Jim Connolly Marketing

Your direction of travel

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marketing, outstanding, average

Yesterday morning’s client session started with a BIG announcement.

“Jim, I have to tell you something. As of today, the company has already achieved 45% of our entire 2022 revenue figures!”.

Some important context.

  • 2021 was a record-breaking year for Paul’s company.
  • Yes, we were just 33 days into 2022.
  • No, it wasn’t the result of a few huge, unexpected contracts.
  • However, having worked with Paul’s company since August 2020, this achievement was fully consistent with their direction of travel. It’s exactly where they should be, given their trajectory.

There’s some solid gold here, for you and your business and your direction of travel.

Allow me to explain.

Direction of travel

Every business today is a reflection of what the people who direct that business have done, and failed to do, up to this point. In summer 2020, when Paul’s company hired me, lots of business owners were focused on surviving during the pandemic. Paul and his business partner were focused on a very different goal.

They chose to look at what was possible (rather than focus on what they feared), and thrive. That has set them on course for staggering (potentially life-changing) success in 2022.

Changing YOUR direction in an instant

Your direction of travel changes the moment you pick a big, audacious goal AND put the people, resources and processes in place to achieve it.

Naturally, it works both ways.

Here’s why most small businesses limp along for years and years, stressed and achieving nothing like they could have.

Most small business owners / directors set goals. BUT they lack the guts to invest in the resources required to achieve anything meaningful. In doing so they’re perfectly on course to make a total mess of it.

The coordinates of their direction of travel looks like this:

– They’re not expecting much.

– So, they’re not doing much.

– And are travelling towards nothing much.

They don’t even know why

Very, very few small business owners on that direction of travel have accepted why they’re struggling. They’ll tell themselves the reason they’re spinning their wheels is that they’re in the wrong location, or that things are generally quiet. Others blame their industry – – even though they have local competitors doing great.

Everyone reading this knows for sure, that one day they’ll arrive.

The question is, where?

In short, if you’re unhappy with the way things are going, change your direction of travel. And have the courage to back yourself to achieve it.

How to go viral. In a very special way

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Pay it forward, contribution

One of the absolute basics of commerce is this: Business is all about people and the relationships we have with one another. This means there’s a clear marketing argument to be made for investing in people.

Investing in people is easy, too. And as you’ll see, it also sets a process into play that helps everyone. Yes, including you (and your business).

Here are some powerful examples of investing in people, which require very little effort.

  • We can connect people, who can assist one another or do business together.
  • We can share resources with people. This can be something as simple as forwarding a useful article or newsletter to them.
  • We can inspire people, by setting an example with our deeds.
  • We can give people recognition. A simple thank you or sending a thank you note, can have a significant positive impact on someone.
  • We can help people to develop or grow, by sharing ideas with them.
  • We can encourage people. The world already has enough pessimists. People who encourage others are always in short supply.

Investing in the success of others is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things you can do. It gives you a tremendous sense of contribution.

But that’s not all.

Something wonderful happens

When you invest in others you set a highly positive cycle in place. It’s amazing. Really amazing.

What happens is that a hefty subset of those you invest in, will be motivated to invest in others. And yes, many will reciprocate to you directly. Make no mistake, the act of contribution is viral and highly valued.

Where does the cycle start? It starts with you, my friend.

When does the cycle start? It starts today. If you want it to.

A list of business experts you absolutely must avoid

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marketing stop

In life there are certain people who you absolutely need to avoid. The same is true in business.

Some are easy to spot

  • The web designer whose website is a piece of crap.
  • The marketing expert, who embarrassingly needs to pester people on Linkedin because their own marketing doesn’t work.
  • The consultant or adviser who claims to be in high demand, yet offers free consultations.
  • The self-proclaimed leadership guru, who clearly isn’t leading.
  • The copywriter whose content is poorly-written and lacks impact.
  • The creativity expert who’s just like all the other creativity experts. (Think about that for a moment).

Others are trickier to spot

  • The marketing consultant, who used tricks to attract a million social media followers.
  • The accountant who understands numbers, but can’t clearly explain what they mean to their client’s business.
  • The strategist whose own strategy is failing.
  • The business development adviser who has never built a successful business of their own.

Protect your business from bad advice

The personal recommendation of a trusted friend is usually the least risky way to find an expert provider. Just make sure the friend has recent, first-hand experience of the quality of the provider’s work.

Another option is to hire someone whose work you’re already familiar with. For example, if you subscribe to a provider’s podcast, YouTube channel, blog or newsletter and they regularly share useful information, they’re giving you some powerful clues.

  • The fact they have turned up consistently, demonstrates a degree of reliability. This is especially the case if they have many years worth of material available.
  • You get to experience first hand, how knowledgeable they are from the quality of information they provide.
  • In addition, you’ll know in advance if they share information with the clarity you need.
  • You also gain an insight into their personality and mindset, which can help you determine if they’re the kind of person you work best with.

With an attractive looking website and some testimonials, anyone can claim to be an expert at anything. And that’s why you need to look deeper.

Because the cost of taking bad advice is far, far higher than the person’s fee.

Exposed: The fact that determines the potential of your business

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business potential, marketing, decisions

How much is the potential of a business worth?

Well, it depends.

  1. If the potential isn’t implemented, it’s of zero value. These businesses fold soon after they start.
  2. If the potential is implemented by someone, but they don’t give it the resources it needs, it will be worth something. Though just a fraction of its potential value. This is the most common situation for small business owners.
  3. If the potential is implemented by someone, who commits to fully realizing it, it could be worth an absolute fortune. A small percentage of business owners take this route.

The difference in those 3 valuations

What takes the potential from literally zero value, to being worth a fortune, is how, and if, the potential is deployed.

Every business owner in that 2nd group uses an established business model. A proven business model with high potential. We know this, because people in EVERY industry move into the 3rd group and make a fortune.

Here’s the thing: Regardless of your industry, YOU can decide to move into the 3rd group.

It’s a decision.

But, it’s ALSO a decision to stay in the 2nd group and spin our wheels. It’s an extremely important decision, too. With huge consequences for our future.

The mistake we make as business owners, is to fool ourselves into thinking that ‘staying as we are’ isn’t a decision we make. It absolutely is a decision. It’s a major decision that impacts not just our business, but our quality of life and our legacy. Every day we decide to run our business and market our business ‘as usual’, we’re recommitting to that decision.

That’s a fact we must be fully aware of. Because even if it makes us feel uncomfortable, as they say; “the fact remains”.

Accepting the fact gives us an objective foundation, from which to make better decisions.

  • We can decide to aim for a place in that 3rd group, and enjoy the possibilities and potential our decision will bring.
  • We can also decide to live with the limitations of being in that 2nd group, and never know what we could have achieved.

As long as we accept that both decisions are, in fact, decisions, we’ll be fully equipped to make in informed choice.

We’ll be able to see and accept the risk attached to remaining in the 2nd group, as well as the risk attached to improving.

We’ll also be able to avoid the regrets of those who went before us, who only saw risk in the decision to improve.

A valuable business lesson from Starbucks and Instagram

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Jim Connolly marketing, Starbucks

Today, I’m going to share a strategy with you that’s used by the world’s most successful businesses. I’ll also show how I use it and explain why you should too.

I’m referring to operating your business with a focused and agile mindset. Those words almost sound like opposites. But they’re not. And in business they work together beautifully. Here’s how focus and agility work together.

  • You need to know what it is you want to achieve from your business and stay focused on it.
  • However, you also need to adopt an agile approach regarding how it happens. Then, as new feedback and opportunities come along, you can adjust your strategy accordingly. This is always sound advice, but in 2022 it’s essential.

In short, you remain both focused and agile.

Here are a couple of well-known examples, along with how I use the same strategy.

You couldn’t buy a cup of coffee from Starbucks

It’s hard to believe today. But it’s true. Starbucks had been in business for several years (and had already opened its first 5 outlets), before they sold a cup of coffee to anyone! Prior to that, Starbucks sold coffee beans. Agile thinking allowed them to identify a new opportunity, when they noticed how customers enjoyed sampling their coffee beans in-store.

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

Instagram used to be a check-in app

Instagram started life in 2010 as a check-in app called Burbn. The developers decided their app was too similar to Foursquare, so they pivoted. All their efforts were switched to the photo-sharing component of the Burbn app. Instagram was born.

Their agile thinking allowed them to identify an opportunity for a filter based photo-sharing app. They ran with it. And just 2 years later, the app was acquired by Facebook for approximately $1 billion in a combination of cash and shares.

The founder’s focus remained the same: to build a successful app. However, their approach changed.

I could have used examples from Suzuki, which used to manufacture weaving looms. Or Nintendo, which has previously sold instant rice, vacuum cleaners and even offered a taxi service. And I could have mentioned how Twitter was born from the ashes of a podcast sharing app called Odeo.

But that almost misses the point.

The point is that it’s not only billion dollar companies that use a focused and agile approach. There are businesses of all sizes, achieving breakthrough results from the exact same strategy.

Including mine.

How I use focus and agility

I started my business working as a marketing consultant, who visited clients at their premises or at my offices in London. When I relocated to a tiny village in the countryside in 2002, I quickly decided I didn’t want to waste hours every day travelling. So, twenty years ago I switched to working remotely. Initially I used phones, then switched to VoIP, Skype video and now Zoom.

Not only did this mean zero time wasted on travel, it also cut my overhead by around 98%! Plus, it opened up the whole world to my services. For the past two decades I’ve worked globally, in over 50 countries, (as well as every state in the United States).

My focus remained the same: to build a successful marketing business. However, my approach changed.

As we emerge from the worst of this horrible virus, one thing’s for sure. Success will continue to reward those with the strength to remain focused, combined with the agility to adapt to the new opportunities.

How to be the top service provider in your niche. The FTA strategy

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best service provider, top service provider, FTA

If you’re interested in learning how to rise to the top and become the best service provider in your niche, read on. I think you’ll find this extremely useful.

What follows is based on studious notes I have taken, in conversations with top people in multiple industries.

It’s also been the foundation of my own success, spanning almost 30 years.

Let’s dive right in.

What stops people becoming the best in their niche?

The short answer is this: They don’t know what they don’t know. So they carry on, accidentally restricting their potential.

I’ve found that pretty-much every service provider will tell you they are committed to being as valuable to their clients as possible. These service providers work hard and strive to keep their clients happy.

The challenge is that their framework for what constitutes being as valuable to their clients as possible, is missing an essential component. And their success is severely limited as a direct result.

Allow me to explain exactly what’s missing. Plus, how you can get it right and absolutely thrive in any market, in any economy; year after, year after, year.

What’s missing?

The top people in any profession only become the best, because they work in a different way to their counterparts. It makes perfect, logical sense.

You can’t be the same — and also be the best. You have to choose!

In my experience of working with, and observing, many of the world’s most successful service providers (both companies and individuals), there’s one piece of the framework they operate from that gives them a massively powerful advantage.

Specifically, I’m referring to a single mindset difference, regarding what it takes to become the best service provider.

A difference that their counterparts aren’t even looking for, because they wrongly think they already have it covered!

You decide to become the best service provider

It starts with that big and bold decision. The decision to become the number one person for your market to turn to, when they need guidance, support, assistance or trusted feedback relating to your specialist area. It’s a very powerful, primary commercial goal to aspire to.

Not a certain income level.

Not a certain lifestyle.

Because, when you achieve the primary goal of becoming the best service provider, the number one choice for the market you serve, all the other rewards follow. And they follow abundantly.

Next, you need to weave this primary goal into everything you and your business does. Whilst service providers always promise to put the needs of their client first, this is almost always done within narrow guidelines. Those who become the best service provider in their marketplace go way beyond that.

Here are a few examples.

The best service providers are TRULY there for their clients

Not simply when there’s a transaction for them to benefit from. Not when the calendar reminds them it’s time for a predictable catch-up email, or an often awkward catch-up call.

That kind of ‘being there’ is utterly superficial.

The best service providers let clients know that they’re accessible when the client needs them. They let them know that they’re eager to help and can be relied upon.

Moreover, they make their availability very clear.

They actively encourage, and warmly welcome, their clients to get in touch.

Looking after their clients is never too much trouble and their clients know this. The best service providers are always keenly interested in the client, and what matters to the client. So, it’s only natural they want to be there for the client in a meaningful way.

The best service providers say ‘no’!

If they think that their services are not ideal for the needs or wants of a prospective client, or the prospect is unsuitable for any other reason, they’ll refuse to take them on. The best service providers know they can only remain the best, if the quality of their service is consistently outstanding. You can’t possibly achieve that level of service excellence, when you’re working with clients who are a bad fit.

The best service providers also say no, if they believe something their client has asked for is not what the client needs, even if the client is happy to pay for it.

Part of earning the trust of a client and developing a reputation for excellence, is to retain a ‘them’ focus.

It’s never about the provider.

It’s always about the client and what’s best for the client.

The top service providers will explain why the client doesn’t need (whatever) and suggest a better way forward.

The best service providers fill the empty space

The vast majority of service providers connect with their clients at certain times. Maybe when they’re on a project with them, or when the client is due to renew.

However, the intervals in-between are occupied with empty space. Silence.

The best service providers maintain contact in the spaces between those interactions. They’re a consistent, reliable contributor to their client’s best interests.

For example.

  • They share useful information with their clients.
  • They connect their clients with contacts.
  • They let their clients know about interesting opportunities.
  • They invite clients to relevant events.
  • They proactively look for ways to be of massive value in every way possible.

In doing so, they become part of the glue that holds their client’s business together.

FTA: Foremost Trusted Advisor

When sharing this approach with clients, I refer to it as the FTA (Foremost Trusted Advisor) Strategy. I then help those who aspire to be the FTA in their niche; locally, nationally, or globally, to put their strategy together. The ideas mentioned here are added to, refined, tailored to their specific service and goals. Then, I weave it into an overall business development strategy.

In many cases, their existing marketing strategy can be replaced entirely. Their new FTA approach is so strong, that it becomes their biggest marketing asset.

Unparalleled levels of client retention and client referrals are compounded with a level of service, which their competitors can’t even hope to match. It’s the most robust business model on the planet.

How powerful is this model?

Simply telling prospective clients how their services work, becomes a highly compelling reason to hire them. No sales pitches are required. The FTA approach is what EVERY, high quality prospective client wants.

I’ve used the FTA strategy since starting my business in the mid 1990’s. In that time, I’ve never sold my services to anyone, though thousands have hired me. I’ve always had great clients and always thrived, regardless of the economy.

I hope this brief look at the subject has given you a few ideas and maybe some inspiration. I’m telling you, it’s the perfect way to build a very profitable, extremely enjoyable business, which rewards you in every way possible.