A new client has no website yet and yet to really get their business seen they need to be blogging, so I suggested they use LinkedIn. They’ve created their first blog and had a moments wobble on whether they really could just put a blog on their LinkedIn profile? Would it get read? Was that professional enough? Could that really help them get seen online? Here is what I replied with in my email. It’s only a short reply however I thought it was apt for so many business owners just starting out who can’t afford a shiny sparkly website yet and yes folks LinkedIn is good for business….get it right and it can be seriously good for business! (It has been for me and my clients this year.)
Regarding your blog ideally you don’t take your target audiences away from your website (and your products and services and other great content) however since you don’t have a website Linkedin’s blog articles look good and can be easily shared so yes I would use their platform and share that way. You have to be careful with a call to action because anything remotely salesly will stop people from reading it again. If its something like “if you loved this then feel free to share/sign up/etc”. then I’d say go ahead. However until you have a following of people that are enjoying your blog, i.e. until you know people are liking it, sharing it and commenting on it I would tread carefully with adding calls to action within your blog. The market is awash with people trying to sell their wares so best to do a blog article that is genuinely fabulously good for others first and then add the CTA (Call to action). (That is my personal preference, I’m sure other marketers and content experts would advise differently. I would also say it depends if you have a good reputation already in any groups. If you do then a CTA in those groups would be fine, because you already have credibility with those people.)
And then this was something else that come up that I thought would be good to share, because I really am not interested in making sacks of cash out of any one person, I genuinely just want to help as many people as possible make those sacks of cash – it’s becoming a life long passion!
Regarding the business coaching it works exactly the same way as any other session with me. We work according to what you bring to the table. So looking at what goals you have set. You can work with me on a one off basis or longer and stop and start whenever you like. My clients vary. Some like to work with me every 6 weeks, others every 2 weeks, others every 3 months. It all depends on how you like to work, how big your goals are, whether you procrastinate, etc. etc. So we would start a session by looking at what you wanted to achieve, and understanding what the goals where for the session. And go from there. I don’t have a minimum spend for a client. I don’t have a silver/gold/platinum level. My clients start the session saying what they want to achieve. And throughout the session we work out how to get to that goal, short medium and long term. And if I tell you recently 1 client achieved some of their goals in 2 days (sales goals) and another achieved their business goals for the year in 3 weeks. And both of these only had 1 session with me so far. Needless to say they want to work with me again moving forward with their businesses. I’m on my clients agenda, never mine. And all clients get homework. Never more than about 5 actions, because its not realistic and clients know they can get in touch for support, advice, etc. when they wish to. I hope that helps and do feel free to get in touch to discuss this more if you wish to. I’m about this week. The goals you have set are quite clear, now you need to break them down into actions and by when. And who what where’s. Obstacles, logistics, etc.
I hope that helps, you see content can so often be transferred from one place and be utilised somewhere else. So in less than 10 minutes I’ve gained some more great content for my Marketing Production Line, not utilising yours yet? Head over to my home page and down load a copy of yours. Its my key to endless good leads and lovely sales, and good bucket full of media too.
I get asked this question a lot by business owners; if I should be adding people automatically to my database. Especially since I tell people that your aim is to grow your data base and turn those lovely contacts into happy customers using the Marketing Production Line. Down load your copy of this here – How to get more customers and increase sales
So if you are networking or attending an expo, what’s the big deal of adding all of those lovely contact details on that shiny business cards mountain in your office to your data base? Here is one such enquiry I recently received:
I’m new to networking and not sure if there’s an etiquette involved.
I received an email with the subject line “Lovely to meet you”. The email, among a few other things, informed me, I had been added to their list and would be contacted 1-2 times a week.
I was surprised, as I didn’t “meet” this person at the event, or even speak with them, and didn’t give them my details to add to a list (which I didn’t think was allowed generally anyway).
I just wanted to check as I wasn’t sure if that is just how networking is, as clearly I can just unsubscribe, but this was all unsolicited and I was a bit undecided what I thought about that.
If it’s all just part of the networking scene, I’m just a bit of a newbie! But I’m not sure I would send people emails claiming to have met them and sending them stuff they hadn’t asked for. But that may just be me, which is why I wanted to check!
Okay so let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of this approach.
Firstly the pros from the viewpoint of the proactive business owner sending the email;
However, what does it say about you and your business that you assumed that the other party would want to buy from you. In theory I have 100’s of people I could add to my mailing list every month and yet I don’t.
I was once advised that business to business by law we are allowed to add each other to our mailing list as long as they are able to “unsubscribe” it is only business to consumer that is not allowed to do this. (I would like to add that I recommend seeking the advice of the experts here. Angela Lock from the FSB Essex would be a good place to start since they have free legal services as part of their membership.) Regardless of whether I can or can not I don’t and the reason why?
Because I have absolute respect for how busy you are. I make no assumptions of what you want, need or wish to achieve. Or on whom you wish to work with. For some people I personify Marmite, I am so cringe worthy they are backing out of the room as if someone is screeching talons down a chalkboard, however for those few there are thousands that love working with me. So I’m happy. And yet I still don’t add anyone to mine or The Business Woman’s Network databases. I do this for a number of reasons.
I think on top of this there are a couple of other cool lessons to be learnt;
And as I published this blog article the business owner in question said that they unsubscribed because it just didn’t work for them. So I think it kind of speaks of volumes right?
Yes you may be allowed business to business to add people to your data base as long as you give them the option to opt out however does it really help build good relationships? Does it really help boost sales?
To add on not to add?
I have my answer. Do you have yours?
Weird one right?
Even weirder when it’s the first thing you say to a business woman as she walks in to a networking event!
Let me explain…
I was at The Business Woman’s Network event and knew that a business woman that I knew would be there that sells a mascara that I adore. It’s one that layers up to look like false eye lashes. (not in a Towie way!) and I’ve been complimented on them many times, so I’m hooked.
The only issue is that I’m so busy with clients that I’m in a dangerous zone of not networking quite as much as I should and so I’ve not seen this business woman in ages. Well long enough for my mascara to be too old to use. (Unless I want to get some random eye infection that is!)
So when she walked in I was really pleased to see her. But with my business coach hat on that was what I asked her “Why won’t you scratch my itch?” you see she knew I loved her product, because this was not the first time I had brought this product from her and yet she had not been in touch with me at all to ask if I wanted it again. If someone has an itch in the middle of their back, you itch it right? And boy does it feel good. We like people that helps us right?
The only person I purchase from who seems to get this right is Di The Doggy Dinner Lady. Without fail I get a text. “Hi Mandie, how is your old boy doing for food? I’m coming over to Mersea on Monday, would you like another deliver?” And would you believe it we need a new order!
Is Di the doggy dinner lady psychic?
Or does she keep an eye on her sales so she can maximise on her sales potential?
So I explained my itch to my mascara business woman and how to make it easy to increase sales with people that already love you. And now you can have that for free too. (you know I love to share right?) Let’s go….
If you would like to know about the awesome Mascara I mentioned ask Lydia Adams;
www.facebook.com/lydiaslusciouslashes
And the Doggy Dinner Lady is Di Gilbranch;
www.facebook.com/officialtrophypetfoods
I have just started a conversation on social media with a woman who is setting up her own business in a creative industry.
Her big dream is to turn her passion and love for art into a business.
I’ve met many people over the last few months with similar goals.
So here is my top 15 guide to success for creative businesses;
(There are plenty of others and social media is a constantly evolving monster so be prepared to explore, trial and play with it. So no matter what you can stay current and create an effective marketing strategy organically.)
I’ve been doing some research with The Business Womans Network to find out what business women really want and so far as well as being incredibly interesting reading we are learning that time & stress management and work life balance are still an issue close to many of yours heart but ultimately the thing in business you worry most about is those sales.
For someone that finds the sales process almost an art form to be enjoyed it makes me sad to think that its an obstacle to so many business women’s success. And I think one of the biggest reasons I feel like that is because the fact is sales really is not rocket science.
When you “get sales” you know what I am saying in the above statement, because sales become natural. Sales don’t become a bitter battle, a fight and a stress but a joy and a pleasure. An aspect of your business that you genuinely look forward to because you understand the process and what to not do and how to make it happen and it just all flows beautifully.
Rubbish you say? Sales ARE HARD WORK you say?
Well if sales ARE hard work, start by looking at your sales process?
Do you sell?
A really important thing to remember to achieve great levels of sales (and success) is to stop selling. No one on the planet wants to be sold at. I think I would struggle to find 1 person that enjoys receiving a sales call. Everyone is busy and there are a million reasons why they would rather be doing anything that listen to you sell at them. So stop selling at people. Start learning about people and think about them. Be on other peoples agenda, not yours.
As brilliantly awesome and amazing as your products and services are, the person you are talking to has successfully got to this stage in their life without needing them, so stop selling.
Have I said that enough yet?
When you get noisy and genuinely care about the people in your network you create value and when you create value you create relationships. Your aim is not to sell but to learn and care. This approach works. Remember people buy from people.
And a little reassurance that this really does work. I rarely tell people what I do, but wherever I go someone will tell me “You’re the person that helps motivate aren’t you?” or “You helped so and so increase their sales didn’t you?” or “You can tell you are working with “A business” because they are suddenly everywhere and doing very well!” I don’t have to dance on table tops telling people what I do. Let your current customers get out there and be your sound pieces on why your products and services are brilliant. You concentrate on giving real value and time to the people you meet and see where that could lead you….
Value Added Marketing – it’s what we will all be talking about, trust me!
I know you are uber busy, but here is a quick top tip to gain sales,before I dash out to meet another new client (Yes I could help you have new clients too!). So here it is…
As cringe worthy as it is, its this page on my website – http://www.mandieholgate.co.uk/why-me-as-your-coach/ I am like most business women in that I hate blowing my own trumpet and saying “Hey I’m awesome buy from me!” but sometimes ladies its got to be done.
You’ve got to help people differentiate between you and everyone else that does what you do and this page http://www.mandieholgate.co.uk/why-me-as-your-coach/ has brought me 2 clients this week. They clicked on the link (Nice and clear on my home page!) and read some of the stuff I’d achieved for myself and my clients and were in one clients words “Highly impressed”.
So come on ladies, it will make you shudder and go “Ooo can I really do this?” but get a page so that as people love your website and find you on Google and want to learn more about you, they can really understand and appreciate why you, instead of anyone else.
Remember you can’t dictate when someone buys, but you can have a say in who they chose to buy from!
Let me know how you get on with this top tip.
And if you want more, sign up to my 6 week online course – at £32.95 I must be mad, but the results business women are seeing in their businesses are truly brilliant. So is it your turn to get better results in your business?
Let me help you.
I’m fresh faced back from 12 days of Mickey Mouse, magical castles, fast rides and exercising my credit card down the Champs Elysees (it had to be done) and while I was having fun, laughing, singing and loving the magic that Disney creates for you and your loved ones I still made the sales. Why do I tell you this?
Well I did not even take my smart phone with me, I did not send a single social media message or check one email and yet I made sales in every area of my business and picked up new clients too. Wouldn’t you just love that?
You see when it comes to a marketing strategy that works it WILL deliver to you whatever you are doing, and most of the time you will be very busy delivering to your clients (but its just as effective so that you can have a life outside your business too!) So you need to know your marketing strategy is always;
(And that folks is just for starters, knowing your marketing strategy really works and is powerful for your business success gives you this inner calm and the ability to get a good night sleep too….oh and I found myself grinning a smile as big as Mickey Mouse’s when I saw those sales coming in today!)
Want the sales?
I share no cost, low costs strategies that deliver success, from a coach that genuinely understands you and your business because with my proven track record, history and skills I can ensure you are getting the results you want, and you get me there between sessions to kick butt (if you like that style) support, motivate and inspire you to succeed.
You will love having someone like me on board!
Email me to learn more or give us a call – 07989935556