Has the title of this week’s article got your attention?
Like many entrepreneurs and small business owners you are probably struggling with your work-life balance, right? You are working long hours, sometimes weekends, when you go on vacation you can’t help feeling the guilt, your phone or tablet is always on and always calling for your attention even at all hours of the night. Yet the reason you started your own business, apart from the passionate belief in what you are doing is…getting time to do what you want.
Just stop for 10 minutes (yes, you can!). Ask yourself why you aren’t able to find that “life” part of the balance. Do these reasons sound familiar?
I need to really pour myself into this to make enough money at the moment
I’m really busy because I can’t afford someone else to do some of the work
It’s all in my head so I can’t let go
I haven’t broken through financially yet
I’m ultimately responsible
As I expand there’s even more work to do
Only I can do it
There’s just so much to do
The work comes with success
Think about those reasons just for a minute. They all come down to the fact that there seems to be a lot to do and you are the only one available or capable of doing it. Read More
Tell me, when you started your business, was it just to sell things?
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. I think you started your business because you had a passion. You wanted to build a better life. You believed you had a solution to a common problem. You were passionate about your ability or believed you could use your experience to help people. I’m pretty sure you didn’t start a business just because you wanted to sell something!
So why, when we talk to potential customers do we start with a “sell”? Why don’t we start with why we are doing what we are doing?
Believe me, people are attracted to a business with a purpose. People are attracted to your product or service because they believe in you. People trust you because they are attracted to the passion you show in what you believe. Customers don’t buy from you because they like the features and benefits of your product – they buy because of the passion for the solution that you see in the benefits that you offer.
Remember, if you really want to attract customers to your business, don’t start with a sales spin, start with why – why you are in your business, why you started your business.
You’re not a personal trainer because you want to sell personal training sessions. You are a personal trainer because you believe in a world where people are fit and healthy and having fun, and that you can give people that lifestyle in an effective and fun way.
You’re not a mechanic because you want to sell someone an oil change. You are a mechanic because you have a skill in making machines just hum and your passion is to make things right.
So tell your customers that. Believe me, you’ll get more customers than just telling them about an oil change.
If you want to get more free tips and tools to grow your business, go to my website teikoh.com and register your email address so that Ican deliver these weekly ideas directly to you.
And if you want to know more about attracting customers who really want what you offer, you need a targeted Marketing Plan. I have an online training and workshop that will take you through 7 simple steps and create your scheduled, focused, practical marketing plan to target and attract your ideal customers – click here to learn more.
When you wrote your last business plan, did you go on a “retreat”?
That’s what most people do – they clear out some time and take their team out of the workplace so they won’t be disturbed, and they spend a couple of days discussing what’s going on in the business and how to improve it and set goals and strategies.
But here’s what’s wrong with this approach – more often than not you discuss and find solutions for problems and opportunities from inside your business, and forget that it’s external stimuli that will have serious and unpredictable effects.
So you go along and implement your plan only to have, one day —– WHAM! A big problem from outside hits you where you weren’t expecting.
Watch this week as I discuss how to plan with an eye to external factors.
Let’s summarise – use PESTLE to analyse and think about the external factors that could have an impact on your plans:
P for Political, being any political changes in your region that could have an impact;
E for Economic, requiring you to look at the local, national and global economy;
S for Social, asking what social trends are happening right now that could affect your business;
T for Technological – what is happening in and outside your industry that is affected by tech changes, social media and so on;
L for Legal, looking for potential changes to the law that could impact your industry;
E for Environmental, including the environment as well as surrounding factors – can any development here affect you?
If you want more of these free tips, tools and resources to help you grow your business, click here and sign up to get them sent directly to your inbox every week.
And while you’re there, go to teikoh.com and see what other great ideas you’ve missed.
You go out for a romantic dinner out with your partner or spouse. You’ve chosen a high-end French restaurant because of it’s reputation for good food, and frankly, the advertising you’ve seen about the food and the overall experience. While you haven’t really specified it, inside, you know that what a romantic meal out means romantic decor with low lights, comfortable seating and some privacy in the way it’s laid out, welcoming service when you enter and attentive service without being too pushy through the meal. Oh and, the meal should be good, or at least worth the price.
Recognise the scenario? Tell the truth, while the quality of the food is important to you, it’s not as high on the list of your needs as all the other factors surrounding the evening.
So have you ever entered into that scenario and found that when you walked in…..
you were ignored for what felt like a crazy 10 minutes spent fidgeting near the door
the lights were so darn dim that you couldn’t see in front of your face
the seats (when you eventually sat down) were modern hard plastic and after half an hour you just wanted to finish and get out because of your sore bum
and the wait staff were all over you or forgetting about you.
The food was GREAT but…..the rest of the experience killed the evening.
Does that sound familiar?
Marketing is all about emotions and expectations. Despite having a GREAT product, you still need to meet all the customer’s expectations caused by your marketing.
This week I am going through what it takes to meet your customers’ expectations.
So, think about that. You need to set up your business to meet all of your customers’ needs:-
It’s not just about a great product
How do you provide that product to them?
What about after-sales service, is it what they want?
Is the price what they expect?
What about the way you package the sale, either of a tangible product, or of an online product, or even of a service – what comes with it, all wrapped up?
Have you trained your staff to give the perfect experience?
What about your internal systems and procedures, do they support giving your customer what they want?
Get over to my website now at teikoh.com and register your name and email to get more free tips, tools and resources to create winning strategy, show innovative leadership, and grow the business of your dreams!
One of the questions I am always asked is “how do I choose the right marketing strategies for my business?”
You see, marketing has been historically steeped in mystique. It seems you have to go to a marketing “expert” and then they do some magic and the right marketing strategies for your business just pop up.
It doesn’t have to be like that. You need a process, for sure, but after that you just need to know your product, know your market, and know your business.
To start with, you need to think logically.
What makes people attracted to your business? What makes them want to buy your product?
Then, all you need to do is to match your strategies to their needs.
Watch this video to take you through the simple logic of it all.
See? It’s all quite logical if you follow a step by step process.
If you think your customers are attracted to you because you are a professional brand and they need a conservative approach, then find strategies that show off your knowledge, your experience and your dependability. In such a case, don’t sponsor a football team, go and speak at a business conference!
If they are into health and fitness then show them the results you produce and what fun people have when they train with you. Make sure your marketing activities are about health and fitness through fun and enjoyment, don’t wear a suit and give a boring speech!
If they seek coaching and are attracted to your leadership qualities, create marketing strategies that show off your personality and the effectiveness of your products.
And don’t forget to ask what part of the sales funnel are they in. If they are at the top and need to be made aware of your business and your products, tailor marketing strategies that broadcast your brand and your name; if they are in the part of the funnel that needs to pique their interest then your strategies need to define the difference between you and your competitors; and if they are ready to buy, your marketing strategies need to be about conversion.
Hey, if you want to know more about marketing strategies and actually go through a virtual workshop and create your own marketing plan, check out my online course and workshop called SMART Marketing. This course is specially designed to take you through a simple 7 step process to create your highly targeted killer marketing plan. Click here to learn more about this online marketing plan creation resource.
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