Don’t sell your product, Share your Story!

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boring, connection, emotional, engagement, Marketing, messaging, Networking, refined, return, revival, speaking, storytelling

My father and I were playing at the beach one sunny afternoon. The father put me up on his shoulders. He said, “How far does the ocean go?” I did not know, but I said “Inches of infinity”. He laughed, because children take what they know and make up things that they don’t. He said, “You can think of the ocean like that. It is hard to think of ever traveling the ocean, but if you travel inches through the ocean, you will eventually reach another shore.”
So when I fell overwhelmed, I think about merely traveling inches. 

You want your marketing to be compelling, attractive and memorable? Toss the sales copy, and instead write your customers a story. Make that into photos, video, slideshows, pamphlets and events. Make that story your 30 second elevator pitch,and the incredible message of 3 day long seminars. The more you tell your story, the better it will sound and the more it will do for your business. So what is your story? How can you connect that story to anyone’s emotions? With this connection, you will find success.

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Effective Marketing

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coupons, customers, data, flyering, intellectual property, Marketing, measuring, Networking, print media, sales, strategy, success, thought leader

Marketing is effective when it attracts the specific type of customer that you want, that can afford to buy from you. 
Let me break this down.

Effective Marketing=

+attracting customers to you
+attracting customers that you want
+attracting customers that can afford to buy from you

So, in order to market effectively, you must first know who are the specific customers that you would like to attract!
What are the names of some specific customers you would like?
Are they businesses (b2b) or consumers (b2c)?
What does their income look like?
Do they share a common culture, ethnicity, language (slang) and style?
Where do your customers work, go to school, go anywhere on a regular basis?
Are the customers you are seeking already buying from your competitor, and why?
Are the customers you are seeking limited to a geographic area?

Then you discover what it would take to attract those customers to you. 
What are the wants and needs of the customers that I am seeking – even if I do not do all of those things?
Who can I partner with, that serves the same customers that I am seeking, but does not compete with me?
What do I do better than my competitors to serve my customers?
How can I share with the customers I want how I serve my customers better?

Now let’s look at some types of marketing:

1> Networking and follow-up
2> Public Speaking/Lectures
3> Publishing and Content Writing
4> Online Advertising
5> Print Advertising

This list is in order of general effectiveness in my eyes. 
Now, all marketing types can be done well, when they are approached with a definitive end goal in mind. 
Anything that brings you specifically, or a sales/marketing rep out into the world to meet people and build relationships – this tends to be the most effective marketing of all. But you have to be strategic on who you are getting out to meet, how you will follow-up, and how you can effectively communicate to those people that you can solve their need best. You must have a system to track the many different networking avenues, and then rule out the ones that are not going to bring you to the people that you most want to meet. Track all the people you have met in CRM software, or at least an organized address book with timed reminders for follow-up.

Publishing and writing should show that your company is an expert in your field, and even a thought leader that is striking new territory. If it matches your brand, do not be afraid to take an “industry standard” and complete argue in your writing for a different direction. Then use the writing as a funnel to a contact channel, such as your website or phone line. 

Online and print advertisements can be effective simply as a numbers game. When you get your content in front of enough people, eventually you will reach someone that wants to buy from you. Wherever possible, refine the online audience that you are marketing to. Post within forums, groups and blogs that cater specifically to your customer type and location. When posting coupons, don;’t use the same coupons in more than one publication. Use one coupon type in each, with tight deadlines so that you can best track their effectiveness. Beware of any discounts, which can devalue the worth of your product or service, and make you look desperate.

Effective marketing is measurable. How many sales did this marketing generate? How many new contacts? How many new email subscribers? How many more people have contacted me to speak at their events or write for their paper? Set your marketing campaigns with an end goal, and an end time so you can measure effectiveness and make tweaks. 

I hope this helps you market better with your time and money.

 

Credibility From Associations

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associations, certification, credibility, Marketing, Networking, reputation

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was one the very worst factory incidents in recorded history. This taught us that we cannot rely solely on businesses to create their own standards of safety and responsibility. No, it is the job of executives to profit, and still today we have horrid catastrophes such as oil spills, faulty products, and explosions.

The internet connects us, and allows us to share our experiences with a certain company with the world. It is more important than ever to build a strong identity of credibility and ingenuity to keep up.

After such catastrophes in the early 20th century, the workers started to ban together in Unions to influence the employers and management. This idea of working together was also very effective since the beginning of civilization, when those of the same or similar trade would get together and speak on the specifics of their industry. From the farmers RoundTable to the FreeMasons, there have been innumerable groups of similar trade, working together.

Not only are such trade groups great for sharing industry knowledge, but nowadays, being a part of a trade group lends a great deal of credibility and reputation to your practice. It is within these groups that your business will be scrutinized by subject-matter experts, and in many of these groups – if you do not pass these tests. you are rejected.

You can further prove your worth to your peers by becoming certified or accredited within certain trade groups. These tests require financial and time investments, that I feel are very worth it in most cases. Not only are you a member of a group, but you have a certificate that authenticates you in this industry!

Not all tests and not all groups are created equal – I recommend that you do a great deal of research on the agendas  and credibility of any group before you align your reputation with them.

It is not enough to join, test, pass. Tap into these resources at their fullest. Network, and make it known that you are looking for a certain kind of lead. Pass leads frequently through the group. Serve your peers, and they will serve you back! It is a great power to be owed a favor.

Display your associations with pride in: your office, on your website, on your printed materials. and mention them in conversation and speeches. This is how you really work with these affiliations and use them to the advantage of your reputation. If no one knows, than it does not matter to them. You have to share with people why they should care about you.

The Secret Facebook Strategies and Networking Event

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#business, downtown, events, facebook, Florida, ilovejax, Jacksonville, jax, moreofthis, Networking, secrets, strategies, TSI

Jacksonville! Check out the event on Facebook – Click the photo to be taken to the event.

Don’t Pull Your Hair Out! Delegate.

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#business, automation, budget, community, delegate, delegation, information technology, innovation, Networking, shortcuts, tech savvy, technology, unfair advantage

Problems arise, and you are freaking out!
You might have a panic- level problem on your hands, but a good leader does not make a petty, panic fit.
You asses your situation, and your options. Who can help you?
So often a problem arises in a small business, and the owner/operator elects to fix things on their own… 

This is not always the best decision. You may be thinking, “I can not afford to call in a professional”.
You may not be able to afford not to. Find someone to provide a free consultation.

See if you can acheive the work you need with bartering. Reduce the cost of the work by offering to be a case study for the business, and providing thorough positive reviews. Offer leads to the business of people that also need help like you did. These are some ways that you can offset the cost of your repairs. You can also negotiate a payment arrangement on a large job.

So before you try and fix a problem yourself, at least get a professional opinion, before you make your problem worse.

Who needs to know your schedule?

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#business, accessibility, availability, back-up, biz, busy, cloud, cloud storage, communication, Networking, organization, scheduling, technology, Time management

It’s Thursday, and I have 14 meetings! 14! Toooo many, but I’m going to make all of them, and I’m going to close deals. Though I have an office, it’s more convenient for my clients for me to travel to them. They cut out a time slot in their busy work day. They give me their problems, and I give them solutions. My business model demands that I meet face-to-face as much as possible, because then I can use my charisma and listening skills to close a deal.
So how do I juggle 14 meetings and still have time to post this blog? The Internet keeps me organized. What I do, and suggest that you do also, is I put my daily schedule public on the cloud. The people that matter can see updates to my availability and squeeze in if needed. People love to try and see me last minute- and I love, LOVE last minute meetings. Why? Well, a last minute meeting is an urgent need and a very hot lead. The client wants to close a deal, and fix a problem URGENTLY.
That is a win-win situation if I can meet them.
So put your schedule up publicly, or somewhere that the people that count can always find it.
Another situation made me glad SO GLAD that I keep my schedule in the cloud… A dear friend of mine lost her phone. I’m like her- I rely on my phone to run my whole life! Unlike me though, none of her phone docs were backed up. She lost her contacts, her pictures-and worst of all- her calendar.
Who was she supposed to meet at 8pm? She only remembered vague times and not locations or people. It was just too much information.
What resulted was a mayhem of 14 very angry clients and prospects that were stood up, or that she did not prepare the right information for.
Her contacts were gone- so even if she knew who to call and apologize to, she did not have their numbers.
Back up your home in the cloud, and protect yourself from this embarrassment.

I Did Not Want To Keep Your Business Card.

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#business, adapt, Branding, Cards, change, Criticism, Graphic Design, Honesty, Marketing, Networking, Remember, reputation, sales, sell, Thrive, Viral Marketing

You may have given me your business card before I was a business woman. I do not remember and neither do you. You don’t have my contact information and I likely lost or threw away your card.
What are you doing? You missed me, a valuable lead. A lead that could have become a sale. I wonder how many others you lost just like me.
Your business card sucks.
It has your contact info. That’s nice.
It does not sell me on why you are the best for me. It has no pizazz. It’s full and it will not be remembered or cherished-and neither will your business.
Fix this!
Make me want to keep your business card. Print on an impressive paper. Make the picture sharp and the text exciting. Give me an extra reason to keep your card- add a coupon, get another business on your card, add a work of art… Something! Go above and beyond your normal business card. Make it into a magnet for the fridge, a keychain, a flash drive for the computer- give me something that I want to keep.
Adapt your business for the changing times, or just fail.

Network Now!

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#business, adapt, billions, change, empire, growth, millions, network, Networking, people, reputation, sales, sell, structure, success, sustainability, wealth

When my clients ask me… “What can i do to get more customers?” I ask them back- “What are you doing to network yourself?”
The power of networking is unmatched by any other sales tactic. It is true that everyone you know could supply you with so many valuable services. The people you know can be character references- a powerful tool at enhancing your reputation. The people you know can refer you to others, adding new clients to your retinue and becoming a source of free advertising!
Are you networking enough? Are you getting character references and free word-of-mouth advertising?
Build a system where people can easy communicate to the world that you are a good business person. Encourage recommendations in tweets, Facebook pages and places listings. Ask to display a picture and a quote from really good reviewers in your business and on your website. Getting reviews is not limited to your customers! Contact experts related to your industry, and ask them for their perceptions of your work. Doctors talking about doctors, for instance, is powerful marketing.
The highest aim is video. If a customer is a raving fan, see if they will make a review video- quality isn’t important. There is something genuine about a cell phone or webcam video from a customer, that is lost with a produced professional video.
You can never have too many reviews! Work to keep them coming, and keep them current. Work hard to keep your peers and your customers happy so your reviews stay positive.
Business to business networking is a high priority for me- being in a business that serves businesses in any capacity.
I like to hear what my peers are complaining about-and learn ways to better serve all businesses by learning their problems.
We run our detailed accounting on the 20th of every month. Right off, at least 15% of profits goes into marketing. We want to see our business keep growing! Out of that 15%, 5% goes to networking. We attend regular networking events, free photo shoots, and pay to entertain well-connected people. That investment sees immediate results. Every new person we meet, gives us a highly valued perception on our own image. About a quarter of the people we meet refer us to other business owners. These moments are integral to our growth, and we look forward to putting more money and time into this effort. It’s worth it!
What are you doing to network yourself? And how can you get more out of your networking efforts?

My Business Goals

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#business, billions, energy, Networking, Saura Johnston, Your Business Allies

It’s Wednesday morning, and we are photographing businesses around Jacksonville for their places listings and advertisement needs.
Working at a brick-and-mortar business brings me great joy! I love to admire huge, architectural masterpieces and study the way the elements of the interior affect the businesses’ atmosphere and work-flow.
I have a special file locked away with all my business goals- where we plan to establish our brick-and-mortar location and what we plan to do with our first interior.
These are relatively short-term growth plans. In the long-term, our business desires are grandiose BHAG’s!
I want to be making 6 billion dollars from the sum of my investments in 2020. I want to be a part of opening a solar power plant on the moon, that captures solar energy in the thin atmosphere, and ships the solar cells back to Earth. I want to dominate private education and agriculture. I want a health business that develops cures for diseases- not just treating symptoms. I want to rehabilitate former prisoners and help them thrive in society if they are willing. I want to teach the poor about assets and money- management. I want to publish dozens of fiction and non-fiction– sci-di, romance, political commentary, social commentary… Just to name a few genres I’d like to tackle.
That’s a peek at some of my goals– most of which are being worked towards right now. What are some of your goals?

Lessons Learned

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#business, childhood, lessons, Networking, reading, Your Business Allies

My whole life I have been exposed to business, and I keep those lessons with me-Now that I run my own businesses.
I remember early in my life, I lived in the dirty state of New Jersey, above a terribly dirty bar. The bar often kept us up at night with loud, live music and drunk patrons. It was one of the greatest decisions my single mom made to move us to Florida. It was from that bar that I learned how your business can affect your community- for better or worse.
In Florida, I often babysat my cousins and children of the neighbors. Babysitting taught me how much work it is to be responsible for another person’s life. Babysitting also helped me make the final decision not to have kids of my own. EVER.
I picked up another odd job, at around twelve years old. I was cleaning up construction sites-mostly houses, just after they finish the electric.
My aunt brought it to my attention that my construction clean up could become a very lucrative business, by stripping the wire scraps I was collecting, and selling the copper. I worked very hard at this and added another couple of hundred dollars every two weeks to my pocket. Little did I know back then, my aunt was profiting several times that off my work. That taught me to be in charge and to always check after people.
The housing construction industry nose-dived, so I grudgingly went back to baby-sitting.
The overall job market was rough, and several people that I worked for became slow paying me. Of course kids have no rights in a workforce where kids are not supposed to work. I learned many tactics to convince people to pay me on-time or in advance, although overall I hoped to be out of that market altogether.
I focused the incredible work ethic that I learned from my single mother, and rocked in high school. I learned shortcuts, and finished 35% of my college AA degree in high school. This was a tremendous help, because I struggled with math, and high school dual-enrollment professors were very helpful and personally attentive.
I threw myself into working and neglected college after high school. The job world led me to believe that college was no longer a big contributing factor to the success that I wanted, so I have that up. I steadily worked three jobs and worked over 80 hours per week.
My big dream was to be a serial entrepreneur and multi-billionaire. I was working at a bookstore, which offered a check-out system. I preferred getting the new books from the bookstore than the outdated texts from the library. I obsessively read business books, investing, and Internet books. From 2008 to 2011, I read over 400 books, and saved over 900 word documents of notes! In between work shifts, at lunch breaks, ANYTIME I wasn’t working- I would likely be reading.
This obsessive hobby led me to excell in my bookstore job, often the resident expert that my co-workers referred to and a brilliant up seller to the customers. I had immeasurable passion for that job, and stayed with it long after it was really helpful to my growth.
My mother put me in Head Start at three years old, and despite dyslexia, I picked up reading and excelled very fast. My cousins craved expensive video games for entertainment- I merely wanted a good book.
I learned the power of networking in my last job-working as a debt collector. That was a company full of politics. Friends promote friends, and share strategic advantages. It was during that job that I decided to make powerful friends, and to be very good to them.
A friend of mine introduced ne to a photographer named Dave. He and I became inseparable friends, and later on- business partners. He involved me in his companies because he recognized that I had exhaustive research behind me, and the creative ingenuity to make successful enterprises. For exactly two years, we worked in-sync, until we had to accept that we each wanted different things for our businesses, so we cordially split.
Now I’m still learning lessons daily, and I am a risk-taker, so the lessons come more often to me than someone who lives monotonously.
I’m working three businesses, each of which I hope to establish thorough processes that allow them to run independent of myself. My greatest passion comes now from helping other small businesses grow as I do, with my consulting company Your Business Allies at http://yourbusinessallies.com