Take your business to a new level in 2010
Posted on | March 11, 2010 | No Comments
Take your business to a new level in 2010 . Attend this amazing & free class sponsored by Xpedishon Coaching.
Xpedishon provides group coaching to solopreneurs and small business owners. Xpedishon was co-founded by Rainmakers CEO Tony Scelzo, Matthew Griffith, Ed Turi, and Jack Klemeyer. We are looking for 150 individuals who want to grow their business to over $500,000 per year in revenue. We have a proven system that has helped hundreds of individuals signficantly grow their business.
March 19th , 10:00 – 11:30 am
Details & Free Registration for the March Xcelleration Event.
- Are you willing to invest 90 minutes of your time to find out how to significantly grow your business in 2010?
- Are you done with this slow economy? Ready for better times?
- If you are frustrated with the challenges of running your business in this tough economy we would like to invite you to a free workshop to show you how you can double and even triple your business in 2010.
Matthew Grffiith, Tony Scelzo, Jack Klemeyer, and Ed Turi, the owners of Xpedishon Coaching, will lead an inspiring and dynamic presentation where you will learn-
- The three areas that you must focus on to grow your business.
- The top limiting beliefs that you must eliminate before you can ever succeed in business.
- How to structure your business to grow bigger than you ever thought possible.
People come to Xpedishon, because they are motivated and committed to growing their business despite the challenging economy. If you are committed to growing your business in 2010, then this free one-hour workshop is for you.
WHY AM I A LAWYER? WHY ARE YOU A _____(baker, salesman, home builder, etc.)?
Posted on | February 16, 2010 | 1 Comment
Passion.
You absolutely must have it to be in business for yourself. And I am NOT talking about the love of money. You gotta love the product or service you offer. Actually, there is a better way to describe “business passion”-
Passion is the unstoppable desire to make the world a better place by offering your particular product or service.
We do well the things we love. We do poorly the things we hate doing.
So, do what you love, and, assuming there is a need, want or desire for your product or service offering, you’ll make money at it. Why? Because, you’ll deliver quality, and that will keep your customers happy. Happy customers come back, and they bring their friends. Your business will grow. You’ll attract employees and strategic partners who share your passion for changing the world one sandwich, insurance policy or legal document at a time. You’ll be happy, you’ll come to work with enthusiasm, and profits will follow. The proof of what I’m saying will be easy to see.
I got an awesome “thank you” card and a box of gourmet brownies from a client this week. Here’s what the card said-
“Thank you. I cannot begin to thank you enough for all of your help and guidance early in my investing career. You have kept me from making mistakes and helped me capitalize on opportunities that have come my way. Your mentorship and knowledge is much appreciated and having someone like you on my team is very special. I hope one day we can do a deal together in some aspect and I can pay you back for all of your time and hard work. I appreciate your efforts on my real estate contracts and needs.”
After reading that, do you have any doubt why I practice law and coach entrepreneurs? Can you sense why I am a business lawyer and business coach? Do you think that I just might have a passion for helping business people? Most importantly, can you match my passion for practicing law and business coaching with your passion for your chosen field? Can you?
If so, congratulations. You’ve chosen the right vocation.
If not, let’s do some soul-searching. It might be time for you to make a change.
marketing gravity- “recession buster idea” #1
Posted on | November 16, 2009 | 1 Comment
Q: How do you generate more P.R., name recognition, product awareness, networks, clients, referrals, “fans,” blog readers, followers on Twitter, etc. ?
A: Marketing Gravity. That’s how! That’s the key!
Marketing Gravity is a concept I learned from a genius named Alan Weiss of Summit Consulting. This diagram is my updated version of a diagram Alan created years ago.
The diagram is hard to read on a blog, so let me explain it in words. In the center is “marketing gravity.” The “globes” around marketing gravity represent different ways to market and connect with people- publicity, Twitter, Rainmakers Marketing Group, trade associations, newsletters, blogs, sky writing, brochures, open houses, etc.
Now, let me explain gravity in the real world, so I can apply the concept to marketing. Gravity is the attraction of mass to mass. In the real world, the more mass you have, the more gravity you create. The more gravity, the more mass attracted, thus creating more gravity. The cycle repeats, with bigger objects pulling in smaller objects, thereby creating even more mass to attract even more objects. Etc., etc., etc.
Marketing works the same way. . . the more Tweets you send out, the more followers you get, which leads to more hits on your blog, which results in more emails and phone calls, which generates more clients/customers, who view your website and then refer you more clients, who forward your electronic newsletter to friends, which leads to more people following you on Twitter, and so on.
Pick and choose the type of marketing “globes” you put in your marketing universe. Each business and each industry call for different tactics at different times. The key is to get started. Experiment. Not everything will work. But, the marketing tactics that do work will, by definition, be consistent with your marketing strategies and further your marketing plan.
Plan? Marketing plan?
There I go again. . . talking about planning. Imagine that. As if you’d never heard me preaching about the virtues of business planning. Seriously though, CREATE A MARKETING PLAN ASAP!!! I recommend that EVERY BUSINESS create a marketing plan designed to maximize the benefits of MARKETING GRAVITY.
If you need help getting started, ASK FOR HELP. But please, get started and start generating some MARKETING GRAVITY.
MARKETING IN 2009
Posted on | November 9, 2009 | No Comments
Raquel at SilverSquare, Inc. sent this video recently. How true it is.
Target Marketing for Small Business
Posted on | August 19, 2009 | 1 Comment
There are lots of potential customers looking for your product or service, but how do you find them? There are 320 Million people in the United States. And, there are 6.76 billion people worldwide.
But which ones really want to buy what you’re selling?
And how do I find them? Talk to them? And make it clear to them that I have what they want or need?
Target marketing.
All marketing should be targeted. This is not a new concept. I’m not saying anything revolutionary, but I am forever amazed at how many businesses fail to target their clients. Ironically, it is easier today than ever to target your market.
I can’t explore this topic fully in one blog post, so I have two hopes here:
1. Please increase your awareness of the concept. Review your marketing plans this week and determine if improvements can be made to target your efforts on your likeliest of clients.
2. Consider your existing or former clients first. That’s the easiest and most cost effective way to target your marketing. Think about it. Your existing clients have already purchased from you. They trust you or your product/service. You know they have needs or wants for your product/service. They might buy the same product/service again, or they might want or need related products or services. Maybe they would upgrade? Maybe they need a replacement? Maybe there have been changes in your products, services, the law, technology, or other circumstances that would cause your customer to buy again or upgrade.
Consider this. . . your clients are likely to know other potential clients with similar needs, desires, wants, etc. Music lovers know other music lovers. Dog lovers know other dog lovers. Etc., etc., etc. So, if your past clients are not in the market today to buy your product/service, those past clients might be in the market in the future, AND they probably know others who would buy from you.
Again, I’ve not even started to describe the methods to target market, but becoming aware of this important concept is the first step in the process of targeting your buyer.
In future blogs, I’ll explore specific ways to target your market. I’ll share specific examples.
Matthew A. Griffith is an attorney, business performance coach, mentor and entrepreneur. He coaches, advises and guides business owners, entrepreneurs, inventors, property managers, investors and real estate professionals. Matt has nearly two decades of experience starting small businesses and helping businesses grow.
All Employees Are Involved in Sales – Part III
Posted on | June 30, 2009 | 1 Comment
You only offer ONE COMPANY EXPERIENCE for your clients and customers.
There is no shipping department. There is no sales team. There is no service department. There is only a store! From the customer’s perspective, there is ONE and ONLY ONE store.
If a restaurant patron has a problem with the table or the silverware or the food, it is up to every restaurant employee to make sure that patron is satisfied.
Are you thinking about how your employees are treating your customers? Your better be thinking about it!
Have you trained, either directly or indirectly, your employees to “pass the buck?” Are there financial incentives in place that encourage the wrong employee behaviors? In other words, do your employees make more money in their paychecks by “passing the buck” on to other employees?
Remember that what we tolerate, we teach. Even worse, your employee compensation structure may be encouraging employee behaviors that harm your customers’ buying experiences. If your customer is not 100% satisfied, there is an opportunity for your competitor to take business away from you. Your competitor does not have to be perfect. Your competitor just has to be better than you are.
So, in summary, your customer needs to have a satisfying experience when dealing with your employees. If your employees are projecting your internal operational shortcomings onto your customers, then the buying experience is less than 100% satisfactory. And that is all the opportunity your competitors require to make your customers their customers.
Check out Part I and II of this topic.
Tags: business > customer service > entrepreneur > Small Business
All Employees Are Involved in Sales – Part I
Posted on | June 20, 2009 | No Comments
Have you ever been at a restaurant and your food order is wrong, but the waiter or waitress blames the cooks? More than once I’ve heard a waitress say something like: “They get half the orders screwed up on Friday nights.” Or, “They’re not the smartest cooks.” Or, “We’re short on help back there tonight.” Here’s my all time favorite: “I’m not your waitress. You’re not in my section. I’ll send over your waitress.”
Frankly, I don’t care! That’s not my problem! I don’t work here. I’m the customer, for goodness sake!
When I order coleslaw, rather than fries, I do not want to hear a waitress blame the cooks. I just want my coleslaw. And, I want my waitress to make me feel like the entire restaurant staff feels bad that I didn’t get my coleslaw. After all, I came to a restaurant for the service as well as the food. I could have served myself a meal at home. Part of the reason I went to a restaurant is to sit there and not work. I expect service. Good service.
I AM NOT UNIQUE IN MY EXPECTATIONS! That’s every customer’s expectations, which should drive virtually every business function in every business. The businesses that make customers feel special win. Period.
I expect warm food, and my order served timely and as ordered. I should NEVER hear a waitress distinguish herself from the kitchen. There are not two separate operations within a restaurant. There are no seating or service “sections” that the customer needs to know about. Not from the customer’s perspective, and only the customer’s opinion counts. No host or hostess should talk about the kitchen staff or the wait staff as different or distinct from the host’s job. No waiter should pass the buck to another waiter. If a customer needs something, EVERY waiter in the joint is eligible to address that customer’s needs, wants and demands. A restaurant is a single entity and offers a single customer experience. And that concept should be drilled, taught and mandated by management in restaurants and every other business type. YOUR BUSINESS INCLUDED!
For more thoughts on this subject, please take a look at the follow up post- All Employees Are In Sales- Part II
How’s Your Elevator Pitch ?
Posted on | June 16, 2009 | No Comments
I was recently asked to help develop a new product/service called the “V-Card” or “VidCard.” Here are two trials of my 30-second VidCard.
What do you think?
Would you pay $50.00 for a professionally recorded, edited and produced video like these?
What is the message of your visual vocabulary?
Posted on | May 15, 2009 | No Comments
Introduction by Matthew A. Griffith, J.D.
I had the pleasure of meeting Annie Sever-Dimitri at a Rainmakers’ Main Event recently. We had a great conversation about the importance of image in developing brands. Image doesn’t mean dressing very well, having clean shoes and combing your hair (for those of you with hair). Annie and I agree that image can be “dressing down” at times. It means there is a matching of your client’s expectations and how you meet those expectations. Your image plays a huge part in your brand development. That is especially true for small businesses and professional services companies. So, this is a topic that I hope you’ll start to learn and understand.
Please enjoy Annie’s post.
Guest Blog by Annie Sever-Dimitri
As an image consultant, my job is to help my clients create the best first impression possible. Actually, I think we should revise the term “first impression” to be “first and last impression” because what others think of you when you first meet generally sticks for the long run. It takes only 3 – 7 seconds for the visual information we send to be picked up by others. I know—you haven’t even opened your mouth at that point. That is because experts state that roughly 90% of our language is received visually; only 10% of any message we send is derived from the movement of our mouths.
I bet you are now pondering your image, meaning your clothing, grooming, and body language. And your wallet. In today’s restrictive economic climate, business owners are only spending what is absolutely necessary. What you wear, the style of your hair, or how you stand when conversing may seem quite trivial when compared to other aspects of your marketing. But it isn’t when you really let it sink in that your appearance is doing the vast majority of your marketing for you.
Another point to consider is the fierce competition these days. How many marketing companies, ghost bloggers, and web designers do you know? What sets them apart from each other? I love this line from the inside cover of a marketing book called “Differentiate or Die” by Jack Trout : “The only way to truly differentiate yourself is by marketing the product’s uniquely valuable qualities.” When I network, I don’t see many people displaying anything unique with their appearance. Lots of khaki pants with beige shirts for the men; too much black; very few people providing a succinct message about their business because they just fade into the crowd.
We all need that extra edge over the competition. Image consulting provides that. Just like you have honed your message on the web and on paper using the expertise of marketing professionals, you must provide that same attention to your most valuable advertising asset of all: you.
Annie Sever-Dimitri
317-440-8783
Your Business Is Visible 24-7
Posted on | May 11, 2009 | 2 Comments
Your business, even if you are a sole proprietor, is visible to your customers, clients and competitors, 24-7.
At any time of the day or night, your customers can see your website, read your blog, follow your Twitter, or talk about you to other customers. Potentially, there is someone talking about your product, service, merchandise return policy, lousy guarantee, great receptionist, rude sales person, etc., any where in the world at any time. In that sense, you only have limited control over your brand, and that means you cannot afford to make branding mistakes. Nor can you allow unhappy customers to perpetuate dialogue that is harmful to your brand. What control you do have over your brand needs to be carefully and wisely exercised. You can’t afford dumb mistakes that can be accentuated through “negative viral marketing.”
The point I’m making really struck me after an experience I had this past weekend. I was driving north on I-65 to visit family south of Chicago for Mother’s Day weekend. A white Chevy Tahoe passed my car going about 90 mph, swerving in and out of traffic and nearly hitting more than one other car. The windows of the Tahoe were covered with vinyl marketing messages (i.e., a car “wrap”), advertising an upscale painting company located in Illinois. As I watched the driver of the Tahoe endanger other people’s lives and property, I immediately thought to myself:
“I would NEVER hire that company to paint my house. If I can’t trust the owners to drive a car responsibly, why would I trust them in my own home?”
Welcome to the world of marketing in the 21st Century. It’s reality, so learn how to maximize the speed by which good news travels and minimize the bad news that can damage your brand. Actually, I like to say that good news travels fast, but bad news travels even faster.
To finish my story about the Tahoe. . . as I was driving, I called the phone number on the advertisement on the Tahoe. I left a “colorful” message on a voicemail, and I explained that the driver’s behavior was not only endangering lives but also damaging the image of the painting company. A few minutes later, I got this text message in response:
I’m sorry if my husband, who is driving my Tahoe, offended u w/ his driving. I called him and asked him to be careful on the highway. Have a nice weekend-
Although I might not hire this lady’s husband, I might hire her. She did a good job of damage control, and she might have saved someone’s life. Had she actually called me personally to apologize, I would have given her an “A” in damage control. She gets a solid “B.” After her call to her husband, he slowed down and greatly improved his driving. No one was hurt. No accidents occurred. It was a good day.
Clearly, it would have been better for this lady’s husband never to have behaved like that in the first place, especially as he drove a rolling company billboard up I-65. But she did the responsible and business-wise thing in apologizing, taking responsibility and fixing the problem. I am sure that she would have preferred a more positive marketing message from her car wrap, but she did minimize the damage to her company’s reputation with a phone call and a text message. My hope for her is that she learns from the experience and puts in place safeguards to prevent similar bad incidents that might harm her company’s brand.
What are you doing to control your brand image, especially when you are asleep or when you’re not there to control your employees?
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