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Proof: Your business growth potential is limitless

By Jim Connolly | June 15, 2023

Marketing forward

You now have free access to every prospective client or customer on the planet. And that’s a provable fact.

This means the potential to grow your business is literally limitless.

  • Podcasting gives you a free, global radio show.
  • WordPress gives you a free magazine, plus free, global distribution.
  • Social networks give you free access to a global audience.
  • YouTube gives you a free, global TV channel.
  • Email gives you a free, global communication channel, which scales to infinity.
  • Zoom gives you free, global access to video meetings.

This means that in June 2023, a start-up business with no budget, can reach every city on the planet, in a way that previously cost millions and was only available to the world’s biggest corporations.

It’s truly a spectacular time to be a small business owner.

With an idea and a plan, the world is yours. This is true even if you’re struggling right now. Isn’t that amazing?

So, all the tools you need are freely available to you. The question is, what will you do with all this potential?

Stop explaining everything. Really. Stop it!

By Jim Connolly | June 15, 2023

Jim Connolly marketing, Curious

One of the most common marketing challenges facing business owners is also one of the most serious. I’m referring to a lack of regular client enquiries or sales leads.

Today, I’m going to show you a key reason why this happens, and how you can overcome it.

I need to start by asking you something: Why do prospective clients call you, email you or ask you questions?

The answer can be summed up in just one word. Curiosity.

It’s their curiosity that motivates them to get in touch with you. This means it’s their curiosity that provides you with business enquiries. So, if you want more enquiries, your task is to make them more curious.

Hold that thought for a moment.

Now, do a quick review of your marketing materials and just look at how many questions you answer about the services you provide. This is really, really important.

Why?

Because with each question answered, you reduce a prospective client’s curiosity. You make them less likely, then unlikely, to contact you with an enquiry. You proactively lose yourself the super-valuable sales leads your business needs.

The balance you want to strike, is to give them ‘just enough’ information to make them curious. Just enough information to motivate them to contact you for answers or advice.

Just enough information, so you get all those sales leads or client enquiries that you’re currently missing out on.

The Andy Warhol guide to business success

By Jim Connolly | June 12, 2023

marketing, hustle, productive

Today, I’d like to share one of the most valuable lessons in business with you. It comes from an unusual source: Andy Warhol. And it starts with a quick look at the story behind his masterpiece, Campbell’s Soup Cans!

Here’s the story!

When Warhol’s collection was first exhibited in 1962, very few people attended. The exhibit was arranged by West Coast art dealer, Irving Blum. It was Warhol’s first solo exhibition.

Those who attended the exhibition at the Ferus Gallery either made fun of the art, dismissed it or ignored it. Very little art was sold. It was a huge failure.

Blum decided to buy the Campbell’s Soup Cans canvasses. He paid Warhol $100 a month for 10 months. Just $1000. Though many believed it was $1000 more than they were worth.

Of course, despite his disastrous, first solo exhibition, Warhol refused to quit. He kept on creating his art. He also kept on promoting it; getting his work in front of prospective buyers, believing that if the right people saw it, they’d see it for what it was. Art that would change the landscape for ever.

Here’s what happened.

Warhol did the work required

Instead of working from a studio like every other artist, he worked from what he called The Factory. This was a very deliberate strategy. He created as much art as he could and took every opportunity to showcase his work.

As you know, his belief and work finally paid off. Warhol became one of the most important names in art of the 20th century and his work is even more valued today.

Irving Blum’s $1000 investment in the Campbell’s Soup Cans, which people laughed at, was sold to New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1996 for $15MILLION.

This was seen partly as a gift from Irving Blum, as the art was valued at well over $100MILLION.

Without persistence and passionately promoting his art, there would have been no Andy Warhol. Certainly not the internationally respected artistic genius we know today.

  • Had Warhol decided to quit after his initial, disastrous exhibitions, a genius would never have flourished. At that time, he was being rejected by his peers and his work was being insulted.
  • Had Warhol created the same great art, worked just as hard, but refused to get better at promoting his work, both he and his art would have remained undiscovered..

Instead, Warhol did the right things, correctly. Creating and promoting great art.

Business without the promotion required

How many small business owners have worked hard without the success they could have enjoyed, because they failed to market their work correctly? How many small business owners reading this post, are struggling because too few people know how amazing their products or services are? How many small business owners are not putting their ideas into action, because they allow fear of failure or ridicule to stop them?

I honestly don’t know.

What I do know is that some amazing people, providing great products and services, fail to get the rewards they deserve.

Why?

Because unlike Warhol, instead of doing 100% of what is required, they do 100% of the things they’re comfortable with.

So, in one of the fastest-changing economies in living memory, they dabble. They refuse to do what’s required; opting instead to drift along doing what’s familiar, even though it’s failing them. I find that fascinating.

There’s a proven, better way

The alternative is simple. By simple, I mean everyone reading this can do it. Everyone reading this can turn an average business into a successful business or turn a successful business into an even more successful one.

So long as we embrace all the tasks required in order to succeed.

This means changing things, because you can’t improve and stay the same. So, you have to choose.

  • The choice to stay the same is made by default. It’s what happens when you allow yourself to drift without an aim.
  • The choice to improve is a deliberate, intentional decision. When backed up with a commitment to do the right things, correctly, you become an unstoppable force.

You can do it, my friend. But only if you choose to.

A powerful lesson from Apple and Starbucks

By Jim Connolly | June 9, 2023

apple marketing, starbucks, marketing advice

Is your business both focused and flexible?

Those words almost sound like opposites. They’re not. In business, they work together beautifully.

  • It’s essential to know what you want to achieve and to stay focused on it.
  • However, you also need to remain flexible regarding how it happens. Then, as new information and opportunities come along, you can adjust your approach.

So, you remain both focused and flexible.

You couldn’t buy a cup of coffee from Starbucks

It’s true. Starbucks had already been in business for several years, and opened its first 5 stores, before you could buy a cup of coffee from them. Until then, you could only buy their coffee beans. Originally, customers were offered a free cup of coffee, in order to sample the beans.

Starbucks then started selling the coffee and the rest is history. Flexible thinking allowed them to identify a new opportunity. (I wrote a useful post about a marketing lesson from coffee shops, which can be applied to every business, including yours).

Starbucks’ focus remained the same: to build a successful coffee business. However, their approach changed.

And Apple only sold computers and software

Apple’s surge to being the world’s most valuable company started with a pivot. Initially, Apple was exclusively a computer company. Steve Jobs decided to enter the music industry, with the iPod and iTunes. Then, Apple pivoted again, creating the iPhone. Based on June 2023 data, if iPhone was a company by itself, its revenues would be $394.33 billion; that’s hundreds of percent higher than Coca-Cola and MacDonald’s, combined! Flexible thinking transformed The Apple Computer Company Inc, into the world’s most valuable brand.

Apple’s focus remained the same: to create beautifully designed technology and software. However, their approach changed.

Learn from the success of others, my friend. Remain focused on what you want to achieve, but be flexible on how you achieve it.

P.S. For more ideas on how to make this work for your business, I’ve written this:
Agile Thinking – A new mindset for a new landscape.

The marketing power of ‘Style Over Substance’

By Jim Connolly | June 7, 2023

marketing style

The following statement will sound counter-intuitive. That’s because you’ve been lied to for years. Okay. Here goes.

In marketing, there’s a case for style over substance.

It’s a strong case, too.

Just think about this for a moment.

  • The top political commentators get paid a ton of money, to deliver their take on the news for major networks.
  • The also-ran commentators get paid peanuts, to deliver their take on the news, for small, local networks.

Here’s the thing. In both cases, the news (substance) they comment on is the same. Here’s why one of them is earning 10 times or 50 times more than the other. It’s their style. The style with which they work.

For example:

  • Their courage, when choosing to take, or avoid, a controversial stance.
  • Their ability to communicate with confidence.
  • Their vocabulary.
  • Their energy.
  • Their effectiveness when injecting their personality (style) into their work, so that it’s truly theirs.

Here’s my point: When it comes to business, the substance should be there by default. Every qualified consultant, coach, lawyer, adviser, etc., knows what their service (substance) is and how it works. It’s their style that sets them apart from the crowd.

Style over substance in marketing

The newsletters, blogs, Facebook groups, YouTube channels, Social media accounts and podcasts, which people take notice of, all have their own style.

And the ones that fail to grow, fail to get noticed, fail to make an impact… well… they don’t.

Instead, they follow the cookie-cutter approach to marketing. They bought into the lie. The lie that says; ‘Just market your stuff this way, like everyone else, and it works. Follow the steps. 1-2-3’.

That’s bullcrap.

You can certainly learn substance that way. However, your style, the very thing that gets you noticed, by default, can’t possibly be learned from a marketing seminar, a course, a book or any other generalized form of information.

Why?

Because your style is all about you.

Where are you right now?

Okay, you obviously understand the services you provide extremely well. So the substance is there. You know what you’re doing. You’ve got the substance part covered.

But what about the style?

When it comes to your marketing, when it comes to the story behind your service, are you telling it from your perspective? Are you sharing the substance of your knowledge, using your voice, your perspectives and your experiences? Because these help form your style and your style is what people connect with.

  • It’s your style that sets you apart.
  • It’s your style that makes you approachable.
  • It’s your style that inspires people to share your message.
  • It’s your style that gives value to your substance.
  • It’s your style that motivates people to want to hire you or buy from you specifically.

And none of that can be copied from a book, seminar or course. Because it’s you.

In fact, with so many competitors trying to get the attention of your prospective clients, your style is the most powerful tool in your arsenal.

Photo: Shutterstock.

Build your ideal business. No selling required. None. Zilch!

By Jim Connolly | June 6, 2023

marketing, no selling

I’m going to share a powerful marketing idea with you today. It’s all about how to attract high quality clients or customers. With no selling required.

These leads will come from people who already know you, who already value your work AND who really want to work with you.

Let’s go.

I need to start by asking you a question: Over the past 6 months, how much valuable, free information have you given to your prospective clients?

I’m specifically referring to things like newsletter articles, blog posts, videos, Zoom sessions, podcasts etc., which offer useful and valuable information… rather than thinly-disguised sales pitches.

Here’s why that question is critically important to building your ideal business.

No selling required

If you want an endless stream of high quality clients or customers, you need to be front of mind when they have a requirement. You need them to be thinking about you. This means you need to regularly give them something, which they will value. Something useful. Something that makes them interested in what you have to say.

Most small business owners waste their time, trying to get their marketplace excited, using sales messages and special offers. They haven’t figured out yet, that they need to develop a relationship with their marketplace, in advance, if they want to attract the very best enquiries.

Notice I said ‘attract‘ enquiries?

That’s right.

When you stop selling and start helping, your prospective clients come to you. I haven’t sold my services to anyone in over 20 years. But people hire me all the time.

And the difference this makes is huge.

Engage and inform: Don’t just sell

The secret to attracting high quality inbound sales leads, is to focus on engaging your marketplace. Educate them. Inform them. Inspire them. Help with their problems. In short, become a valuable resource. And do this before they even need you.

By engaging in this way, you’ll quickly begin to build relationships and credibility with the people who pay for the exact kind of service or products you offer. And if you tailor the information you provide, so that it’s directly relevant to your IDEAL prospective clients, that’s who you’ll attract enquiries from. (Note that word attract again?)

Through the distribution of valuable, free information, you position yourself as an authority in your field. You also build a relationship with your prospective clients, where they naturally think of you as the source of the help they need. This makes you a safe pair of hands. It also makes hiring you or buying from you way less risky when they need a new provider.

Make no mistake, if you embrace this marketing idea and do it correctly, the results can be breathtaking. You can build your ideal business, working with great clients who value you.

And with no selling required.

Photo: Shutterstock.

Entrepreneurs think differently

By Jim Connolly | June 6, 2023

marketing, entrepreneus think differently

The average small business owner needs a very good reason to do something new. Yet, just a feeble excuse is more than enough to stop them from even trying.

Entrepreneurs don’t have this problem.

Entrepreneurs think differently. They make decisions based on what’s most likely to lead to progress. As a natural consequence, they create continuous forward momentum.

It’s not a coincidence that success favours the entrepreneur.

The day I met Lisa!

By Jim Connolly | June 5, 2023

marketing reliable dependable

In 2017, Frankie introduced me to someone amazing. “Jim, this is Cid, that wonderful photographer I told you about”.

Cid quickly corrected him. “Jim, my name is Lisa, not Cid”.

Frankie then explained why he calls her, Cid:

“Oh, Cid is a nickname. When Lisa says she will do something, she does it. Always to a high standard. And always on time. You can Consider It Done. It’s why we only use Lisa now. So I sometimes call her Cid when introducing her to people”.

There is always a shortage of people like Lisa. People who we can totally rely on. People who we can bring a problem to, and know in advance that they will deliver. People who provide that all-important peace of mind, which we value so highly.

Charging 10 times more and winning projects

Every service provider would benefit massively, from investing the time and effort needed, to earn that kind of reputation.

Why?

Because it’s not difficult to take a service provider with Lisa’s attitude, develop a brand around them, and create their very own, highly profitable slice of the market. Other’s with similar levels of ability, charge 10 times less and still struggle to get hired.

Note, I shared a story earlier this year about that specific point; how someone charged over 10 times more and easily won the client’s project. You can read it here.

Whatever industry you are in, there is always an opportunity to deliver the way Lisa does. And do it consistently enough, that your reputation goes before you. Market a service like that correctly and the sky’s the limit.

7 Essentials for business success

By Jim Connolly | June 1, 2023

marketing, usp, different

In just a few weeks time, we will be half way through the year. So, how’s things? Are you on track to hit or smash your 2023 goals?

If you would like a little help, you’ll find this useful. It’s something I’ve shared with thousands of fellow small business owners over the years. It’s 7 essentials we need to regularly remind ourselves of, if we want to build a successful business.

  1. Don’t wait for permission. You don’t need it, so you’re free to get started.
  2. Don’t wait for inspiration to appear. Command it to appear.
  3. Don’t wait for the right opening. Create it.
  4. Don’t wait for someone to pick you. Pick yourself.
  5. Don’t wait for the perfect time. The time is never perfect.
  6. Don’t wait for the initiative. Take it.
  7. Don’t wait for opportunity to knock. Go and build a door.

All 7 of those essentials can be compressed into 1. It’s simply this: Don’t wait for things to happen. Decide what you want to achieve, then get moving.

That’s the only way to take control of your results and get from where your business is right now, to where you want it to be.

The question is, what exactly are you waiting for?

That isn’t a rhetorical question. If you’re not enjoying the level of success you want, there is definitely something that’s blocking you. This is guaranteed to help you find it. And fast!

There’s a world of opportunity out there, which is yours (yes yours) for the taking. So get moving.

Jim, why have my sales numbers dropped?

By Jim Connolly | May 29, 2023

Have you noticed an unexpected drop in sales or new clients?

If you have, you’re not alone. It’s a challenge, which business owners regularly reach out to me for help with. Their sales numbers are down, but they haven’t changed anything. And they’re looking for answers.

If this is happening to you, or you want to stop it from happening to you, today’s post contains a few of the most common culprits, along with some ideas on what you should do next.

So, what gives? I’ll explain in a moment.

But first… the elephant in the room

The economy is certainly in bad shape. However, it’s in bad shape for all your competitors, too. And as you probably know, there are businesses in every sector, doing massively better than the rest. Many have thrived. I know this, because I’m working with them; making them as compelling and valuable as possible.

Here’s what we know. When times are rough, people think a lot harder before they spend their money or their budgets. They spend it were they see the greatest value. The most compelling provider wins. And they win big.

Now, let’s look at some very common reasons for an unexpected drop in sales.

Advertising roulette

This is becoming a huge problem for small businesses.

Someone is out-bidding you for online ads (GoogleAds, Facebook Ads etc.). So, the prospective clients who would have clicked on your ads are now clicking your competitor’s ads. You can also experience the same drop, if a competitor has created a more compelling ad.

In either case, they get your buyers or client enquiries. In 2023, advertising (buying sales) is a spectacularly risky way to grow a business. It requires constant monitoring, eats into an indeterminate percentage of your yearly profits and is extremely volatile.

Better competition

A new, agile competitor has arrived, or an existing competitor has hired expert marketing help. In either case, your clients and prospects are now being expertly marketed to, with compelling messages that grab their attention and convert them into paying clients.

Consequently, a number of the sales leads or client enquiries that would have been yours, are now theirs.

A well-funded competitor

A well-funded competitor is targeting your clients and prospects, offering very low prices. The competitor usually commits to losing money for between 6-months and 24-months, in order to gain as much market share as possible. They also bank on a number of their competitors going broke. When handled correctly, this strategy can be extremely effective.

Well-funded businesses, ranging from independent coffee shops to international service providers, are increasingly using this ‘last one standing’ approach.

Value proposition jump

A competitor has found a way to significantly increase the value of their products or services. And it’s selling like crazy.

So, even though your quality or range of services is just as good as ever, it’s no longer as compelling, when measured against the newly improved competition.

What’s the answer?

The threats I’ve just shared with you are only a few of the more common ones. The key is to do some research. Identify what’s happening, then put a strategy in place to overcome it.

The best advice here is this: Be proactive.

For example.

  • Massively reduce or eliminate your reliance on paid advertising. I haven’t spent a penny on advertising since the 1990’s and you don’t need to either. It’s essential that you regain control over getting your sales message out there and acted on.
  • Don’t wait for an agile competitor to turn up, before you seek to increase your value to the marketplace. Do it now. It’s easy. And you’ll win big. I can usually find 5 ways in as many minutes.
  • Adapt fully to whatever challenges the economy is throwing at you. When you do, you’ll not only grow your business, you’ll have a bigger slice of the marketplace. Why? Because your fearful competitors will be hiding from reality in their comfort zones. Scared into inaction. Actually, scared stiff.
  • Get a marketing strategy for your business, which a well-funded competitor can’t penetrate. Then, build a wall of financial security around your business, which a well-funded competitor can’t penetrate. Grow your business. Get stronger financially. Repeat.
  • Become an engaged observer, so you know exactly what you’re competing against. It’s never been easier. Social media lets you see what your marketplace is saying about your competitors. Competitor websites and competitor social media accounts show you what you’re marketing against.
    • Come on. In the past, business owners had to guess. You can just take a look and see what’s going on!

In business, everything happens for a reason. If your sales numbers are down, once you identify why, you can adjust accordingly and turn things around.

This holds true in every economy (including this one) and for every small business owner (including you).

Your future. Your choice. Own it!

By Jim Connolly | May 24, 2023

success is a choice, future choices

During periods of rapid change, it’s easy to feel like you have less control over your business results. That’s really not the case.

Just consider for a moment, some of the business decisions you make. Because literally all of them have the power to improve your results, often very dramatically.

Here are a few examples.

  • You decide what business model you use.
  • You decide the advice you choose to take, as well as the advice you ignore.
  • You decide what your commercial priorities are as you go through the day and as you plan for the future.
  • You decide how to respond, when your plans get derailed.
  • You decide who to accept as clients.
  • You decide when to be reactive and when to be proactive.
  • You decide how to respond to opportunities.
  • You decide the tasks you will offload to AI.
  • You decide where to set the bar on your goals and targets.
  • You decide who to hire.
  • You decide the type of projects you accept.
  • You decide where to set your prices or fees as well as your payment terms.
  • You decide who (and what) to place your trust in.

Your choices and your outcomes

Across the board, better choices lead to better outcomes. That’s because your choices determine your direction of travel.

I’m not suggesting for one moment that you can control everything. You obviously can’t.

What I am suggesting, is that you can control your decisions. And thankfully, that gives you a staggeringly high level of control over your future results.

3 Essential things you must tell your prospects

By Jim Connolly | May 22, 2023

marketing response

Before you pull the trigger on your next marketing effort, here are 3 questions your prospective clients or customers need you to answer.

  1. I’m busy. Why should I give you my attention?
  2. Your competitors all claim to go the extra mile. They all claim to offer a great service. What meaningful reasons are there, for me to risk switching to you from my current provider?
  3. I’ve never done business with you before. Why should I trust you?

By answering all 3 questions clearly and correctly, you can massively improve the effectiveness of your marketing and your sales. You’ll also set yourself apart from the vast majority of your competitors.

You’ll capture attention, create a motivational message and build the trust required, to inspire your marketplace to respond.

A lesson in goal setting from Michelangelo

By Jim Connolly | May 21, 2023

goal setting, michaelangelo, goals

How are your business goals coming along?

As you consider your answer to that question, I’d like you to think about the following. It’s from the genius of Michelangelo.

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.’

Michelangelo.

Puny goals fail to inspire us. And as Michelangelo suggested, even if we achieve them, we’re in danger of achieving nothing of any importance.

When a genius gives that kind of advice, we do well to take heed. Thankfully, Michelangelo provided us with the best way forward. We’re advised that it’s a lot less dangerous to aim high.

This includes.

  • Setting goals that excite you.
  • Setting goals that cause you to grow.
  • Setting goals that are worthy of you.
  • Setting goals that will lead to a meaningful improvement in your quality of life.
  • Setting goals that motivate the people around you.

That’s the kind of goal setting, which fuels you with the passion, energy, direction and inspiration you need. That’s the kind of goal setting, which can lead to outstanding results.

That’s also the kind of goal setting, which is used by the most effective people in business. Because it works.

It’s okay. Even Superman struggled with kryptonite

By Jim Connolly | May 20, 2023

marketing superman

Image: Esteban Lopez

Every business owner has weaknesses.

Including you and me.

But that’s okay.

After all, even Superman has kryptonite to contend with. He knows that this mysterious substance weakens or eliminates his super powers. So, he does everything he can to avoid the problems kryptonite causes, and comes out winning.

Business owners differ in 1 important way

Business owners are also aware of their weaker areas. But unlike Superman, they’re often unaware of the serious damage caused.

For example.

  • The business owner who starts too many sales presentations with an apology for being just a little late, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that every prospective client who values punctuality will feel very differently about it. The business owner will wonder why their presentation failed, and write the prospect off as a time waster. So the problem persists.
  • The business owner who avoids making big decisions until the last moment, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that leaving things until the last minute means they have fewer options open to them. They lose valuable time, end up making worse decisions, and blame the outcome on bad luck. So the problem persists.
  • The business owner who thinks it’s okay to develop their business as if it was a Do It Yourself hobby, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that their DIY approach to planning, systems, marketing, legals and financials etc., is making it impossible for them to succeed. The business owner thinks they’re being smart and saving money, when they’re doing the opposite and missing out on a fortune. So the problem persists.
  • The business owner who does pretty-much what they’re paid for and very little extra, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that the extra is what makes all the difference. It keeps customers returning and motivates them to recommend you. The business owner who ignores the extra, assumes that their customers just aren’t the kind of people who give referrals. So the problem persists.

And these persistent problems lose them money… persistently.

I recall Jim Rohn telling us that the reason business failure is so common, is that it’s incredibly subtle. The vast majority of businesses tend not to fail overnight, the result of a single, cataclysmic event. It’s the repeated, smaller errors in judgment, which rob them of the success they want.

That’s why it’s critically important to pay attention to what you do and how you do it. Especially in the weaker areas of your business.

Your future is as bright as you think it is

By Jim Connolly | May 16, 2023

marketing, bright future, succeed

I’ve been working with a lot of small business owners, who are prospering mightily right now. Today, I’m going to share a common factor that worked for all of them, and can work equally well for every small business owner reading this.

Yes, including you.

It can be summed up in 2 steps.

1. A shift of focus

We started each time, by helping them to focus on a bright, prosperous future. This sounds obvious, but it absolutely is not! Many small business owners, probably the vast majority, are in survival mode.

The problem with survival mode?

There are many.

The most obvious problem with aiming for survival, is that if you miss your target, you literally fail to survive. Another problem with aiming for survival, is that it’s very hard to succeed in a small business, when your motivation is based on fear. Fear motivation is destructive and exceptionally stressful.

2. A proven plan that they’ve never used before

Once the business owner was focused on knocking it out of the park, we built a clear, simple plan for them to prosper.

Then, we followed the plan.

How?

The small business owner examples I’m sharing with you, all came to me with an urgent need to improve their results. Their industries are all under pressure. Nothing seemed to work. Their sales pipelines and funnels were dry.

So, I used a superfast strategy.

We looked at business ideas from other industries, which are thriving right now. We then adapted them into my client’s small business. Their businesses NOW have a unique proposition to offer prospects. It improves everything. Even though in real terms, they’ve hardly changed! This works in every industry and profession, even the most strictly regulated ones. And it works amazingly fast. I’ve been doing this with clients for decades and I cannot understand why more small business owners aren’t doing it. (Note: That’s just one of the dozens of strategies I use).

Plan for survival and if you hit your survival goal, your ‘prize’ is another year treading water.

Plan to prosper mightily instead. Because your future is as bright as you think it is.

This tip can improve your whole business

By Jim Connolly | May 13, 2023

motivation, persistence, courage

Here’s a very quick tip, which can dramatically improve things across your entire business.

As someone who has mentored thousands of people over the years, I’ve found that the reason a business isn’t doing great, is often because the business owner isn’t feeling great. Perhaps they don’t feel as motivated, confident or inspired as they would like to be.

The reason this matters is that our feelings guide our decisions, and our decisions guide our actions. These actions are what determine our results and therefore the success of our business.

I’ve discovered that the fastest way to genuinely become motivated, confident, inspired (or experience any positive feeling), is for you to give these feelings to others.

Allow me to explain.

My epiphany

I noticed that whenever a client or friend came to me because they were, for example, lacking motivation, and I started to build up their motivation, it always left me feeling massively more motivated.

Then I noticed the exact same thing happened when I helped people feel more confident, inspired, courageous, resourceful, optimistic, energized or anything else. I would immediately feel stronger in whatever area I’d helped them with.

I shared this idea with others and found they had identical, or very similar experiences to mine. 

Here’s what makes this so powerful.

When you give these highly-valuable feelings to others, you become a source of the very thing you give. And it’s an endless source. Because as long as you keep giving, you’ll keep receiving.

It’s a simple technique, which can strengthen the core of everything you do. And you can access it as often as you want to. I use it daily.

Interestingly, this process works regardless of how you do it; face-to-face, Zoom, phone, email, one-to-one / a group of people, social media, podcast, blog post, a handwritten note or any other form of communication.

The next time you want to think more productively and make better business decisions, identify the key feeling or feelings you’re lacking in. Then give others those same feelings. Don’t wait for motivation, energy, confidence, creativity, calmness or anything else to arrive. Make it appear, by giving it away.

It’s a wonderful way to enrich yourself, and by extension, enrich others.

In case it doesn’t go without saying, I am not a mental health professional. This is simply based on what’s worked for my clients and myself.

Stop focusing on more sales leads. Really. Just stop

By Jim Connolly | May 7, 2023

get more sales leads, client enquiries

What do you think is the most common problem that business owners ask me to help them with?

It’s a version of this: “Hi Jim. I need to get more sales leads (or client enquiries)”.

However, in over 25 years of working with business owners, I have never met or spoken to one whose actual problem was a lack of leads.

Their core (or root) problem is always a lot more obvious and a lot more direct. It’s THAT core problem, which needs their attention.

Not more sales leads

Their core problem will be a need for bigger revenues and profits, or a need for more high-value sales, or perhaps a need for more high-quality clients. That’s their actual problem. Instead, they are looking for answers to their “more leads” question. And it causes them all kinds of frustrating challenges.

Their incorrect focus points them in multiple, fruitless directions. It also confines their thinking around one, solitary aspect of marketing. And it misses their core problem completely.

When I explain this to business groups, I use the following scenario.

  • Imagine someone owns a car and notices the smell of rubber whenever they’re driving.
  • Their core problem is not the unpleasant smell of burning rubber.
  • Their core problem is that something in their vehicle is either burning or drastically overheating.
  • However, they focus on getting rid of the burning rubber smell.
  • They decide to drive with the windows open, but that doesn’t work.
  • They decide to buy an air-freshener, but that doesn’t work. They then buy a few more and none of them work, either.
  • They decide to have the vehicle completely cleaned inside and outside. That doesn’t work.
  • They then decide to plug their nose. This gets rid of the smell, but they can taste the rubber in their mouth.
  • Finally, their smelly car refuses to start. Its electronics have burned out. And their vehicle is trashed.

Focus on your core problem

Then look for effective ways to overcome it.

Just to get you started, here are some useful questions to help you redirect your thinking to successfully resolving your core problem. Use them as a starting point and add your own great questions.

  • What adjustments can I make to my product or service, which will open it up to a new, massively profitable marketplace?
  • Who has already achieved what I need to achieve, and how can I get them to show me the way forward?
  • How can I increase my average customer spend by x%, starting next week?
  • What new, high value services can I provide to my existing clients?
  • How many ways can I think of, to increase my referral rate by XYZ%?
  • How can I motivate customers to buy from me more frequently?
  • What 5 money-making lessons can I learn from (insert name of a successful company outside your industry)?
  • What are the best ways I can find to radically improve my client or customer retention rate?
  • Who are the people that my marketplace already trusts, and what’s the best way to get to know these trusted people?

I hope that helps provide you with some additional clarity, as you plan to smash your business targets.

12 Quick tips and ideas to help your business thrive

By Jim Connolly | May 4, 2023

get started, marketing

In no particular order.

  1. Be stingy with your time, but not with your ideas.
  2. Your past does not equal your future. Next level results are yours, when you take next level actions.
  3. All business is personal.
  4. Either do what you love or learn to love what you do. Both approaches work extremely well.
  5. To develop a new service, you do not need to reinvent the wheel. A relatively small improvement to an existing way of doing business, can open up a whole new marketplace for you.
  6. Outsmarting your competitors works best, when you’re outcaring them, too.
  7. Optimism is highly contagious. And never more so than in times of uncertainty.
  8. To be in greater demand, provide greater value. Whether a business serves the top end of the market or the bottom end, its customers always want value.
  9. A business can only be as successful as the weakest link in its leadership.
  10. Opportunities come with a use-by date. If something looks like it has potential, do the research and if it stacks up, get moving.
  11. Be eager to take responsibility. Step forward. Especially when others step back.
  12. Whenever possible, be kind. And it’s always possible.
  13. Strive to give others more than they expect from you. That little extra has a big impact.

Marketing that sticks, is marketing that sells

By Jim Connolly | May 2, 2023

marketing that sticks sells, marketing spreads sells,

Marketing that spreads does exactly that. It spreads from one person to another. And from a sales perspective, it can be a total waste of your time, energy and focus.

REALLY?

Yup!

That’s because marketing that merely spreads isn’t necessarily marketing that produces bankable results. Clickbait headlines, cute / outrageous / funny videos, provocative images, newsjacking, etc., can all be used to make a marketing message spread like fire.

Without generating a single enquiry or lead, let alone a new client or customer!

Marketing that produces bankable results; (creates sales, attracts new clients, grows your market share, boosts your revenues and profits), is marketing that spreads AND sticks. Most business owners pay way too little attention to that last part.

Marketing that sticks?

Marketing that sticks makes the prospect pause for a moment to take action, before they spread it.

For example, if it’s online, at the very least, they’ll bookmark it or save it, so they can go back to it later and place the order, make the enquiry, fill in the form, call the number… and THEN pass it on.

Yes, marketing that spreads is marketing that sells, but only if it sticks. So be sure to include a direct request (or call to action) in all your marketing. And especially anything designed to be passed around and shared widely.

Your opinions, voice, uniqueness and AI

By Jim Connolly | April 25, 2023

human opinion, ai, chatbots, marketing

Opportunity is knocking. It’s knocking loud and it’s knocking clear.

The best part? To benefit from this spectacular opportunity you just need to be yourself.

Allow me to explain.

It starts with a statement of fact: Your opinions are exactly that. They’re yours. They’re as specific to you as your unique blend of life experiences and lessons.

Conversely, artificial intelligence doesn’t have an opinion. Everything about its knowledge base is artificial.

Instead, AI is fed with masses of data. And it’s trained by groups of AI experts. One of the primary tasks of AI trainers, is to keep their AI as neutral to everyone as possible. And in seeking not to offend anyone, AI lacks even an artificial opinion.

In stark contrast

No person who has ever lived is neutral. Unlike AI, we not only have an opinion, we have countless opinions. This includes the opinions and feelings we have regarding the way we do business. And it impacts everything, including:

  • The business tactics we rule in or rule out.
  • The atmosphere we create for our clients or customers.
  • The way we sell or negotiate.
  • The value we place on our products or services.
  • The baseline quality of service or products we provide.
  • The type of staff we hire and the way we look after them.
  • The suppliers we choose.
  • The profile of customers we want to attract (and those we want to avoid).
  • The type of promises and guarantees we provide, etc., etc.

Your business, opinions, voice and uniqueness

Your opinions matter. They always have. They’re what give you your unique voice in the marketplace.

I firmly believe that today, and for the forseeable future, that uniqueness is a powerrful way, maybe the most powerful way, for your business to gain your biggest ever slice of the marketplace.

How?

A growing number of your competitors are switching to AI for their voice. For example, AI tools are creating and guiding their business plans; what to do and what to avoid. Chatbot apps are handling their frontline customer service. Chatbots are also guiding or shaping (and in many cases providing) their; newsletter content, blog posts, video / podcast scripts, advertising copy and social media interactions, etc. In short, everything that prospective clients or customers use in order to judge these businesses, is bland and lifeless.

I’m suggesting that you adopt a very different aproach to AI.

The most savvy business owners I know are also using AI. But the way they use it, excludes every area of their business that carries their DNA. Their opinions and their voice remain 100% human. It’s what guides their messaging, their priorities, their values, their commitment, their customer service and their willingness to go the extra mile. Their businesses have a pulse and personality. They are extremely easy to connect with. They are easy to relate to. And on a very human level, they’re easy to trust. Because they are human. And so is their brand. Not dull and lifeless like the previous example.

Very soon, you’ll be able to stand out and get noticed, in a way that wasn’t possible before. The opportunity is knocking. But only for those who choose to take notice of it.

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Hi! I'm Jim Connolly and I help small business owners to increase sales, boost their profits and build amazing businesses. Read more here.

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