2 Awesome Business Women Embrace Video for Their Marketing Strategy

I just wanted to share with you something from 2 of the ladies that are on 1 of my monthly masterclasses.

Each month we’ve looked at targeting their marketing and focussing their attention. But this month I wanted to see real action. Real results. So instead of just practising, they both awesomely rose to the challenge and filmed a short video talking about an area of their business. We then got them on line. No mucking around. No lets just check it for the 100th time. Real action!

For Cristina its all about the launch of her new “Don’t Suck it In” 6 week program that is ideal for the busy woman who wants to look fabulous but not leave the house on a cold’s winter night – and for her first ever video I think it rocks. Watch out for Cristina sharing this across her online marketing and promoting it where ever she goes – Here is her Facebook to see what actions she takes https://www.facebook.com/smartfitnessmakeover?ref=br_tf She changed her shape in just 6 weeks!

And For Sarah from Vehicle Repair Solutions they’ve been targeting ensuring that the local business community knows of the tailor made services, free car care checks and Auto Chick events they run. And with this Sarah’s first ever video they are going to ensure their marketing strategy is powered up a gear, so everyone knows what they can offer.  Here is their Facebook page so you can see what Sarah does with her first video too https://www.facebook.com/AutoChicksColchester 

You see awesome business women, marketing is not always about being perfect. Its about being seen, showing you care and why you are the right people for the job. Your passion comes across in these short videos and people get to know why you are right for them.

So what action are you going to take?

Getting In The Media (The Easy Way!)

I often get asked how I make it look so easy to get in the media for both myself and my clients, as many of you seem to really struggle.

So here is my quick tip guide to getting lots of lovely free media attention, and a genuinely good tool to add to your marketing production line.

This is also works well to make you a expert of choice for radio stations. I’ve a number of clients who are regularly called on to speak on their area of expertise on 5 Live, The World Service, BBC Radio 4, and local radio stations – you can imagine how good that is for business!

(Have you seen my Marketing Production Line yet? Click here to download yours – unless course you don’t fancy more sales?)

1. Journalist are Mega busy and up against dead lines so they need you to make life easy for them. Your email has got to jump out at them, because the fact is they get a lot of businesses who talk about their business, so how will your subject line grab their attention? which leads me into tip 2…
2. It has to be relevant and interesting. Okay so what you do for a living you are positively passionate about, but that doesn’t make it news worthy. Ask yourself “Would the general public be interested in this?”.
3. Find the story. Everyone has an angle, you need to work out what yours is. Don’t know it? I can help you find it, I’ve done it time and time again for my clients! So ask “Yourself what is our angle?”
4. What is in the news? What news stories can you have an opinion on? Local press always need good sources to quote. Look at how to get known and used for these. Again I’ve done this a lot and its leads me into tip 5.
5. Be useful to the media. I’ve built up a great rapport with local and national journalist and the media. Ultimately I appreciate how busy they are, so I won’t forward them every press release I get sent (I’ve got my own work to do too!) so you need to look to build good relationships (as you do in all areas of your business) so that you are a natural person they turn to.
6. It has to be a win win situation – think what could be useful for them, rather than “I want my name in print.”

Well that is just a taster folks to get you going, but I hope that helps. Getting in the press has led to some fantastic opportunities for me even national TV and going to the Home Office, so I strongly urge you to get your business in the news!

The fabulous Nadine Gamble launching The Business Womans Network in Tendring. Not sure Nadine was expecting as much free PR as she got!

Named as one of the top 50 business women in Essex Living featuring a stunning 16 page spread celebrating women in business.

Featured in Red Magazine talking about fear and how it impacts on our success talking about my book Fight the fear that helps you override the top 12 fears that impact on us all and stop you from achieving what you want to.

After winning Small Business Saturday’s Top 100 Small Businesses award in association with The Guardian newspaper. I was lucky enough to be invited to No 10 Downing Street,. This led to lots of lovely free press!

The Power of Social Media (It includes free chocolate!)

This week I received in the post 24 chocolates to take me up to Christmas in the form of a nifty little marketing tool of a Advent calendar.

What is impressive, is that its a gift from a business woman that I have supported and sent work her way and connected her to people and yet we have never ever met.

We have only met online and yet Sabina feels like a business woman I’ve known for years. I know how many children she has, I’ve shared in her massive success, we’ve talked challenges we face as busy business women, and I’ve watched her business grow in the last few months. (You’ve got to remember I’ve only been back to work 3 months).

And its already a real pleasure to get emails and correspondence in any format from her.

Why do I tell you this?

Firstly because great online networking means that I really trust Sabina, because we have both backed up with good follow up, genuine interest in each other and doing what we say will do.

Secondly it means that as I get busy again in 2014 if I intend to use a VA, who am I likely to use?

Thirdly I got free chocolate folks!

You see good social media marketing creates more than just connections and the chance to make a sale, it creates lasting connections with business women who make me smile and who I adore seeing doing brilliantly.

Thank you Sabina, from Sabina VA Business Management Support for SMEs – its really appreciated.

And to prove it, here is a link to Sabina Hinchcliffes website, pop by and get involved in her social media too, you won’t regret it.

http://www.sabinava.com/

Business – Its One Hell Of A Ride…

…Well it can be if you get it wrong!

You see often I see business women doing really well and then all of a sudden they are in free fall and they don’t even notice it, until it is too late.

How often have you been so busy that you’ve not had time to get on with the business development, marketing and strategy that needs to be always attended to, only for 3 to 6 months down the line discover you have a dip in sales, in focus and drive for your business?

Imagine your business life is like riding a roller coaster. When you go up those massive tracks slowly being pulled to the top, that’s when you are looking at the view, keeping an eye on what is happening and very aware of every thing around you, (because there is time to do that on the way up!) the sales are coming in nicely, you know what your marketing strategy is and you are taking the right actions consistently and getting the growth, profit and results you want.

Then things pick up.

Suddenly your thundering along, a lot faster, there is not so much time to enjoy the view and keep an eye on every detail. You take your eye off the prize as  you race along and suddenly you are flying down a massive dip to the bottom where unfortunately folks there is a big dip in sales and success.

There is a reason that you only scream on the way down and not on the way up! I reckon your subconscious has already tapped into the fact that things are about to get hairy!

So what can you do, to stop the peaks and troughs of focus, sales, increased profit and success?

1. Keep your eye on the target – have a big fat clear goal. Always. If you can’t describe it word for word to me, then its not clear enough. Do it again!
2. If you easily become a procrastinator, ask yourself am I better motivated by how awful this will be if I don’t do it, or how wonderful this will be if I do?  In business we haven’t got our Mums there reminding us why we have to do what we have got to do. My clients know that I will be that person to kick butt if need be or gently encourage. Which leads me into…
3. Who will motivate you to stay on target? Know this on a good day, because on a tough day it’s not so easy to think clearly.
4. Get automated! What can be outsourced and what can you plan in advance for when you know you are going to be mega busy and up against it.
5. Its easy to know why you do what you do on the way up, but when sales are falling away and you are worried about overheads and sales its not so easy, so have it clearly defined. Writing it down, pinning it on the wall, opening screen on your laptop. Just remind yourself daily why you are awesome, its going to be fabulous and why consistent good practice will stop the dips that take away from the pleasure of the peaks.
6. Get consistent. Good practices lead to a smoother ride. What business practices do you have?

Good actions, consistently will help you avoid peaks and troughs. Every business has to adjust and change what they do, but it should be an organic process in line with your customers and the ever changing market. Not an afterthought when you suddenly realise that next weeks looks like a tough one!
For more ideas on how to avoid the peaks and troughs that I see attack businesses, get in touch. January is not so far away and for some industries that’s a big growth time, but for others its a pull ya belts in and lets hold on tight….why bother with that? What about a bit of fore thought, targeted action and get back on track enjoying the ride?

Call me and lets make that happen – 07989 935556

Your Marketing Production Line

I love this simple tool for ensuring I’m selling well. Am I talking to the right people in the right ways to ensure they are interested, engaged and buying.

I’ve been on holiday in August and sold tickets to events in December that I wasn’t even promoting.

I’ve gained speaking engagements, coaching clients and even free PR opportunities and I’ve been sat in the hottub.

I’d never share something I didn’t know worked and I’ve worked with thousands of businesses to help them sell well, increase profit, engagement and sales so I know this works.

You can ditch the sales talk, and the trying. Get this right and your passion sells your wares.

Want more? You can now take the course. At your own pace to help you get in the press, get seen, get sales, heck you could even get a book deal (I did!) this really works, its the backbone of so many clients in so many sessions. 

The new how to find your target audiences and get them buying will back this up too. Knowing what to say to whom, when and how is imperative.

Would you like more support to make this work?

This online course means you can work at your own pace and utilise the tools my clients use with me to get massive results. Like Nicole from Ace 24 Consultancy who increased sales to their ideal monthly target within 3 days, and reached the ultimate “let’s think big” year goal in 3 weeks. (She really likes me!)

Or Mr X who asked for their first 6 figure contract – and got it.

Or Mrs X who went from part-time business owner to full-time company with offices and staff in one year!

I don’t hold back with the tools and techniques for another day, it’s all here, I just want you to succeed!

What could it do for you. Learn more, book it, start to see what it could do for you here. I’d love to be helping you too here.

And if you are an INsider then I can help you every day on the confidential group too and give you discounts on these courses too.

If you take action on this blog and the other ones related to this subject including my Sales Mountain (that’s great for helping you upsell to people and gain their trust to be able to invest in working with you, it also helps create brand ambassadors for you too) a donation using the PayPal link would be really appreciated. Thank you.

Be Nice! or The Art of Selling

Last year when I was seriously ill and living in bed, my rather lovely hubby said we needed a new mattress…..ok less of the smutter ladies!

The only way to shop when ill is to speed shop, that means be mega organised and only look at anything once. So in less than an hour I think we possibly managed to look at every mattress in Colchester. (The ache later confirmed it!)

And it really reminded me of one of the most important skills for business success – the art of selling.

After a while just like when you are booking a holiday, you can end up with “Blue swimming pool syndrome”; ie the first one you looked at seemed amazing, idyllic and perfect but after 30 ideal destinations they all look the same and you are losing the will to live.

The exact same thing was happening when mattress purchasing. I had a memory like a geriatric cat when I was ill, which was bad enough on a normal day, but when you are choosing a product that you will spend a third of your life in, how did I come to decision of which one to buy?

• All stores had great adverts telling me they would match any price.
• All stores had a mass of different products.
• All stores had interest free credit – so I can keep my money in my pocket for longer!
• All stores had guides on what would be right for me.
• All stores were basically the same.

So how did I buy?

As we drove home I realised of the many stores we visited in that speed hour, I remembered the name of two shop assistants. Patricia and Andy. Now for someone with the mind of a geriatric cat that’s pretty impressive. And the reason?

They listened to me. Even if they were shattered and bored out of their mind, helping me get my purchase right mattered to them. In sense they were really nice.

Not seeing many folks when I was ill, means when I did see someone that isn’t my dog I talked for Britain. These 2 shop assistants smiled and acted interested, and didn’t try and force expensive products on me that I didn’t want. They truly LISTENED TO ME. They found out my needs and helped me get what I wanted.

So a top tip for fabulous marketing skills, is be nice, listen, care and make that customer feel like you live to make them a happy bunny.

See be nice…..just like your mother said!