FE BRUARY 2013
W elcom e Welcome to the February Edition of the Smart BOMB About The Smart BOMB: Publisher Maxiom Group Pty Ltd 2/710 Collins Street Docklands Vic 3008 www.maxiom.com.au Editor Jo Poland Digital Magazine Created By Maxiom Digital www.maxiomdigital.com Advertising Enquiries 1300 855 696 (within Australia) + 613 8199 3486 (International) advertising@maxiom.com.au
Written by some of the world’s most exciting marketing minds, the Smart BOMB focuses on cutting edge marketing strategies that business owners can implement in their business today! The Smart BOMB is a great resource as it provides guidance for business owners to develop ideas and concepts from their peers and leading edge entrepreneurs and organisations. Boasting exceptionally high quality information, tips and advice, every issue is packed with unparalleled levels of value added content including videos and webinars. Best of all, it’s completely free and open to Everyone!
Editorial, Media Releases & Article Submission magazine@maxiom.com.au
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Contributors For This Issue:
A Message From Tom Poland
Tony Falkenstein James Hourigan
Hi there and welcome the Smart BOMB. As ever you’ll find this issue jam packed with ideas to help you get more clients and make more money. By the time you read this we’ll be well into February and that means you need to be making serious efforts to grow and built your business.
Scot McKee Ron Carroll Ivan Misner Naomi Simson Ian Altman
So if you’re finding that you’re stuck on the proverbial treadmill - again - I recommend that you immediately skim this issue for articles of interest and then schedule an hour to sit back and read it more thoroughly. It’s very likely that you’ll find many ideas that can kick start your year.
Rachel Henke
And the beautiful thing about the money-making ideas in the Smart BOMB is they are free and I’m sure you’ll agree: that’s a very good price!
Corrinne Armour
BTW: Many of our authors offer free advice in the form of white papers, webinars or research papers so if you glean a great idea from one of them, be sure and visit their website to see what else they have on offer.
Emily Cressey
Terry Dean Jessica Swanson Gene Stark Richard Petrie
Geoff Vautier Georgina Lester
Troy White Sarah Bradley
Strategically yours, Tom Poland - Founder and MD www.8020Center.com
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What’s in this month’s Magazine? Regular Features Page 3:
A Quick Word With Tom Poland
Page 29:
Bargains4Business Deals of the Month
Profiles Page 46:
Naomi Simson - BedBalloon
Page 68:
James Hourigan - Search Me SEO
Special Features Page 6:
What’s Your Business Worth?
Page 8:
Leverage Your Biggest Asset With LinkedIn
Page 10:
How to Reach Your Ideal Target Market
Page 12:
Lessons from the Jungle
Page 14:
Make Your Social Media Channels More Effective in 4 Steps
Page 22:
The Power of Your Price
Page 26:
How to Piss Off Your Customers, Courtesy of the Airlines
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SEPTEMBER 2012
Why Outsourcing has Become the key to Business Success
Special Features Page 30:
7 Big Time Profits Tip for Paid Traffic
Page 34:
Old Habits Die Hard
Page 36:
3 Great Business Talents
Page 40:
Santo Claus, The Easter Bunny, and Six Degrees of Separation
Page 44:
K is For “K.I.S.S.”
Page 50:
10 Small Business Blog Post Ideas
Page 52:
Zen and the Art of Charging Higher Prices
Page 56:
SEO Guarantee From SEO Company
Page 58:
Making to Easy for the Customer to Pay
Page 60:
The Inner Game of Your Visible Personal Brand
Page 64:
What Does Engagement With Customers Really Mean
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WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS WORTH? (AND HOW TO MAKE IT MORE VALUABLE) By Tom Poland
You don’t have to franchise or even diversify in order to make your business worth millions. But you do have to get results through other people in a manner which is replicable. Figure out a way to create recurring revenue. Find your sellability score. There are nine key factors to support then the more scalable it consider when trying figuring out is. if your business is sellable and if so, how much it may be worth. In business the term equates to how much of the revenue can be In addition to financial factors driven independently of the such as EBIT (Earning Before owner’s time. For example, the Tax and Interest) and a trend of person who comes and checks growing profit, there are other our swimming pool twice a month factors that a smart buyer will does not own a scalable consider. In this article I discuss business. However, if he created three of the nine factors. marketing, management and service delivery systems he Factor #1: Scalability could then recruit a team of people to do all of the work. The term “scalability” was originally used to describe how Any product or service can be many workstations could hang off scalable with this approach. Just ask Jim Penman, owner and a computer server. The more founder of Jim’s Group which workstations a server can
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includes Jim’s Mowing and an additional 35 other services. What started with Penman moving lawns to put himself through university is now the largest franchise group in the world as measured by number of franchisees. You don’t have to franchise or even diversify in order to make your business worth millions. But you do have to get results through other people in a manner which is replicable.How did he do that? Simple: he created marketing, management and service delivery systems (see above) and put good people in place to run it all.
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Factor #2: Recurring Revenue relatively low marketing share in a growing industry. That’s a very How much revenue can you count appealing double whammy. on for the next 12 months? If you don’t have recurring revenue then Conversely, if you have 60% of a the answer is zero. If you currently shrinking market then no matter how good your present-day sell one-off product or services numbers look, there is not a lot of you need to figure out a way to apparent upside. create recurring revenue. Maintenance contracts, When asked by a potential buyer subscription renewals, monthly why you are selling it would be retainers, supply contracts, consumable replacement are just unwise to say that you are simply sick of hitting your head against a some of the things you can consider. And whilst not sources brick wall in trying to get some growth. of reliable recurring revenue, things like annual reviews, forward orders, supply contracts In my experience, a buyer is and the like are more then helpful more motivated if you say something like “I’m getting a little in this regard. tired and don’t think I’ve been giving this business my all. So I If recurring revenue is not figured it was probably time to possible with your product or move on and hand it on to service, create a product or someone more motivated”. service where it is possible. At the very least figure out how If you have an interest in often your clients buy, create discovering what your business systems such as engaging is worth, and how you can make newsletters or similar to keep your brand top of mind, and have increase its value then take our regular offers for them to accept “Sellability Score” quiz. when they are ready. Then track It’s free and on average takes all of your numbers so you can prove to a prospective buyer that only 13 minutes to complete. You’ll immediately receive your you can reasonably predict score. Click the banner below to revenue from existing clients. check it out… Factor #3: Upside
Tom Poland Tom is the founder and owner of www.8020Center.com/sellmybusi ness/ and has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years. In addition to starting his own businesses he’s worked with multi-nationals and business owners to help them get more clients and make more money. Tom has been published internationally and has shared his thoughts on business excellence alongside the likes of Michael Gerber (E-Myth), Richard Koch (The 80/20 Principle) and Brian Tracy (BT International), just to name a few. www.8020center.com/blog/ www.facebook.com/8020center www.twitter.com/tompoland/
What a buyer will be hoping to find here is that you have
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LEVERAGE YOUR BIGGEST ASSET WITH LINKEDIN By Gene Stark
LinkedIn is the perfect personal branding and publicity tool. LinkedIn is the ultimate personal Customer and Prospect Relationship Management platform. LinkedIn presents an amazing opportunity as most users are not using this social medium to anywhere near its potential. The world has changed and the change of pace will keep accelerating. Whether there will be another financial crisis or not, and how big it will be, is not something any of us can predict or control, but jobs will keep being lost; outsourcing, offshoring, and resources will all keep flowing to where the return on investment is the greatest. Whether it is job vacancies or business opportunities you will have to work harder and smarter to stand out and differentiate yourself from a greater number of competitors all trying to get a smaller share of the pie. So, who can you rely on when times get tough? You! And the equity in you, your personal brand. LinkedIn is the perfect personal branding and publicity tool.
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LinkedIn, is a way that you can communicate to the world what you know, your experience and expertise, and the benefits you can deliver to your clients. Just as importantly, you can use LinkedIn to leverage the equity in your existing relationships to get in front of the people that matter prospects, allies, partners, employers.
-utilised - on which to combine all of your marketing assets; once they have been optimised – no point driving visitors to a leaky boat: ● Your LinkedIn Profile itself is a great way to be found by prospects and stay top of mind in front of your customers
● Your Website Online Marketing in general, and Social Media Marketing ● Your Blog specifically, together with the irreversible swing towards ● Your YouTube Channel inbound marketing, means that if your online marketing assets are ● Your Slideshare not optimised and helping you and your business ‘get found’ Here are 5 YouTube videos, all then you will rapidly be left under 10 minutes long, that will behind. provide a great overview of the general benefits of Social Media, When it comes to B2B and specifically illustrating the professional services, LinkedIn advantages of using provides the ultimate platform LinkedIn to gain exposure, which is, currently, terribly under
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engage customers and grow your business. The videos cover: 1. Why LinkedIn is the most powerful yet under-utilized Social Media platform for Business-to-Business (B2B) enterprises and Professional Services Firms
3. How much time you will need to invest into social media marketing to reap the benefits?
4. How to make your message stand out and be noticed?
2. Why LinkedIn is the perfect marketing hub that links the top 3 social media tools in the B2B and Professional Services space; Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogs
5. What are the marketing Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media
Gene Stark Gene Stark is the co-founder of The Marketing Network, an SME Branding & Marketing Agency that brings together every marketing discipline, providing convenient and affordable solutions for their clients - professional services and B2B firms that need to find, attract and retain customers. email: gene.stark@themarketing network.com.au LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/ In/genestark Twitter: @starkreality4u Website: www.themarketing network.com.au
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HOW TO REACH YOUR IDEAL TARGET MARKET By Mark Matthews
Online Advertising Is Undergoing A Huge Transformation Interactive Magazines Are The Most Interesting & Helpful Form Of Advertising, Surpassing TV And All Others Consumers Expect Much More Than Video, Static Ads And Boring Content Consistenly over the past 3 years, one advertising medium has outperformed all others when it comes to offering the most helpful and interesting form of electronic advertising - according to your audience - and it’s already highly targeted! That medium is Interactive Magazines. Some interesting facts for you to consider before chosing where and how to spend your precious adverstising budget: ● In terms of user engagement, interactive edition ads topped the charts at 66% as the most helpful or interesting form of electronic advertising, beating out TV ads at 57%.
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● 29% of readers said that they are more likely to play with an advertisement with these digital extras to see if they “may become interested in an ad.” ● 32% of readers will skip an interactive magazine story that they are not interested in.
● 82% of readers do not want to be taken away from the magazine to a web site to view the content. ● 55.9% of readers have shared information directly from the magazine through their social networks.
Interactive magazines are also ● 34% will read a bit of the subscribed to by readers, so you know that they are already article and play the ad’s interested in the subject the extras. magazine covers. So your ads are highly targeted before any ● 21.8% will play only the self-filtering by readers who digital extras. interact with your content or ● Just pasting a video into a advertisements. Compared to static magazine page no Google ads, which only 2-3% of searchers click, and Facebook longer cuts it for 61% of ads which have to date been readers - Readers now even less effective, interactive expect a lot more. edition advertising wins hands down.
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Discover How Much Your Business Is Worth (It’s FREE and it takes just 13 minutes) “Whether you want to sell your business or keep it as a cash cow, the smartest thing to do is to make sure is constantly ready to sell” - Michael Gerber, Author, The E-Myth
Attention Business Owners Are you thinking of selling but not really too sure where to start? Do you want to know how to increase the value of your business? Or are you curious about how much your business may be worth?
Introducing the Sellability Score The Sellability Score is a free online questionnaire that gives you an immediate analysis of the sellability of your business The report is confidential and completely free On average the questionnaire takes just 13 minutes
The Science behind it … The Sellability Score uses an algorithm that was developed from the results of a quantitative survey of business owners with annual revenue between $50,000 and $100,000,000 as well as surveys of Merger & Acquisition professionals. We utilized various statistical techniques including a factor, regression and correlation analysis to create the algorithm that predicts the sellability of a company.
To get your FREE report click on the image below…
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 11 maxiom
LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE JUNGLE By Corrinne Armour
Sometimes being taken right out of your comfort zone offers incredible lessons about leadership and life. Here's what I learned about leadership living on the edge of a war zone. Living in a jungle refugee camp on the edge of a war zone taught me valuable lessons that I was reflecting on recently when asked to give a talk about my leadership and my life. My camp was on the ThaiBurmese border, a 20-minute walk along a narrow trail from the main road and a 3-hour trip to the nearest town. I was teaching English to Burmese Karen students, the only foreigner among the camp’s 4000 residents. Lesson 1 - Fear Passes On my first night I was alone, I had eaten dinner and I was still hungry. I was on the edge of a war zone. And I didn’t know a thing about teaching! What kind of a stupid mistake had I made? I sat so full of paralyzing fear that I couldn’t think or move.
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A little child came in and took me by the hand. She led me to a house where people welcomed me and my fear dissipated. I learned in those minutes a lesson I often recall - fear passes. Lesson 2 - Celebrate what you have
People in the camp had so very little, and yet they had a sense of contentment I rarely see among my friends and peers here in Australia. The most important lesson I learned in the camp is to focus on what you have and not what you lack.
The camp had no power, no running water, bamboo houses and little food. Malaria was a major problem in the rainy season. Cross border incursions from the Burmese military and rebel groups were a constant risk.
Lesson 3 - Live in the moment - it’s all you have
I was also living in a place of warmth and love, where I was constantly challenged, surprised, appreciated, and grateful to be there. I was truly and fully living all my values.
My mother had visited a few months before and brought boxes of art supplies for the children.
There was a time when the camps were being shelled by the Burmese military across the border and bunkers were dug under the houses.
This was such a special gift I was rationing its use.
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Lesson four - Simple makes sense As I reflect on this experience with the perspective of elapsed time and distance, I can’t help thinking about how we complicate our lives unnecessarily here in the ‘Western world’. There are so many things I must do, processes I must follow, possessions I must polish, forms I must fill in for my protection, etc. No one could conceptualise life insurance, nor could they see a purpose in a wardrobe full of Simple makes sense clothes rarely used. Life in the jungle was simple. I would like to We'd only used a small amount of regain some of that simplicity in the paper when the security my life here. situation worsened and my supplies were put into the bunker I would love to know what you for safety. There was a big rain have learned when you ‘lived’ and the bunkers filled with water. outside your comfort zone. Leave All my beautiful paper was lost. your comments here. I’ve never forgotten how much fun Have an Extraordinary day the kids missed because I was Corrinne saving this paper, ironically for a ‘rainy day’. My lesson: Be mindful of the future. Learn from the past. Live in the moment.
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Corrinne Armour Empowering leaders to exceed objectives www.extraordinaryfuture.com.au Twitter @corrinnearmour Email: corrinne@extraordinaryfuture.co m.au LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/Corrinne Armour Corrinne empowers leaders to exceed their objectives. Through leadership coaching, facilitation and training, her clients crack the code for performance and get results.
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MAKE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS MORE EFFECTIVE IN 4 STEPS By Steven Van Belleghem
Channel & content strategy Build reach Persuasion through content & interaction From likes to ambassadors A large number of companies are thinking about their next steps in social media. One of the key factors in any social media strategy is the channel/content debate.
The paper is based upon a series of research projects conducted over the last two years, the experience gained from numerous workshops with our clients and in-depth discussions with social media experts Erik Van Roekel (@evr) and Matthijs Van Den Broeck (@mgvandenbroek).
1. Channel & Content Strategy
The first step consists of formulating a clear vision on the role of each of the online touch points. Apart from defining the goals and content of each of the Companies are struggling to individual channels, this phase is capitalize on their use of social also about deciding how those media channels. By means of a channels interrelate. In this hands-on paper, we want to phase, you define which touch share our approach on how to 4 steps to effective social points are most likely to reach make effective use of social the social media (and broader channel use media channels in order to business) objectives. Instead of spread content. This article gives Evolving from a checklist creating social silos you are a short summary of the paper. going for an integrated approach approach to social media towards effective social channel where the whole is greater than The full paper can be use requires a different mindset. the sum of the parts. downloaded by clicking the link at the end of this article. To build this mindset you need to Most managers think of social media channels as stand-alone go through 4 distinct phases:
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silos. Content is spread through each of these channels without a clear plan on how to reach business objectives. The truth is that all online channels are interrelated. Consumers can even be routed from channel A to channel B. In this phase, companies should create a ‘content-conversion’ plan. A content-conversion plan includes every touch point where a (potential) customer can come into contact with your content. Then you need to determine at which of these touch points conversion to your objectives (reputation management, community building, lead generation...) is likely to occur. All other social channels support traffic generation towards these conversion points. Instead of having a set of silo channels, this creates a set of interrelated online channels. For example, the converting touch point might be the corporate website or blog. A corporate blog can be the touch
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point that leads people from the content area to the sales area.
The more steps are necessary in order to reach the touch point where your business goals are Your other social media accounts realized, the harder it is to ensure that sufficient traffic is achieve high conversion rates. channeled to the blog every day. 2. Build Reach For companies working in the knowledge sector, SlideShare To increase the return on content can serve as a useful converting creation, it is advisable to build touch point. SlideShare is a reach in the early phase of your social network site where people online plan. In this phase, the can share presentations hard part is maintaining a (PowerPoint, etc.). balance between relevant content on the one hand and being able This is the ideal place to to attract a large set of likes & showcase what you can do and followers on the other hand. what you have to offer. On this platform, it is easy to directly There are two ways to build convert a reader into a sales reach: the slow approach and the lead. In case your key objective is fast approach. The slow community building, your approach builds reach over time Facebook page may be the best by investing in quality content that content-conversion point. spreads naturally. To succeed in the slow approach, you need When mapping out your three things: good content, a conversion touch-point plan, fixed rhythm and a lot of patience. define the trigger for each touch Big brands usually lack the last point that makes it possible to ingredient, which is why we move on to the next. Furthermore, recommend choosing the fast try to keep the lines as short as approach. possible.
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Our research has shown the following seven approaches to be successful reach builders: ● Conversation worthy campaigns: invest in social campaigns to boost the reach of your social channel activities ● Rhythm: a one-time campaign won't do it. You need a certain rhythm to share great content ● Contests & free stuff: giving away some of your products is still an effective way to build reach in the short run (although there’s no guarantee of quality). Many companies are afraid of attracting ‘low quality’ followers with this strategy. This is indeed a risk: once they are on board, the challenge consists in convincing such followers to stay with your content (step 3)
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● Social advertising: to grab the attention of your audience, you need to advertise your campaigns and content on social channels. ● Employee activation: a company should always have more fans than employees. If your own employees don't follow your content, how can you expect your customers to be interested? Train and facilitate employees to become active ambassadors of your social channel activities.
● Partner up with other major brands: if you have a good relationship with brands that have a large social reach, you can always ask them to share your brand content (or a competition) with their fan base. 3. Persuasion Through Content & Interaction Once you’ve attracted a significant number of followers and fans, you need engaging content to keep them interested.
The threshold to follow a brand is very low but it takes a huge effort ● Offline communication to keep your audience engaged. channels: building reach Research conducted by InSites goes beyond online Consulting has shown that the channels. Try to mention average consumer actively online channels in all your interacts with no more than 5 communications: TV brands on social media. This commercials, print means your brand needs to be advertising, banners, part of this select little group. point of sales material... Also, recent research has shown that fans won't dislike your page if they don't like the content; instead they will 'hide' your page.
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This means competing for the attention of your own followers with big love brands like Apple, Coca Cola and Disney. And let's not forget, your toughest adversaries when competing for the attention of your followers comes are those followers’ friends and families. The conclusion is obvious: this evolution is raising the bar for companies to be able to engage with consumers on social media. Three elements are key in this particular phase: ● An editorial calendar: make sure you know what your content updates will look like at least three months in advance. Our previous research paper, ‘a six-step content marketing plan’, outlines how to set up an effective editorial calendar. In fact, content planning consists of three layers: big campaigns (very intense), projects (recurring thematic themes) and
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content updates (small content sparks). ● Creative content: drawing up the perfect content plan is probably the easiest part of the long road to success on social media channels. Coming up with creative and talked-about content is the real challenge. It’s not an exact science and there’s no such thing as a foolproof plan. It’s really quite simple: building content that conquers the hearts of your followers and friends requires highly creative people. ● Operational conversation management : in this phase, consumer engagement is one of your key objectives. To succeed, you need top operational conversation management. Have a person or a team ready to interact and engage with your audience. Be fast,
empathic and listen to your fans so they will commit to your brand. Follow the conversations in real time and be ready to respond. 4. From Likes to Ambassadors The final phase is the most difficult part. In this phase you are looking to create a small army of active ambassadors. The previous steps focused on winning people’s hearts through great content. In this phase, the challenge is to create ambassadors: people who promote your brand to their friends and family. Here the question is: ‘What do we want our fans to say about us and how can we facilitate this?’ Succeed in this challenge and you will be rewarded with positive and impactful conversation about your brand.
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In this stage, you need to convert your likes into ambassadors. The following factors are essential: ● Broad consumer involvement: if you involve your customers in your decision-making flows, they will be more committed to your brand. People are more emotionally involved when they feel they are part of the team and that’s how you create ambassadors. So content planning is not just about sharing cool content or asking evident questions. It’s also about asking your customers for feedback on your performance. Ask people’s opinion on all things related to your company and remember to thank them for the input they provide. ● Consumer consultants: if you have in-depth questions concerning a new project or product,
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you should turn to your die-hard fans on social channels and invite them to join a closed community to discuss these topics. This makes them feel like they are really part of the team and essentially you’re hiring employees that are not actually on the payroll.
● Questions and answers:
put meaningful questions to your audience as we explained in the first bullet point. Once your fans start giving you inspiring feedback, be sure to return the favor and keep them in the loop. Let them know what you did with the feedback and why certain remarks were
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● used and others were not. Be open about what use you make of their feedback. Gain their trust be being honest. ● Branded utility: think of applications that bring added value to your fans. Look for content that is both highly relevant to your audience and in line with your business. Once again, you need top creative people to invent these applications. Once fans start using the utility
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apps, it is a great way for them to talk about your brand through the application. From four steps to an everlasting loop
Once a certain stage is reached, phases 2, 3 and 4 become iterative steps in an eternal loop designed to build reach and create more ambassadors. Download the full paper
These four phases are obviously not entirely sequential; there is an overlap between phases 2, 3 and 4. In our strategy, it’s not that hard to define the necessary actions for the various steps. In real life, though, we need to be flexible enough to adapt to consumer needs in a moment’s notice.
To read all details about this philosophy, feel free to download the entire paper here:
Steven is one of Europe's thought leaders in the field of social media, conversations and digital marketing. His entire career, Steven has studied the influence of digital and social media on consumers and organizations. With this knowledge he inspires and facilitates companies to adapt their current way of working towards the new world we live in. His latest book, The Conversation Company, offers a clear philosophy and roadmap on how to
become a true customer centric organization that uses the possibilities of digital media to its full extent. His previous book, The Conversation Manager (+27.000 copies sold), is seen as a reference guide to adapt your communication strategy from a 1way towards a 2-way conversational approach. In 2010, the book won the Marketing Innovation in Literature award. Next to his advisory work, he is a part time marketing professor.
And of course, I’m looking forward to reading your comments and your feedback in the comment section. Thanks!
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THE POWER OF YOUR PRICE By Troy White
The color-blind artist’s success secret. Selling lobsters at 3X the price you can get them anywhere else. 10 KEY ways to double, triple, even quadruple your price … I just returned from a week long trip to Nashville for Dan Kennedy’s Superconference. With over 1200 people there, it was quite the mad house – but an incredible learning experience. One of the biggest things I was reminded of was the power of price, and how your positioning can impact the price that you get. With all the hulabaloo in the press about a recession, some are calling it stagflation. Many people are stressed out and worried about the business environment they will be living in over the next 6 to 12 months.
So how do you determine if your price is in line - or if it needs a little bump up to position yourself differently? Let me start with a little story. Last year I hosted a small business summit in Calgary and under priced it. I had a good turnout, but many of the people there had no clue on the immense value they received.
One lady from last year actually emailed me recently to ask about this year’s event - the price is double last years, and she thinks it is too high. In thinking through my response - and what she got last year for the price, I realized Some people are cutting their that it wasn’t her fault for thinking prices, but a significant number this - it was my fault for pricing it of people are doing the opposite too low, and giving the wrong - raising their prices. I am going impression about what they got through this again myself for that price. everything from my products, my seminars and my copy services Many of you will know the name are going up. Ted Nicholas - one of the grand
and his wife, Bethany, all the way from Switzerland to speak at the event last year... the first time he had been back to Canada in many years. He usually only speaks at $3,000 - $5,000 seminars - mine was a fraction of that price. So it was completely my own doing that the perceived value wasn’t high enough in the eyes of many of those in attendance. That said, there were quite a few who realized what they received for the price they paid – usually people who had been to such events before. How are you positioning your products and services? Are you trying to compete on price?
Or are you positioning yourself so the purchase decision is not made on price, rather on the experience you are providing daddies of direct response advertising and a living legend in them with. the copywriting world. I flew Ted
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Low price providers can never last!
First, you cannot buy A lobster – you must send them $3,000 first. Next, you tell them when Even Wal-Mart, is struggling and and where you want your lobster losing market share daily. They shipped. How many, when you are floundering about trying to want them, etc. Then, you not only find a new way to position get the lobster, you also get a themselves to avoid the bloodcomplete BOX of other things to letting they are going through. go with your lobster. As well, they have a VERY unique way of Experience based selling is a getting you to know your actual much better way to go. In your fisherman. sales cycle, make it a new experience for customers - show Lastly, you have to stay with them them that you are different and for an entire year - more if you that you cannot be compared, want. No more onesy-twosy sales based on price. - these guys want you to commit to them. Much like the lobster fishermen I interviewed a Brilliant strategy … and the couple months ago… clients, they get are a very different buyer than traditional I heard about the two young guys lobster buyers. They are high net and got on the phone to interview worth individuals and they them… amazing. actually want to spend more, much more, with these fisherman. In almost every single major city out there you can find multiple seafood houses to buy fresh I cannot reveal too much more on lobster. These guys sell lobsters what else these guys sell them (some of it is being developed at a 300% premium and are now - and has yet to be promoted making a killing doing so! - let’s just say that the $3,000 membership fee is chump How? change compared to what is coming out - and what their They sell an entire experience clients are asking for). with their lobsters.
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Another example of pricing and positioning … The color blind artist A good friend of mine, Owen Garratt, was up for marketer of the year in Nashville. Here is a guy who sells art work to companies and sells through a membership model. Rather than competing with other artists, he competes with promotional companies. His art is exceptional - incredible detailed and intricate - and he sells them in droves to serious corporate buyers. What makes his model HIGHLY unique is that you cannot come to him and buy A piece of art… First, you have to become a paid up member of his inner circle. Then, if you want a custom piece of art work done, you must upgrade your monthly membership fee to even be able to ask for a custom piece. That is combined with the fact he only takes on a very small number of custom clients, and his rates are reaching incredibly high numbers.
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His last commission piece was well over six figures. Owen GETS IT. He doesn’t actually sell art - he sells the artist. His art is beautiful, but his newsletters are better. His newsletters sell him - his family - his sense of humor - and his unique position in the marketplace. They contain recipes, book reviews, music reviews, and stories about his kids. And his highly affluent clients LOVE HIM! Some of the lessons I wanted to share with you about selling premium priced products and services: 1. Never sell a product or a service. Sell the experience. Sell the unique person they are about to become involved with (like the lobster fisherman and the color blind artist). Sell them on YOU - and the feeling YOU help them achieve.
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2. Always be thinking about ways you can tie your clients into a membership program. They will not shop for other membership programs (mainly because few people provide them). 3. Always think about unique ways to bundle higher end products and services to double, triple, quadruple your price points. 4. Limit access to you. Give them access through things like newsletters, but do not give them direct access to you - at least don’t make it too easy. Make them go through a few hoops to get to you directly - even charge them for the ability to do so. Rather than giving free proposals and quotations to them - charge for it. Immediately you become different than everyone else they deal with. Even if they decide to go elsewhere, they will always remember you as the one who didn’t want to give things away for free.
5. Make them sell you on why you should take them on as a client. Similar to point 4, but pushing it even further. Make them go to all kinds of extremes to become a client of yours. 6. Offer done-for-you type services. When you sell products - change your way of thinking and STOP selling products. Make it so they cannot just buy the product from you anymore. Be the one who has the chutzpah to say no to their money and say “if you want to do business with me - THIS is how it is done. No negotiation.” 7. Delay the sales cycle. Make it seem (to them) that it takes forever to get the deal done with you. Have an actual process in place to slow down the sale. Make them work harder to spend their money. 8. Give them a good story to tell their friends and family. High net worth buyers are your best place for referrals - and
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they love to refer people who have a good story they can tell (the color blind artist - the $3,000 lobster program).
and your costs stay the same = $160,000 profit (270% more profits).
Even if you lost 20% of your clients through the price 1. Bundling products and increase… services - make it so they 800 buy at $200 (costs have to buy bundle X in stay the same) = order to be able to buy $120,000 profit – 200% bundle Y. more than it used to be (plus fewer customers 2. Re-think WHO you are means you can give them selling to. Is there better service) someone in a better income bracket that you With everything going on in the can repackage and sell to? (Owen did this with his economy - it is highly suggested that you think through some art work. Rather than selling art work - he sells different ways to improve your quality of clients, raise your corporate gifts and competes with gold shirt prices, and start selling more of promotional companies - an experience. no real competition). The #’s speak for themselves. Some of these strategies can You will be able to service your easily triple or quadruple your prices and revenues… let alone existing clients much better and what they will do for your profits. make a healthier profit along the way! Do the math - a simple doubling of price has a HUGE impact 1,000 customers buy at $100 your cost is $40 = $60,000 profit
Troy White Troy White is a Calgary based entrepreneur that has been involved in sales and marketing for over 23 years. In just the past decade he has helped hundreds of small business owners generate more leads and improve their sales conversions with the ability to “Turn Words Into Wealth” Troy won the Business Leader of Tomorrow Award presented by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, and he has been interviewed on talk radio shows around North America. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you will love Troy’s techniques on his blog at http://blog.smallbusinesscopywri ter.com
If the same 1,000 buy at $200 -
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 25
HOW TO PISS OFF YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS, COURTESY OF THE AIRLINES By Ian Altman
Your "great news" could fall on deaf ears if that news is not important to your clients Loyalty is a 2-way street. Your clients will treat you as you treat them If everyone charges nuisance fees, you might be different by NOT charging for those same nuisance items It’s a pretty sad day when NOT customer service enhancements, charging a passenger for a glass instead he chose to write about of water or their luggage their new Boing787 Dreamliners. becomes a key to differentiation. Smisek shares many details like I am sure that a crack team of a proud parent would describe accounting professionals their child. advised the airline industry that the best way to create more He points out the things that he revenue is to nickel-and-dime must feel would matter most to their customers until they scream. his customers: Bigger windows, But how does that impact loyalty? improved lighting, larger overhead bins, and enhanced On a recent flight from Chicago ventilation systems. on United Airlines, there was an article from United CEO Jeff He focused on what? Smisek in their in-flight magazine (you know, the thing you read If I asked you to tell me the 5 when you are not yet allowed to most important factors for your use your electronic devices). decision to pick one airline over another, what would they be: a While you might expect to read waiver of luggage fees, superior an article from the CEO about in-flight service and amenities,
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recognition of your loyalty to the airline, or maybe even safety and on-time record? Ultimately, most of us want to be treated with courtesy like a fellow human being and valued client. Instead, Smisek addresses his list of features on a plane. It’s like listing your capabilities and showing off your new office furniture instead of focusing on your client’s needs. What was Smisek thinking? Is window size is a big differentiator for most passengers? Do you ask about lighting before selecting the carrier?
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I guess the overhead bins size could be valuable, since they have added luggage fees. Of the twenty-nine Dreamliners delivered, United has one of them. It would be like an IT consulting company saying they were better because they now offer the latest software from IBM or Microsoft - just like the competition. Don’t sell your best-customer perks To be fair, I was a long-time, loyal United customer. In fact, I had reached the pinnacle of their program, Global Services - that mystery level where they rarely say no to you. I was a huge United fan. I have flown over 750,000 miles with them. I really wanted to love United, but they didn’t reciprocate. Instead of nurturing their best customers, United has opted to offer the same perks for sale - thereby cheapening the value of those perks.
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There are now websites and However, the things that matter even a Facebook fan page for most to us, may not matter the Outraged United Elite members. most to our customers. Speak to your customer’s interests, not What can you learn from this for your own. your business? Ask questions and listen: Avoid Access Displacement Southwest and JetBlue are both Disorder: airlines that have been known for low fares, but are delivering an It is easy for us to mistakenly think that the axis of the Earth has exceptional customer experience. Customers wanted shifted and enters through our entertainment, a more relaxed head and out our rear and the feel, and the elimination of crazy world revolves around us. fees.
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JetBlue offers DirecTV in flight, and they each still offer a snack on just about every flight along with your first checked bag at no fee. Deliver value, and profit will follow:
invoiced from a law firm for the time it took for them to prepare our invoice each month. When we deliver value and anticipate our clients’ needs, we build goodwill.
When we recognize and appreciate our best customers, When airlines introduced new fees for baggage and drinks, we we build goodwill. all watched in shock. Today, Southwest and JetBlue are able When it appears that our top to offer additional value by NOT priority is how to get that last dollar from their hands, our charging for those items. clients might go along when they I often see professional services need us, but they will give serious firms turning their administrative consideration to any alternative that might compete for their services into a profit center. While your clients may not expect business. you to pay for their copies, they Look at your business and see probably don’t feel good about where the “luggage fees” and you making a profit from it. “missing snacks” are for your Ironically, if you nominally raised customers. Get rid of some of your rates and didn’t charge for those and you just might build a loyal following. copies, you might make more money and build some goodwill. It might even set you apart from the competition. I recall being
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Ian Altman Ian Altman is the CEO of GrowMyRevenue.com A speaker and author of Upside Down Selling, Ian helps companies become outrageously successful targeting and winning business. His Book “Upside Down Selling: An integrity-based sales approach to avoid being predictable” launched in mid 2012 as a straight-forward guide to comfortably engage your entire company to grow revenue.
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7 BIG TIME PROFIT TIPS FOR PAID TRAFFIC By Terry Dean
The real secret to online traffic and why optimization is so important to online marketing. Why you must track every ad and how to start each test safely. How to turn a campaign losing money into a winner by following your visitors around the web. "How do I get more traffic to my site?"
Every penny you spend on advertising should be tracked. I personally use a couple of That's what everyone is tracking programs. The first one continually asking. But there's NO is the ad tracker built lack of traffic sources out there. into www.netofficetoolbox.com. There's Adwords, Bing, 7Search, Facebook, Trafficvance, Leadimpact, Adready, Advertise, Sitescout, Pulse360, Adbright, Bidvertiser, Tribalfusion, Valueclick, Kontera... And we're just getting warmed up. I'm not going to list all of them here. There's no lack of traffic out there. It's just a question of building a funnel that converts visitors into sales. Here are 7 quick tips for profiting from paid traffic. 1. Track everything If you're not tracking, you're losing money. It's as simple as that.
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Their audience sounds right for your offer. And you know your page converts. It did on the last 5 ads you ran in other newsletters.
Should you buy the mailing to 10,000 people for $100 or the This one is perfect for anywhere I 50,000 person mailing for $300? just need a single link, like when running email solo ads. I also use From experience I'd recommend it with offline ads like postcards. I the smaller $100 mailing. Yes, buy a domain name just for the the top one looks like a bargain, postcard mailing and have the but every new ad source is a new domain name redirect through test. Your previous results don't the ad tracker to my landing mean anything here. page. Test the small ad first. If it's You could even set-up “goals” profitable, expand into the larger inside of free Google Analytics to ad. track a majority of your online marketing campaigns. Plus If you're advertising where they there are dozens of other offer a daily budget option, USE trackers available online. It it. Only risk what you can afford to doesn’t so much which tracker lose. you use. Just track all your ads. 3. Plan for optimization 2. Test small It’s a rare occasion when an ad Let's say you're buying your first succeeds right out of the gate. solo ad in an email newsletter.
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Instead, what commonly happens is it only returns a fraction of your expense. You spend $100 and only get $30 back on your first run. Is it time to give up and quit? Maybe this ad source isn't right for you. So you try another and the exact same thing happens. Over and over again. Advertising is all about staying in the game until you win. Let's say you're running Adwords. You test keywords, ad text, landing pages, sales copy, and follow-up. Those are 5 places you can improve and optimize and we're just getting warmed up.
Concentrate first on what's above the fold (the first screen of info before someone scrolls). Put Your initial ad is simply a starting more emphasis on the response point for the optimization process button. to begin. That's why tracking everything is so vital. You have to 5. Focus on the offer know which keywords, ads, and landing pages are producing the Your initial offer is everything. It's more important than the headline good results. or the photos. Can you offer a low cost trial period? How about an 4. Test shouts instead of "insane" guarantee? whispers Your first tests shouldn't be headline color or which font is the best. It should be a totally different offer or headline. Change the entire layout of the landing page.
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How does your offer stand out from the competition? Test going directly for a low cost sale versus going for an opt-in only.
With information products, I'm almost always better off going for an opt-in (quick tip - asking for ‘email only’ boosts my conversion by 20% or more over asking for name and email). 6. Reverse-engineer winning competitors If someone keeps running ads in the same places (Adwords, solo ads, magazines, banners, etc.), study their conversion process. What is their unique promise? What do they ask you to do when you land on their page. What are they sending out to their email list?
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You may even want to buy their Remarketing is where you product to see what they offer on cookie your visitors, and then can the backend. show banners to them no matter what sites they're on. Analyze a few of the top competitors and you can make a If you visit a site about “running list of "requirements" for being in shoes,” you may find yourself that market. Then compare your surrounded by banners about offer and how you can stand out those running shoes even if as unique. you’re checking the weather, reading a blog, or at a forum 7. Test adding remarketing to about dogs. your mix This type of advertising ISN'T The advertising I've consistently where you go first though. You seen clients profit the most from need to already have a good is remarketing campaigns. A 3- foundation of traffic coming to your site to cookie and follow-up to-1 or 4-to-1 profit to expense on. ratio isn't uncommon.
The reason it's so important going in is because I have a couple of clients who are only close to break even on other sources of traffic such as Adwords. Their profits don't come in until they ad on remarketing campaigns to keep following up on the visitors from their other sources of traffic. There are quite a few remarketing networks, but www.adroll.com is a good one to get started with.
Terry Dean
He created one of the first Internet membership sites dedicated to Terry Dean started his online business and quickly developed a business from scratch in 1996. He reputation as the go-to guy for went from delivering pizzas for delivering results and real Little Caesars for $8 an hour to actionable steps instead of just quickly building a million dollar promises. Internet business promoted primarily through the Internet. Terry Dean In those first few years he “failed” "The Internet Lifestyle Mentor" Earn More. Work Less. Enjoy Life! his way to success by testing everything to cut through the hype about online and prove what really www.MyMarketingCoach.com works for the average business owner.
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OLD HABITS DIE HARD By Scot McKee
Adopting social media strategy requires business change. Make sure you’re willing to change; pretending won’t work. Strategic integration is not the same as tactical afterthought. Stickers can seriously damage your health. I was more than a little surprised recently when a client told me he wanted to add posters to his social media campaign. I like posters. But that’s not social media.
A minute later he reaches the checkout to be greeted by the presenter:
“Congratulations! You’ve managed to collect dog food, packets of couscous and some And it wasn’t just posters. Oh no. feminine hygiene products!” He proceeded to dictate a veritable cornucopia of traditional “But I don’t have a dog. I wanted media tools and materials that salmon.” needed to be added to the “Never mind. There’s still the, eh, campaign. “Immediately”. couscous!” “I don’t like couscous. I wanted It felt like I was watching salmon.” someone doing a supermarket “Well, perhaps your wife… trolley dash. “You have one umm…” minute to fill your basket with “Not married.” anything you can find in the store. “Oh.” Ready? Go. “I wanted salmon.” “So why didn’t you go and get ” The wide-eyed and slightly salmon?” panic-stricken shopper reaches “I wasn’t ready.” for anything available as he screeches around the store, So my client scurried around my colliding with towers of soup office flailing his arms and asking cans and packets of corn flakes. me to make a list:
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“We need posters, loads of posters, posters everywhere. And ads. I want ads. Ads need to be in everything. We’ll have online ads too, you know, the square ones, and the tall thin ones and, ah, what the hell, give me some spinny-roundy ones. Get me radio ads and leaflets and don’t forget some CPTs, whatever they are. And stickers I want stickers. We’ll give them out to everyone on the streets. Everyone loves a sticker. Who doesn’t like a good sticker, eh?” “But this is a social media campaign. Those things aren’t social media.” “I know, I know, but I can’t risk it. I’ve always had posters. I’m letting you do the social thing because, you know, everyone says I should. But that doesn’t mean I like it. I like posters.”
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“So, is there an additional budget Your social activity is a strategic, for this integrated campaign?” long-term relationship with your customers and prospective “Eh, no. You’ll have to take the customers. It’s about what they cost out of the social media want, and not necessarily what budget.” you might like. Oh, and for the record, they don’t want your “Right. So it’s not a social media fucking stickers. campaign now, it’s a poster campaign.” You can no longer have everything all your own way. Sorry “Well, if you look at it like that, about that. So the next time you technically, eh, yes.” talk to me about your social media requirement, I’m going to As I escorted the client to the give you one minute to convince door, he was still complaining me you’re 100% committed. fervently about the fully descriptive nature of the Ready? Go. expletives I used to describe where he should shove his posters. We still appear to struggle with this brave new world. I say ‘we’, but I really mean, ‘you’. I gave up struggling a while ago and embraced the inevitability of social change. B2B businesses in particular are still reluctant to let go. There’s nothing wrong with ‘posters’, or any other traditional media. But you can’t pretend you’re ready for social change when you’re not. There’s nothing wrong with integrated marketing either. But you can’t partially commit to a social strategy and switch it on and off when it suits you.
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Scott McKee Scot McKee, Brand Strategy Legend, Managing Director Brand/Digital Agency Birddog, Author ‘Creative B2B Branding (no, really)’, B2B Marketing Columnist, Social/Mobile Advocate & Rock God. Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scotmckee LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/scotmck ee Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/birddogb 2b YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Bird dogB2B Amazon: http://is.gd/mckeebooks Web: http://www.birddog.co.uk
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THREE GREAT BUSINESS TALENTS! By Ron Carroll
What makes a great business? Three essential business talents. What talent is most important to your company?
People are always coming up with new ways to define the essential ingredients of a great business. Hundreds of books have been written on the topic.
product or service, a buzz develops in the marketplace and customer demand grows rapidly - profit margin and sales are usually high.
solution" - from the customer's point of view.
Innovation adds new product features or benefits not previously available. It makes However, I have observed that Years ago, I had a business that products cheaper, faster, one or more of the following three manufactured framed art. We smaller, better, stronger, more critical skills or talents are at the created gorgeous silk-screened efficient, and so on. Innovative root of every great business. designs on glass and mirror for business systems can produce the home décor market. National distinctive sales, marketing or 1. The ability to create new retailers like J.C. Penny’s and advertising methods, an products or services Target Stores couldn’t keep our improved distribution or delivery (innovation.) products on their shelves. The process, creative pricing or phone rang off the hook from all terms, more convenience, lower 2. The ability to develop over the country; we had to risk, better guarantee, or “killer valuable relationships manufacture twenty-four hours a customer care.” (marketing and sales.) day to keep up. It’s a great feeling - like being a rock star! (I The talent to see and develop 3. The ability to deliver on think). things in new ways - that your promise to customers love - can be the customers (business What is innovation? It can be a basis of a good business. systems.) new invention, technology, process, or business concept. However, innovation requires risk However, it is most often a 1. Innovation and sometimes customers aren’t significant variation or impressed, or the competition improvement to something that swoops in and knocks off your Everyone loves new products and services. It’s human nature. If already exists. Innovation is the great new idea. You also need skill of developing the new "best the second great talent. you develop the right new
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2. Relationship Building Many small businesses flourish because the owner is a natural at building relationships. He or she is a person with vision, has a strong will to get good ideas to market, is sometimes daring, and is usually very likable or even charismatic. The person just seems to make things happen. He or she is a “rainmaker.” When I operated my framed-art business, I was in my twenties and pretty wet behind the ears. At trade shows, buyers would tell us that our products were better than our competition. So why were competitors ten times larger than us? Well, innovative products drove our business model, not marketing and sales.
deliver a consistent and desirable result, routinely Business execution is the ability meeting and exceeding customer to profitably give customers what expectations. As your company they want and expect every time. matures and grows, systematic improvement of business processes is the secret to longWe weren't effective at building When you write a brochure or term success. relationships; we lacked industry give a sales presentation, you influence and clout! always speak of your company In my framed-art business, the its products and services - in Business author, Peter Drucker, glowing terms. However, to make marketplace was very competitive. Our manufacturing stated, “A business has two the dream come true for your processes and costs were purposes: marketing and customer is another matter innovation.” This statement altogether - many struggle to do it calculated in pennies. The business had to run like a Swiss implies that the business will well. watch for us to be profitable. It deliver on its promise, which was not easy to have everything Execution is all about creating makes system building, or execution, the third great talent. effective business systems that run smoothly all of the time.
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3. System Building
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One day, I read a book by Charles Jay Coonradt, The Game of Work. We created systems that were like games - and we kept score. Productivity soared. This was my first experience with Systems Thinking.
three! Each skill can be learned, but it’s not likely that the relationship builder is also a systems person. Hire those who compliment your strengths. As you acquire partners or managers, get an innovator, a relationship builder, and a systems builder.
The principles I learned over thirty years ago very much apply Your organization will become in today’s world. Now, I am a bit remarkable! fanatical on the topic of business systems and processes. You should be too. The Most Important Talent So, which talent do you think is most important? Innovation will get your juices flowing and provide opportunities for high margins and growth.
Ron Carroll Helping business owners dramatically increase customer loyalty, profitability, and growth by elevating the performance of their vital business systems and processes. rcarroll@BoxTheoryGold.com www.BoxTheoryGold.com
Relationship building will ensure that your business continually attracts new customers. Systemization and execution will enable you to retain customers and generate a healthy profit.
What is it like to do business with Your Company? Do you know what your customers really think about you? Do you have “killer customer care” that draws customers back again and again?
If you want to become a great company, find a way to do all
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SANTA CLAUS, THE EASTER BUNNY, AND SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION By Ivan Misner
The idea that we are all connected through Six Degrees of Separation is rooted in myth - not in fact. The studies the myth arose from indicate clearly that some people are better connected than others Being able to make successful connections is not an entitlement. Instead, it is a skill that only some actually develop. What do Santa Claus, the Easter It’s common knowledge that we Bunny, and Six Degrees of are all separated by six Separation have in common? connections to anyone in the world.” Well, I hate to burst your The answer is - people all around bubble, but the idea that we are the world believe in them. But, all connected through Six since I don’t wish to do an Degrees of Separation is rooted exposé on Santa Claus or the in myth - not in fact. Easter Bunny, I’m going to leave those icons alone. I want to talk The legend originally stems from about the Six Degrees of several “small world Separation idea. This is the experiments” conducted by widely-held belief that we are all Stanley Milgram in the 1960s connected to each other through, and 70s. These experiments at most, six intermediary involved sending folders or connections or people. letters from a group of people in one part of the country to a I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad specific person (whom they did tidings, but it’s just not true. In not know) in another part of the fact, it is a widespread urban country. The people were told to legend. I know, I know—you’re get the material to someone who thinking, “What? That can’t be! might know someone that would
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know the individual to whom the material was to be delivered to. This process formed a chain of connections linking the people together. It was, in fact, found that the letters or folders which eventually arrived in the right person’s hands took, on average, between five and six connections or degrees. This part is true; however, if you look closer, you will discover the problems that exist within the blanket statement that “we are all connected by six degrees.” First off, though the average number of links for people who got the material through to the
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final contact was five or six connections, the majority of the connections that were made ranged from two to ten (the average was five to six). This means that roughly half took more than six and roughly half less than six. Well, you say, that’s the average and I would agree that there’s nothing wrong with addressing this concept by the average, but there’s one small problem. The overwhelming majority of people in all of Milgram’s studies never got the material to the intended recipient at all!
However, that means that 71% were NOT CONNECTED AT ALL!
Well, there are two reasons. First of all, I believe this myth creates complacency.
But wait, I’m afraid it gets worse. The thought that everyone is This was Milgram’s most absolutely connected to everyone successful study. else on the planet by six degrees gives some people a false sense In another of his studies, only 5% of expectation and thus lulls them of the participants completed the into a sense that the connection chain, which means that 95% of is bound to happen sooner or the people in the study never later, no matter what they do. made the link to the person they were supposed to connect to at Secondly, and most importantly, all - ever! the studies’ findings indicate clearly that some people are Don’t shoot the messenger, but I better connected than others. am afraid to tell you that we are In Milgram’s most successful not “all” connected with everyone I believe that’s important study, “217 chains were started in the world by Six Degrees of because it means that this is a and 64 were completed - a Separation. We’re just not…not skill that can be acquired. (*) all of us. success rate of only 29%.” With reading, training, and So, why would I, someone who coaching, people can develop That’s right - a success rate of has devoted most of his their networking skills, increase less than 1/3 of the participants!! professional career to business their connections, and become part of the roughly 29% of people So, what this means is that 29% networking, be telling everyone that are, in fact, separated from of the people in Milgram’s most about the Achilles heel of this iconic concept upon which a lot the rest of the world by only six successful study were separated degrees. on average by six degrees from of networking pros hang their hats? the final contact person.
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Milgram’s work was revolutionary. It opened up a whole new world of discussion and understanding. It has, however, been romanticized. The mythical version of his findings does no good for anyone. It gives people a false sense of security or an erroneous world view of the networking process. I believe we do live in a “small world” that is becoming smaller and smaller; and I also believe it is possible to be connected to anyone in the world by only six degrees. I just don’t believe that “we are all” connected by six degrees and Milgram’s own findings support that.
In fact, by understanding that, we can set ourselves aside from our competition by knowing that being able to make successful connections is not an entitlement. Instead, it is a skill that only some actually develop. As for the 71% of people who are not connected and yet still believe in the Six Degrees of Separation concept – keep the faith. You’ll always have Santa Claus. Dr. Ivan Misner
* Could It Be a Big World After All? The Six Degrees of Separation Myth by Judith S. Kleinfeld, Forthcoming, Society, 2002.
Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times best selling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization.
The good news in all of this is that it is possible to be part of the 29% through education, practice, and training.
His newest book can be viewed at www.BusinessNetworkingandSex. com.
We can be connected to anyone through the power and potential of networking.
Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company.
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“K” IS FOR “K.I.S.S.” By Tony Falkenstein
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” - Albert Einstein Kissing might be a tension reliever in your office - lucky you! In this sense we are using it as an acronym
There were just too many to choose from - Albert was stumped!
Originally KISS stood for ’Keep it short and simple‘, but more recently favoured as ’Keep it simple, Stupid’. Organisations tend to do everything possible to avoid the urge to KISS and just make everything so complicated! Why have one price when you can have twenty? Why have one manager when you can have two? Why differentiate the same shampoo into twenty different varieties when research shows you will not sell more but you will bastardise the original brand!
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I once was in an organization which ran a competition within the Company and called it ‘Is there a Simpler Way?’ One of the many questions which arose during this process was: why had there been an overseas office based in London for 40 years, when all our trade at the time was with China.
Every Organization is the same - appoint a ‘Chief Simplification Officer’ as your CEO, and you’ll find a far more efficient Organisation.
It turned out that someone had left school to join the company in London all those years ago, and had plodded along with an aging staff of three. Suddenly the London office was closed down without any interruption to the operation of the Company and China remained their main trading partner. That is a big example of KISS at work, and through that process we discovered there were so many smaller KISSES and as a result the Company increased its profit substantially.
Tony Falkenstein Tony Falkenstein OMNZ has worked as an entrepreneur with multinationals and public companies, and now owns the majority share in publicly listed Just Water International Limited, as well as privately- owned Bartercard New Zealand Limited. He founded Red Eagle Corporation in 1987, a week after the sharemarket crash….Read more
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 45
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: NAOMI SIMSON RED BALLOON RedBalloon has consistently been recognised as one of Australia’s best places to work. Put simply, we are in the business of fun and are passionate about giving people more good times as Naomi Simson explains. 1. What inspired you to start your business? What are your goals and values? After a long corporate career, I wanted to create a business that gave me the flexibility around my family that I was no longer able to find in the corporate environment. Plus the Iinternet was just starting to gain traction, so that also inspired me to ‘invent’ a business using this emerging technology. I wanted to create a business that could be flexible, fun – and my original vision was to change gifting in Australia for ever, with a big hairy audacious goal of redballoon.com.au selling 2 million experiences by 2015 – which we are on track to exceed.
2. What was the driving force behind your decision to specialize in the small business marketing sector? Being a small dog with a big dog attitude makes a massive difference. RedBalloon may employ a relatively small team, but we achieve great numbers (almost $45 million with 43 fulltime staff in FY12). We have had national and international impact in Australia and New Zealand as the ‘face’ of over 1000 small businesses (our suppliers) to whom we bring custom and revenue.
Australia - costing some $42 billion per year in lost productivity. If RedBalloon reduces disengagement by even 1%, imagine the difference we are making! 3. What experience do you have helping small business clients?
Masses! We work with over 1000 third party experience suppliers, many of which are small Australian (and NZ) businesses and for whom we represent the large majority of their marketing exposure and customer base. In this sense we We have had an impact on all are a mid-size enterprise our RedBalloon recipients supporting small businesses allowing them experiences that who employ hundreds of many have dreamed about for thousands of Australians. Having I also wanted to challenge the years. Plus with our corporate said that, we also work with ‘stereotype’ of a corporate reward and recognition larger enterprises such as working environment and programs, we are helping lift Bridge Climb Sydney and explored how to increase employee engagement across Endota - our supplier choices engagement via simple reward Australia and New Zealand for are made based predominantly and recognition programs that 3000+ customers. According to on their willingness and ability to organisations could utilise - with Gallup, up to 21% of employees deliver a great customer our own experience vouchers as are disengaged across experience at every touchpoint. part of the reward.
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deliver amazing experiences to our clients because we hire our people based on who they are. We look for a match to our values of: Integrity, Generosity, Leadership, Sense of Humour & Fun and being “A Little Dog With A Big Dog Personality�. 6. What process, services and support do your clients receive? As an experience booking agent, our customers receive the highest level sales support. By Red Balloon - Happiness is amplified when it’s shared either phone or email, our customer experience team inspires people. We have more assist customers in booking 4. Do you service other than 3500 corporate clients who experiences, answering sectors as well? use us to help reward, questions, managing payment recognise, incentivise and requests and issues, and taking Our business is experiences, so inspire their people. At and acting upon feedback. Once I guess you could say we touch RedBalloon we practice what we a booking has been made, the every sector through our preach, celebrating our supplier becomes the main point involvement with corporate achievements, living our values, of contact for our customer. clients - from the financial efficiency, length of service and services industry to airlines, In terms of RedBalloon for telecos to advertising agencies many other things. Corporate, services include We are proud to be consulting on items such as 5. What are the main reasons acknowledged in the top ten online points programs, voucher that someone would choose Best Places to Work in Australia programs, team building events your business to assist with by BRW and according to Hewitt and corporate gifts, which assist developing their business? have a 97% employee businesses in shaping a culture engagement score. The culture where employees are as happy As the experts in employee at RedBalloon enables us to and as valued as customers. engagement, we know what
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 47
This is a significant part of the RedBalloon business.
8. Tell us about some of the expectations that you had. Have they been met?
7. What challenges did you face in setting up your business?
My personal saying is ‘If it’s meant to be it’s up to me’ - not that I have to do all the work, but it’s a motto that has constantly One of the biggest challenges inspired me. We recruit and for start-up business is reward on our company values differentiation. It is very hard to be a remarkable ‘purple cow’ as and my leadership style reflects that. Seth Godin implored – when everyone is claiming to be a ‘purple cow.’ The sheer volume I see myself as a mentor for everyone: to empower people to of messages that we are do great work but also to not let bombarded with each day them down. With our value of overwhelms. Real cut through integrity - doing what we say we comes from the authentic are going to do - and it is experience someone has of a important I embody that. brand. At RedBalloon, we just figure that rather than making ‘promises’ and ‘ trying to sell’ stuff – we will just let people know what we stand for. Marketing has come a long way from the 1950’s – but the premise is the same – “I want to know that I am dealing with someone real - and what you stand for.”
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Business does not happen in isolation. Small businesses can grow to make huge differences to society so to be aware of the problems that different societies and communities face on a dayto-day basis; to be conscious of the difficulties and hardships of society, is important. However, anything you choose to do has to be truly authentic. Don’t do it just for the kudos – you have to truly believe in it.
9. Who is the target market for your business? RedBalloon.com.au pioneered experiential gifting in Australia and New Zealand and has delivered almost one-and-a-half million experiences to consumers and businesses since its inception in 2001. Our customers are many and varied. Whilst RedBalloon was originally launched for individuals, Fuji Xerox became the first corporate client to use RedBalloon as an incentive program. Since then some 3500 corporate clients have regularly purchased. Our target markets include (but are not limited to): consumers, businesses looking to use our experiences to reward, recognise and incentivise their employees; business conducting team building events; businesses seeking advice on employee reward programs; third party experience providers (suppliers).
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10. Do you provide services nationally?
12. What would you say to If you don’t have that singlesomeone looking to grow and minded passion, it becomes work - RedBalloon has never develop their business? been work for me. I ask all Yes - in every state of Australia people who approach me with and across NZ. We have over I don’t think you should go into business ideas: why do you do 3000 experiences on our site at business just to make money www.redballoon.com.au. and if you do, it’s not necessarily what you do and who will care? Are you building a better the right reason. It might be mousetrap or are you changing 11. Do you have any plans for counter-intuitive, but a good entrepreneur goes into business the game of rodent overseas expansion? because they see a problem and management? they want to change it, and it’s Not at this stage. We’re very something they’re completely happy providing meaningful experiences for Australians and passionate about. New Zealanders.
Naomi Simson Naomi Simson, founding director of RedBalloon, offers advice for businesses - “Employees are the new customers”. As a former corporate marketer for IBM, Ansett Australia, KPMG, and Apple, Naomi understands the value of building a brand based on listening to customers and employees too.
The RedBalloon programs work with organisations to ensure that they ‘notice’ what their employees do and encourage a deeper level of employee engagement. For Naomi Simson, forming an attachment (emotional and rational) between people and the brand is one way that we help produce a happier workforce and in turn a stronger economy. http://www.redballoon.com.au.
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 49
10 SMALL BUSINESS BLOG POST IDEAS By Jessica Swanson
Simple ideas for unblocking your written creativity How to tap into your existing network for blog post ideas As a small business owner, you probably know that blogging can bring your more traffic, convert that traffic to leads and ultimately make you more sales. When you sit down to blog about your small business, you may enter into the deep, dark world of “writer’s block.” Your mind goes blank, you can’t think of a single thing worthy to say and your frustration level peaks. Here are ten popular small business blog posts to get you started: 1. Customer success stories.
strategies that they can put to immediate use.
4. Relevant news from your industry.
For instance, if you are a dogtrainer and have a dog-training blog, then make sure to provide your audience with plenty of dogtraining tricks and tips that will encourage them to keep coming back to your blog for the latest strategies.
You can certainly position yourself as an industry leader by relating important and timely news stories from your particular industry. If you find any pieces of news that are interesting or would benefit your readers, then make sure to offer the news-story along with your own commentary and opinion.
Of course, providing your audience with industry tips and tutorials also positions you as an 5. Upcoming events about expert. your small business. 3. Information about new products/services.
If you’re having a huge, 1-day sale, then post it on your blog. If One of the most effective types of you’re hosting an online webinar If your company launches a new blog posts is to highlight your or teleseminar, then post it on customer and/or client success product and/or service, use your your blog. Whenever you plan to stories. Not only are you putting blog as an announcement have an upcoming event, make the spotlight on a customer, thus service to give your loyal readers sure to let your readers know. a sneak preview. bringing them extra exposure and visibility, you are also 6. Elicit feedback from In addition, you can generate providing social proof that your customers. additional buzz-builders by product or service works. offering beta invites, focus As a small business owner, you 2. Industry tips and tutorials. groups and surveys that will help will want to generate authentic keep your readers engaged in feedback from your customers the launch process. Your blog should provide your about your products and/or customers, clients and services. prospectswith valuable tips and
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The feedback that your customers provide can either be pulled straight from their comments or from blog polling services or plugins. This type of feedback can be an invaluable resource for your small business and help move it from good to great.
8. “Warning” Posts.
Every so often, it is appropriate to help your prospects understand “what they need to watch out for” in your particular industry. This again, positions you as an expert and helps build trust with your prospects. For instance, the dog trainer could 7. Educate Your write a blog post entitled, Customers/Clients. “Beware of the dog trainers who use physical punishment.” Of course, you would let your Many small business owners implicitly understand that in order prospects know that you detest this type of dog training and why. to effectively sell a product or service, the customer needs to 9. Related interests. be educated. Oftentimes our prospects don’t even understand why they need our products or If you sell vitamins, you should services. blog about health. If you own a travel agency, you should blog Therefore, the appropriate about the great trips that you education of your prospects is take. It’s important to reveal to incredibly important. your clients and customers that you are a real person with similar However, it also should be interests to theirs. As long as handled with care. You certainly your personal blog posts are don’t want to use a “hard-sell” directly related to your product approach and bully your and/or service, you will find these prospects into making a posts to be an invaluable way to purchase. On the other hand, if connect. you help your prospects understand why your product and 10. Product, service, or service is so valuable and what process explanations and problems it will solve for them, stories. your battle is half-won. If you own a product or service that needs further explanation,
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then share this explanation on your blog. Your customers will appreciate tutorials, stories and explanations about how to best use your product and services. So, the next time that you are struggling to come up with a small business blog topic, keep these ten tips in mind.
Jessica Swanson Jessica has helped thousands of small business owners, all over the world, implement low-cost, high-impact marketing campaigns. Armed with years of teaching and a M.S. in Written Communications, Jessica takes complicated marketing concepts, turns them upside-down, and makes them incredibly simple and outrageously straightforward. To download Jessica’s FREE Shoestring Marketing Kit go to: www.ShoestringMarketingKit.com
Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 51
ZEN AND THE ART OF CHARGING HIGHER PRICES By Richard Petrie
80% of the market does not use lowest price as their #1 buying criteria. The competition at the premium end is nowhere near as intense as at the discount end of the market. Stop trying to be all things to all people. Q: How do you make more money over night? A: Increase your prices.
2. Let’s say you are in court facing charges for mass murder. Do you look to see who is offering a 20% Christmas sale on legal fees? No
This is because they know no other way. Sack them as your advisors.
But get this… the competition at the premium end is nowhere near as intense as at the Ok I know what you are thinking - discount end of the market. these are extreme examples. While the Lemmings are slitting Then how about the clothes you each other’s throat in an attempt are wearing right now. Are you to win the worst clients in the wearing the cheapest shirt, skirt, market, the bottom feeding 15shoes, jacket you could have 20%, you can be servicing the found? No. You bought stuff that rich end. Bigger margins mean makes you feel good, right? You you can provide a better service. Don’t believe me? Here are paid more than the cheapest Better service means clients get some examples: alternative to feel good. a better result or experience. A better result or experience leads 1. Let’s say you have a brain Then if you don’t buy on price, to happier clients and more tumour. Do you tell your maybe neither do most others. referrals, and more profits. personal assistant to look for the cheapest brain The research is always the same More profits mean you can invest surgeon in the yellow and hardly hidden, and yet dumb more to win new clients; you can pages? No marketers or business owners grow faster and get rich; you can will compete on price like outsource the delivery and spend Lemmings jumping off a cliff. more time on the beach. Research tells us that 15-20% of buyers in any market will always go for the premium option and about 10-20% will always go for the cheapest option. That means at least 80% of the market does not use lowest price as their #1 buying criteria. Yet most businesses sell as if price is the ONLY factor.
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Here are 10 ways to increase prices with little or no resistance 1. Increase your prices. (80% do NOT buy on price as their #1 criteria so higher prices often do not have an impact on sales.)
1. Continuity. (Put people onto a monthly plan rather than an upfront - Sky vs Freeview.)
gourmet food then it is hard to compare. Create a service, something new and more aligned to an outcome than the process. Rather than selling a dog kennel 2. Cross Sell. (Sell someone service try selling a ‘Grooming else’s stuff and take a And Holiday Retreat'. cut.) 3. Add bonuses. (Use other people’s offerings as bonuses.)
2. Add a premium option. (Offer them a ‘first class’. In my local paper the DomPost MacDonald’s know that 30% will naturally take the yesterday there was an article entitled, 'It's a decadent dog life up sell option.) at Waglands,' about how Ben 3. Change WHO you sell to. Adams and Arlene Hawkyard set (Identify a new niche of up 'Waglands Dogs' Grooming customers with more And Holiday Retreat'. The article money and a bigger describes a 'luxury 5-star problem who will value experience with heated pads your service.) during winter, gourmet food, sand pits and special areas for 4. Create a guarantee. (Remove their perceived afternoon naps’. risk but charge a little Despite being premium priced, extra.) Waglands have had to turn away 5. Bundle up a solution. (Sell 300 dogs for the Christmas 'em 5 batteries when they period and were booked out only want one, months ago. They are using MacDonald’s have Happy strategies #1 #2 #3 and probably Meals because they don’t 3-4 others. want to sell just a cheese burger to an 8 year old) This selling at higher prices stuff 6. Educate for the true value works but you cannot serve up the same slop as everyone else. of the service. (If they don’t understand how much you do or how good When looking to sell at higher your option is compared prices here are some important keys to getting a cheaper version, that’s not their It is best to break the old industry fault it's yours. Sell the norms of what gets delivered output NOT the input.) because the traditional way of 7. Charge for what was delivering the ‘standard’ service previously free. (Change a triggers traditional price quote to a 'Requirements expectations.When no one else Analysis'.) is offering heated pads or
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Create a service aligned to exactly what the big spenders want. Stop trying to be all things to all people. There are some people who like John Wayne and others who like Boy George but creating a service that appeals to both is going to make you poor.
Richard Petrie Richard is author of the book the Persuasion Equation, writes on his web site www.speedmarketing.co.nz and develops research backed sales processes to increase conversion. If you have a question, comment or want to reach Richard he is available at Richard@speedmarketing.co.nz
Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 53
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 55 maxiom
SEO GUARANTEE FROM SEO COMPANY By James Hourigan
What does it mean?
SEO is not about being seen.
What is it worth?
Click goes the Customer.
Go and search Google for an SEO company and you will find many that guarantee that they will get you on the first page of Google for your keywords. This is an interesting claim when Google says - Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submit” to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. It is even more interesting when you see that there are PPC ads which make claims for guaranteed results. But that is for another post at another time.
Besides, you do not want Page 1 Google rankings alone! You need more visitors to your site, more visitors that are interested in what you have on offer. These visitors are likely to buy what you are selling.
Do you want global search or local search? Well it depends on where you want to sell your product.
What does it mean and what is it worth?
When they give you the estimate, enquire as to what sources and references were used to arrive at that estimate. There should be no secrets between you and your SEO consultant.
SEO is not about being seen
If you only sell in your country, for example Australia, then use the local monthly search figures. I had one SEO company quote How much Traffic? global figures when they knew I Ask the company offering SEO only sold in Australia. No big deal one question: How many visitors you say… but the global figure will your SEO activities produce was in excess of 2 million and the local was less than 75 and in what time frame? If they thousand. That’s a huge are not able or not prepared to give you an estimate, do not do difference in the number of potential customers! business with them.
So the usual guarantee involves Page 1 of Google because we As your website becomes more know - If you are not on Page 1 of visible in the SERPs (Search Google you are nowhere! But if Engine Results Pages), you are you have read this far, you now bound to get many offers from want to know how many potential While they may have proprietary SEO companies that will offer clicks i.e. visits you will get when methods of going about their guaranteed results for Google you arrive at Page 1. work, all of the information on page 1. I would advise that you “run” the other way or you could search volume is freely available It would also be very prudent to waste a lot of your valuable time in the Google Adwords Tool. know the difference between the on either working with this SEO Exercise caution when looking at bottom of the page 1 ranking and company or at best trying to evaluate what it is that they offer. figures from this very helpful tool. the top of the page 1 ranking.
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LOOKING TO IMPROVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE TIPS, ADVICE & GUIDANCE ON OUTSOURCING FOR BEST RESULTS Click goes the Customer So my number one suggestion to those who seek to offer guarantees for seo results…… Guarantee that there will be more site visitors. Clients can then ask obvious questions as to how many more visitors will your activities produce and at what cost. It is James Hourigan then a simple calculation to estimate the cost per sale or cost James is passionate about per lead depending on your eliminating the mystery objectives for doing SEO. surrounding SEO to enable business owners to extract the Our free Keyword Tool can help maximum return on their you estimate the number of site visits based on the “guaranteed” investment from this modern marketing activity. rank on offer. When all users and potential users of SEO services start to ask these questions, we will effectively eliminate the “cowboys” from the industry.
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 57
MAKING IT EASY FOR THE CUSTOMER TO PAY By Geoff Vautier
Why customers expect payment options Why it’s smart to offer options Practical steps to implement the strategy What flexible ways can you find to meet your customers' payment preferences? What options can you offer to help them decide to buy?
The Cashless Society Think about how you pay for things for a moment. Is it always cash? Probably not, as not many people use much cash these days. So do you usually pay by card? Credit or debit card? An online payment system? Do you have a car loan or a home loan?
different ways, at different times which automatically points to options (and we'll come to practical tips a bit later).
But there's another aspect to options in this context. We looked at some pricing psychology in http://pricingpsychology.com. There's lots of psychology that Many people buy on credit; they goes with the idea of offering have store cards, cards for petrol options. and certainly bank cards. You may have several methods you Dr Rafi Mohammed, author of The Art of Pricing, says in his prefer to use depending on the book, The 1% Windfall, "Better outlay. Your customers are no pricing is more than simply different. raising prices. The key is to offer customers a variety of pricing If customers come to you to look Some people prefer to lease options." at what you have to offer, then it rather than to buy and then means that they are already upgrade regularly to the latest www.pricingforprofit.com interested in buying. Your job model. Some may like to 'try now is to make it easy for them before they buy'. Let's take this key and see what to buy. it unlocks. If you offer one price, You're there to sell so how can then the customer is faced with a Introducing options on price and you meet these differing simple decision, to buy or not to preferences? payment methods makes it buy. But if you offer two prices or easier and is a way of increasing more usually two packages with The psychology of options your prices too, so everybody rather different content, then the wins! mind switches from making the So you've got a whole bunch of decision 'Shall I buy or not?' to people who like to pay in
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Which shall I buy?' and your sale is more than half made! Further facts: ● Some people always want to buy the best so are looking to pay extra for a platinum service or premium product. ● Some people never pay top dollar and like to think they've got a special deal. ● Some people don't pay top dollar but don't want to look cheap either. We human beings are weird, huh? How to help your customers to pay you With this wild bunch of buyers out there, you need some strategies to meet everyone's needs: ● Introduce payment plans. Make monthly payments possible, offer a three-pay option or whatever's appropriate. You charge more for this service, of course which offsets your costs but could also be a bit more profit in your pocket. Some studies
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show that people will pay What are some of your ideas? significantly more for a product if they can pay for Please feel free to contact me it over time. with your ideas, comments and questions. ● Offer two or three options to the buyer, each one at a different price and with a different level of value. When you quote for a job, put in three prices not just one – the one in the middle can be the closest fit to what they say they need with a more basic option at a lower price and a deluxe version at a higher price. There's less chance that they will try to bring the price down because, if they want to spend less, you've already given them a less costly option.
Geoff Vautier Geoff Vautier is an 80-20 guru and pricing specialist. He successfully helps businesses of all sizes to find ways to increase their profits and grow.
● More buying options Could you offer a free trial period of your product or service as a try-beforeyou-buy option? Could you www.howtoincreaseprices.com lease your offering instead http://www.geoffvautier.com of selling it? Could you offer a licensing agreement so they buy the geoff@howtoincreaseprices.com licence, not the product?
“Boost your profit: Understand, and charge for, the value you provide”
Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 59
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Smart B.O.M.B. Magazine | 61
THE INNER GAME OF YOUR VISIBLE PERSONAL BRAND By Rachael Henke
Finding Your Voice A Message of Faith Three Questions to Ask Yourself
Finding your voice
things that only you were born to do. There is no one else like you on the planet so what are you It can be scary. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Suddenly you’re waiting for? Everything gets out there for people to judge and easier with practice, and building your online personal brand is just criticize and it’s never been so easy to try to make you feel bad the same. You’ll tentatively figure in public! But it can be brilliant & out the new rules and tools of the exciting too, when you find your internet to share your message. voice. You’ll stumble and make And if you have a big message mistakes sometimes and that’s okay too. And you’ll have shining to get out to the world and you want to share your gifts, you owe moments of creative flow when it it to yourself and the people who all just makes glorious sense. are waiting to hear your words ... Draw on those moments so that when you feel low and the road is A message of faith rocky, you remember to keep the faith. Stepping up to share your So when it gets tough and you unique voice is worth it, I promise feel too vulnerable and visible remember to have a little faith. If you. you can’t muster any at that moment think of me & know that I’m cheering you on. I’m calling you to step up and face your fears so you can do the big
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As a child I felt almost invisible. As a young woman I began to find my voice but I was terrified of the real me. I had to go through a lot of ‘inner gunk’ to step into the light. Sometimes I find myself back in the dark, as you might too. This is your journey. But now I’m reaching out to you to remind you. It’s your time. Do you hear me? Are you ready? I hope so. Three questions to ask yourself to help you along your path 1. Ask yourself, ‘Am I ready to leave my invisible space and step out into the light to build my online personal brand?’ 2. ‘What message do I feel most inspired to share with the world?
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THE MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY ENTREPRENEURS FOR ENTREPRENEURS 3. ‘Is my fear of the unknown holding me back from doing the things I was born to do?’ Jot down these questions and ponder them as you go through your day. A great way to connect with your intuition or inner compass is to journal your thoughts each day or to take a walk, preferably surrounded by nature, but even if you’re in the city you can usually find a park. I’d love to hear your thoughts so please leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions or insights.
Rachel Henke Rachel is the author of The Niche Expert, Radio Show Host and founder of Rachel Henke Global, a virtual training and coaching company showing entrepreneurs and small business owners how to stand out online and build a visible brand to attract perfect clients, sales and opportunities. To receive Rachel’s free Niche Expert Training video series visit http://www.Rachelhenke.com To connect with Rachel on Facebook pop over to http://www.Facebook.com/Rachel henkefan
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WHAT DOES ENGAGEMENT WITH CUSTOMERS REALLY MEAN? by Grant Leboff
‘Engagement’ is becoming one of those terms which is now so ubiquitous it is starting to lose its meaning. The level of engagement with our customer base really depends on the nature of the business. By looking at your levels of interaction and influence you can really measure the effectiveness of your engagement with prospects or customers alike. Why is it that before we get married, we are ‘engaged’? Why do many public toilets say the word ‘engaged’ on the outside when they are locked?
engagement with our customer base really depends on the nature of the business. There is no hard and fast rule but below is a benchmark you can use.
What level of engagement is appropriate?
My local supermarket engages with me every week. I have a loyalty card and they engage me with relevant coupons and discounts on the goods that I buy. This is OK with me because I engage with my supermarket every week, either online or by visiting the store.
Obviously, we are not going to keep our prospects and customers busy with us all the time. So, how often do we need to engage? The level of
Therefore, the frequency of engagement does not feel excessive. Simply providing me with coupons and vouchers is very transactional.
The term ‘engaged’ means busy or taken. When we use the term to ‘engage’ with customers, we mean ‘keeping them busy’ or ‘occupying them’.
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However, this again is alright. This is because the nature of my interaction with the supermarket is transactional. I buy a few items and I leave. If my law firm, dealing with my intellectual property, tried to engage with me every week I would go nuts. I use them roughly on a quarterly basis. If they contact me about every six weeks or so that would feel about right. Similarly, if they sent me discount vouchers off my next phone call I would think they had gone mad! My interaction with them is not transactional. It is one of advisor and partner.
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Therefore, it is better that their engagement reflects that position. Providing me with up to date changes in the market, white papers of trends and videos addressing pertinent issues will be much more appropriate.
Measuring whether we are engaging effectively Once we understand how often we should engage, and the nature of that engagement, we then need to understand how to measure whether we are engaging effectively.
communications they are not engaged. Having 5,000 people receiving your newsletter does not mean you have 5,000 people engaged. If it is only opened by ten people, then those ten are engaged and the other 4,990 newsletters are spam!
The exact opposite is true of my car insurance company, which I contact only once a year. I buy insurance and then hope it does not need to be used. I do not want to hear from my car insurance company once a week or even once every six weeks.
Measuring ‘influence’ is to The ultimate measure, of course, measure how much action is taken due to the communications will be increased sales. This is you deliver. measured by identifying with whom we are engaging and who Do people buy, sign up to the is buying. However, aside from suggested webinar or click the transaction itself, how is through to other pages on your engagement measured? website? Similarly, I am not interested in Engagement should be white papers and videos on This would show that your content measured by two factors; trends in the insurance market. has not only been seen but also ‘interaction’ and ‘influence’. has spurred someone into taking In fact, seeing as I only interact another action. ‘Interaction’ is simple. By using with my car insurance company embedded links and tracking once per year, the most they can content, you will be able to see Similarly, ‘influence’ can also be probably contact me is about who opened your email, read an measured by how much a three times in the year. Also, the article or how many watched a message is shared, retweeted, way they can deliver value will linked to, etc. video. have to be very different from the supermarket or law firm. Obviously, if people are not interacting with your
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This would also demonstrate that people didn’t just see your communications but ‘acted’ on them by sharing, sending to others and spreading your message.
‘Engagement’ is becoming one of those terms which is now so ubiquitous it is starting to lose its meaning.
Since then I have become increasingly uneasy with the term as more and more people talk about the ‘need to engage’ customers, without seemingly In my book Sticky Marketing, I having any understanding as to stated that businesses now need what that means. By looking at your levels of to move from measuring their Lets hope we can start to change interaction and influence you can marketing by ‘Return On that now. really measure the effectiveness Investment’ to ‘Return On of your engagement with Engagement’. prospects or customers alike.
Grant Leboff
It is now available worldwide.
Grant Leboff is one of the U.K's leading Sales and Marketing experts.
His current book, ‘Sticky Marketing’, provides companies with the new principles of marketing so they can thrive in a Web enabled world.
His first book, Sales Therapy®, introduced businesses to a new and highly effective Sales philosophy. It made the Amazon top 10 bestseller list on publication and is one of the top selling books on Sales in the UK.
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On release, it immediately went straight to number 1 in the Amazon Sales and Marketing Chart and went to number 5 in the overall Business Chart.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU: JAMES HOURIGAN James is passionate about eliminating the mystery surrounding SEO to enable business owners to extract the maximum return on their investment from this modern marketing activity. 1. What inspired you to start your business? What are your goals and values?
3. What experience do you have helping small business clients?
Frustration! When I was looking for someone to SEO my websites, there was a lack of people speaking in plain language that a newbie could understand.
Lots! I’ve been in marketing for three decades in consumer goods, beauty products, and pharmaceuticals and serviced clients in the advertising industry.
5. What process, services and support do your clients receive?
Plain talking! The SEO industry is full of jargon and there is a plethora of acronyms which not only confuses the un-initiated but can be highly misleading and frightfully expensive. We make it real, but most importantly; you Hopefully through Search Me 4. What are the main reasons can see what you will get before SEO, I will eliminate the mystery that someone would choose you spend your hard earned surrounding Search Engine your business to assist with dollars. Optimization and help developing their business? businesses attract new 6. What process, services customers by transparent, and support do your clients I guess if the Government or ethical methods. Qantas or Telstra want to log in receive? to: 2. What was the driving force As required! We provide all http://www.searchmeseo.com/ra marketing services, with an behind your decision to nk-assess-tool specialize in the small emphasis on measurable business marketing sector? and use our free tool to see how Internet Marketing. much SEO can help their We do not provide a one size Neglect! Most companies chase business, we won’t object. fits all service. the big companies for the big bucks. Just as my other small We will direct people to other business was neglected by the reliable service providers should heavy hitters in SEO, I see a their needs be outside our area market niche in helping SME’s of expertise. on their SEO journey.
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7. What challenges did you face in setting up your business?
10. Do you provide services nationally? Yes!
Finding partners! The biggest challenge was to source a developer, who was able to translate our vision for our App, which is the cornerstone of our approach to helping small business master the online challenges. 8. Tell us about some of the expectations that you had. Have they been met?
11. Do you have any plans for overseas expansion? We are in the process of identifying the “Best Fit� markets for Search Me SEO. 12. What would you say to someone looking to grow and develop their business?
Good things do not come to Our expectations have been those who wait. The mechanic exceeded as everyone we come does not have the worst car. in contact with is frustrated due to the lack of return on their Stop relying on all those investment in SEO. meaningless beliefs and just get on with it. If you have an idea, 9. Who is the target market either make it happen or drop it. for your business? The world is full of people with We help small business owners great ideas but there are few with the fortitude to make it that are contemplating starting an SEO campaign and owners reality. Be the one to make it real. who are not realizing the full potential of their current SEO activities.
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James Hourigan James is passionate about eliminating the mystery surrounding SEO to enable business owners to extract the maximum return on their investment from this modern marketing activity. E. seo@searchmeseo.com W. www.searchmeseo.com Click to get your free Rank Assess Tool™
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