Professional development Archives - Page 27 of 27

Marketing Tip: Sell them ideas!

By Jim Connolly | June 14, 2016

The most successful business owners have discovered that you do not sell a product or service: You sell the idea. Today’s post explains why they do it and why YOU should consider doing the same!

Before its launch, Steve Jobs famously told his team that the iPhone was not a product, it was a lifestyle. Apple marketing then sold the idea of owning an iPhone and living the iPhone lifestyle. iPhone went on to become more than a phone: It became a statement about those who owned it.

Sell ideas and capture imagination

Over and over, we see that the most successful people in business focus on selling the idea, rather than the product or service.

For example:

The most successful alcohol brands do not sell you booze. They sell the idea of the fun lifestyle, which they have attached to booze.
The most successful restaurants do not sell food. They sell the idea of enjoying a wonderful, memorable, culinary experience.
The most successful coffee shops do not sell hot beverages. They sell the idea of being part of the cool, coffee shop culture.

Switching from selling products / services, to selling ideas

What is the idea behind the products or services you provide? If you save people money, save people time or make people more productive etc., that’s what you need to market to them.

For example:

When clients hire me, they do so because they like the idea of their business having more powerful marketing than any of their competitors.
They like the idea of being more visible and more desirable than their competitors, through my copywriting service or marketing services.
The idea of attracting the best sales leads or client enquiries is also extremely compelling.

So, it’s the idea of what their business will achieve, which motivates them to hire me — not a list of my features or benefits.

In short: Spend some time thinking about the benefits of what you provide. Then, consider marketing the idea behind those benefits – rather than marketing your core product or service itself.

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

How often should you publish blog posts?

By Jim Connolly | June 12, 2016

marketing blogs, content marketing

Karen from Delaware emailed me with a question earlier.

“I’d love for you to post on your blog every day like Seth Godin does. Is there a strategic reason why you don’t?”

That’s a good question. The answer is that you need to match your publishing model to the business model behind your blog. Allow me to explain.

My publishing model

It’s easy… very easy, for me to publish something every day. However, my business model doesn’t require me to keep tapping you on the shoulder [reminding you I’m here] with daily posts.

Why?

I market just 2 services via my blog. There’s a limited number of clients I can work with and every post generates client enquiries.

Daily publishing, [which I did a few years ago], caused me to receive way too many enquiries. The huge momentum created by daily publishing is disproportionate to the few additional posts I was publishing each week.

If I decide to change the blog’s business model, so my income is primarily from the sale of products or advertising, I will need to adopt a daily publishing model of at least one post a day. It’s all about getting the balance right for what you want to achieve.

The daily publishing model

Whatever his motivation, Seth Godin uses a business model that rewards daily blogging. His blog is a kind of single author book store. Every post displays a carousel [on the left of each post], which is stacked with around 20 or so books.

His superbly written, daily posts are what create traffic to his book store. Visitors to his book store are also extremely well targeted, because the topics covered on his blog match those in his books. If you like the posts, you’ll love the books. Seth’s daily publishing model also pre-markets his books, by referencing new books in his posts long before they are published.

So…

You arrive on Seth’s blog.
If you like Seth’s posts, you may buy a book.
If you don’t buy a book, you may still decide to share the post you’re reading with your social networks.
By sharing the post, others will visit Seth’s blog.
They too may decide to buy a book or share the post.
A cycle is created, which is fed by daily content.

That model clearly rewards daily publishing. Fewer posts would equal less traffic, fewer subscribers, fewer shares and fewer sales.

Getting your balance right

The key take-away here is this: Your blog publishing model should support whatever you want to achieve. So, choose the best frequency for your business, rather than copy what someone else is doing. Their approach could be totally wrong for you.

If you’d like to get more from your blog or you’re thinking of starting a blog, here are a few free resources to help you.

Here’s how to launch a successful blog.

This explains how to make your blog stand out and build a large, valuable readership.

Ever wondered if you need to write long blog posts or if short posts are OK? Well, here’s the answer.

This is a list of 7 blogging mistakes, which you need to avoid.

Why your hard work isn’t working and how to fix it

By Jim Connolly | June 6, 2016

Every failing small business I have ever encountered had the same problem. Here’s the problem and more importantly, how to avoid it happening to you.

I need to start by asking you a slightly odd question: What do you do if you have a problem with one of your teeth?

OK, the answer is easy. You visit your dentist. The dentist will then either treat the tooth or as a last resort, they will remove it. Simple.

It looks like this:

The small business owner notices that they have a problem [toothache].
They then arrange to go and visit a professional for the help they need [a dentist].
Finally, they have their problem resolved [the treatment].

Now look how differently that same small business owner acts, when they have a business problem. They apply none of the logic above.

It looks like this:

They identify their business has a problem. They start by hoping the problem will go away. Whilst hope is essential, it isn’t a business strategy. So their problem remains.
Next, instead of getting expert help, they dabble with their problem. They look online for answers, even though they have no idea what they’re actually looking for. They ask friends and contacts for advice, even though these people lack the expertise they need.
Their problem then gets progressively worse. They get the commercial equivalent of severe toothache.

With even the most extreme toothache you can get pain free by having the tooth extracted. That pain is nothing, compared to the pain the business owner suffers when they slowly go broke.

Their commercial toothache is numbed with painkillers, rather than professionally treated. The painkiller of choice is to tell themselves that business will just get better if they hunker down and work harder. Things will magically improve next month, or when the economy picks up or after the next election, etc. This self-talk acts as a narcotic, to ease the pain of the reality of their situation.

The answer is simple

We need to treat the health of our business with the same care we give to our teeth!

It starts with accepting that there’s a problem and that it won’t just disappear. Burying your head in the sand does nothing to help the situation. It just makes things worse.

The first step is to get the expert help you need. If cash flow is a problem or you have a tax problem, talk with an accountant. If you need more customers, more sales and bigger profits, speak with a marketing expert. If you have a legal problem, discuss it with a lawyer.

The barrier here for non-entrepreneurial business owners is money… or rather, how they feel about money.

In short: They’re scared of investing. That’s because they run their business with an employee mindset. They genuinely believe it’s safer to starve their business of essential investment. That’s because they still have not emotionally understood the difference between spending money and investing it.

So they see the riskiest thing possible [failing to invest] as being safe, and the safest thing possible [investing when needed] as being risky.

Think about it: If a business isn’t growing the way the owner wants it to, all they need to do is get the correct strategy and work that strategy. It isn’t rocket science. When a business owner works hard for too little reward, it’s because they have deliberately chosen to do so, by choosing not to invest in the help they need.

When I speak with entrepreneurs, the picture is very different.

Entrepreneurs get it

Entrepreneurs never have this problem. When an entrepreneur sees an area of their business needs help, they take intelligent action. They speak with an expert. They get the right strategy. Problem solved. They treat their business the way they treat their teeth.

In short: If your business needs help, think DENTIST not DABBLE.

How to overcome Writer’s Block

By Jim Connolly | June 2, 2016

Have you ever suffered with Writer’s Block?

If you write a newsletter, produce scripts for podcasts, YouTube or you publish a blog, it’s likely you struggle sometimes to produce the volume and quality of written content you need. Here are some proven ideas to unblock your writing and make you massively more productive.

I hope you find it useful.

People who struggle with Writer’s Block tend to fit into one of the following groups:

Some of them struggle to find things to write about. They need ideas or inspiration.
Others know what they want to write about, but find it hard to get their thoughts on the page.
And some people have challenges with both of the above.

Let’s take a look at those challenges and how you can overcome them.

Writer’s Block: Finding something to write about

Here’s some good news: There’s no excuse at all for business writers, who say they can’t find topics to write about.

At least there won’t be, after you know what I am about to tell you!

To uncover a limitless supply of relevant topics to write about, you simply need to do the following:

Look in online business forums or Facebook Groups and Linkedin Groups, for the most frequently asked questions from your marketplace. Then write about your answers to these common, pressing questions. Obviously, you should stick to questions related to your industry. This will provide you with countless, relevant topics.

If finding things to write about was causing your Writer’s Block, that will get you unblocked.

Writer’s Block: Finding inspiration

What if you need inspiration to write, yet you work in a small niche where there are no forums or groups discussing common problems? When this happens, we can learn a lot from artists.

Think about it: Unblocking Writer’s Block is not so simple for artists. How does a poet, storyteller or lyricist find inspiration for what to write next? Fortunately, there’s an answer. When we examine the most successful and prolific writers, we find they are driven to write by their passions. Anger, bliss, love, loss, loneliness, confusion, fear… these are all powerful subjects that have inspired writers for centuries.

When my pal Nile Rodgers and his friends were refused entry to Studio 54, they wrote a track about it. Initially called “F*#k off!”, it was later renamed “Le Freak” and became one of the biggest dance tracks in history. See below. [If you can’t see the video, click here.]

Focus on the things about your business, which you are most passionate about. A great place to start is to look at the problems that your product or service solves for your customers. For example, if you save them money, save them time, help them be more productive, make them healthier or wealthier… write about it. And write with passion. Regularly!

Tip: You don’t wait for inspiration to arrive. You command it to appear!

Writer’s Block: Getting your words “out there”

Some people fear what will happen when they share or publish their work. They often disguise this fear by calling themselves perfectionists. All perfectionism is rooted in fear. Fear of criticism, to be precise.

This fear leaves them seeking a perfect scenario; where everyone likes what they produce and no one criticises it. Because this balance is impossible to achieve, they produce nothing or play it safe and produce nothing worth reading. That’s what causes their Writer’s Block.

Thankfully, there’s a way around this too. Those who fear criticism need to start by accepting that nothing of value is universally liked. They need to understand that as creators, they have a decision to make.

Here’s the decision: They can either be criticised or they can be ignored. And in business, being ignored is not a viable option. The most successful business owners have learned to dance with criticism. They can’t ignore it, but they know it’s an inevitable part of being successful; both as a writer and business owner.

For example, most people do not own an iPhone. They don’t watch the number 1 TV show and haven’t bought this year’s number 1 bestselling book. All of those things also have critics, who vocally dislike them. However, it doesn’t stop them from being successful. That’s because you can’t have insiders [buyers / clients / readers], without outsiders [critics].

Writer’s Block be gone!

For most people reading this, the answer is simple: To beat Writer’s Block, write about the things your marketplace wants to know and the things you’re passionate about. And do it regularly. What you will find is that the more you write, the better you become and the easier it gets.

Yes, if you’re doing it right you will be criticised. So embrace criticism as an indicator that you’re on the right track and that people are noticing you. When you see criticism this way, it becomes something you welcome, rather than something you strive to avoid. This also makes writing a great deal easier.

I hope you find these ideas useful. More importantly, I hope they inspire you to get writing and overcome Writer’s Block.

Useful tips that every business owner should know

By Jim Connolly | May 30, 2016

Here are 7 success tips that every business owner should know.

Be stingy with your time, but not your ideas. Once you give an hour of your time to someone, that hour has gone. If you give an idea to someone, you still have that idea. Plus, you just helped someone. Read this.
Be quick to forgive. While you’re holding a grudge, they’re out dancing.
Exercise regularly and eat well. Running a successful business takes energy and clear thinking. A lot of business owners fail, simply because they lack the energy and clarity required. Here’s what happens to your brain when you exercise.
Learn to become a better decision maker. Remember, the decision to be indecisive is also a decision. Read this.
Look for the gold dust in every situation. It’s always there. You just need to find it. Here’s where some of your gold dust is waiting.
Consider firing your worst clients. Then invest the time you spent with them, delighting your best clients. [I got that tip from Seth Godin. Thanks, Seth.]
Be choosey who you associate with. It’s hard to feel positive or make meaningful progress, when you’re associating with negative people. Spend time with people who are going nowhere, and one day, everything they have will be yours!

I hope you found these quick tips useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with them.

Hurry while stocks last

By Jim Connolly | May 28, 2016

how to set prices right, get prices right

Is your business benefitting from one of the most powerful principles in marketing?

You’ve seen it happen again and again. The media reports that something is about to be in short supply. Then, all of a sudden, we see footage of people standing in line… just so they can get it before it runs out.

Whether it’s the new, must-have smartphone or the latest hot Christmas present, demand shoots through the roof as soon as people think they could miss out. It happens because of something Dr. Robert Cialdini calls the principle of scarcity.

So, here’s my question for you:

Is there a product or service you offer to your clients, which has limited availability built-in?

If not, create one now. Otherwise you’re leaving money on the table.

Marketing tip: Finish strong. Always!

By Jim Connolly | May 6, 2016

My friends Colleen and Matt went for a meal recently. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. Matt’s dessert arrived on a dirty plate. They told me that from that moment onward, their dining experience was ruined.

That restaurant could have the best chef. It could use the freshest ingredients and have the highest hygiene standards. Their staff could be top of the pile, too. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because they allowed food to be served to a diner on a dirty plate.

Imagine you decide to send flowers to a loved one. It doesn’t matter that the florist picked the most beautiful flowers and arranged them with amazing artistry… if they fail to deliver them with care and your loved one receives flowers that were damaged in transit.

The lesson here is simple: We can ruin a great deal of hard work and maybe lose customers, if we fail to pay close attention to the way we present the end product.

This made me cringe: Misleading advertising

By Jim Connolly | May 4, 2016

I listened this morning, as the Managing Director of a broadband company answered a horrible question. It was one of those interviews that makes you cringe.

The interviewer asked her, on national radio, why her company had misled consumers with their advertising. Rather than answer the question, she sidestepped it. Instead, she talked about her commitment to improve their future advertising. It’s a tactic that politicians use to avoid answering tricky questions.

Tip: The worst possible approach to dealing with a charge of being misleading, is to mislead people with your answer. At best, it eventually stops the interviewer from asking you the damaging question. However, it also makes you sound evasive and suggests you’re hiding something, which is exactly what you don’t need when dealing with a situation like this.

A missed opportunity

The reason I have not named the company in question, is that the charge against it by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority, is aimed at the whole UK broadband industry.

With the entire industry coming under fire, this would have been a great opportunity to show some leadership and earn some credibility. To stand up, own up, say sorry and explain the commercial reality behind the misleading advertisements. That opportunity was missed.

It’s always a choice

When it comes to situations like this, prevention is better than cure. And we can prevent this kind of problem by making better choices.

Regardless of the industry we find ourselves in, it’s down to us to decide what strategies and tactics we use. We don’t need to follow the flock. If, as in this case, we’re in an industry known for misleading advertising, we can choose to stand out by being transparent, honest and consumer focused. It’s our choice, whichever route we decide to take.

Honesty, integrity and leadership have always been highly valued in business. I believe this is truer today than ever before.

Social Networking Tip: Stop chasing the wrong numbers

By Jim Connolly | April 29, 2016

The internet often feels like a huge popularity contest. Social networks, for example, display our follower, fan and “like” counts for the world to see. As a result, many business owners look for ways to boost these numbers.

This approach is seriously flawed on 2 levels. In fact, it can have a toxic effect on your business. Allow me to explain.

1: The numbers are almost meaningless today

Initially, the number of followers, fans or likes you had, was a useful social proof tool. For example, you’d see someone on Twitter claiming to be an expert at something, notice they had a huge following and assume they were a big deal. Today, these numbers have little real-world influence.

Why?

People are now increasingly aware that anyone can fake any of these popularity numbers. They know that anyone with a credit card can buy 100,000 Twitter followers or Facebook fans. You can also buy retweets, Facebook “likes” and more.

Prospective clients and customers are aware of this. As a result, fewer and fewer of them are influenced by artificially inflated numbers.

2. It causes you to focus on the wrong things

Most importantly of all, by chasing popularity numbers, you’re focusing on the wrong things. Only a minority of people buy followers, fans and likes.

The majority of those chasing the numbers use simple tricks [or automation software] to increase their counts. And it causes them to make mistakes!

As you’d expect, these tricks don’t attract the right people. They’re designed to attract the most gullible or least experienced social network users. They won’t help you build meaningful connections. In a nutshell, they add nothing of value to your business.

A more effective approach is to decide what you want your social networking to achieve. Then, focus on making that happen. This might include:

Connecting with the right people.
Sharing information and ideas, which your marketplace will find useful.
Looking for people in your marketplace who have questions, which you can answer.
And listening. Listening to your prospective clients so that you gain a deeper understanding of their needs and wants.

Your social networking goals will vary depending on your specific goals or targets. The key thing is to aim for quality and meaning, not empty numbers.

P.S. This will help you: Are you building a tribe or writing drive-by content?

Here are some GREAT ways to be a quitter

By Jim Connolly | April 14, 2016

Quitting gets a lot of bad publicity. We even use the word quitter as an insult. And it’s wrong! It’s wrong, because quitting is essential if you want to succeed.

Business success requires that you quit the common mistakes made by struggling business owners, then replace them with winning alternatives.

Here are 10 extremely common examples.

Quit looking for shortcuts to success and start looking for proven, direct routes.
Quit looking for excuses why you can’t and start looking for reasons why you must.
Quit wishing it would happen and start making it happen.
Quit complaining that your business isn’t growing and start investing in professional marketing.
Quit focusing on what you fear and start focusing on what you want.
Quit blaming others and start taking responsibility.
Quit following what your competitors do and start leading.
Quit being reactive and start being proactive.
Quit thinking like an employee and start thinking like an entrepreneur.
Quit settling for less than you’re worth and start demanding the best from yourself.

Quit what isn’t working. Replace it with a winning alternative. Yes, it’s easier said than done, but so is everything of value.

How to join the top 5 percent of your industry

By Jim Connolly | April 11, 2016

Who sets your prices or fees? Your answer to this question is not as obvious as it sounds.

Most business owners will instantly answer that question, saying they set their prices. And in one way, they do.

However, that’s only part of the story

It doesn’t explain why most businesses in the same local area and the same industry, tend to charge roughly the same. Surely, with freedom to charge whatever they like, there should be a massively greater range of prices and fees.

Instead, I often find something like 70% of businesses charging around the same, with maybe 25% of providers at the bargain basement end of the prices scale and 5% at the top. Those numbers are anecdotal and in some industries, that 70% middle is closer to 60% or 80%. However, that same rough pattern holds true again and again.

What we know about your marketplace

The most competitive slice of your marketplace is the overcrowded 70%. This is where it’s hardest to get noticed. These businesses tend to spend the most on advertising, networking and promotion.
The least rewarding slice of your marketplace is the bargain basement 25%. This is where the most fee-sensitive and least valuable clients are. Those who hire you because your fees are low will ditch you, when someone offering a lower fee comes along. Wafer thin profits and high customer churn make this slice exceptionally risky. It can work [unless you sell your time for money], but requires a highly specialist approach.
The best paid and least competitive slice of your marketplace is the top 5%. This is where the best clients, the highest fees and the biggest financial rewards are.

So, are your prices or fees attracting the right slice of your marketplace or have you drifted into the wrong place?

Drifted?

Yes.

Although it’s by far the biggest slice of every marketplace, few if any business owners set out to be average. And NO BUSINESS OWNER will admit to building an average business.

They know how hard they work. They know how much they care about their customers.

So, how does it happen?

In an effort to be competitive, most business owners slowly align their prices or fees (and service level) to within a few percent of the industry average. Before they know it, they’ve joined the overcrowded masses. Working hard. Working long hours. However, earning average fees from average customers.

Moving into the top 5%

Thankfully, if you’re not happy where you are, you can reposition your business. If you want to move your business from the overcrowded middle, to the highly rewarding top 5%, you can.

It starts with a commitment to embrace the edges of your marketplace, rather than cling to the middle ground. You then need to increase the value you provide and then to increase your fees accordingly.

Finally, you need to ensure your marketing reflects the additional value you bring and communicates all that value into a highly compelling marketing message.

Get this right and 2018 won’t only be your best year ever. It will be the year you

What you need to know about the stupid people who don’t hire you

By Jim Connolly | April 4, 2016

I heard a business owner earlier making an amazing statement. Here’s what he said, along with a massively valuable marketing lesson.

The business owner was being interviewed on local radio. They asked him how his business was doing. He replied that it was really struggling. When they asked him why, he replied:

“That’s simple. The marketplace is too stupid to understand how good my service is, so they hire cheaper providers”.

I guess that’s one way to look at things.

He was wrong. Very, very wrong!

Clearly, when prospective customers are failing to understand the value of the services you provide, it’s your job to build a better, clearer marketing message. Writing the marketplace off as being stupid is… well… stupid. It also shifts the focus away from the business owner [who can fix the issue] to the prospective customer [who can’t].

Some far more useful alternatives

If your prospective customers are failing to understand the value you bring, there are lots of things you can do. Here are just a few.

Make sure YOU are 100% clear on the value of your service. Check that you’re offering a compelling reason why prospective clients need what you provide. Demonstrate the extra [whatever] you offer, which they can’t get from a competitor. Note: If you can’t explain why they should use your service over a competitor’s service, you’re not ready to market your service yet.
Hire a professional marketing copywriter. This is the least expensive, fastest and most effective option. You pay a professional to style your hair, right? You pay a professional to look after your teeth too. So, pay a professional to create a compelling marketing message for your business.
Tip: If you think your business isn’t worth hiring a professional for, get a job.
If you insist on creating your own marketing message, try being clearer. Cut the fluff from your message. Get to the point. Embrace brevity.
Tip: Don’t write your web copy for Google. Really. Don’t!
Then test that new, clearer message on a selection of prospective customers. See if they have a clearer idea of the message you want to convey. If they understand it, others are likely to understand it too.
If they still don’t understand your message, try explaining things using more forms of media. So, if it was originally a written marketing message, add video, images, graphs or audio.

There are more customers and clients out there than you could ever need. Plus, it has never been easier to reach them. This means you never need to settle for a business that’s under performing.

It’s 100% within your control.

How to build a great business, with outstanding Customer Service

By Jim Connolly | March 17, 2016

As I’ve said previously, everything a business does is marketing. The customer service we provide is a prime example of this. It’s the core of our whole business. It’s what determines whether we lose clients or retain clients who recommend us.

The root cause of bad customer service

This begs the question: When customer service is this important, why do we regularly experience such poor service?

The answer is simple. Bad service, like good service, is a reflection of a company’s culture.

A company’s culture is what nurtures the kind of service their customers receive. It attracts and rewards incompetence or it attracts and rewards excellence.

For example.

An employee will not get away with offering poor service for long, if their company is serious about great customer service. Their poor quality service will quickly stand out. It will not be tolerated. They will then either be trained or fired. Period.
Conversely, an employee who believes in great customer service will find it hard to work for a company with no real commitment to customer service. The employee will either leave or be slowly beaten down into offering the same low quality service as their colleagues.

In both examples, employees find out what is expected of them. They then know what they need to do, to comply with the company culture. They know how low or how high the bar has been set.

Customer service and marketing

As business owners, we create the customer service culture of our businesses. Whether we are a solopreneur or have a team, we determine what’s expected.

This means we can choose to shoot for service excellence. And service excellence is the culture that attracts the best employees and the best customers. Plus, we’ll retain our customers for longer and they will become passionate advocates — recommending us to their friends.

That’s why customer service excellence is a foundational part of effective marketing. That commitment to excellence is also an outstanding way to build a business.

Here are 2 posts with examples and ideas, to help you improve your customer service experience:

There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.

Are you building an exceptional customer experience.

So, who are your next 10 clients?

By Jim Connolly | July 24, 2014

Your next 10 clients will usually be a lot like the previous 10. They will pay you a similar fee, have similar requirements and expect a similar level of service too.

That’s great news if you already attract high value, high profit clients.

It’s not such great news, if you tend to attract fee sensitive, average clients.

How to build a highly valuable client list

If you want to build a more valuable client list, start today by getting specific about the type of clients you want to work with. When you have done that, consider the following:

What level of service do these higher quality clients expect? Do some research. Find out what they want from a provider in your industry.
Next, build a level of service, which over-delivers on what they expect. By exceeding their expectations, you will have a vastly more powerful proposition to offer them — something that will earn their attention and interest.
Are you prepared to execute on this strategy, in order to build a massively more valuable client base? Nothing I have mentioned so far is difficult to do. However, putting it into play requires courage. It means leaving the failing familiar.

As service providers, we have the freedom to choose who we work with. Deliberately selecting the kind of clients we want, in advance, is the key to building a highly valuable client base.

In every sense, it pays to choose wisely.