September 2007
Evolving from the premise that customers have always behaved more like cats (they do what they want to do, when they want to do it), rather than like Pavlov's dogs, this book looks at how the current state of media in general has underminded the effectiveness of the traditional marketing model.
So what do you do when the old ways no longer work? How do you reach potential customers when your targets are even more fragmented than ever?You get specific. And by this, Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg (the authors) mean using Persuasion Architecture as a methodology for reaching your customers in ways they want to be reached.
The book is jam packed with information and comes with a bonus 80 min. video seminar plus a $50 credit for Yahoo! Search Marketing. If you buy the book on sale, it's an even better deal.
Read more about Waiting for your Cat to Bark
Even if you've got a great product or service, there can still be times when the in-flow of clients and cash seems to be drying up. I know some very talented business owners who have wonderful visions for bringing something positive to the world, and yet they seem to struggle daily with their ability to "make it happen."
If what I've just described, seems at all like your situation, you may need to do some or all of the following:+ Re-focus on Your Original Mission - Are you really doing what you set out to do? Or have you expanded your focus to include so many more offerings that the original idea is now a total blur? People get off track when they get distracted by ideas that seem like they might be more fun, more profitable, or just more of something. If you are that easily distracted, then maybe the original mission didn't mean that much to you in the first place. But that original spark of a mission statement is why you do what you do. If you aren't focusing on that anymore, then maybe you are in a totally different business altogether?
+ Improve Your Product or Service Offering - It's just a fact of life that people talk. Word of mouth is King AND Queen in the business world, and believe me, people will talk about you -- you just need to make sure they are saying good things. How is your customer service? How is your follow through? Customers need to be absolutely delighted to work with you. Then they will tell everybody how wonderful you are. If they aren't delighted, they will spread that message too -- only twice as fast! Give people 200% and they will be loyal and true to you. Fail to do that, and you will only continue to see the numbers fall.
+ Motivate and Inspire Your Team - This is sort of an extension of the two items above -- but if your team isn't behind you 100%, you need to know why and you need to change it immediately. If they don't see (or know about!) the vision and mission, they will only hamper your efforts to succeed. In fact, many times, the service your organization is failing to provide is due to a lack of motivation on the part of your staff. Operationally, you don't want to keep throwing money at marketing and promotions if your team isn't where they need to be first. More marketing will just bring in more customers that will see how poorly you are doing things and then they will tell a half dozen people (probably more) how unhappy they were with your service/product. This can literally kill your business.
+ Evaluate your Business Model - Can you really make a profit at what you're doing? Is it logical? This is not to say that you won't succeed at something just because it doesn't make sense -- we've all seen people pull off things that were totally crazy -- but if you're not making money, maybe your business model needs tweaking. If that's the case, you need to consult with a professional who can help you evaluate those numbers and get them right. Talk to someone at SCORE or your local economic development agency. They usually have volunteers that can help you see if the numbers truly make sense.
+ Stay positive! Your attitude and belief system are THE most important of all. Examine your self talk. What sorts of things are you saying to yourself during the day? Are you truly open to being successful? Or have you already given up the ship? If this is the point where you struggle, get help from a coach. There are many types of coaches out there, and perhaps a business coach or a personal coach can help you stay positive and open to receiving the abundance that is sitting just outside your door..
Running a successful business takes a lot of energy, desire, knowledge and follow-through. And contrary to what you might think, the stars don't need to be aligned -- YOU do.
Please give us a call if you have a question about your marketing or if you'd like help finding another business professional that can help you evaluate where you might be currently stuck (and how to get "un-stuck")...805-658-8196.
Good Words
I sincerely believe that the word "relationships" is the key to the prospect of a decent world. It seems abundantly clear that every problem you will have - in your family, in your business, in our nation, or in this world - is essentially a matter of relationships, of interdependence.
-- Clarence FrancisMarketing Factoid
The latest statistics show that "two-thirds of new employer establishments survive at least two years, and 44 percent survive at least four years." This is a far cry from the previous long-held belief that 50 percent of businesses fail in the first year and 95 percent fail within five years.
To read more about the basics of business success, click here.
Source: Small Business Administration
Testimonial
Tea recently facilitated a full-day marketing retreat for our law firm. Everyone in our firm participated in this very focused, productive retreat. Tea helped us listen to each other and better understand our common ground. She also helped us develop strategic goals that incorporate our values and dreams. A very productive and valuable event. In fact, we are making Tea's marketing retreat an annual event for our firm.
--Linda Gulledge,
Attorney at Law
Gulledge Law Group
Good Tool:
The Business Plan
It continues to surprise me that so many business owners don't have a written business plan. Are you one of them?
It's been proven time and again that writing down your goals is one of THE most helpful ways to get you where you want to be.Even if you've thought things through and done the visualizations, having your plan in your head just isn't good enough. You need the focused energy of putting it on paper and then looking at it regularly.
If you don't know where to start with your business plan, there are plenty of templates available on the Internet (just Google "business plan template"). And if you still can't find what you're looking for, give us a call, and we'll share ours with you.
Good Workshop:
Attract Perfect Clients
Learn how to attract new clients quickly and easily using solid business principles and The Law of Attraction. There are still a few spaces left for this fun and informative workshop -- being held September 18 and 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Ventura. To download a flyer and registration form, click here.
For more information about the workshop, or to register over the phone, please call us at 805-658-8196.
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