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August 2010
. .. e r u t a e f l ia c Spe
SIIMON
REYNOLDS ON MARKETING, MONEY AND WHY PEOPLE FAIL
PLUS+
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS Success Stories Business News Photo Gallery
FOLLOW TH
E MONEY:
THE BENEF ITS OF TAK ING YOUR BUSI NESS GLOB AL
FAST-TRACKING YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS TODAY
Do You Know A Teenager That Needs More Motivation, Confidence And Direction? If So, Then You Need To Read This Message Carefully As It Could Have A Significant Effect On Their Life... After nine years and more than 23,000 thrilled participants in six countries, your teenager now has the opportunity to experience the highly acclaimed 2 day advanced life-skills seminar ‘Empower-U’… Do you feel that your teenager could be achieving more, but can’t seem to get them motivated? Do you want to give them the best education possible? Do you want them to have every means at their disposal to live a happy, successful and rewarding life? Then you need to discover why thousands of parents agree that the 2½ day ‘Empower U’ program is the best decision you can make for your son or daughter’s future… In a fun, teenager-friendly environment, Brent Williams will reveal the very same motivation and highachievement secrets that propel the world’s top performers to success – and that are already working wonders for thousands of kids across Australia. Secrets that your child will learn and apply to their life immediately. Secrets we’ve made so simple to understand and use that you will notice immediate improvements. At Empower U your child will become so motivated, so focused, and so determined to succeed that they could well become a super-achiever in a very short time. Your child will walk away from Empower U with total belief in their own abilities and absolute certainty that they can achieve anything they want. Plus, they will have a ‘toolkit’ full of specific strategies they can use to convert their desires into tangible, real-world results – starting right away! It doesn’t matter whether your child just needs some friendly encouragement or a total ‘attitude overhaul’, Empower U will give them the belief, tools and strategies they need to get moving in the right direction.
“I am so glad that a friend told me about Empower U. My daughter attended almost two years ago at the age of fourteen. She is now seventeen and more motivated than ever. I think the most amazing thing about her experience is that it was not just a one-off. They have supported her the whole way and that has been just terrific.” Peter Stacey (Father of Jessica) “Empower U was absoultely awesome! I have never truly learned, enjoyed and been touched by something as much as this in my whole life. I think this program will significantly impact on my future in a positive note and I can never express my gratitude enough.” Sameer Chowdhury (Age 17) “My two daughters attended the Empower U program. One excited, one sceptical. The change in both of them is truly amazing. I am now such a big fan and I just hope that more people take the chance on this that I did. Because then they will see what I now see.” Tura Lechminka (Mother of Alana and Kathryn) Whether it’s more motivation, improved attitude, better exam marks, a savings plan, landing a great job, or just a more open family relationship… you will see results fast!
The next ‘Empower U’ Program is being held in Sydney on the 18th - 19th of September. To find out more, visit:
www.TomorrowsYouth.com.au
From The Editor Welcome to our Magazine! Dear Reader, Well it has certainly been a busy month here in our office. Firstly we had our Winter Business Blueprint Conference. It was a fantastic three days, filled with informative speakers and inspirational participants. We had a wonderful time catching up with Business Blueprint members and seeing how much progress they have been making in their businesses. Make sure you check out the photos from the event on pages 11 and 12. During the event, Dale’s wife Katherine was keeping her fingers crossed that their second child wouldn’t arrive early. And luckily for us, the new baby was very co-operative. e day aer the event finished, Katherine gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Callan Paul Beaumont is beyond gorgeous and I look forward to many visits from him in the office. You can see a photo of him on page 10. In this months issue, Jack Delosa interviewed Siimon Reynolds, one of Australia’s most respected entrepreneurs. And on page 16, David omas examines the opportunities for business owners overseas. Lastly, make sure you check out our mentors tips who this month discuss why creativity is important in business. We would love your feedback, so if you have something to say, please email me at Editor@BusinessBlueprint.com.au or leave a comment under the magazine. And don’t forget to hit the ‘Like’ button. Until next time, have a wonderful month.
In this month’s magazine … Check out our latest Business News and Tips... Page 5 Learn from the best, read our article about Siimon Reynolds and hear his views on Marketing, Money and why people fail... Page 6 Learn from our experts when it comes to adding creativity to your business... Page 8 Michael Hargreaves Michelle Gamble Nigel Collin Read what Dale has been up to lately and see a photo of his new son Callan... Page 10 We sit down with Scott Wilson and get his expert opinion on Marketing... Page 13 Read about Sharon Tieman who is nicknamed ‘Madame Marketing’... Page 14 Claim your free audio, e-book and video... Page 15 Open your mind to the opportunities overseas by reading our article titled Follow The Money... Page 16 Read about our Business Blueprint Members and view the directory... Page 19
Contact Us For any enquires please call 1300 782 734 or email editor@BusinessBlueprint.com.au
Be inspired by this month’s success story - Marc Kalme... Page 20
NEWS IN BRIEF
S S E N I BUS S F E I R B
Twitter hits 20 BILLION Tweets!
Have you got a spare $5? You might have heard of websites like elance.com and Odesk which allow you to post jobs online and then others bid on them. Well there is a website now available that takes this concept to a new level. It’s called Fiverr.com and it lists all different tasks that someone is willing to do for $5. is could be anything, from writing a song about a subject for $5, to making an ebook cover for $5. Some people have put this website to the test and there have been mixed results. But at the end of the day the consensus stands that you are only set to loose $5 if it all goes wrong. Here are some offers on fiverr.com to give you an idea of what is available:
It seems that the news about Twitter has died down over the last couple of months, but that is obviously not true for its users. A Tracking Service called GigaTweet has released figures which show that Twitter has reached 20 Billion Tweets! is milestone comes just two months aer the service hit 15 Billion Tweets and only five months since it reached 10 Billion. is shows that the level of activity on Twitter is accelerating at a very fast rate. Twitter itself has indicated that they are seeing more that 50 Million Tweets per day.
• I will give you a palm reading for $5 • I will record and send you my extremely frightening laugh for $5 • I will design you your own album cover for $5 • I will explain anything to do with aeroplanes or space for $5 • I will give you the best shortbread recipe ever for $5 • I will prank call anyone you want for $5. Now that you have the idea, you can see that there is a world of opportunity out there. Having never used the site ourselves, we can’t guarantee it’s services but we will certainly be keeping an eye out in the future for any offers that might assist us.
565 Million
Number of mobile phones in India, which outnumbers the amount of people with access to a toilet (366 million)
4 Business Blueprint Magazine August 2010 www.BusinessBlueprint.com.au/Mag
NEWS IN BRIEF
E-books Will Overtake Paperbacks By The End of 2011
Hints and Tips for your iPhone...
Amazon predicts that it will sell more e-books than paperbacks by the end of next year, and that they will eclipse both paperback and hardcover sales combined shortly aer. “I predict we will surpass paperback sales sometime in the next nine to 12 months. Sometime aer that, we’ll surpass the combination of paperback and hardcover,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos told USA Today. Kindle books have already eclipsed hardcover sales; Amazon recently said it sells 180 e-books for every 100 hardcovers, with the ratio constantly shiing in e-book’s favour. Application of the month: Many readers still favour the printed book. However with the e-reader/tablet battle heating up, not to mention the increased convenience and accessibility of e-books via a range of mobile and desktop apps - paperbacks and hardcovers may soon become a minority in the world of books.
e book is called "A Guide to Purchasing Your Home" which details how to buy your home and all of the activities involved in this process. e Book helps you become smarter and informed, potentially saving you thousands off the most expensive purchase you will probably make during your life, saving your hard earned cash for other exciting purchases. "A Guide to Purchasing Your Home" has 87 pages packed full of New and Exciting information, pictures, calculations, checklists, tips and tricks, gotcha's, sample documents and templates for use plus over $1,000 of Bonus Coupons to assist with expenses during and aer the journey. Chapter 2 of the book details all of the hidden fees that noone seems to tell you about until you have already signed your contract for sale. Chapter 13 details the Nasty things you should look out for and check when trying to find your perfect home and Chapter 14 provides a number of fancy tips and tricks to assist you with obtaining funds or finding finance. e book is interactive as it provides you with www.google.com.au access to checklists to track your tasks; calculators and spreadsheets to assist in determining your purchase costs. All of this whilst you read and enjoy this new revolutionary book on your iPhone or iPad. You can check these apps out via the links below. http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/a-home-buyers-book/ id359088983?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a-home-buyers-book-foripad/id371047081?mt=8
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SIIMON REYNOLDS He is one of the countryʼs most respected marketing experts and has taken home almost every advertising award in the world for his creativity. Siimon Reynolds built The Photon Group from nothing, to 50 companies with 6,000 staff and a value of $500m on the ASX, making it the 15th largest marketing group in the world. He speaks with Jack Delosa about marketing, money and why people fail.
“What are the reasons people fail?” I ask Siimon as he sits across from me in a black Mercedes “Well there’s a stack of them…” He says laughingly, “and I’ve experienced most of them.” Although he’s built one of the largest and most successful marketing groups to come out of Australia, Siimon remains intimately connected with what entrepreneurs in the start-up phase must do to stay ahead. His overall message is clear, “Pick one thing and become the greatest in the
world at it.” Siimon illustrates the importance, particularly in the early stages of business, of knowing your core business activity and sticking to it. “ere’s so much competition, unless you specialise and unless you focus, why should anyone go to you?” Although SME’s and corporations can diversify into other markets, Siimon argues that that’s not how they got there. “What happens is that we see successful companies and see that they do many things, but what we sometimes don’t realise is, how they
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became successful is they owned one niche and they became an expert at it.” While building e Photon Group, Siimon went from a two-man band, to owning over 50 companies, most of which were still in the growth phase of their business. He talks about the importance of business owners not only focusing on one thing, but being efficient in the way they develop their model. “We get stuck having meetings, talking to staff and doing emails, all this peripheral
FEATURE ARTICLE | SIIMON REYNOLDS
stuff that is not actually generating new income.”
had it diarised to contact prospects each and every week.
“70% of your time within the first year of a new business should be spent on sales and marketing.
“We moved from people hearing from us once a year, to people hearing from us 16 times a year. And that’s everything from articles that were useful, phone calls, presentations or inviting them lunch or sending them gis or sending them books or giving them a birthday card.” A move which obviously paid dividends, “What happened was that numerous times we’d be put on short lists for big accounts, simply because we had recently contacted them when they wanted to look for a new ad agency.”
And that’s not the case, the research shows that 11% of a business owners time is spent on sales and marketing. But that’s the stuff that keeps you alive.” Siimon indicates the keys to marketing are what he refers to as “recency and frequency” and that by systemising, and wherever possible automating the way you market to prospective clients you will create a cash-generating machine. All it takes is focus and discipline. “Oen it’s the recency and frequency with which you have contacted a client that gets you that client. It gets you on the short list and gets you top of mind and this makes them want to ring you or go and buy your product or service.” By automating this frequent contact with your target market, Siimon explains that you will remain top of mind for the client. While in advertising, Siimons’ companies would contact prospective clients 16 times a year. Most of these contact points were automated, and some were managed by a person who
For small business owners Siimon explains the importance of applying this strategy. “Have a calendar of contact points, so that you know that over the course of 12 months you’re going to be hitting your target market, this many times and in this many ways. And diarise it.” He encourages entrepreneurs to experiment, particularly during the early stages, with different marketing strategies and different business models. “Keep refining the model, the organism gets healthier and eventually you’ve so refined it that it looks magic to a competitor because they can’t understand that it was tiny changes that did it. It just looks so far ahead of everybody else that it’s incomprehensible.”
Siimon indicates that having the right mentors around you, who have “built a business themselves or can show you tangible results they’ve produced with other clients” can make the difference in the success of a venture. In a protest against the slow and theoretical based teachings of universities, Siimon has recently built a business school, e Fortune Institute, to educate entrepreneurs who want practical business education, quickly. With all his successes Siimon still spends an hour every day, learning something new. “People with a learning mindset beat everybody else. ey just beat everybody else.” He explains that talent is overrated and that the persistent learner will out-perform the talented every time. “I don’t have to be brighter than everybody else, I don’t have to have more money than everybody else, I don’t have to have more luck than everybody else, I just have to outlearn everybody. And that’s a very easy thing to do because almost no one is focused on continual learning. If you spend even one hour each day learning, and then the rest of the day applying what you learnt, you would revolutionise any industry. You would be a top-performer.” You can follow Siimon at www.thefortuneinstitute.com.
Jack Delosa has been named in the top 30 entrepreneurs under 30, in Australian Anthill Magazine's 30Under30 Publication. Jack is the founder of The Entourage, a movement of young entrepreneurs (18-35) leveraging the experience of top business leaders world-wide. jackd@the-entourage.com.au
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MONTHLY MENTORS | CREATIVITY
IT’S TIME TO GET CREATIVE IN YOUR BUSINESS Being creative is sometimes a scary thought for a business owner. It might be your perception that people are either born creative or not. However success in todays world is more and more determined by our ability to come up with new, creative ideas. It can start with just changing your thinking and becoming more aware that creativity is a good thing in business, in fact a great thing. Also keep in mind that your staff and team might be very creative but you haven’t given them the chance to express it yet. Have a brainstorming session and get the ideas flowing. All of the ideas might not be useable but it will get you and your team thinking and you might even be surprised at the creativity that arises. is month our three mentors give their thoughts about creativity and share with you some examples and knowledge. Have a read and make it your mission to start thinking more in terms of creativity in your business.
Michael Hargreaves
Michelle Gamble
Creativity isn’t just good for business — it’s critical. I don’t mean artsy, designery fluff. At its core, creativity is about your capacity for coming up with new ideas and new solutions to business problems. It’s about creating a particular way of doing or making things that sets you apart from everyone else. And once you have a tangible point of difference, you’ve got something you can value, something you can market and sell.
Some of the most successful marketing tactics are not only the most creative but also low cost. One of the cheapest and innovative ways to get your product or service out there is to buddy up with another business. Partnering with other businesses can give you many rewardssharing resources and costs and access to a new pool of potential clients.
Everything you do in your business —everything—is designed: it’s designed deliberately, by you or by someone else, or it’s designed by neglect—and neglect leads inevitably to decay. Pouring creative energy into your business is a fundamental key to nurturing its growth. For more info call 0409663596 Michael@hargreaves.net.au
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Lululemon, a Yoga apparel brand, use this technique. Providing free clothing and motivational posters to yoga teachers encouraging these "ambassadors" to spread the word. The ambassadors get free publicity on the website, and run free yoga classes in their Lululemon retail stores which gets more people in buying clothes and more potential clients for the yoga schools. For more info call 1300 858 311 www.marketingangels.com.au
MONTHLY MENTORS | CREATIVITY
Nigel Collin - Creativity In Business Is Sexy! and should commercialise creativity, because the world will keep on changing.
Creativity in business is sexy. It’s sexy because to holds enormous value, allowing businesses to outpace competition, solve problems, find opportunities, and harness change. It adds value to an organisation’s people, its customers, and ultimately to its bottom line. In May 2010, IBM released a report titled ‘Capitalizing on Complexity – Insights from the Global Chief Executive Officer Study’ which stated that ‘CEOs cited creativity as the most important leadership quality over the next five years’. In a world that is constantly changing, creativity is the ultimate weapon. And yes, CEOs of major organisations know this, but it’s not only the domain of big companies. Every business, no matter how big or small, can
But there is a problem – because there is a gap. There’s a gap between the value an organization places on being creative and its ability to tap into its creative resources and fully utilize the talents of its creative people. In a survey we conducted 90% of participants agreed that in business creativity have a commercial value, but surprisingly only 17% said the utilized the talents of their creative people to the fullest. Why is that? The answer lies in the challenge that facing organizations in regards to bringing creativity to life. The challenge facing business with creativity is not actually in finding creative people or in teaching your people how to be more creative. The real challenge is knowing how to lead your creative people – your innovative thinkers. It is knowing how to tap into their talents, harness their genius, and direct it towards viable business outcomes. So what makes a great leader of creativity and of creative people? Leading creative people is like herding monkeys because they seem to be all over the place,
off in a world of their own. But they’re actually very communal and love hanging out with other creative types. They’re brilliant at slinging stuff; they’re always throwing ideas, designs, and concepts around. They love to play and explore, and they’re very inquisitive. They’re also incredibly smart. And you need them as much as they need you. So to lead and get the best from your creative people you need to understand that creative people think, feel, and do differently, and know how to help them do just that. It’s a different way of thinking and, as a result, a different way of leading. You need to be their mentor, guide, and guardian. The last thing you want to be is their boss. You also need to create an environment where it’s safe to be creative and where people feel safe to throw an idea on the table without fear or ridicule. When you lead and inspire your people to be their creative best, the creativity gap closes naturally. Closing the gap is about inspiring others to be more creative. For more information visit www.nigelcollin.com
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Diary Dates Hot Seat Interview Wednesday 4th August Power Hour Class Wednesday 18th August Hot Seat Interview Wednesday 1st September Power Hour Class Wednesday 15th September Hot Seat Interview Wednesday 6th October Power Hour Class Wednesday 20th October The Business Blueprint Spring Conference is being held from Friday 29th October - Sunday 31st October Hot Seat Interview Wednesday 3rd November
Business Blueprint Members Area Well as you can see from my new photo, Baby Callan has arrived! We always knew it was going to be touch and go, as we finished our Winter Business Blueprint Conference on Sunday 18th of July. Katherine my wife was of course very pregnant by this stage and we were so thankful that the baby didn't arrive during the event. But there was no time for a break aerwards as Callan Paul Beaumont arrived the very next day! Mum and Baby are both doing really well and Finn is a very proud big brother. It is so wonderful having two boys in the house now and I have been having some time off with the family which has been fantastic. e Blueprint Conference was amazing. Its so difficult to highlight a standout teaching but Ari Galper, Tony Gattari and Pat Mesiti among others were fantastic, informative and inspirational. On the Friday night of the conference we enjoyed a great dinner with all of the Blueprint members. It was fun to socialise and relax with everyone and the belly dancing was certainly entertaining. Check out the pics on the following page.
Power Hour Class Wednesday 17th November
Another highlight was Moira McLean who is one of the Queens of Australian Television. She gave a great presentation and is also helping us film a promo DVD that we will be able to show you within the next two months.
The Annual Business Blueprint Overseas Conference will be held in Fiji from Friday 4th February - Sunday 6th February
Looking forward to speaking with you next month...
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MEMBERS AREA | FROM THE GALLERY
Business Blueprint Conference
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HOT SEAT | SCOTT WILSON
HOT SEAT
Scott Wilson
Scott's driving business philosophy is "Influence Through Education". He believes that you can influence anyone to do business with you if you just take the time to deliver educational value first. His deliver "value first" philosophy has seen him become a highly sought after marketing consultant and business speaker in Australasia. When it comes to business, specifically marketing, what do you consider to be your core strengths? I believe I have two core strengths when it comes to business and marketing: 1. I know how to write copy that creates sales, whether it’s a display advertisement, Yellow Pages advertisement, website copy, email sales copy or a full sales campaign. My compelling sales copy makes people want to take action and buy my customers’ products right now! I’ve learnt this skill from some of the best in the business and will continue to keep learning every day, just to make sure my clients always have the edge in their marketplace. 2. I’m an ideas machine – I believe I have an amazing marketing brain. I can speak on the phone or face-to-face with a client and in a matter of minutes I can give them two or three profit-creating ideas. It’s this part of my business that I love the most because it really gets my brain going into overdrive. Sometimes I don’t know where I get these ideas from but what I do know is that they make my clients money and that’s what counts.
What are some of the key questions a person should ask before writing an advertisement? In the beginning, when I was discovering more and more about writing advertisements that make money, I learnt to ask four powerful questions. Every time I write an advert for a client, I work through these four questions because they automatically give me an edge.
1. If I were a total stranger to my client’s business, what would I want from my advertisement? 2. What are my client’s customers really thinking about when they read my advertising? 3. How can I make a prospect’s first contact with my client’s business the most disarming and exciting contact they’ve ever experienced? 4. What can I offer my client’s prospect right now that will make them want to contact us?
What is the most important thing you have learnt about successful marketing? Without doubt, the most important thing I have learnt is that you must test and measure your marketing. If you don’t then you’re not marketing, you’re speculating! Now here’s the crazy part: that’s exactly what a lot of businesses are doing today with their marketing and advertising dollars – they’re speculating that their marketing is going to work. What’s worse is that some marketing and advertising agencies are doing it with their clients’ money. ey are producing high-cost campaigns but haven’t got a clue whether they are working successfully or not! I saw this when I worked in the corporate world. Campaign aer campaign would run without any testing and measuring to see what was working and what was not. I oen wonder how much money companies are wasting today. If they only took the time to test and measure their current results, I guarantee they would become more profitable.
Can you offer some tips for people new to marketing? 1. Sell yourself with pride and confidence because nobody will benefit from you playing small. 2. Find a mentor who you believe can help you, then buy whatever products they are selling. is gives you an excuse to contact them and from there you can build a relationship with them. 3. Always test and measure your marketing. 4. If you’re in business you deserve to make as much money as you possibly can. 5. Invest money in yourself because you are your greatest asset and you deserve to be the best you can be. 6. Write down what you want and then go get it! 7. If you want to get more sales, then always include a strong guarantee and testimonials. 8. Get the edge in your marketplace by hiring a good copywriter.
To find out more, call +64 21 891 934 or visit www.LeadsAndProfits.com
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HOT SEAT
Sharon Tieman
Sharon Tieman aka Madame Marketing is an author, businesswomen, mother and wife. She runs several small businesses, and recently sold her multi-million dollar operation to a UK based multi-national. Sharon's passion is enpowering women in business to find the short cuts in marketing and time-management and just do what works! Why do you believe it is so important to focus your efforts only on measurable forms of marketing? I can’t see the point in spending money on advertising and marketing if I can’t measure whether it works or not. ere are many opportunities to find marketing that works, so why not choose the ones you can measure? Or better still, make the marketing medium you choose measurable. e only reason I would spend money on marketing is to generate more or easier sales. In the early days of business I became a bit of an ‘advertising junkie’ and believed any charming advertising representative who walked through my door. I look back now and remember how many of them told me that whenever an advertising campaign didn’t work, at least it was good branding. I recently heard a great response to this – ‘Branding is what they call advertising that doesn’t work’. While this may not always be true, big businesses can afford the big bucks to differentiate their product and do brand advertising in mainstream media. I believe small businesses need measurable, cost-effective forms of marketing for them to be successful.
‘Test and measure’ is a popular term but it is very rarely put into action. Why do you think this is? It’s one of those things that is a great theory, but is not really explained that well. It took me a while to work out what to actually measure! I now measure what my costs are and what my estimated return is, but first I see if it’s feasible. Sometimes I look at the figures and the amount of stock I have to sell in order to cover my costs and it is just not feasible.
I don’t necessarily give up on the deal; I look for ways to negotiate better pricing before I pull the plug on the promotion. By knowing some basic statistics and what I need to turn over to cover my costs, I start to get a fair idea if the campaign is worth running. e most dangerous thing to do is to fall in love with the promotion because sometimes the maths just doesn’t work. Once I know that the campaign is going to work, I then start negotiating the cost of goods with my suppliers. Going to my suppliers with an estimate of what sales my marketing will generate helps both of us in the planning and negotiation.
Why do you believe that it is a good idea to give free items to customers who purchase from you? I believe that the word ‘free’ is much stronger than a percentage-off promotion. I get frustrated when I see companies give a five per cent discount as a promotion. For me, to cut through the clutter of all advertising messages, my message has to be attractive – sexy! It has to make my target market ‘get out of bed’. Free is sexy; customers will get out of bed and walk, even run, into a business for that type of offer. Giving away something for free with purchases is about building loyalty and a relationship with the customer. It’s about thanking customers for their business. e free things we give away are not necessarily expensive, nor are they junk. It’s all about perceived value for our customers.
What are the most common mistakes new marketers make? I believe the biggest mistake new marketers make is not being clear about who their target market is. ere are so
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many opportunities to spend money on marketing and advertising, and if you are not clear about who you want to reach, you will fall prey to the next smoothtalking advertising representative that walks in the door. Another common mistake is when marketers try to be all things to all people. is mistake is made from not learning or understanding the 80/20 rule: 80 per cent of your business comes from 20 per cent of your clients. So it makes good sense to spend 80 per cent of your marketing budget on attracting 20 per cent of your targeted clients. is formula works every time for me and I have used it to capitalise on seasonal sales. For example, there is no use trying to sell ice-cream in winter. You are better off ramping up your advertising and marketing leading into summer because that’s where 80 per cent of the sales will be.
How did you get the nickname ‘Madame Marketing’? I probably stood out a bit in the industry as I was always doing different promotions and negotiating with suppliers in a new way to sell things. I guess they started to see results from my crazy ways. In the early days I wasn’t taken that seriously; negotiating was harder than it is now and the terms were not always that good. Now suppliers come to me and ask if they can be in my next promotion.
For more info, you can email sharon@madamemarketing.com or visit: www.madamemarketing.com
FREE STUFF | AUDIO, READING, VIDEO
FREE AUDIO
FREE READING
5 Biggest Sales Mistakes When They Zig You Zag Business Owners Make this best-selling book (now no and How to Avoid Them In longer available in bookstores), Imagine if you could discover the secrets of a woman that makes over $5 million PROFIT in her pocket every year? Well that is exactly what you’re going to receive by listening to this Audio Interview. Learn what it takes to build a market leading business from the ground up, how to dominate your industry and why trying to sell on price is one of the dumbest things you can do.
In this audio you will discover: • How Sharon started out, the mistakes she made and how she got to where she is today • How your thoughts regarding sales might be affecting your actual sales, or lack of them • Crack the code - 80 - 90% of your business focus should be in sales and marketing • Why sales and learning more about sales techniques is so important for your business
author Siimon Reynolds shares 125 time tested principles which helped him to develop a $152 million company. Covering Goal Setting, Management, Leadership, Time Management, Negotiating Skills, Health and Entrepreneurial Mindset the ideas contained in this eBook can literally make you are fortune.
In this ebook you will: • Discover 125 time tested principles on a range of subjects • e importance of goal setting and how to go about it • How to become a great leader in any business • Understanding the elements of negotiation • What it takes to develop an entrepreneurial mindset • Why health and wellbeing are so important in business To Access This Free Reading, Visit:
To Access This Free Audio, Visit:
http:// www.businessblueprint.com.au/ Sharon2
http:// www.businessblueprint.com.au/ Siimon
FREE VIDEO
Life at 30,000 feet Internationally, Richard Branson is know as the 'Rebel Billionaire', his unique and flamboyant style have contributed to his fame and business success. In this interview, filmed at a TED convention, Sir Richard Branson shares the secrets to his philosophy behind business and life. You'll discover how a dyslexic, school dropout, has become one of the most dynamic and successful business persons of the last 100 years.
In this video interview you will discover: • e secret to creating a powerful global brand • e power of trying new things • Tips to getting free publicity • e financial value treating people well • How to build your reputation and the value of it • e importance of staying informed and educated • Ways to live in the moment to build future success To Access This Free Video, Visit:
http:// www.businessblueprint.com.au/ Richard2
www.BusinessBlueprint.com.au/Mag Business Blueprint Magazine August 2010 15
ARTICLE | FOLLOW THE MONEY
Follow The Money One of the greatest influences and opportunities for business and investment in the next decade will be the emergence of the ‘BRIC’ economies - Brazil, Russia, India and China. Just as Britain grew to dominance during the industrial revolution of the 1800s and the US during the 1900s, this century will, and is already seeing, the emergence of the BRIC countries as dominant economic players. Most economists agree that during the next 20 years or sooner, China will overtake America to become the largest economy in the world, with India, Russia and Brazil not far behind. It’s going to become increasingly important for entrepreneurs, businesses and investors to properly understand and gain experience in the new BRIC economies, so that deciding to invest or do business (or not) in these markets is a considered, rational progression – not a blind leap of faith!
ey have large areas of land available for farming and mining: • Russia 17.1 million sq km • China
9.6 million sq km
Whilst the four BRIC countries exhibit many differences, in terms of their local culture, society, language, history and politics, they all exhibit a number of common characteristics, which make them important for business and investment, for example:
• Brazil
8.5 million sq km
• India
3.3 million sq km
ey all have large populations (4 of the 6 largest populations in the world):
• China US$4,909 billion, growing by 10.3% per annum
• China 1,335 million
• Brazil US$1,574 billion, growing by 3.5% per annum
• India 1,199 million • Brazil 191 million • Russia 141 million
ey are already some of the largest economies in the world, and growing faster than developed countries:
• India US$1,236 billion, growing by 7.4% per annum • Russia US$1,229 billion, growing by 5.5% per annum
16 Business Blueprint Magazine August 2010 www.BusinessBlueprint.com.au/Mag
When you combine the three traditional economic forces of big populations, large areas of land and the availability of capital and wealth, an interesting picture emerges: As can be seen from the above, the four BRIC countries, together with the US, represent the five most influential and dominant economies in the world today for business and investment. And, unlike the US and other developed economies, the BRICs are growing rapidly, applying their available capital into long term growth assets (eg infrastructure, construction and to raise lower incomes) and building new wealth amongst their emerging middle classes. is is where it all gets interesting. It’s the emergence of these new middle class consumers, and their substantial buying power, that should cause every
ARTICLE | FOLLOW THE MONEY
Australian company, big or small, to start developing a BRIC strategy to tap into these new markets. Consider some of the following: • ere are more cars sold in China today than in America. Experts predict that there will be 50 million cars sold every year in China by 2030!! • In India, over 240 million will enter the workforce in the next 20 years, and over 24 million people (a number greater than the total population of Australia) will become “affluent” (ie those earning more than 1m rupees per annum, the top 2% of the Indian population) • In Russia, retail sales in Moscow now exceed Paris and London • In Brazil, 32 million people have moved into the “middle” and “high” income bracket in the last 5 years, a figure that is expected to double in the next 5 years An army of 2 billion middle class consumers have now emerged from the BRIC (and some other emerging) countries, are currently spending US $6.9 trillion per annum and, according to McKinsey, this figure will rise to US$20 trillion in the next decade, a figure which represents about double the current consumption of the USA! So what does this all mean for us in Australia? Here are some of my thoughts:
• All Australian companies (big and small) need to develop a strategy to engage with these new emerging countries – you can’t sit back and allow this once-in-a-generation opportunity pass without at least giving some thought to how it could affect your business – as an opportunity or a threat (don’t forget that Chinese and Indian companies also have a vision to go global – and Australia is a country that interests them greatly!) • Opportunities exist across the board for Australian companies, particularly in some of our more progressive and innovative industries (e.g. technology, design, high value manufacturing, environmental protection etc.) and also some of our more traditional areas (eg education, tourism, finance and professional services). Remember that, whilst these countries are building the first class hardware (e.g. roads, railways, airports, buildings, waterways, bridges, tunnels etc.) to support their rapidly industrialising economies, what they also need is the soware (i.e. the professional services, training, education, technology, creativity, design and leadership) that makes the difference between "third world" and "world class". It’s in these areas that Australian businesses of all sizes can derive the most opportunities. • Do some research. How could your business or ideas thrive in an emerging country like China (a country on our doorstep with whom we have enjoyed close ties
and strong relationships for over 30 years) whose economy is growing by over 10% per annum and, by the year 2025, will overtake the US to become the largest economy in the world? Is there something that you do, or offer, which could be attractive to a small segment of a country with over 1.3 billion people? If so, what are you waiting for? • You need to start familiarising yourself with these countries now. Read a book, take a holiday, search the internet, join a delegation and immerse yourself in everything you can find on these new economic power-houses! Imagine living in the United States in the 1930s and witnessing all of the technological and economic advances that took place over the next 50 years. You now have the chance to do that in China, or India, or by saturating yourself in everything you can find on BRIC! Don’t take too long to think about this. Do it now!
David Thomas consults to organisations of all sizes to create viable, profitable and sustainable businesses in offshore markets. He is a Vice President of the Australia China Business Council in NSW and, in 2009, he was presented with the prestigious Australian Thought Leaders Expert of the Year Award. For more information, go to www.thinkglobal.com.au
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www.BusinessBlueprint.com.au/Mag Business Blueprint Magazine August 2010 19
BUSINESS BLUEPRINT SUCCESS STORY
Marc Kalme As a member of the Blueprint Platinum group I have been given a life changing opportunity to achieve my business vision that is supported with an amazing team of professionals who have a genuine interest about helping other people achieve. The ability to talk with and build connections, the inspirational speakers, the ideas and practical insights that the Business Blueprint provide have helped me to identify and focus on the key areas of my business. The 90 day action plan has proven to be one of the most important business processes I have learned. I have achieved more in the past 90 days using the principles of the 90 day action plan than I have in the previous 12 months because the key areas I need to commit to and the steps needed to complete them are in writing; a constant reminder to focus on the most important things without having to use energy to constantly think. Here is a list of things achieved since the last Blueprint Conference in Sydney: • Launched an E-learning study methodology for our nationally accredited Front-line Manager, First aid and Business Management qualification courses allowing people to study at home from anywhere in the world to gain their qualifications • Set up a new product range of 511 emergency service equipment and uniform attire including the development of an on-line product shop with the full 511 range presented at product launch with 100 invited guests • Created mindmaps as the first step towards systemising the business this included the purchase of Brain in Box, learning the software and providing an overview of systemisation to my team by running an in-house workshop on using systems • Purchased video, lighting, chromakey backdrop, microphone and editing software to shoot video testimonials. Learned how to edit video and am in
the process of shooting a series of testimonials to be up loaded to our website. • Purchased Salesforce and had the software customised to suit our business requirements. • Registered Backpack as part of our systemisation strategy learned at Blueprint. Proven to be invaluable in providing a calendar for all of our training commitments. • Developed market surveys to find out what our clients really want and to ascertain why they chose our training over other providers. This information was used to re-write sales copy using the information learned at Blueprint to help improve our conversion rates. • Secured 100 nationally accredited government funded Traineeships. Achieved by focusing on sales and marketing using the information learned through the Blueprint Program. • Commenced systemising the entire business by developing policy and processes from written format to simple flow charts using Brain in the Box to support this strategy. • Developed and presented in-house training session to my team related to managing key tasks using the 90 Day Action Plan • Had a total hip replacement in this time-frame which proves if you have the right systems and support, anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
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