De-Mystifying Marketing: 10% of Your Brain Can Mean 100% Growth
Marketing
By: Dale Noles
The biggest issue for most small businesses and entrepreneurs is marketing effectively. There are numerous pieces to the marketing puzzle that are seldom utilized and often lay dormant. The main reason for this is the lack of understanding associated with what can actually be done with a small marketing budget.
You may have heard that humans, on average, use only ten percent of their actual brain capacity. There are a handful of people who can tap into much more than what the average Joe or Jane does on a regular basis. Most of them are geniuses in some area or another. Yet, why is this information important to you? Simply put, because you can be capable of so much more, if only you exercise your greatest asset, your brain.
Neuron Workout
Like any muscle, the brain gets stronger when you exercise it. The more you use it, the easier thinking becomes. As a business owner attempting to market your business to your potential client/customer base is as easy as thinking about it. No, I am not saying that just thinking about it will make it happen, but it will help speed the process up.
Get Inside Their Head
Let me explain. If you truly understand whom you are marketing to, you can begin to make decisions that will increase the likelihood of drawing more of your targeted potential clients to your business. The main key is to think in terms of whom it is you are marketing to. What do they like, want, need, desire, experience and how can you “speak” to each one?
Imagine that your business is a coaching practice and your ideal clients are women between the ages of twenty-five and forty, who make an average income between twenty-four to seventy-five thousand dollars per year and juggle a career and a family. You may have ten to fifteen clients throughout the month and your marketing strategy is mostly website visitors who sign up for your on-line newsletter. You may only be spending around two hundred dollars for your monthly marketing, which is not very much.
This example shows very little in the way of creativity. In other words, there was little thought that went into planning a strategy for marketing. How can you break out of this cycle and increase the “traffic” to your practice?
Put Your Money When Your Desire Is
Determine a marketing budget that you can live with if you double your business per month. You might be able to increase your clientele on your current budget, but it would take longer. Am I suggesting that you scrap your newsletter? No. I recommend keeping your newsletter. This marketing tactic can be a phenomenal tool if you have more than six or seven hundred subscribers. But do not let it be your only marketing tool.
Your Well Oiled Machine
In order to be able to handle more clients/customers, you will need to prepare yourself for an increase. What I mean is set up systems that will allow you to grow your business without adding any extra strain. Some examples would include utilizing a system that will handle online transactions, filter your subscribers through your commitment funnel (a system that is described in the book Get Clients Now!: A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals and Consultants, by C. J. Hayden), create forms, write relevant articles, submit articles to on-line and off-line publishers, utilize the expertise of a virtual assistant, etc.
An objection to this could be, “But this is an extra expense.” And you would be correct, at least at first. After these systems are in place, you can begin to focus on growing your practice through other means. The article writing and submission will help get your name out there as an expert on your topic. But do not expect to get instant results using this form of marketing, as this is typically a slow process. But, we strongly recommend it.
Pick Their Brain
To see a boost of clientele, we recommend proactive marketing. Since, you already have a target market; you need to actively seek out ways to attract your ideal client. What works best for your clientele? If you do not know, ask them. Consider only the clients that fit the mold of your ideal client. Ask them what magazines, books or publications they read. Ask them what attracted them to you. How did they find you? What online and offline venues are they actively involved in (Toast Masters, NAWBO, IWMF, etc.)?
Get Your Oxygen Pumping
After you have a strong base of information to work from you will want to exercise your thinking muscle. This is where you will want to get creative. A good way to get creative is to increase the oxygen flow to the brain. There are many ways to achieve this; caffeine (my personal favorite), exercise (like a brisk 10-minute walk, yoga, treadmill, etc.), crossword puzzle, creative writing, etc. I am not endorsing one method over another but merely indicating a way to get the creative juices flowing, you can choose whatever works best for you.
Synapse Power
Once you have stimulated your brain, you should be able to start thinking creatively. Have fun. Start with a question like, if there were no limitations on attracting your ideal clients, what would it be? What other ideas can you think of that will be exciting and enticing to you and your clients? Write them down. Now imagine how to implement one of your ideas. What would it look like? How would it feel? What does it smell like? Utilize your senses and incorporate them into your idea. What can you do today that will help you move toward this goal? Write it down and plan to do it!
The end result will be a fresh approach to attracting your ideal client. This is where your systems can work to your benefit. Incorporate your new idea into your marketing strategy. In the end, if it is exciting to you, there is a good chance that it will be exciting to your potential clients.
About the Author:
Dale Noles is the President of The Selon Group. His businesses support the coaching community by offering marketing, branding, streamlining coaching practices including administrative, executive and technical support. For more information visit http://www.TheSelonGroup.com or http://www.VirtualAccuracy.com.
Permalink 3 CommentsIt’s been a LONG time since I’ve been this excited over something in the “internet marketing” world.
My friend (and long-time mentor) Jimmy D. Brown has just launched a new membership site called “List and Traffic”.
(If you haven’t already gotten about five gazillion notices about it - you will … it’s that significant)
He’s done some very interesting things with this subscription site that I just want to briefly mention.
1. Video training. Jimmy has included a set of video tutorials that teach you list-building and traffic generation. And the content is superb! Stuff no one else teaches - brand new, original strategies. (You also get the MP3 version, PDF transcripts and PDF checklists to print out and walk through the steps to grow your lists and traffic)
2. Recurring commissions. Members are automatically enrolled in the private affiliate program for the new site - you earn 50% commission EVERY MONTH for as long as the members you refer remain active. (The site is converting like crazy … so it’s an easy sale for you!)
3. Bonus resources. This isn’t something that Jimmy advertises at the site, but there is a BONUS resource area inside the member’s area loaded with original articles, reports and other materials to help you grow your business. Keep that to yourself as it’s not “public knowledge” at this point. (Note: I skimmed through these bonus resources and learned more from
them than most of the courses I’ve purchased from others over the years!)
Want to know the best part? The whole thing is only $10. That’s right, ten bucks!
I’m not sure how many members he is going to allow into the site, so I’d recommend you drop by now and take a closer look before he locks the doors. (Remember, his Nicheology site? It sold out in 3 days!)
Check it out at http://www.valleyva.net/listandtraffic.html
Until next time…
Heather
P.S. In case you’re wondering, Jimmy’s content is “cutting edge” stuff. It isn’t rehashed like most of the junk you see these days. The videos are fresh, original ideas for building huge lists and driving a flood of traffic to your site that you simply won’t find anywhere else.
Permalink 3 CommentsThe Importance of a Signature Line…
From the December 2005 issue of “Marketing Made Simple www.valleyva.net/Marketing-Made-Simple/marketing-made-simple-december05.html
The very first tip in Making Dollars Out of Cents: 101 Tips for the Frugal Marketer is using a signature line - whether you’re posting in forums or sending an email. Many of us take our signature line for granted. It’s just there. Everyone else does it, so we do, too. Do you realize how important that signature line is?
In November, I was researching various places I could advertise the book and found a local publication that caters to small businesses. I found their email address and dropped them a note. It simply said, “I’m interested in advertising in your publication. Could you please provide rates, ad specifications, and any other pertinent information?”
The response that I received included the information that I requested as well as a question about my business.
Hmmm…I never told her what I did, so how did she know? The answer is quite simple. She noticed my signature line, and as a result, I have a new client.
Still think it’s not important?
When you look at your website statistics, where are people coming from? If you have your link in your signature line, I’m willing to bet that many of your visitors are coming through a signature link from a message board that you post on.
If you’d like to track the times that someone clicks on an email signature link, direct them to a specific page on your website. You’ll then be able to see how many times people are clicking on the link in your email signature line. I bet you’ll be surprised when you see how many people actually DO click on those links!
Use your signature line wisely. Don’t try to sell something in your signature line, just get them to your site. Use your site to do the selling! Keep your signature line short, sweet, and to the point. Highlight your newsletter or a special you have running. Use buzz words to get their attention. Are you more likely to click on a link that says “Visit my online store for great products” or “Click here for up to 50% off name brand merchandise”? These phrases are just examples, but think about the links that you click on while you’re surfing the net. What makes you click?
Your signature line is important!
Take some time this week to evaluate your current signature line. How can you make it better? How can you get more people to your site with your signature line? Set up a tracking system. If it’s not working, then change it up. Use your signature line to your advantage!
Happy Marketing!
Permalink 11 CommentsCold Beginnings on Cold Calling
By: Dale Noles
“Cold Calling.” Those two little words strike fear and anxiety in most people. One might wonder why that it is the case. Is it related to speaking with someone that they do not know? Potentially. Is it “phone-a-phobia”? Not likely. You would probably spend countless hours on the phone with an old friend or your mother. Why then does cold calling make your heart beat fast and your hands sweat?
The problem can stem from the fear of rejection. Growing up, if you ever dated anyone, you probably experienced anxiety over asking someone out on a date for fear that they would say no. Well, this is not high school. This is the real world. You can live your entire life and never face the fear of asking someone out, but if you want to survive in business, cold calls must be made!
1. Knowing Your Target Market
To get started with cold calling, your first step is getting familiar with who you want your clients to be. What does that mean? Determine the professionals or types of individuals your product and or service appeals to. Who wants what you have? This is your market.
Then take it a step further and determine within that market who the specific professionals or types of individuals are any why they will most likely to buy from you. This becomes your target market. It sounds much harder than it really is, but keep your focus and you will do fine.
2. Knowing Your Services and Relating Their Core Benefits
The next step to consider is familiarizing yourself with your business. At first glance, this step seems easy, but it isn’t as easy as you might think. You have to think outside of the box. What do you want to offer to your target market? If your target market is Real Estate Professionals (REPs) do you want to handle their direct mailings, entering and updating listings, produce flyers and sell sheets or handle transaction coordination?
3. Top Five Features of Services
You need to assume that your target market doesn’t know anything about the virtual assistance industry, which may be the case. You have to consider your client’s needs and address them head on. Why do they need a virtual assistant? So you can save them time, so what? Why should they care? They will care because you care enough about what they want not just what they need. Think about what your client can do with the time that you can provide them with.
4. Planning Your Script
Every successful cold caller needs to have a script. Why? When you make cold calls, you control the direction of the call. You need to get your point across quickly and clearly. You have about ten seconds to gain their interest. You want to be sure to include your name, your company’s name, what you do, why you have what they need and any objections that you can think of. Be sure that your message is upbeat. Use words that you are comfortable with. Make it sound conversational. This is not the time to try out five-dollar words.
5. Practice
This is key to making a good presentation. After you have written your script, review it. Does it flow? Are you tripping over words? If you are, you need to revise it. Remember to continue to practice until you feel comfortable with the script.
6. Role Playing
Find a partner that you are comfortable with and ask them to be a role-playing partner. Ask them to get into the mindset of your target market. Start by pretending to make the actual call from the pickup through the close. Ask your partner to come up with objections. Use what you wrote to overcome the objections. If you come across an objection that you do not know how to get around, rewrite the script to incorporate the objection as a selling point in the script. The best objection is one that is answered before it is asked! That tells the other person on the phone that you understand what they want, not just what they need.
7. Test the Water
Pick up the phone and start calling your target market. If you don’t call, you should not expect to do much business, this rings true in most every business with a few exceptions. Stick to your script. Measure your results. How far did you get on your script before you were stopped? Does it flow naturally? Do you sound intelligent? Are you covering all the objections?
8. Re-Examine
After about twenty calls, you will know if you need to rewrite any part of your script. Look at your measured results and see where the objections come and determine how to overcome them before they are asked. It may be necessary to rewrite the script completely and go through the steps again. You may need to change your script a few times until you find the one that works for you.
9. Perfect Your Techniques
Once you have found a script that works, memorize it. Memorize all the objections and how to overcome them. You should be affluent with your script. The person you are calling should not be able to tell that you had a script to begin with. Keep your script close by, in case your brain has a meltdown. The last thing you want it to say is…ah…um…ah.
10. Negative or Positive
Cold calling is a numbers game, the more people that you talk to, the greater your chances are of reaching someone who is interested in what you have. Expect to hear, NO! It is inevitable. Someone will say it. Expect to hear, YES! It is inevitable. Someone will say it. If someone decides that they want to buy from you, be prepared to sell them what they want. A good rule of thumb is to expect a three percent return for your efforts. Think of a negative response as one more “No” out of the way and one more “Yes” is coming soon.
With all of that said, you are well on your way to great business success. You may have heard the saying, “Use the right tool for the right job.” Cold calling is a phenomenal tool and like any tool if you do not use it, your job is harder to do. Keep your chin up and your ear to the receiver and you will do fine.
© 2004, Virtual Accuracy
About the Author
Dale Noles is the President of Virtual Accuracy, Assistance For Coaches and VA Training. His areas of expertise include complex database creation, marketing, website design and coaching. For more information visit www.VirtualAccuracy.com or www.VirtualAccuracy.com or www.AssistanceForCoaches.com
This article can be reprinted as long as it is kept intact, about the author is used in its entirety (with hyperlinks) and an email notification is sent to VA@VirtualAccuracy.com.
Permalink 1 CommentDon’t Let Your Business Bleed to Death
By John Stafford
There it is….
YOUR business lying cold on the ground, another company killed before it even began..
Today we are going to cover three fatal wounds to your business and what you can do to stop them.
Wound Number One: Buying too many products
Do you find yourself buying the newest wiz bang super duper explode your profits product all too often?
I know, I know, It had a slick salesletter promising you money to the moon and so many bonuses you just couldn’t resist. 30 day money back guarantee you say? What do you have to lose???
Plenty. How do I know??
Well I WAS you not so long ago, 40 bucks here, 70 dollars there Gold package this, upgrade that just $25 more??? Before you know it whats left of your business startup money?
Not much. Hey look, on the bright side you got some Great new ebooks 
What do we do?? STOP. Stop right now. Go through your inventory of ebooks, courses, tape sets and read them. Huh?? Read them??? Yep. Apply and take notes on what you can and return what you can’t use. Most products worth their salt have a return policy and if not, chalk it up as learning experience.
Wound Number Two: Subscribing to multiple paid sites and newsletters
They’re sprouting up like wildfire now, Paid sites… just 27 bucks a month for instant access.. to this secret, insider, members only masterpiece.
All you need to take your business to the next level blah blah HYPE.
As many famous marketers chant: FORGET THE HYPE! Become members of even a few and that could mean a good chunk of change to the new guy with limited funds.
Paid newletters fall into the same boat in my opinion and starting out you should steer clear of these. As far as free newsletters go, there are so many out there now that its hard to say whats useful.
My solution is to close this cut fast and choose just one that you like, where there’s quality content thats updated often. Subscribe to newletters as long as you have time to read them. Don’t be a “ezine junkie” Your time is precious, use it wisely.
Wound Number Three: Doing nothing
I often hear “95% of all businesses on the net fail” Why do you think that is?? While the two reasons above contribute nothing kills like this last one.
Now I know I’m not the only one whos got that folder of ebooks on my hard drive rotting or those 3 ring binder courses gathering dust. Its so easy to get caught up in the rush of life. Especially when you’re working at home.
Putting things off and being lazy feels good sometimes, don’t I know it 
But time passes fast and if you don’t act now when will you?
I’m not here to be your motivation but I can share somethings that have worked for me and can work for you also so pay attention.
1. Take notes when you’re reading something be it an ebook or article and use a highlighter often on parts that interest you. Keep your notes by your computer so you’re reminded often and its harder to put off.
2. Start a project list - I personally use index cards but you can use whatever you like. Do one and only one project at a time and break it up in parts so its easier to work through.
3. Focus on why - I know you’ve probably heard this alot but it bears repeating. Why do you want a business? Is it money you want or more free time with your family?
To tell your boss where to go and how to get there? Well if you don’t know, figure that out and think on it often, visualize how you’ll feel.
You might think I’m crazy but it works. With the odds of failure being what they are, I say we need all the help we can get.
So keep this stuff in mind and… See you in the top 5!
© 2005 by John Stafford
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John Stafford is the author of: “Your Money Is In The List - Learn How To Quickly And Easily Build Your Own Hyper
Responsive Opt-In Mailing List And Milk It For Everything Its Worth… Even On A Shoestring Budget”
http://www.listsecrets.com