MarketingMoment

Just a quick note to ’say’ a very happy New Year to all my blog readers!

This year, my ‘New Year Resolution’ is simple: to choose to be as happy and as healthy as can be in 2010. I’m going to do one thing … each and every day … regardless of how I’m feeling or whatever the circumstances … that makes me happier and (eventually) healthier. I hope you will join with me in doing the same (for your own wellbeing, of course!).

Choosing to make your life better shouldn’t be down to one marked date in your calendar; EVERY day provides an opportunity to make the most of life. So seize the day, whatever the day is today!

What about you? What New Year plans have you made for your personal or business life? Please share your resolutions or comments.

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The holidays are nigh upon us. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet (smug? Moi? Actually, I haven’t managed to get it all done. Still a few bits and pieces to get yet. Heyelp!)? If not, for last-minute gifts for people anywhere in the world you can’t beat ‘flexi’ vouchers. Click here to read more: http://tinyurl.com/y2cfce. 

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The run-up to the holiday season is a perfect time to say thank you to your business prospects, current and past customers, suppliers and associates for their custom and support.

Seeing as though we all liked to be appreciated (I do!), why not send an email, a letter, an online or offline greeting card and acknowledge the people that have made a difference in your life and business?

If you’re feeling particularly flush and want to jump straight into that ‘giving’ mode, up the ante and send a ‘thank you’ note along with a gift. 

And, while it may seem a little early, I’d still like to ’say’ a big thanks to all my clients, blog readers and subscribers –- I really do appreciate your support.

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Do you struggle with your marketing? Or perhaps you need to increase the response of your advertising or your website?

Well, take a leaf from Socrates’ book (or clay tablet, as it was centuries ago)…

Socrates was perhaps the greatest master of persuasion. His tactic was to get people to agree with him, or concede their side of the argument, belief, or debate, by getting them to say “yes”. He would do this by asking questions that people would simply have to answer in the affirmative. And he’d do this over and over until they agreed with him!

How does this help you?

By getting your prospects to agree with your statements or questions, then each time they do they are one step closer to becoming a buyer.

Why not try this ‘Socrates Method’ in your advertising and marketing, and see what happens? Oh, and feel free to report any findings here.

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Choosing a good business name is important not just for the legalities of operating a business, but also for making sure your prospective buyers choose you instead of your competitors.

Some experts say that your business name is the first thing that any potential customer will notice and is therefore more important than your sales pitch or even your end product.

I wouldn’t necessarily go that far, but it is certainly true that the name you choose will strike either the right – or wrong – tone with your potential customers.

Successful organisations don’t just invest in developing good names, they work hard to develop a brand name. Because, over time, a brand is capable of doing the selling for you…

People remember a good business name. So what does yours say about you?

A lot of ‘modern’ business names either use the name of the person (if it’s a consultant, for example), which is fine, or they play on words.

I’m not a huge fan of using a play on words in a business name. My feeling is that it doesn’t make the name any more memorable (which is presumably the intention), and it can look a little on the conceited, self-important side.

Another mistake is putting the personal element in a business name. You’d do a LOT better if you chose a name that immediately gets across what you sell or do, and perhaps how you stand apart from the competition.

Speaking personally, if I were to choose my own business name again, I would choose something that adds more of a perceived value, without being ‘cutesy’ about it.

A good business name should be short, unique, memorable, distinctive, catchy and, more importantly, easy to remember and to spell!

When you do settle on a name, make sure you do a search on the internet, just to make sure you are not unintentionally offending someone – often words translated into a different language or culture can really mean something else! Finally, make sure you always consider the legal ramifications of your chosen company name.

If you want professional help with finding and selecting the right business name, just let me know. Prices start from just £97 for up to five original names from which to choose.

Copyright, T L Dooley. All Rights Reserved.

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I used to sell air once. Some people say I’m sometimes full of the stuff (ah, they love me, really!). But I can fill it rather nicely, too.  :)

If you need effective script-writing or editing services for films, videos, radio, telemarketing and speeches, then you’ve come to the right place.

I can provide copy for all of the above and offer creative direction, too.

Find out more, request samples or book your project in at: www.mediaminister.co.uk

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If you’re about to pitch a news item or a article idea to a newspaper or magazine editor, then you really need to stand out from the crowd. Journalists are tired of seeing the same old stories. So aim for the offbeat and more unusual angles. Just a small ‘twist’ on an otherwise ‘everyday’ idea can be enough. For example, if you’re a fitness coach, try sending out a list of the “Seven Worst Things You Can Do While Exercising”, instead of the seven best.

(Originally published in Communiqué for Success, a bi-weekly newsletter published by MediaMinister. Subscribe here for your free copy and business-building gifts.)

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I can teach you all the marketing strategies in the world, but if you’re not making time for marketing, then you may as well close shop. Harsh words, perhaps, but most definitely sound advice in the business world of today.

More so than ever before, your main job in business is to tell the world what you have to offer. You simply HAVE to make time to market it . . . again and again . . . despite what is going on around you. Unless you want to end up ‘broke’, that is.  

By doing some marketing every day — no matter how seemingly negligible   — I am able to keep in front of my current and potential clients. If you think you don’t need to do any marketing (what? In this economy?!), or you can’t find the time for it, then think again.

Marketing is something that ALL businesses — no matter how big or small — absolutely MUST invest in. Without a doubt. Especially in today’s overcrowded trading environment. 

And particularly if you need WANT to ride the wave of the current economic wave, and come out plain sailing at the other end… 

Rather stick a pencil in your eye than tackle that HUGE marketing task? 

Split it into smaller, more achievable chunks.

For example, rather than thinking of having to build an entire website, complete with 30 pages or more, start by working out exactly *what* you want visitors to do once they land on your website. Or spend a few hours searching for websites that you like the look and feel of for ideas and inspiration. 

  

To read more tips to help you get your marketing machine revved up and raring to go, and gain *hidden links* to recent CfS newsletter editions, become a CfS subscriber. As well as being FREE, you’ll receive a business-building report and audio CD that can dramatically improve sales simply for signing up and trying it out.   

Subscribe here.  

Recent CfS newsletter issues cover:

• 5 Ways to Get ANY Business Out of a Slump
• How to Get People to Buy From You
• Create a Buzz for Your Business With Twitter
• Can the X Factor Help Your Business?
• Be a Client Magnet
• Recession-Proof Your Business
• Stand Apart from ‘Me-Too’ Competitors
• Stop! Don’t Post that Letter!
• Common Mistakes that Can Kill Business

 Subscribe here.

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Whether your company is feeling the pinch of these brutal economical conditions, or there are personal factors that are affecting your bottom line, one thing is certain: to succeed in business you have to keep on marketing, especially in the current climate. 

Don’t market your products or services . . . and your business will fail. And that goes for ANY business in ANY economy.

Here is one low-cost ‘no-brainer’ marketing tool you can use right now to help break out of a sales slump and boost your revenue — and therefore your staying power. In fact, it’s a strategy that has been proven to work irrespective of which direction the economy is heading.

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Reactivate ‘Stale’ Clients

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It’s a well-known fact that it is 5-7 times more expensive to acquire a new client (or customer) than it is to get a repeat sale from an existing or even ex client. Yet still, business-owners are all too often so busy chasing new clients that they completely overlook what they already have: a gold mine of neglected sales. And even if they don’t ignore their former clients, most companies never properly implement or even consider a follow-up strategy. 

There are numerous ways to  ’mine’ lapsed clients. Here is one of the quickest and perhaps easiest methods:

Simply pick up the phone (or write to them, if you prefer) and ask how thing are going. Apologise for it being a while since you last were in contact. Check how they’re doing, and what’s going on with their business, etc. 

The purpose of the call is NOT to sell your new product or ask for more work, but rather to remind them that you exist. You’ll be surprised how many ’stagnant’ clients will say, “Hey, while you’re here, I’ve got a need for…”

Don’t feel like contacting them? No problem! But you can be sure that when you are not talking to your former clients on a regular basis, your competition will be.

(To discover more, read the latest issue of Communiqué for Success.) 

NB:

If you want to learn how to systematically implement a simple-yet-powerful reactivation strategy that adds 10-30% to your business profits with little time, money or effort, and at absolutely no risk to you, then please get in touch for your no-obligation complimentary consultation.

Please be aware that I am offering this service to just three companies at this time. These few will learn just how easy it is to implement — and execute — this sustainable 2-step profit technique … and they WILL gain an incomparable competitive advantage. All places are on a first-come, first-served basis.

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If business development, thought leadership and brand focus were important topics before this recession - the best companies will now put them at the very top of their agendas, so said a top independent strategic economist in Europe recently.

Look at any of the past economic downturns and you’ll see one thing in common with the ‘intelligent’ brands: They each upped their game when it came to building a presence. This took the form of greater marketing activity (to the point where they were selling far more aggressively than during more prosperous times) and introducing new ideas.

The result was that when the economy rebounded and the tide rose above the recession, not only did they come out fighting, they also had a far greater market share than their competition. Those competitors who survived, that is.

So, and I’ve said this numerous times before, now is NOT the time to cut back on your marketing spend. Instead, stretch your budget while marketing smarter. Your brand – and company revenue – WILL thank you for it later.

Sceptical? Apart from the anecdote above, take a look at the current biggest brand in the world: Barack Obama. He became president of the United States amid the worst global recessions since World War II. Yet, he didn’t stand still just because the times were tough. Rather, he ’sold’ himself to the world, collecting a staggering number of ‘hits’ on countless websites and inspiring many along the way. His drive for the presidentship spawned a whole new kind of branding in its wake, including a whole host of Obama-branded merchandise, and helped him get more than global recognition; he got elected, too! 

I urge you to take a leaf out of Brand Obama’s book and be proactive, (not reactive). Optimise your marketing opportunities during these uncertain times recession. Please don’t be one of the ‘Gordon Browns’ of the business world by only doing something about your lot when it’s too late… 

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