By Stacy Karacostas
A while back I was working with one of my consulting clients, and realized I was once again staring at what I've found to be an all too common marketing problem.
This problem is especially rampant in service industries. But I've seen it with products too.
What's so interesting is that this one, innocent mistake causes you to immediately be guilty of multiple marketing sins (If you haven't read my f*r*e*e report on the 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins, grab it here: http://www.7deadliestsins.com).
Once I explain it, if you've been making this mistake you're going to hit yourself on the head while howling out a big, fat "DUH!" But before I do, let me ask you a question
What do prospects really need to know to hire you?
Well, let's start by thinking about what you would want to know
"If you were looking for a chiropractor, bookkeeper, massage therapist, or other service provider, what would you need to know in order to choose them over anyone else?"
Chances are it would be things like:
•A bit about the types of services they offer
•If there is anything unique or different about what they do
•Whether or not the specialize in, or have experience with, your particular issue
•Who else uses them and have they been satisfied
•What you can expect and how long it will take
•How they are better or different than the competition
•Where they are located, their hours and how soon you can get in
•If they accept credit cards or your insurance
•What to do to make an appointment
What you probably don't want or need to know are the basics like:
•What is massage or chiropractic or bookkeeping
•The history of massage (or chiropractic, or bookkeeping)
•Why you need a massage therapist, chiropractor or bookkeeper
Yet time and again this is exactly the type of info service providers focus on in their marketing.
The result is that they end up spending all their time and money trying to convince people they need a particular service. What they should be doing is trying to convince prospects to hire them in particular.
Let's go back to the client I mentioned earlier The one that got me started on this train of thought.
When I first started working with her many months ago, she sent me her brochure to critique. As part of that process, I asked her to describe her ideal client.
She's a massage therapist, and her answer was "Active people who enjoy regular massages and understand that massage is a preventative measure. So they come in regularly for maintenance instead of just showing up when they are injured and in pain, then stopping when they feel better."
This is smart. Because it's going to be much easier to convince someone who already believes in massage to come to her. As opposed to having to convince someone who has never had a massage to try it for the first time.
Yet, except for a few testimonials, her entire brochure was devoted to explaining the basics of massage and why it is good for you.
Of course this makes no sense. If the people she wants to attract already understand the benefits of getting regular massages, and are just looking for the best provider, she's wasting paper (and money) with this brochure.
Because here's the thing
If someone is looking for a massage therapist, chances are good they've already decided massage is for them. Maybe they've had massage before. Or their doctor or someone else in their sphere of influence recommended it.
When they pick up her brochure, or go to her Website, they don't want to learn more about the wonders of massage. They're already sold on it. Instead they want to know why they should choose her as their new massage therapist.
In other words, they want to understand the benefits of getting massages from her, not the benefits of getting massage.
Unfortunately, far too many entrepreneurs are guilty of the same thing with their marketing. They just explain why you need their type of service, but they never explain why you should choose them instead of the guy down the street.
Are you selling the right thing?
You need to decide whether to spend time and money convincing people they need the type of services you offer Or convincing them to hire you in particular to provide that service.
I highly recommend focusing on the latter. It's cheaper and easier, and you're far more likely to get the kind of clients you want.
So worry less about explaining the basics of what you do, and focus more on the unique benefits of choosing you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practical Marketing Expert, speaker and author Stacy Karacostas specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. For more down-to-earth, business-building wisdom that's sure to save you cash and bring you clients, grab a copy of her free report "The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins Are You Guilty?".
Stacy Karacostas. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Showing posts with label stacy karacostas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stacy karacostas. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
How to Get All the Clients You Can Handle Banging Down Your Door
By Stacy Karacostas
Do you struggle to get new clients?
Are you uncomfortable selling yourself or your services?
Do you hate the very idea of sales or selling?
If so, you are not alone. Let's face it We've all had the experience or at least heard horror-stories of being "sold" something we really didn't want or need. And few people enjoy being pressured into buying anything.
So it's no wonder the mere thought of selling leaves a bad taste in so many people's mouths. Luckily there are plenty of ways to get people to buy without "selling" a thing.
In fact, the best salespeople I know avoid hard-selling like the plague. And they often don't cold-call either. Instead they position themselves as helpful experts.
How? By offering solutions to their prospect's and client's problems�By providing useful information without being asked And by becoming someone their prospects and clients know, trust and like.
When you do this, over time, people come to see you as the expert. Then, instead of you chasing after them, they end up chasing after you. Because they've decided you are the person they need to solve their problems and help them achieve their goals.
Thankfully, you are probably already an expert at something related to what you do. Otherwise you wouldn't have the business you have today, right?
So all you have to do is become known as the expert you already are. The most effective way to do this is by publicly offering useful ideas and information.
Best of all, it's easy to do. Here are six simple ideas to get you started on the road to expertdom
1) Publishing: Nothing screams expert like a book (or e-book) with your name on it. And these days you don't have to be a writer or get a publisher to enjoy all the benefits of having a book.
If you do write articles, compile a bunch on a similar topic into an e-book. If you don't write, you can interview other experts and record a CD. Or, have the interview transcribed into an e-book to sell online. You can also collaborate with a writer or have a book ghostwritten for you.
If you want to have a print book, the easiest way is by using a print-on-demand publisher. That way you don't risk ending up with hundreds of unsold copies in your closet. And many can even drop ship books to buyers without you lifting a finger.
2) Public Speaking: Entertaining, informative workshops and seminars draw new clients like bees to honey. Why? Because they automatically position you as an expert. And they give people a chance to get to know, like and trust you.
If you're good speaker�with helpful advice or insights to offer chances are people in your audience will want your products or services.
3) Teleseminars: If you hate standing in front of an audience, but like teaching, you can enjoy many of the benefits of public-speaking by hosting free or paid teleseminars (speaking engagements held on the phone). They're cost effective and becoming more popular every day.
Plus teleseminars have a whole host of uses You can record and sell them later. Give 'em away for free as bonuses or viral marketing tools. And post them on your Website to build credibility.
4) Free Reports: No one likes being sold, but most people enjoy getting things for free! Especially if what they get actually solves a problem, answers an important question, or fills a need.
So don't create a Website or send sales letters with the primary goal of getting people to buy from you. Instead, offer them something useful in the form of a free report, audio or other helpful item. If they're impressed with the info they'll remember you and want to buy without you ever "selling".
5) Press: It's hard to beat the value of getting your name in magazines or business journals. And you don't need to be a writer to make it happen.
If you are doing something different, or valuable to your community, chances are it might make good news. And many papers and social networking sites have events calendars you can take advantage of. A simple press release can get your event listed, staff writers interested, and you interviewed.
6) Article Writing: If you like writing, articles can quickly increase your standing as an expert. Write your own newsletter to regularly get your wisdom in front of clients and prospects. Articles published in magazines and newspapers make you an instant expert. And posting articles in online article databases and social networking sites gets your name out into the world.
Just be sure to always include your Website in your signature or byline so anyone who is interested can contact you. Send them to your Website for a free report is even better. Then they have even more opportunity to get to know you and what you can do.
The beauty of all these ideas is they're fairly inexpensive and extremely effective. Plus, some even generate revenue directly!
Of course, the key to making these ideas work is consistency. So pick two or three and commit to doing them regularly. Before you know it, your phone is going to be ringing with new clients wanting to hire you and only you and you won't have to sell a thing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practical Marketing Expert, speaker and author Stacy Karacostas specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. For more down-to-earth, business-building wisdom that's sure to save you cash and bring you clients, grab a copy of her free report "The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins Are You Guilty?".
� Stacy Karacostas. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Do you struggle to get new clients?
Are you uncomfortable selling yourself or your services?
Do you hate the very idea of sales or selling?
If so, you are not alone. Let's face it We've all had the experience or at least heard horror-stories of being "sold" something we really didn't want or need. And few people enjoy being pressured into buying anything.
So it's no wonder the mere thought of selling leaves a bad taste in so many people's mouths. Luckily there are plenty of ways to get people to buy without "selling" a thing.
In fact, the best salespeople I know avoid hard-selling like the plague. And they often don't cold-call either. Instead they position themselves as helpful experts.
How? By offering solutions to their prospect's and client's problems�By providing useful information without being asked And by becoming someone their prospects and clients know, trust and like.
When you do this, over time, people come to see you as the expert. Then, instead of you chasing after them, they end up chasing after you. Because they've decided you are the person they need to solve their problems and help them achieve their goals.
Thankfully, you are probably already an expert at something related to what you do. Otherwise you wouldn't have the business you have today, right?
So all you have to do is become known as the expert you already are. The most effective way to do this is by publicly offering useful ideas and information.
Best of all, it's easy to do. Here are six simple ideas to get you started on the road to expertdom
1) Publishing: Nothing screams expert like a book (or e-book) with your name on it. And these days you don't have to be a writer or get a publisher to enjoy all the benefits of having a book.
If you do write articles, compile a bunch on a similar topic into an e-book. If you don't write, you can interview other experts and record a CD. Or, have the interview transcribed into an e-book to sell online. You can also collaborate with a writer or have a book ghostwritten for you.
If you want to have a print book, the easiest way is by using a print-on-demand publisher. That way you don't risk ending up with hundreds of unsold copies in your closet. And many can even drop ship books to buyers without you lifting a finger.
2) Public Speaking: Entertaining, informative workshops and seminars draw new clients like bees to honey. Why? Because they automatically position you as an expert. And they give people a chance to get to know, like and trust you.
If you're good speaker�with helpful advice or insights to offer chances are people in your audience will want your products or services.
3) Teleseminars: If you hate standing in front of an audience, but like teaching, you can enjoy many of the benefits of public-speaking by hosting free or paid teleseminars (speaking engagements held on the phone). They're cost effective and becoming more popular every day.
Plus teleseminars have a whole host of uses You can record and sell them later. Give 'em away for free as bonuses or viral marketing tools. And post them on your Website to build credibility.
4) Free Reports: No one likes being sold, but most people enjoy getting things for free! Especially if what they get actually solves a problem, answers an important question, or fills a need.
So don't create a Website or send sales letters with the primary goal of getting people to buy from you. Instead, offer them something useful in the form of a free report, audio or other helpful item. If they're impressed with the info they'll remember you and want to buy without you ever "selling".
5) Press: It's hard to beat the value of getting your name in magazines or business journals. And you don't need to be a writer to make it happen.
If you are doing something different, or valuable to your community, chances are it might make good news. And many papers and social networking sites have events calendars you can take advantage of. A simple press release can get your event listed, staff writers interested, and you interviewed.
6) Article Writing: If you like writing, articles can quickly increase your standing as an expert. Write your own newsletter to regularly get your wisdom in front of clients and prospects. Articles published in magazines and newspapers make you an instant expert. And posting articles in online article databases and social networking sites gets your name out into the world.
Just be sure to always include your Website in your signature or byline so anyone who is interested can contact you. Send them to your Website for a free report is even better. Then they have even more opportunity to get to know you and what you can do.
The beauty of all these ideas is they're fairly inexpensive and extremely effective. Plus, some even generate revenue directly!
Of course, the key to making these ideas work is consistency. So pick two or three and commit to doing them regularly. Before you know it, your phone is going to be ringing with new clients wanting to hire you and only you and you won't have to sell a thing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practical Marketing Expert, speaker and author Stacy Karacostas specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. For more down-to-earth, business-building wisdom that's sure to save you cash and bring you clients, grab a copy of her free report "The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins Are You Guilty?".
� Stacy Karacostas. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Harness the True Power of Your Website
by Stacy Karacostas
Remember a few years ago�back before the dotcom bubble burst�when everybody was talking about online shopping? Suddenly new Internet businesses were popping up left and right, only to fail miserably.
A lot of pundits said it was just too soon. That people hadn't had the chance to get over their fear of shopping on the Web.
Now, times and technology have changed, and Web transactions are a whole lot safer. Plus the ease and convenience of online shopping has made it almost a no-brainer.
So even though it took a few years longer than expected, shopping on the Internet is now commonplace. And lots of people are generating sales and leads off their Websites.
However, that doesn't mean you can throw up any old site and expect the phone to start ringing or money to just come rolling into the bank.Plenty of businesses spend thousands on Websites that don't end up making a dime. Some sites even get plenty of traffic, but hardly any conversion to sales or inquiries.
Luckily, with a little forethought and proper planning even the smallest business can have a Website that makes them money. But first you have to understand why potential customers often click away without buying, so you can be sure you aren't making these costly mistakes.
Four of the biggest reasons are:
1) Confusing or poor site design
2) Fear of getting ripped off
3) No business or product differentiation
4) Lack of personalization
1) Poor Site Design
One of the biggest reasons people leave a site is that they simply can't find what they're looking for quickly and easily. You've probably experienced this yourself if you do any online shopping or research.
One of the keys to making your site easy to use it making sure you have clean, simple, intuitive and consistent navigation. So keep your main navigation options in one place on every page, and limit them to no more than 7 or 8 options. If you need more than that you need either secondary navigation or drop down bars. And don't get creative with the navigation names. Make sure visitors can tell exactly what they'll find once they click.
So before you build, or rebuild, your site you should also always create a detailed site plan that shows exactly what pages you want on your site, and how they'll be connected. You can draw it like a flow chart with each new box being a new page on the site. You'll save a lot of money�and get much better results�if you do the planning first.
2) Fear of Getting Ripped Off
People are always afraid of buying inferior product, or dealing with poor (or no) delivery, bad customer service, etc. And nowhere are they more worried about all this than on the Web, because it's that much harder to tell if a company is legit.
After all, just having a Website doesn't make a business reputable. Nor does it guarantee quality.
Instead you have to use other techniques to convince people it is safe to do business with you, like: Including privacy statements Choosing reputable companies to handle your transactions Providing a warranty, money-back guarantee and/or free trial Including quality testimonials Listing your phone number, and ideally physical address
3) No Differentiation
This is a major reason sales are lost, both online and off.
Basically, what you offer has to seem different or better than what everyone else is selling. Otherwise you are competing on price alone and they have no reason to buy from you instead of the competition.
The Web is a mighty big marketplace. Chances are high someone out there can beat your price. So you better come up with another way to make people want to buy from you, or they probably won't.
This is also known as your unique selling proposition (USP). And it should be at the core of all your marketing communications. In fact, a solid USP can mean the difference between success and failure.
4) Lack of Personalization
Remember the old adage "People don't buy from businesses; they buy from people they know, like and trust." The same is true on the Internet.
Unfortunately the Web, by nature, is very impersonal. So you need to find ways to make your site warm, friendly and interesting. And to remind folks there are real people behind the scenes.
How? Here are a few ideas:
Put bio's and photos of key employees on your About page
Ditch the dry, boring lists of what you do and instead write in a conversational style about the problems, solutions, features and benefits that matter most to your clients
Include free, helpful information like white papers, tips, articles or newsletters
Add audio, video or a blog
Always keep in mind; your Website is your virtual salesperson. So, just like with a live salesperson, you want it to look friendly and professional, be easy to understand, and have all the information needed to make the sale.
Sure it might take a little work initially to get your site up to speed. But once you do, you'll have a powerful sales tool working for you day and night without you lifting a finger! What could be better than that?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practical Marketing Expert, speaker and author Stacy Karacostas specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. For more down-to-earth, business-building wisdom that's sure to save you cash and bring you clients, grab a copy of her free report "The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins Are You Guilty?".
Stacy Karacostas. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Remember a few years ago�back before the dotcom bubble burst�when everybody was talking about online shopping? Suddenly new Internet businesses were popping up left and right, only to fail miserably.
A lot of pundits said it was just too soon. That people hadn't had the chance to get over their fear of shopping on the Web.
Now, times and technology have changed, and Web transactions are a whole lot safer. Plus the ease and convenience of online shopping has made it almost a no-brainer.
So even though it took a few years longer than expected, shopping on the Internet is now commonplace. And lots of people are generating sales and leads off their Websites.
However, that doesn't mean you can throw up any old site and expect the phone to start ringing or money to just come rolling into the bank.Plenty of businesses spend thousands on Websites that don't end up making a dime. Some sites even get plenty of traffic, but hardly any conversion to sales or inquiries.
Luckily, with a little forethought and proper planning even the smallest business can have a Website that makes them money. But first you have to understand why potential customers often click away without buying, so you can be sure you aren't making these costly mistakes.
Four of the biggest reasons are:
1) Confusing or poor site design
2) Fear of getting ripped off
3) No business or product differentiation
4) Lack of personalization
1) Poor Site Design
One of the biggest reasons people leave a site is that they simply can't find what they're looking for quickly and easily. You've probably experienced this yourself if you do any online shopping or research.
One of the keys to making your site easy to use it making sure you have clean, simple, intuitive and consistent navigation. So keep your main navigation options in one place on every page, and limit them to no more than 7 or 8 options. If you need more than that you need either secondary navigation or drop down bars. And don't get creative with the navigation names. Make sure visitors can tell exactly what they'll find once they click.
So before you build, or rebuild, your site you should also always create a detailed site plan that shows exactly what pages you want on your site, and how they'll be connected. You can draw it like a flow chart with each new box being a new page on the site. You'll save a lot of money�and get much better results�if you do the planning first.
2) Fear of Getting Ripped Off
People are always afraid of buying inferior product, or dealing with poor (or no) delivery, bad customer service, etc. And nowhere are they more worried about all this than on the Web, because it's that much harder to tell if a company is legit.
After all, just having a Website doesn't make a business reputable. Nor does it guarantee quality.
Instead you have to use other techniques to convince people it is safe to do business with you, like: Including privacy statements Choosing reputable companies to handle your transactions Providing a warranty, money-back guarantee and/or free trial Including quality testimonials Listing your phone number, and ideally physical address
3) No Differentiation
This is a major reason sales are lost, both online and off.
Basically, what you offer has to seem different or better than what everyone else is selling. Otherwise you are competing on price alone and they have no reason to buy from you instead of the competition.
The Web is a mighty big marketplace. Chances are high someone out there can beat your price. So you better come up with another way to make people want to buy from you, or they probably won't.
This is also known as your unique selling proposition (USP). And it should be at the core of all your marketing communications. In fact, a solid USP can mean the difference between success and failure.
4) Lack of Personalization
Remember the old adage "People don't buy from businesses; they buy from people they know, like and trust." The same is true on the Internet.
Unfortunately the Web, by nature, is very impersonal. So you need to find ways to make your site warm, friendly and interesting. And to remind folks there are real people behind the scenes.
How? Here are a few ideas:
Put bio's and photos of key employees on your About page
Ditch the dry, boring lists of what you do and instead write in a conversational style about the problems, solutions, features and benefits that matter most to your clients
Include free, helpful information like white papers, tips, articles or newsletters
Add audio, video or a blog
Always keep in mind; your Website is your virtual salesperson. So, just like with a live salesperson, you want it to look friendly and professional, be easy to understand, and have all the information needed to make the sale.
Sure it might take a little work initially to get your site up to speed. But once you do, you'll have a powerful sales tool working for you day and night without you lifting a finger! What could be better than that?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practical Marketing Expert, speaker and author Stacy Karacostas specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. For more down-to-earth, business-building wisdom that's sure to save you cash and bring you clients, grab a copy of her free report "The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins Are You Guilty?".
Stacy Karacostas. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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