Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

The unexpected cause of time wasters. And how to fix it

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marketing unexpected

Photo: Shutterstock.

Your time is easily the most valuable asset you have. So in today’s post I’m going to show you an effective way to eliminate time wasters and replace them with high quality, eager prospective clients. The root cause probably isn’t what you’re expecting.

To begin, I’d like you to think for a moment about how similar salt and sugar look. They’re almost indistinguishable to the human eye. Even close up.

So, why don’t people regularly add salt to their coffee by mistake? Sure, at home people know where they keep the salt and the sugar. But when they’re out? Why don’t we constantly see people in coffee shops and restaurants, having salt and sugar related accidents?

Here’s the thing

A salt shaker looks very different from a sugar bowl. That’s why we never pick up a sugar bowl and assume it contains salt. Or vice-versa.

  • The container (packaging) gives us powerful clues about what’s inside.
  • These clues send us a direct message regarding what to expect.
  • They also guide the action we decide to take.

People use clues like this all the time. And that includes your prospective clients. When they need a new provider, they’re looking for guidance that confirms you offer exactly what they need.

So, what kind of decision making clues are in your marketing?

For example.

  • Do your clues set the right expectations regarding your fees – or do they attract fee-sensitive enquiries?
  • Do your clues motivate people to want to purchase now – or do they attract early stage researchers, who’re not ready to buy?
  • Do your clues clearly demonstrate what’s great about you – or do they make you seem similar to your lower quality competitors?

If you’re attracting the wrong kind of client enquiries (or too few of them), check your clues. Look at them through the eyes of a stranger; someone who doesn’t already know how outstanding your business is. Then, make sure the picture they paint clearly positions you in the correct way.

You may find it useful to review the marketing of non competing brands that successfully attract the same profile of client that you want to work with. Look for the clues they leave. Then consider how you can adapt their clues, so they work for you and your business.

We’ll find a way

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There’s something exceptionally powerful in the 4 word phrase, ‘We’ll find a way’.

It’s quite literally transformative. Just consider the impact it has in each of the following scenarios. Then we’ll look at opportunities for you to apply it directly into your business.

  • We’ll find a way: It’s a springboard to growth and development.
  • We’ll find a way: It’s a mindset to make your meetings ultra productive.
  • We’ll find a way: It’s a sign of your commitment.
  • We’ll find a way: It’s the starting point of every great discovery.
  • We’ll find a way: It’s a mindset for removing barriers.
  • We’ll find a way: It’s a message that demonstrates your willingness.
  • We’ll find a way: It’s the answer to feelings of hopelessness.
  • We’ll find a way: It’s a preface to collaborations and partnerships.

There are many, many other examples of the powerful impact this phrase can have.

We’ll find a way in your business

With this in mind, here’s something I’d like you to give some consideration to.

I wonder how it might improve your business, when you look for opportunities to include ‘we’ll find a way’ thinking; in your conversations, client meetings, website copy, newsletters, planning sessions, staff training, internal and external emails, mission statement and project meetings.

A useful jumping on point is to intentionally apply we’ll find a way thinking to your upcoming workflow and decision making. Especially, though not exclusively, when it comes to challenges and tricky situations. Consider it another tool in your arsenal. Another option. A way to remove blocks that were holding you back.

We’ll find a way on a wider scale?

I’m considering this a lot right now.

I’m firmly of the belief that a wider focus on ‘we’ll find a way’ could be transformational. It could help our communities come together, our economies rebuild and our mutual flourishing increase.

If you find this concept as compelling as I do, introduce the idea to your friends and colleagues. Tell them what you think. Show them how to apply it.

Because when it comes to improving our business or having a positive impact on the wider world, it all begins with us.

Stop marketing. Replace it with something better

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better than marketing

Photo: Shutterstock.

If you dislike marketing or simply find it a frustrating waste of time and money, today’s post is especially for you.

Just how frustrating is marketing?

The vast majority of small business owners I’ve spoken to over the past 25 years, work hard. They put a lot of hours in, too. Yet they feel compelled to tell me that when it comes to marketing their products or services, they’re lazy.

And it’s just not true.

So, why do they think they’re being lazy about their marketing?

They regard marketing as being dull (which it is) and pushy (which it is) and irritating (which it is). So they quite understandably try to avoid it.

They see that avoidance as being lazy. However, it’s completely natural to want to avoid things that are dull and irritating. We avoid crap and marketing is a constant source of dull, irritating crap.

Let’s remember.

  • Marketing is responsible for the junk mail and spam that clogs up our inbox.
  • Marketing is behind those unsolicited telemarketing calls that interrupt us at home with our family.
  • Marketing is the reason strangers pester us in the street with flyers.
  • Marketing is responsible for the sales spam that floods social media.
  • Marketing is also responsible for pushy connection requests from salespeople on Linkedin.
  • Marketing is the cause of all those repetitive commercials that ruin every piece of media we consume.

This begs the question: How do you grow your business without marketing?

Drop marketing. Replace it with something better

If you dislike marketing and are not happy with the way your business is growing, it’s time to replace it with something better.

Something that will instinctively feel right.

Something you won’t want to avoid.

Something that’s just a natural extension of the work you do.

Allow me to explain, along with a few examples.

Better than marketing

Imagine you’re walking in the park on a scorching hot day. You didn’t bring enough water and now you’re feeling really, really thirsty. It’s getting warmer. You notice your throat is now dry. Thankfully, you finally spot a sign for ice-cold drinks with an arrow pointing to a small hut. You walk over, buy a bottle of water and eagerly gulp it down. You then buy another bottle for you to enjoy on your journey home. You thank the vendor and head back.

That sign with the arrow, saying ‘ice-cold drinks’ didn’t feel like marketing.

It didn’t pester you, it didn’t bore you, it wasn’t dull and it certainly was not an unwanted interruption. It was exactly what you were looking for. And the vendor just sold a couple of bottles of water to a very happy customer.

Everyone’s happy.

Better than marketing

I recall walking into the study to ask my wife, (Sharon) if she wanted a coffee. I quickly noticed that she was listening to an interview with a musician, whose work she loves. He was talking about his new album and the inspiration behind some of the tracks. Like thousands of other listeners, Sharon was buying the album as he spoke.

That radio interview sure didn’t feel like marketing.

Sharon had been looking forward to the interview all morning. She was listening intently and enthusiastically as the musician spoke. He wasn’t being dull and she was delighted after enjoying his interview and ordering the new album. The musician was happy having had a great interview and probably selling tons of albums. The radio show had just provided a great 30 minutes of entertainment.

Everyone’s happy.

Better than marketing

Just after the passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, a pundit made a point that I’d never noticed before. She said that almost every time the public saw him, Steve Jobs was selling us something. I found that interesting, partly because it had never crossed my mind before, despite watching all his Apple presentations. And partly because I’ve spent thousands (and thousands) of dollars on Apple technology.

Those presentations certainly didn’t feel like marketing.

I loved listening to Jobs, so he was never an unwelcome interruption. I found his passion and showmanship infectious. His delivery of information was like a master-class in communications. I’d regarded his presentations as entertaining, must-see ‘events’. I bought Apple products that I’ve enjoyed using and never regretted. Jobs and Apple made a fortune in sales every time he spoke. Apple are now one of the biggest corporations in history.

Everyone’s happy.

Also better than marketing

People like myself, who share our knowledge in a newsletter or blog don’t need to market what we do. People hire us, knowing in advance what to expect. We simply make it easy to contact us and we keep being useful. It’s a joy to share useful ideas. Our audience gets some useful advice. Everyone’s happy.

Talking about joy…

What about those wonderful business owners who bake joy into the very process of doing business with them? They attract customers like moths to a flame. They also retain their customers for longer. These are the happiest business owners and their customers are happy too. Everyone’s happy.

Business doesn’t have to be dull and uninspiring. It’s a choice. A really bad choice, but a choice nonetheless.

With this in mind, there’s an obvious way forward.

Follow your heart and your head

Follow your heart: If you dislike the prescriptive marketing bullshit that’s based around pestering, interrupting and irritating people, please stop. You won’t be very good at it and it will make you miserable.

Follow your head: If you want to thrive, you’ll need to replace bullshit marketing with something better.

The examples I’ve shared are all things that have been baked into the way a business, or person, does business. Natural consequences of their day-to-day workflow. And by default, these are non-prescriptive. I know from the work I do on this with clients every day, that your specific mix must be developed around you, the kind of business you want and your unique personality.

That’s how to grow your business in a way that feels natural and authentic. And it’s how you create a business that thrives for you on every possible level.

When the vision pulls you, you don’t have to be pushed

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when vision pulls, don't need pushed, Steve Jobs vision

One of the most common questions people ask me, is in relation to blogging. Specifically, they want to know how I manage to push myself, to write and publish content as often as I do.

Here’s the answer.

Push or pull?

This quote from the late Steve Jobs answers that question beautifully:

If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.

— Steve Jobs.

If your vision of blogging is that it’s a necessary evil, you will fail on every metric:

  • You will fail to write as well as you can, because when you work through gritted teeth, it shows.
  • You will fail to show up with new information, often enough.
  • You will fail to engage people.

My blogging vision was different

I saw it as a professional and personal development opportunity. I knew that in order for me to share useful information regularly, I needed to feed my mind with useful information regularly. I quickly found another massive benefit to blogging, which is that writing regularly makes you a better communicator. That’s a huge asset for anyone.

So, even if I failed to attract a commercially valuable reader community, I’d still benefit. Firstly, I’d become far more informed. Secondly, I’d be better able to communicate my ideas than I would have been, had I not written all that content. This made it impossible for me to fail.

If you’re struggling to publish content regularly enough, don’t carry on working through gritted teeth. Change your vision. And then let that vision pull you.

Thankfully, Jobs’ concept works in every area of your life and isn’t limited to content creation.

Tip: If you found this useful, you can get my latest ideas delivered direct to your inbox, for free, right here.

Rediscovered: My business development notes from the 1990’s. Take a look!

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Okay, this one is a little weird.

While going through some of my old notebooks at the weekend, I rediscovered this list. It’s a series of points I put together back in 1998, to help guide the development of my (then) fledgling business. The list had things added and removed from it over the years, but these raw, original points were extremely useful to me. So I thought I’d share them with you.

marketing notes

Photo: Shutterstock.

In no particular order

  • Marketing is already full of robots in suits, so work like an artist. Make your work your signature. Think Warhol, Basquiat and Haring.
  • Eagerly seek out demanding clients, who need you to be at your absolute, creative best. They force you to stretch and improve.
  • Do something every day to earn the reputation you want. People need clues.
  • Avoid energy vampires.
  • Focus on being as useful as possible.
  • Love the marketplace you serve. Especially those who are the hardest to love. They need it the most.
  • Keep learning. You can’t share what you don’t already know.
  • Let your work be your megaphone, your networking and your primary source of recommendations.
  • Set deadlines. Tell the client what to expect, when to expect it and then deliver as promised.
  • Don’t borrow money. If you do, make sure it’s not for a depreciating asset.
  • Focus on creative ways to produce amazing results.
  • Do something every day to help those less fortunate than yourself.
  • Try and connect good people to other good people.
  • Learn from the success and failures of others.
  • When you think it’s correct, have the courage to take a different path from everyone else.
  • Eagerly look for the tricky kind of projects that others run away from. It’s the most rewarding work.
  • When work starts to become boring, stop. Identify the problem. Then fall back in love with the service of others.

I hope you found that useful.

How to avoid arguments and enjoy great client relationships

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how to avoid arguments clients, customer arguments

Photo: Shutterstock.

I witnessed an argument yesterday, between a business owner and one of his customers. It was noisy, public and has lost the business owner at least one customer. The whole situation could have been avoided, with the tip I’m going to share with you in today’s post. Here’s what happened, along with a valuable business lesson.

First, here’s a quote from the 1936 classic, How to win friends and influence people.

The book’s author, Dale Carnegie, said; “Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, you’re wrong! to them.”

You are right. They are right too. Maybe!

When someone disagrees with us, it’s easy to think that they are wrong. This is especially the case when we truly believe that our opinion is right.

Here’s the thing: It’s entirely possible that their opinion and our opinion are both correct, even when we see things very differently.

For example:

  • I really dislike the taste of almonds. In my opinion and in my experience, almonds taste disgusting.
  • You may love the taste of almonds. In your opinion, they taste absolutely delicious.
  • If we went through a lie detector test, we would both be proven to be telling the truth — even though our answers were 100% different.

That’s the thing about opinions. When an opinion is given as an answer, it’s usually one of dozens, maybe hundreds, of possible correct answers.

How one retailer got it very wrong

I was prompted to write this post, after listening to a business owner arguing with one of his customers. The argument took place yesterday in a cycle shop.

Here’s what happened.

The customer asked if the retailer stocked a particular brand of tyre. The retailer asked why the customer wanted that brand. The customer explained that in his experience, it was the best on the market. The retailer then insisted the customer was wrong. He even went so far as to get his iPad out and show some negative Amazon.com reviews of the tyre.

Incidentally, I would have picked a different brand of tyre than either of those picked by the customer or the shop owner. That’s because depending on our experience with different brands of tyre, we will have formed different opinions.

Anyhow, the customer walked out of the shop, shaking his head in frustration. After the confrontational stance the retailer took, and his raised voice, I doubt the customer will ever return — especially as he now knows he can get the tyre he wants, for less, on Amazon!

The retailer had a smug grin on his face, assuming he’d won the argument. What he’d actually done, was lose a customer by showing zero respect for the customer’s opinion and turning a sales enquiry into a heated argument. I’m not sure any business owner can sustain too many victories like that.

Turning a difference of opinion into a valuable opportunity

We don’t have to agree with everyone. What we should do, however, is learn to respect their right to their opinion.

Indeed, we can use our difference of opinion as a way to create a useful dialogue. We can even use it to deepen our relationship with customers, clients or contacts.

For example, here’s an effective way to handle a business situation, when your opinion is different from the other person.

  • Explain that all you’re interested in, is finding the best solution for them. This places both of you on the same side. The difference this makes to the tone of the conversation is huge.
  • Give the other person the opportunity to say what they want to say, without butting in. By allowing them to get their point across, they will feel less tense and feel more positively toward you, for showing them respect and recognition.
  • If you believe they’re incorrect or about to make a mistake, you should offer them another perspective. Note: You’re not arguing with them. You’re offering them your perspective based on your experience and expertise.
  • Then, offer an example of how your suggested approach has worked in the past, for people with similar challenges. This is massively more effective than looking for holes in their position and bombarding them with reasons why they’re wrong.
  • Ask them what they think and listen again without butting in.
  • Because there’s no confrontation, no argument to be won or lost, the other person is free to consider your opinion. They can now agree with you, without losing face.

Does this approach magically win around everyone, whose opinion is different from yours? No.

However, I’ve used this approach since starting my business in 1995 with huge success. It has gained me many clients and many good friends too. Equally, it has never lost me a client — unlike the kind of confrontational approach, used by the store owner in my example.

Interestingly, I’ve always found this approach to be massively more effective at helping others see things my way, than attacking their opinion.

Respect never gets old

The technologies we use today are very different from those, which were used when Carnegie wrote that amazing book. However, business is still all about people. Showing respect for others and their opinions, is just as important today as it was in 1936.