2-hour meeting with me. At the end, I ask if they received great value. If they say no, I give them their money back. It works, because I only accept clients who I know for certain I can provide outstanding value to. That’s why I’ve never had a refund request.

In short, risk reduction and risk removal are powerful marketing tactics. They help to lower or eliminate a major barrier between you and the prospect, making it massively easier to buy from you or hire you.

Photo by Anna Nekrashevich on Pexels.com

Increase your prices. Boost your sales!

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increase your prices, fee increase

Your pricing is a critically important part of your marketing. And today, I’m going to recommend some of you consider increasing your prices or fees.

Here’s why a price increase could be just what you need.

Why so low?

When your marketing positions your product or service as high-quality, your prospects expect your price to be within that high-quality price range. They expect value for money, and when your price is too low, they begin to question the actual value — why so low? Today, this pricing error will see small businesses everywhere missing out on sales or new clients.

It’s a serious error that often creates a negative spiral. It looks like this. Their lack of sales causes them to further lower their prices, which makes things worse. So they try another price drop in an attempt to get ‘some’ money in. That’s unsustainable.

If you suspect you could be undercharging, here’s a suggestion. Take a balanced look at the value you bring to the marketplace. Clearly state that value in your marketing. Then set a price that reassures prospects, while also representing outstanding value for money. And finally, measure the results.

In case it doesn’t go without saying, this advice is general. It’s not intended for everyone. In my experience, small businesses are more likely to be undercharging than overcharging. Though obviously not all of them. Some small business owners reading this will already have perfect pricing. Others will be pricing too high.

However, if you have reason to believe you could be undercharging, you should absolutely consider an increase.

Photo by Teuku Fadhil

Why you need a story. From the original Mad Man

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marketing, business, brand, story, ogilvy

Someone asked me why her business needed a story. She thought it was, “a load of trendy nonsense”.

When I answered her question, she emailed me back to say it had changed her perception completely. She said it would improve her approach to marketing forever.

So today, I decided to share my answer with you. I hope you find it just as useful.

Why your business needs a story

My answer begins with a quote from advertising legend, David Ogilvy. Ogilvy was the inspiration behind the hit TV show, Mad Men.

Here’s what he had to say.

“There isn’t any significant difference between the various brands of whiskey, or cigarettes or beer. They are all about the same”. “[…] The manufacturer who dedicates his advertising to building the most sharply defined personality for his brand will get the largest share of the market at the highest profit”.

That message isn’t new. It was written decades ago, as you can tell from the examples he uses. But it’s even more valid in 2024, than when Ogilvy shared it.

Think about it. Apple’s iPhone is the best selling mobile phone in the world, despite being one of the most expensive. It doesn’t have the best display, the best camera, the best signal reception or the best battery life.

But it does have the best story.

brand story, feelings, emotions decisions

Emotions drive decisions

Your prospective clients or customers are motivated by emotions, far more than logic. The way they feel about you and your brand, is what will drive their decision to hire you, buy from you and recommend you. And it’s your story, which determines how they feel about you. (I explain why in this post, Does your business pass the coffee shop test?, which you might find useful).

Build a story, my friend. A story that people will embrace and share.

Is it easy? No. It takes a little creativity.

Is it possible? Yes. Very possible.

Is it worth the effort? Absolutely.

This creative marketing idea costs nothing and is super effective

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creative marketing, low budget marketing, free marketing ideas

It’s a simple marketing idea. It costs you nothing. And I’ve seen it work extremely well. Moreover, it works for a diverse array of retailers and service providers.

Creative marketing in action

I had a creative marketing idea around 6-months ago. I wondered what might happen, if my friend added a word of the day to the specials menu board that’s behind the counter of her coffee shop. A word that’s interesting, funny or quirky.

I gave her the first word to get her started. It’s a word I have a close attachment to: Balter. To dance clumsily, with enthusiasm.

Anyhow, a month or so later she called me with an update.

  • Her customers started talking about the word of the day almost immediately.
  • Soon, she and her team noticed customers who previously only spoke to them when placing their order, started speaking with them about that day’s word. That’s better customer engagement.
  • Then, some of their customers started taking photos of the word of the day (which is intentionally written on their specials menu board) and sharing it with their friends via social media

So, that’s free organic publicity for their specials menu, which now gets spread locally across social media, resulting in new customers, many of whom do the same. Social media is working for the coffee shop, without investing time or money on social media

Pretty good, eh!

I have now shared this idea with other business owners, who gave it a try. Again, the results have been similar, but only for retailers who have premises or service providers who have clients or prospects visit their premises.

Will it work for you? There’s only one way to know for certain. Give it a try.

Photo by Masud Allahverdizade on Pexels.com

Better clients, bigger fees and NO competitors

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less competition, higher fees, better clients

Are you struggling to get noticed by great prospective customers? Are you attracting too many price-sensitive enquiries? If so, you’re not alone. This easy to fix issue is one of the most common in marketing.

Easy to fix?

Yes. We know exactly why it happens and how to fix it.

Here’s what you need to know, along with 10 examples to get you started.

Here’s why the problem happens

When competing products or services seem similar, price becomes the obvious way to determine value. As such, there’s little, if any, motivation for someone to pay more. In this common scenario, the lowest price looks like the best deal.

Sure, they “may” go for the 2nd or 3rd lowest price, hoping to insulate themselves from scammers or low quality goods or services. The key thing is that at this point, they’re price shopping. And you’re now competing on price.

Here’s how to fix it — including examples

A proven way to totally overcome this problem, is through developing something I call meaningful value.

Meaningful value is when you take what the marketplace expects from someone in your industry, and then improve upon it in a radical, meaningful way.

By default, any product or service with meaningful value has to be radically different from what’s expected. That’s what gives it meaning and elevates it from being average. This automatically places you in a unique position.

A position, where everyone is talking about you.

A position where a growing number of people know your name or the name of your business.

A position, where you’re no longer competing on price, because your offering has no comparative competition!

What might this look like?

  1. A service that comes with a 125% money-back guarantee.
  2. A product that’s provably safer than anything in its category.
  3. A product that’s 50% lighter than the industry leader.
  4. A service that’s designed from the ground up, around the unique needs of each client.
  5. A product that’s the only one in its class, to be made from 100% renewable sources.
  6. A product that’s part of a numbered, limited edition.
  7. A service that’s 3 times faster than the industry leader.
  8. A product that’s far longer lasting than anything in its niche.
  9. A service that’s massively more extensive than anything else available to your marketplace.
  10. A product that’s clearly the most energy efficient in its class.

Those ideas are just food for thought. They’re simply examples to demonstrate the ‘base line’ required, for your products or services to stand out as being of meaningfully more value, than your marketplace expects.

Be sure to invest the time and effort required, to create something special. Marginal improvements have marginal impact. They won’t elevate your offering to the point where you have no comparative competition.

Go on. Let your creativity run wild. And aim for maximum impact.

Photo by Robert Katzki on Unsplash

A wonderful opportunity or a nasty problem?

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be prepared for success, wonderful business

Things can improve exceptionally fast when you own a small business. Often so fast that they catch the business owner unawares. And a wonderful opportunity is replaced with a nasty problem.

I don’t want that to happen to you.

So here are some common things you should consider preparing for.

  • 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.
  • Contact your suppliers. Find out how quickly they can scale up if you have a sudden, vastly higher demand than usual.
  • Keep your financial information up-to-date, clear and detailed. You’ll then be in the best position possible, if a serious party asks about acquiring your business. Keeping detailed information makes everything transparent. This encourages trust and can help you get the best price.
  • 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 sales and enquiries are lost. [I use these and they’ve been extremely reliable for years].
  • And 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.

You get the idea. Be ready in advance.

All wonderful. No problem

The longer you’re in business, delighting your customers or clients and building your reputation, the more likely it is that something wonderful will happen.

So be ready. Get the maximum from the opportunity.

Because you’ve earned it!

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

The biggest lie in marketing isn’t what you think it is

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biggest lie marketing

The biggest lie in marketing is almost certainly not what you’re expecting.

Here it is.

If you ask the average small business owner about marketing, they will tell you the following: “I don’t have enough time for marketing”.

That’s an unintentional lie. 

They have the time. And they’re marketing their business all day, every day.

And here are over 30 examples to prove it

In no particular order.

  1. The level of enthusiasm you demonstrate, when speaking about your business.
  2. The way you and your team dress.
  3. The way you speak — from the words you use to the warmth of your welcome.
  4. The flexibility you show when a client or customer has a unique challenge.
  5. The range of services you provide, especially in relation to how similar they are to what your competitors offer.
  6. The eagerness you demonstrate for helping your clients or customers.
  7. The cleanliness and age of your company vehicles.
  8. The experience you give your clients or customers, which they share with their friends.
  9. The way you handle phone calls.
  10. The causes that you or your business publicly support.
  11. The prices or fees you charge.
  12. The reliability your business provides.
  13. The confidence you inspire in people when you connect with them.
  14. The type of offers you use to attract new clients.
  15. The way you respond to email enquiries, both in the speed and tone of your response.
  16. The content you use on your website.
  17. The places you choose to advertise.
  18. The type of advertising messages you use.
  19. The groups your business belongs to.
  20. The energy you have for your business.
  21. The way you connect with people on social networks.
  22. The time it takes you to make a decision.
  23. The quality of the photos and other graphics you use.
  24. The type of clients or customers you choose to work with.
  25. The type of clients or customers you choose not to work with.
  26. The leadership you demonstrate.
  27. The guarantees you offer.
  28. The consistency of the products or services you provide.
  29. The professionalism of your marketing copy.
  30. The working atmosphere you provide.
  31. The way you communicate with your clients or customers.
  32. The way you handle problems, both internally and external (client) problems.
  33. The regularity with which you achieve deadlines.

It’s all marketing

Everything your business does is marketing.

That’s to say, it’s giving people a story about your business. It’s setting their expectations. It’s building confidence in your services or creating doubt. It’s telling the world what your priorities are.

In short, if you run a business, you are already engaged in marketing. And you’re doing it all day, every day.

So, the question is never if you market your business or not. The question my friend, is whether you’re doing it effectively or not.

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Don’t rush the process

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time lapse photography of brown concrete building

One of the best pieces of business advice I ever received, is just 4 words long. And today I’m going to share it with you, so you can apply it to your marketing. It’s simply this: Don’t rush the process.

I know. Without a little context, it doesn’t sound particularly useful. But over the years it’s helped my clients achieve amazing results.

Don’t rush the process (with context)

Business owners tend to be a pretty motivated bunch. We have to be, right? Not only are we motivated, we also believe in the value of our product or service. When you combine motivation with belief, you create a potent mix. An essential, high energy blend that keeps us moving forward and inspires us to persist even when things are tough.

And that’s great!

However.

Sometimes that mix of belief and motivation can work against us.

Really?

Yes, really.

For example, we speak with a prospect and immediately see that our product or service is the perfect match for them. We know we can provide exactly what they need. So we’re eager to help them make the right decision.

Here’s the thing.

There’s a thin line between encouraging someone to make the right decision, and rushing someone to decide.

When that line is crossed, it seriously damages how the prospect feels about us. It quickly lowers their confidence, creates uncertainty and makes them feel extremely apprehensive.

How to avoid this, before it happens!

Based on almost 30 years of experience and observations, I’ve found that this is most likely to be a problem during the follow-up process.

You need to be very mindful regarding how soon and how often you follow-up with an email or call. That’s because there isn’t a universally ideal time or frequency. Different industries and different cultures have different expectations. So, you’ll need to test and measure. Take into account things like the size of the decision your prospect is making financially, plus the number of people involved with the decision-making process, the size of the overall risk, etc.

Don’t rush the other processes

Obviously, the ‘don’t rush the process‘ advice has much wider utility than the example I’ve mentioned here.

Important note: Don’t confuse rushing the process with being appropriately proactive. There are times when we need to be swift. To move quickly. Most opportunities in life and business come with a use-by date. If we take too long, we’re often too late.

The advice is don’t rush the process.

Fast is fine.

Too fast is rushing.

I hope you find this idea useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with it.

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How to access proven marketing ideas

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people walking inside building

Today, I’m going to show you how to access an endless supply of powerful marketing ideas. And that’s not all. You will have already, personally seen them working, before you even use them! It’s a process I call engaged observation and it can massively improve your sales results.

Here’s a very quick example of how engaged observation works. It can be applied to every type of marketing. However, here I’ll show how you could apply it to improve your social media marketing results.

Engaged observation example

The next time you’re scrolling through LinkedIn, Facebook, X, etc., and notice that you’ve stopped to read one of the posts, as an engaged observer you would look for what it was that motivated you to stop and take notice of that post.

  • Perhaps it was the kind of image used.
  • It might have been the audio.
  • Maybe it was the relationship you have with the person or brand posting it.
  • It could have been the headline.
  • Or the topic of the post.
  • And it may have been something totally different.

Whatever it was, you personally witnessed its effectiveness when you were motivated to stop and give it your attention. You know for absolute certain that it works.

Once you’ve identified what attracted you, for instance the kind of image used, you have a starting point. You now have an opportunity to improve your marketing, based on what you experienced. In this example, you can try using a similar kind of image. Then, test and measure the results.

Engaged observation can be used on anything, where you have been motivated to take action. For example, ask yourself:

  • What motivated you to fill in the enquiry form on a website?
  • What motivated you to spend more than you had budgeted on a new product?
  • What motivated you to try a new brand of shampoo?
  • What motivated you to add more items to an online shopping cart?
  • What motivated you to believe the product reviews on a certain website?
  • What motivated you to listen to a whole advertisement, rather then press skip?
  • What motivated you to hire your last adviser, coach, trainer or consultant?
  • What motivated you to try a different restaurant?
  • What motivated you to click on a call to action link/button?
  • What motivated you to tell your friends about a service provider or brand?
  • What motivated you to subscribe to a newsletter you receive?
  • What motivated you to call a particular service provider for a quote?
  • What motivated you to trust the last service provider you used?
  • What motivated you to buy the latest book, from an author you’ve never read before?
  • What motivated you to switch to your current phone network?

Behind each of those actions is a motivating factor. Something that inspired you to take action. Something that could inspire your prospects to take action. Something you can identify, adapt, test in your own marketing and measure the results.

Each time you use engaged observation, instead of starting from scratch with a new marketing tactic, you start with something you know is effective. This saves you time and helps you get it right, faster.

What I’ve done here, is show you a tiny number of examples, to open your mind to the huge number of marketing improvement opportunities open to you.

I hope you find it useful. Because if you use it correctly, it can profoundly improve your sales results.

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Here’s a better way to grow your business

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immediate marketing results

Photo credit: Bruce Mars

There’s a better way to market your business. I’m going to share it with you today. Read this short message to the end, because it is not what you think it’s going to be.

Agreed?

Let’s go!

For your marketing to succeed, you need to focus like a laser on your major business growth goal or goals. For this exercise, your business goals should be expressed in numbers.

For example: To increase your sales in 2024 by 200%.

That goal becomes your focus. Because as you’re about to find out, that focus is what leads you to making the right marketing decisions. It guides you toward engaging in the correct marketing activities.

But first, there’s a problem you need to overcome.

When I speak with, and receive emails from small business owners, the vast majority are focused on improving a part, or parts, of their marketing. Things like.

  • Better email open rates.
  • Improved SEO.
  • Linkedin training.
  • More subscribers.
  • A better sales funnel.
  • More effective ads.
  • A bigger list.
  • More client enquiries.
  • A bigger social network.

In this example, the correct marketing activities are not on that list. That’s because small business owners have never heard of them or are unaware how they work. So, they focus on what they have heard of and work hard. By focusing on the wrong thing, they take the wrong action.

Here’s what they need to focus on.

  • A 200% increase in sales by the end of 2024.

Armed with that measurable goal and timescale, they are free to consider and select the best options. (I list a handful in a moment). As you’ll see, there are lots of massively better alternatives.

Here’s just one example I often use with clients, to achieve far better outcomes, and faster.

Endorsed relationships

You can smash an annual financial goal using what I call endorsed relationships. An endorsed relationship is where you form a relationship with a suitable business owner or company, and they endorse (or recommend) you, your products or services to their customers.

Because their customers trust them, their recommendation can lead to spectacularly high conversion rates. And it happens fast. Of course, in return, you do the same for them. Your ‘marketing’ task is simply to identify and connect with a handful of potential endorsed relationship partners.

Depending on the annual financial goal you have for your business, it’s possible to achieve it with just a few, good, endorsed relationships. Sure, you need to know the correct way to do this, but when you get it right, it’s exceptionally powerful. It also frees you up from being bogged down with marketing. I know, right!

Freedom to grow your business

If you focus on smashing your specific goals, you’re free to benefit from lots of other wonderful opportunities like endorsed relationships. Here’s a handful.

  • Compound marketing.
  • Joint ventures.
  • Prospect bridges.
  • Becoming a zero competition provider. (I absolutely love this one)
  • Introducer networks.
  • … and the other, similarly great ways to transform your business results.

So don’t simply look for ways to improve what isn’t working.

Focus instead on your outcome — your defined, numeric business goals for 2024. Because there are vastly more powerful tactics available to you, which have nothing to do with typical marketing. You’ll then be free to think, plan and grow the business you always wanted. With none of the marketing limitations that have held you back.

Let’s build that new service you need

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how to, create new service, new product, income stream, small business

I think you’re going to find this really useful. Today, I explain why you really should offer a new service or product to your existing customers. PLUS, I give you some proven advice on how to get started.

If you don’t already know, here’s why you should think seriously about developing a new service.

The quickest, most profitable way to generate additional income for your business, is to sell new services to your existing customers. It’s a lot faster and more profitable, than finding new customers for your existing services.

Faster and more profitable — why?

Because your customers already know you. They already trust you. They have an existing trading relationship with you. And marketing to existing customers costs a fraction as much, making it more profitable, too.

Whenever I share this idea with a new client, they immediately see the potential. After all, these cookies were already smart enough to hire me. They then follow it up with a great question.

“How do we get started creating this new service, Jim”?

Obviously, when I work with one of my clients on this, I work with them to develop exactly what they want and need. However, I thought I’d share some general pointers that you may find useful, if you’d like to have a do-it-yourself shot at it.

Go premium

A useful place to start, is to take a look at one of your existing products or services, and think of ways to add valuable, premium features to it. Something that significantly increases its value to your customers. In every economy, there is a very eager marketplace of people who actively seek out premium products and services. It’s why we have luxury restaurants, clothing brands, hotels, watches, cars, etc.

There’s an additional benefit from going premium. In my experience, those who purchase premium products and services are often far, far easier to work with than any other group.

Express yourself

Alternatively, you could look for opportunities to create an express version of one of your current services, for those who value speed and will happily pay for a new, faster service.

Express services always work best, when you offer a guaranteed deadline. It’s not enough to say you’ll do (whatever) faster. You need to tell them that it will be done/ready by 9am, or in 24-hours, etc.

An all new offering

If you want to introduce an all new product or service, a useful place to start is to look for things that will compliment what you already provide. For example, if customers already use (x) they’ll have a potential need for (y).

Accountants discovered this decades ago. They figured out that their clients would value new, complimentary services from them. So they started offering profit improvement planning, document storage and the development of HR policies for their client’s businesses, etc.

Do some research and if it stacks up, dive in and give it a shot.

Sustainable

You might also want to consider the huge market for environmentally friendly products. Sustainability has become a major factor in purchasing decisions. In some cases, sustainability is a requirement before companies can purchase from a provider.

Developing a product that’s kind to the environment, or finding a more sustainable way to provide your products, makes sense on multiple levels.

Give it a try

I hope those examples offer some food for thought.

Important: Creating a new product or service is especially useful, if you find yourself with a cashflow problem. As you know, it takes time to market your existing services to prospects who don’t know you, then go through the various processes/meetings/testimonials/follow-up, etc. However, the speed with which the type of ideas above can be put into place, offered to clients, sold and invoiced is rapid.

I hope you’re inspired to examine the huge potential here. Because as I see over and over again with clients, when you get it right, the results can be absolutely transformational.

Photo by Alex Padurariu

Jim, I’ve had enough!

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I've had enough

“I’ve had enough”. There’s real power in those 3 words.

Think about it.

It’s what we say when we’ve reached a tipping point. When we’re no longer prepared to allow a bad situation to persist. When more of the same is simply not an option anymore. When we know it’s time for action.

“I’ve had enough” is also the precursor of all meaningful, lasting improvement. It’s what every business owner who turned their fortunes around said, just before they changed gears and did what was required.

I was prompted to write this, when I noticed that three of my clients from last year used those words, somewhere in their initial email to me. One even used it in the subject line. “Jim, I’ve had enough”.

Interestingly, in each of those three examples, it was a different issue that motivated them to take action.

  • One said they’d had enough of the famine and feast cycle.
  • Another said they’d had enough of making a living and wanted to make a fortune.
  • And the person who used it in the subject line, said they’d had enough of waiting for things to improve.

Those are different motivations. At least on a surface level. From small business owners of different ages, in different locations and different industries. But they’re unified by a desire for something spectacularly better. United in the belief that more of the same is no longer an option for them.

Often when a business is underperforming, the business owner will focus on improving how they feel about the problem… rather than fix the actual problem.

  • Some use positive self-talk.
  • Others keep telling themselves that things will surely turn around next month.
  • And some try to ignore the seriousness of their situation, hoping it just goes away. Hope is essential. But it’s a lousy marketing strategy.

We need to be smarter than that. The clock is ticking.

If you’ve had enough, more of the same is not an option. Now is the time to take action. Now is the time to start putting things right, so you can look to the future with justified optimism and confidence. I assure you, a few months from now you’ll be very glad you did.

Photo by Suzi Kim