Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

No more time wasters: How top companies keep getting the best referrals

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marketing referrals, get referrals

In today’s post, I’m going to show you a powerful way to get more, great people talking about the services you provide. But that’s not all. I’m also going to explain how to overcome a major problem: how to get people to say the right things about you.

I’ll even throw in a world-class example of how it works.

Okay let’s go

The starting point, is to decide exactly what you want people to say. Otherwise, you’re relying on them making something up on the spot. And usually, when someone is asked if they can recommend a provider, it will be a generic, weak message.

For example, if you ask someone if they have an accountant they’d recommend, the reply is usually something like; “Sure. We’re happy with the (Whatever) Accountancy Firm”.

That’s nice.

But all it really says, is that this particular person is happy with the service they receive. It’s the bare minimum. It’s vague. It says nothing about the service this accountancy firm provides. And it’s certainly not compelling.

Here’s why this matters to you: It’s entirely possible you’re already being regularly referred or recommended to great prospective clients. But you’re unaware, because, as in the above example, the referral is totally ineffective. And an ineffective referral is close to worthless.

Let’s see how the fastest growing companies overcome this problem.

How to get this right

Okay, let’s look at that accountancy firm again.

Only this time, they were professionally marketed and had already incorporated a short, memorable strapline in their branding. Something like “building stronger businesses”. If used correctly, that 3 word phrase would become an automatic part of their referrals.

So, instead of; “Sure. We’re happy with the (Whatever) Accountancy Firm.”

You get; “Sure. We’re happy with the (Whatever) Accountancy Firm. They specialize in building stronger businesses.”

That second referral is massively more powerful with far greater impact.

Think about it. If someone is looking for a new accountant, they’re clearly not happy with their current one. If we assume their existing accountant isn’t really interested in their business, a trusted referral about an accountant that focuses on building stronger businesses is exactly what they want to hear. Such referrals could be 2X, 5X or maybe 10X more powerful at encouraging people to call the accountant, than a simple “we’re happy with them”.

Here’s the thing: Most businesses make it too hard for their clients, customers or friends to know what to say when referring them. And it loses them a fortune.

Make it easier. Correctly integrate an easy to remember 3 or 4 word strapline into your marketing, so people don’t have to make something up on the spot. When you get it right, that strapline becomes part of the conversations people have about you.

That example took me 30 seconds to come up with. Now let’s look at a proven, world-class example of how this works.

How good is their food?

The marketing team behind Kentucky Fried Chicken wanted to give their diners a simple way to describe how delicious the food was. So, they made it very simple. They placed a short, powerful strapline on all their packaging.

It described their food as, “finger lickin’ good”.

And the rest is history!

Those who ate and enjoyed their chicken, now knew exactly what to tell their friends. Moreover, they were delivering an amazingly powerful, professionally written marketing message.

Regardless of whether you happen to like fried chicken, the mental image created with that message is powerful. The idea of people enjoying their food so much that they licked their fingers, would surely motivate their hungry friends to give KFC a try. Plus, because people who eat at fast-food restaurants know other people who also enjoy fast-food, it was pure, marketing gold.

So, the message spread. Millions or billions of times. Worldwide.

Try this

Take some time to think about want you want people to say about your business or the service you provide. Then, spend as much time as necessary crafting a powerful, extremely short strapline. If you don’t have the time or expertise to get this right, find a professional who will do it for you.

Just don’t keep missing out on great word of mouth referrals or targeted sales leads, because people aren’t recommending you correctly.

How to be luckier in business. Plus 4 other nuggets

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  1. If you hear yourself wishing for better luck, remind yourself that what you really need, is a better strategy.
  2. It’s getting harder and harder to sell average stuff, now that everyone has a social media megaphone.
    • The best providers get their message amplified in public.
    • The average providers get their message minified in public.
    • Below average providers get their message vilified in public.
  3. A business succeeds when there’s congruence between what the business owner wants… and what the business owner does. Failing to provide a business with what it needs, is like refusing to water your plants. Only a lot more expensive.
  4. Everything your business does is marketing. Yes, everything.
  5. Never complain about the economy or other outside factors. Adapt. Adjust. Put your success in your own hands.

Now go and make it a great day, my friend.

How to make your marketing totally, utterly unmissable

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marketing blog

What do the following have in common?

  • The trailer for a movie, which is part of a franchise you really enjoy.
  • A radio interview with a musician, whose music you’ve always loved, talking about their new album.
  • A Facebook post from an author, whose books you collect, announcing their new title.
  • A newsletter from a brand you like and trust, announcing an exciting new product.

The answer is that they are all examples of marketing you value. Marketing you wouldn’t want to miss. Marketing that doesn’t even feel like marketing.

How to create unmissable marketing

So, what was it that made those marketing examples unmissable?

  1. You gave permission for the marketing message to reach you. You tuned into the TV station or radio channel. You liked them on Facebook. You subscribed to their newsletter.
  2. The product being marketed (movie, album or book etc.), is something you’re interested in.

Without your permission, the marketer is being a pest. No one wants to be pestered with unsolicited emails, off-target advertising or unrequested social networking messages.

Without your interest, the “offer” is just another annoying, time-wasting, badly targeted sales pitch.

Making your marketing unmissable

Firstly, make sure you only market to people who want what you’re offering.

Secondly, earn their permission.

How?

Here’s a strategy that works:

  1. Think about the brands you have given permission to contact you.
  2. Write them down.
  3. Next, ask yourself why you did it. Why did you subscribe to their YouTube channel, their newsletter or their blog? Why did you like them on Facebook or connect with them on Linkedin? Why did you ask them to send you their catalogue or email you their updates?
  4. Finally, see what you can learn from their strategy, which you can adapt, to earn the permission of your prospective customers.

It takes more effort to create unmissable marketing. However, it can massively improve your results.

How to totally avoid fee sensitive clients. Yes, it works in your industry too

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important, marketing

You don’t need to sell your services or products based on price. You don’t need to waste your time on fee-sensitive clients or customers, either.

In today’s brief post, I explain why.

Sort by price

One of the most common features on shopping sites, is the “sort by price” filter. It lets us see products in the category we’ve searched for, listed in price order.

The reason sort by price exists, is that the marketplace demands it. When presented with 5 or 50 options for a commodity product, the lowest price wins. This is known as the race to the bottom. Bottled water is bottled water. It makes no sense to pay more for it than you need to.

Bullshit!

But what about Bob?

Bob is passionate about helping people worldwide have access to clean drinking water. He then finds a water brand, which donates money from every bottle sold, to build wells in areas where there’s no clean water.

So, Bob’s happy (very happy) to pay more for his bottled water from this well-building brand. Plus, because people like Bob know lots of other people like Bob, he tells his friends. They do the same. Water gets sold. Wells get built. And people get to make a meaningful difference to the lives of those who need it.

The lesson here?

If you want potential clients or customers to stop caring about your fees, give them something more important to care about. This means differentiating your products or services from the competition.

The good news? If it works for a commodity like water, it can definitely work for you. Regardless of your industry.

Here’s how to have the business you’ve always wanted

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marketing, business development

Why do we start a business?

  • It provides us with interesting puzzles to solve, which we find extremely compelling.
  • We’re very well rewarded financially, allowing us to enjoy the lifestyle we want.
  • We get to spend every day, working with wonderful clients or customers.
  • Our working environment is a hive of creativity, fun and productivity.
  • And it goes without saying that our plans for the future energize us.

Well, that’s how it should be

When we decide to start a business, we give ourselves a blank canvas. We get to choose the kind of work we do, the prices we charge, the place we work from and the clients we work with. In short, we construct every single element of our business, from the ground up.

Presented with this stunning opportunity, it’s a fact that most business owners end up seriously off-course.

This happens for a reason. Business owners are not stupid!

None of them set out to struggle or spin their wheels. Instead, they very slowly drift off course. It’s subtle. Little by little. Day by day. Until after a number of years, the business is not what its owner wants it to be.

That’s why it’s worth reminding yourself that your business can be whatever you decide you want it to be.

Those aren’t just words!

You can choose to work on rewarding projects, for great customers who value you. Or you can choose not to. You can choose to create compelling, motivating plans for your business, which energize you. Or you can choose not to.

So, how do you turn things around?

And what must you do, to finally own the business you’ve always wanted?

It starts with belief… and then a decision

You need to believe (on an intellectual and emotional level) that you deserve a better business, free from whatever limitations you now face. That’s because after a while, many business owners find themselves settling for less than they deserve. Most commonly, I find they lower their lifestyle goals, to accommodate the limitations of their business. You need to believe that by doing the right things correctly, you can transform your business into a spectacularly rewarding enterprise, on every level.

Then you need to decide.

You need to decide to do what’s required.

It means deciding to move from your current comfort zone, and make yourself comfortable in a kinder zone. A zone that’s more rewarding. A zone that provides for your needs and your wants. A zone that’s REALLY comfortable.

Is it worth it? Yes. Absolutely. One hundred percent!

How can I be so certain?

Simple.

I work every day with business owners who have the belief and made the decision. They decide where they want their business to be. We then look at their current position, and work together to make it happen. And the improvement, not only within their businesses, but their lives as a whole, is breathtaking.

You deserve the same. Either do it by yourself or get expert guidance. Just don’t settle for less. Want some friendly, informed help? Read this and contact me.

How to make your advertising work

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marketing, advertising

Here are 3 tips to help you get massively better results from your advertising.

Tip 1: Discover the media your customers consume

You need to uncover what your prospective customers read, listen to or watch. This will be easier for some of you than others. If, for example, you sell exclusively to a certain industry, it’s easy to identify the most popular media aimed at that industry. The same is true if you sell to a particular community, such as those interested in cycling, cars, boats, cooking, etc. 

For those who sell to a less well defined group, you’ll need to talk with your customers. A quick survey will do. Then look for common threads within the survey answers. For example, they may be interested in a wide spread of things, yet a high percentage may be within a certain age group. This would help you find radio, podcasts, blogs, magazines or TV aimed at them… or at least a useful subset of them.

The more targeted you get your advertising, the better. No matter how great your product, service or offer is, people can’t buy from you if they don’t see your ad.

Tip 2: Learn how your customers consume media

Next, you need to know how your prospective customers consume their media. This will help you reach the right people, correctly.

For example, radio advertising can be very effective if you want to build brand awareness. However, it can be far less effective if you want to get people to take direct action and call you or visit your website. Many radio consumers listen whilst they drive, are at the gym or are in the shower, etc. In each example, they can’t easily write down a phone number, URL or social media handle.

So, you need to make sure you use the correct form of media, for the kind of ad you want to run. If you choose radio or podcasts for advertising, it’s worth investing in an easy to remember phone number and web address.

Tip 3: Do they pay attention to the ads?

Finally, you need to know if people are engaging with the ads.

The Game Informer magazine is read each month by almost 7 million people. It’s an American video game publication and it contains lots of advertisements. Here’s the thing: The ads in the magazine actually add to its value. It would be less valuable to the readers if the ads weren’t there. That’s because video game enthusiasts WANT to know about the games, events and hardware being advertised.

Now compare that to websites that pre-run video ads, when you’re trying to read an article. Do these intrusive ads make the site more valuable to the user?

The point I’m making here is that there’s a difference between advertising where people want to hear what you have to say, and advertising where your message is seen as an annoying intrusion.

In closing

Be where your prospective customer’s attention is. If they are paying attention to what you have to say, and your advertisement is well produced, advertising can make you a fortune. So choose wisely.

Tip: This will help you get it right.