Do It! Marketing Blog: Marketing for Smart People™

Beware the marketing coach who does not DO

28

OK I have to say it...

I'm getting really REALLY tired of these so-called gurus and coaches who are supposedly teaching people how to "make millions as a [fill in the blank - speaker, author, infomarketer, coach, etc]" yet they have never earned a $5k+ speaking fee, they've never sold more than 1000 books, they've never sold more than a few thousands dollars in infoproducts, and they've never coached more than a few dozen people.

Here's the deal, people - ASK your next coach, guru, teacher, or mentor the following questions based on the subject you're enrolling to learn.

For example...

1. Speaker marketing coach:

  • How many times a year do you speak FOR MONEY? 
  • At what fee? 
  • Who are five of your most recent paid speaking clients?

2. Book marketing coach:

  • Is your book self-published or with a major publisher? 
  • How many books have you sold? 
  • If you claim "bestseller" status - what lists and for how long were you on the list? 
  • Where is your book TODAY in amazon sales rank (less than 25,000 is good)

3. Group coaching/online course creation guru:

  • How many group coaching programs or courses have you run? 
  • Since when have you been filling your own groups? 
  • What's your average enrollment? 
  • At what price point? 
  • Can you show me the sales page for three of your recent programs?

4. Infoproduct coach:

  • How many infoproducts do you currently sell? 
  • What's your monthly sales volume on your top 2-3 products? 
  • Can you show me the sales pages for several of your products?

5. Private Coaching guru:

  • How many private coaching clients do YOU currently work with? 
  • What are your coaching packages and fees? 
  • Do you charge by the hour? (It's a BIG red flag if they say yes!) 
  • What percentage of your coaching business is repeat and referral? 
  • What's the average amount of time and money that clients spend with you?

6. Marketing/business growth coach:

  • How long have you been running your business? 
  • Do you have other sources of income besides this business? 
  • What are they? 
  • What are the typical outcomes clients get from working with you? 
  • Have you DONE what I want to do - or do you just teach it? 
  • How many clients have you worked with? 
  • What separates your successful clients from your not-so-successful ones? 
  • Then check out their recommendations on Linkedin and their client testimonials on their website (how specific are they? how many? how credible? Full attribution with person's name, company, position, etc?)

There are a lot of people out there who LOOK like they have it going on - pitching their "Million Dollar" this and "Million Dollar" that...

Sad to say, a LOT of it is smoke and mirrors. Motivation, inspiration, pretty websites, great photos of smiling, jubilant bootcamp or retreat attendees, a big social media footprint, great looking videos...

But scratch the surface and the gold glitter starts to flake off in big chunks as you realize you've just been taken for a ride by a very pretty or handsome con artist and suddenly, you're out a few thousand dollars (or a lot more) with nothing to show for it except that empty feeling in the pit of your stomach that you're not any closer to achieving your goals for your business, your bank account, or your lifestyle.

Don't follow the herd - you're not a lemming or a sheep.

Find the people who are the REAL DEAL, who only preach what they themselves practice, invest wisely, and choose carefully.

That is all. Rant ends here.

And next time - we'll tackle the rant of the CLIENT who does not do. (That rant might be even juicier than this one, don't you agree?)

 

marketing speaker marketing coach

Grab your FREE copy of the Social Media Traffic Boost Cheat Sheet!

Are you a DO IT freak? Welcome to the club!! Please use the social media buttons at the top of this post to share it with your network. YOU are a rock star!

Tags: marketing for speakers, consultant marketing, thought leadership marketing, professional services marketing, trusted advisor marketing, marketing expert, marketing professional services firms, marketing coaching, marketing coach, marketing for consultants, do it marketing, small business marketing speaker, small business marketing coach

The Top Marketing Must Do!

04.jpg

You should have been here - in my office - 5 minutes ago.

This whiteboard was FULL - and I mean jam-packed - with ideas, notes, bullets, to-dos, action items, brainstorms, and some jottings about the "next big thing" for our professional speaking and inbound marketing firm.

Perhaps you have a similar whiteboard in your office. Or a wall filled with post-it notes. Or plaques and awards on your bookcase. Or other visual reminders of where your company has been and all that you have accomplished.

Tremendously exciting. Truly.

The only problem: it was tremendously exciting in your past. With every day, every week, every month - hell, every hour - that you do not ACT on those ideas, they start to turn on you.

They are no longer motivators - they are pacifiers that remind you how great you WERE. What you imagined would BE. And what - for better or worse - didn't quite turn out the way you envisioned last week, last month or last year.

In my case, my office whiteboard was holding onto ideas and initiatives from 6 months ago. Yikes! Totally useless to me today. EXCEPT it made me feel good about how gosh darn smart I am and what big plans I have/had (NOT!)

When Steve Jobs came back as interim CEO of Apple in 1997, he had every award, plaque, and completed project plan removed from the walls and hallways of Apple. He did not want any visual reminders of the past. All he wanted his teams to see was their future.

NEW plans, CURRENT prototypes, and UPCOMING projects were all over Apple's hallways, offices, and conference rooms. Everything was future-focused and kept rigorously up to date.

What do you need to erase from your whiteboard? Which awards should you put away? Which of your accolades are keeping you stuck in the past?

Put that stuff away.

Look to your CURRENT future. In the words of Steve Jobs - it will help you "Stay hungry. Stay foolish." And it will help you achieve your NEXT level of "insanely great."

Want to apply for your Speaker Strategy Call to see how you can IMPLEMENT some of these concepts right away? Apply for your call here.

 

Tags: marketing for speakers, marketing speaker, marketing strategy, marketing success, marketing for coaches, professional services marketing, small business coach, motivational speaker, leadership, professional speaker marketing, marketing coach, marketing strategist, motivational speaker marketing, speaker marketing, small business marketing, thought leadership, small business marketing speaker

Marketing Coach Tip: 3 Secrets to Smarter Prospecting on LinkedIn

 16.jpg

 

LinkedIn is the new cold call. Perhaps this sounds familiar to you... 

As a marketing speaker and marketing coach, I continually study the field, read a ton of books, and attend seminars and workshops from my fellow marketing enthusiasts.

And I'd like to respectfully disagree with that analogy.

LinkedIn is way better, smarter, faster, and more effective than a cold call. In fact, I'd slant the analogy a different way altogether:

LinkedIn is the new email with a red velvet rope around it, a priority seal, and a much more attractive return address envelope!

First let's explore those three points and then you'll see an example of LinkedIn in action PLUS here are some sample social media scripts you can use that have gotten awesome results for our clients in our marketing mastermind and private mentoring programs. 

3 Reasons LinkedIn Beats Email

1. Red Velvet Rope - This is a term popularized in the marketing arena by Michael Port. It means there's an exclusive, members-only feel to your marketing. It's not for everyone - and not everyone qualifies. You need to be "in the club." When you reach out to a fellow Group member on LinkedIn, you both are in the club and there's a strong element of peer-to-peer belonging that encourages community, communication, and responsiveness. Can't say that about a cold call or a plain old email!

2. Priority Seal - Most executives and business owners feel overwhelmed by email. When they're not tackling the email monster (click here if you'd like to master your email!), they are wall-to-wall with meetings, phone calls, and their daily dose of dealing with crises. LinkedIn messages DO trigger an email notification but you have the choice of responding via email or via LinkedIn -- and LinkedIn messages (for most of us) are few and far between so they give the impression of being more important, more filtered, and more personally relevant. Think of it as a FedEx envelope arriving in your daily mail. Sure, you can ignore it - you can toss it - you might not get to it for a few days. But chances are greater that you will because of curiosity - a basic trait of human nature.

3. More Attractive Return Address Envelope - LinkedIn messages tend to be shorter than emails - and a shorter note merits a shorter response. You've just given your prospects, clients, and connections a huge "out" because they do NOT need - and probably would not even consider - sending you a long, involved response. If you send a short, succinct note to reconnect with a past client - they'll respond with a short, succinct note and you'll probably use LinkedIn to make plans to connect in a longer format offline (phone call, lunch, coffee, in-person meeting). Yours will be a fast, easy and appealing note to respond to - so your chances of getting a prompt response just went up considerably!

LinkedIn in Action and Results

This story was submitted by my motivational speaker colleague Jim Clemmer to the excellent SpeakerNetNews:

Using LinkedIn to (Re)Connect and Build Business — Jim Clemmer

I have been using LinkedIn to reconnect with old contacts and to connect with anyone signing up for my newsletter. I do this with the LinkedIn for Outlook utility showing if anyone sending me an email (or completing any website form that is emailed to me) has a LinkedIn account. As my connection numbers build, more website visitors, book readers, and subscribers are now asking to connect with me. We’ve also done a few email blasts to our database asking for connections to those who have LinkedIn accounts. Over the last two years we can directly trace a few hundred thousand dollars in speaking/workshop or long term/ongoing consulting fees that started with these (re)connections.

3 LinkedIn Secrets from Jim's Success:

1. As my friend and Speaker Hall of Fame member Dr. Alan Zimmerman likes to say, "your business comes from your business." (He's a guy who enjoys a 92% repeat and referral rate from his client base so he's walking that talk.) Note that Jim Clemmer is also generating his success not ONLY from new connections - but from RE-connections. Try it for yourself and see what conversations you can generate with the folks who already know you, love you, and have given you money in the past.

2. You gotta ask for the connection. Note that Jim's strategy also involved email blasts to his list proactively asking them to connect on LinkedIn. And not just once - but several times over the past 2 years. Remember to make your social media scripts appealing, relevant, and NOT focused on you - but focused on the value you'd like to deliver to your connections.

3. It takes time and there are both direct and indirect benefits. Notice that Jim said, "over the last two years" - not the last 2 weeks or 2 months. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Notice also that he said he could DIRECTLY trace several hundred thousand dollars of new business. That's great - and in addition, Jim has likely generated that much money or more INDIRECTLY, meaning that people didn't hire him FROM LinkedIn but BECAUSE they saw something he contributed, received a connection update, or otherwise "bumped into" Jim's name, content, ideas, website, blog or network - and were prompted to engage with him.

doitmarketing email out of office message


Grab your FREE copy of the Social Media Traffic Boost Cheatsheet!

Are you a DO IT freak? Welcome to the club!! Please use the social media buttons at the top of this post to share it with your network. YOU are a rock star!

Tags: marketing for speakers, marketing speaker, marketing strategy, marketing success, marketing for coaches, consultant marketing, social media, linkedin, email marketing, entrepreneurship, motivational speaker, marketing strategist, motivational speaker marketing, speaker marketing, small business marketing, thought leadership, small business marketing speaker, marketing tip, social media marketing, social media scripts, networking, public speaker marketing

The Coaching Relationship is a “Two Way Street”

35

Guest post by Ford R. Myers
President, Career Potential, LLC

People who are seriously considering engaging the services of a professional coach or consultant usually ask many questions about what the advisor “will do or should do” in order to make the coaching relationship work for the client. This is certainly reasonable and understandable.

However, there are also several “prerequisites” or standards that the client must meet for the engagement to produce optimum results.

Unfortunately, these criteria are rarely discussed during the “contracting process” between consultant and client.

There are at least six behaviors and attitudes which clients need to embrace to help make any coaching engagement successful:

  1. Treat the consulting relationship as a real priority in your life (fully-invested; not an “afterthought” or a distraction)
  2. Be coachable (open-minded, trusting, non-defensive, willing to go a bit outside of your comfort zone, flexible, committed to the process)
  3. Show-up for appointments (in-person, via phone, on Skype)
  4. Do your “homework” promptly (written exercises, reading, research)
  5. Be 100% honest with your coach (candid, vulnerable, “real,” sincere, direct, unguarded)
  6. Hold to your commitments and be “self-accountable” (with the support and structure of your coach)

In my work as an Executive Career Coach, I make it clear (either explicitly or implicitly) to prospective clients that “this is a two-way street.” Of course, I commit 100% to doing my part to the best of my ability.

But the client also has a vital role to play in the consulting relationship, with important commitments and responsibilities (listed above).

Discussing these items candidly before getting started in a new coaching engagement has proven to be a productive exercise, and it has been mutually beneficial.

Such a conversation “screens out” prospective clients who are not a good fit for my programs; it empowers clients to take full responsibility for their part of the work; it sets clear expectations and eliminates incorrect assumptions; and it allows me to hold my clients accountable when they inevitably experience resistance or avoidance during the coaching process. In other words, this dialogue clears the way for clients to achieve their goals more efficiently and productively – which makes everybody happy!

What do you think? Leave a comment below and...

coaching two way street

Tags: marketing for coaches, consultant marketing, consulting firm marketing, thought leadership marketing, trusted advisor marketing, consulting, coaching, professional speaker marketing, marketing for consultants, doit marketing, do it marketing, small business marketing speaker, sales and marketing

Thought Leader’s Bookshelf 2014

marketing speaker thought leaderThought Leader’s Bookshelf 2014

Here are 7 books filled with great ideas that every thought-leading entrepreneur and executive needs to read, absorb, and implement.

If you want to be considered a genuine expert by your prospects, clients, customers, followers, subscribers and fans, these 7 books are your go-to resource library. Enjoy!

  1. Ready to Be a Thought Leader: How to Increase Your Influence, Impact, and Success

  2. Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World

  3. Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition

  4. Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business

  5. The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time

  6. How to Position Yourself As the Obvious Expert: Turbocharge Your Consulting or Coaching Business Now!

  7. POP!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything

BONUS: Here's a great slide deck on thought leadership from Art Kleiner of Strategy & Business magazine, put out by Booz & Company:

Got some other great book recommendations along these lines? Please use the COMMENTS area below and join the conversation...

Tags: marketing for speakers, marketing for coaches, thought leadership marketing, professional services marketing, marketing expert, small business marketing expert, professional speaker marketing, motivational speaker marketing, marketing for authors, marketing for consultants, thought leadership, small business marketing speaker

Marketing Coach: 101 Really Good Ideas for 2014

101 Really Good Ideas

Maybe 2014 will be the year that you…

  1. Start thinking bigger

  2. Ask for help (partners, affiliates, advocates, allies, clients)

  3. Stop playing small

  4. Give up your victim mindset

  5. Learn to sell smarter

  6. Invest in yourself

  7. Stop whining

  8. Be of service to more people, whether they buy or not

  9. Listen more deeply

  10. Stop competing and start collaborating

  11. Let go and move on

  12. Get smart about your money (earning, saving, spending, investing)

  13. Embrace the unknown

  14. Scale your business

  15. Don't sweat the small stuff

  16. Give more of your time to your best clients

  17. Amplify your voice

  18. Sharpen your vision

  19. Multiply your impact

  20. Get off the hamster wheel

  21. Leverage more 

  22. Labor less (simplify, eliminate, delegate, outsource)

  23. Serve a wider audience

  24. Dig deeper

  25. Write more

  26. Stress less

  27. Spend more time with family

  28. Get off the email crack

  29. Manage your day smarter

  30. Take 100% ownership of marketing, sales, and business development

  31. Stop pitching and start solving

  32. Make more videos

  33. Build a community around your expertise

  34. Trash your self-limiting beliefs

  35. Buy this book

  36. Get serious, get help, or get out

  37. Upgrade your marketing materials

  38. Stop tolerating bullshit in all areas of your life

  39. Embrace healthy habits (food, exercise, sleep)

  40. Aspire to be bigger, better, smarter, kinder

  41. Show up

  42. Step up

  43. Stop doing work you’ve outgrown

  44. Stop serving clients who no longer fit

  45. Raise your sights

  46. Raise your fees

  47. Seek out better, smarter, more successful friends

  48. Seek out better, smarter, more successful clients

  49. Quit doing stupid shit (yes, you!)

  50. Free your imagination

  51. Sing your song

  52. Make your mark

  53. Write your book

  54. Launch that thing you’ve been dreaming of

  55. Rediscover your passion

  56. Unleash your enthusiasm

  57. Get the hell off Facebook

  58. Mentor someone who needs your wisdom

  59. Reframe your losses

  60. Remember your wins

  61. Write down your goals

  62. Live out of your calendar, not your inbox

  63. Set your GPS for greatness

  64. Go for bigger fish

  65. Use better bait

  66. Bag the elephant

  67. Be more tenacious

  68. Focus like a laser

  69. Stop distracting yourself

  70. Get more results by doing less marketing

  71. Develop a “marketing magnet” speech

  72. Identify target-rich audiences

  73. Deploy irresistible offers

  74. Master your “enrollment conversation”

  75. Start doing social media right

  76. Become more comfortable being uncomfortable

  77. If you’re not scared, you're probably not up to anything interesting

  78. Go to more conferences

  79. Cross-pollinate your best ideas

  80. Join a mastermind group

  81. Read more for pleasure

  82. Read more for business

  83. Collect smart friends

  84. Feature and leverage other people

  85. Keep a notebook to capture your best ideas

  86. Start your podcast

  87. Interview other experts

  88. Interview your prospects and clients

  89. Serve on a non-profit board

  90. Do something artsy (music, painting, dance, theater)

  91. Upgrade your wardrobe

  92. Buy that new car (PDF)

  93. Give more generously

  94. Stop judgment and embrace openness (mind, heart, spirit)

  95. Apologize even (especially?) when you don’t need to

  96. Be more humble

  97. Punch people in the face with value

  98. Become genuinely interested in others

  99. Ask more and better questions

  100. Make more lists

  101. Send more cookies

  102. Be more grateful

  103. Always over-deliver

  104. Yes, this is item #104 out of 101

  105. Always say please and thank you

  106. Please share this post

  107. Thank you for being awesome


Tags: marketing for speakers, thought leadership marketing, professional services marketing, professional speaker marketing, small business marketing, marketing for authors, marketing for consultants, do it marketing, small business marketing speaker, doitmarketing, small business marketing coach

9 Key Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

9 key traits entrepreneurial successEntrepreneurs who START a business typically exhibit these traits:

  1. Independent - they want to be their own boss.
  2. Self-Reliant - they want to know they're 100% responsible for their own results
  3. Hard-working - they're not afraid of hard work, long hours, and the toughest boss they'll ever have (see #1 above!)

Entrepreneurs who SUCCEED in business typically exhibit these traits:

  1. Dream big but dream focused. They want to create something that is substantial and that makes a real contribution. But they are also focused enough and disciplined enough to distinguish between opportunities and distractions.
  2. Lifelong student. They're willing to learn, experiment and try new things. They regularly challenge their own assumptions and explore outside their comfort zone.
  3. Willing to ask for help, delegate, and outsource. Most entrepreneurs are better at helping than being helped. But if you’re not willing to ask for help or delegate to others, you severely limit your growth.
  4. Will break through obstacles. Entrepreneurs always get stuck. Whether in dire straits financially, facing a tough new competitor, or dealing with internal headaches, the entrepreneurial journey is almost always turbulent. Successful entrepreneurs expect this and have learned to "secure their own oxygen mask before assisting others."
  5. Resilient. They face disappointment with courage. And more important, they bounce back. Again and again and again. And again!!
  6. Have patience. Things rarely work out for entrepreneurs as quickly as they'd like. Successful entrepreneurs have come to understand that sometimes the "shortcut" is the long way.
What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS section below to share your own advice, insights, and recommendations on what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur... 
9 key traits successful entrepreneur

Tags: marketing concept, thought leadership marketing, trusted advisor marketing, entrepreneurship, marketing coaching, small business marketing expert, small business coach, professional speaker marketing, marketing coach, motivational speaker marketing, success tips, small business marketing, do it marketing, small business marketing speaker, sales and marketing

Marketing Coach: Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling

doitmarketing marketing coach pixar

These rules were originally tweeted by Emma Coates, Pixar’s Story Artist.

Look them over and see how many of them apply to YOUR story - specifically, your marketing story that you're trying to articulate (first, for yourself and then for your prospects, clients, and customers!)

Number 9 on the list - "When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next" – is a great one. So is number 12 - "Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself."

Use the COMMENTS section below to share your favorites and how they impact YOUR thinking about YOUR marketing, sales, and business development success.

  1. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
  2. You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.
  3. Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.
  4. Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
  5. Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
  6. What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
  7. Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
  8. Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
  9. When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
  10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.
  11. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.
  12. Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
  13. Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
  14. Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.
  15. If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
  16. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
  17. No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.
  18. You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
  19. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
  20. Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?
  21. You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?
  22. What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

Tags: marketing concept, thought leadership marketing, professional services marketing, trusted advisor marketing, marketing expert, marketing coaching, small business marketing expert, marketing coach, marketing for consultants, doit marketing, do it marketing, small business marketing speaker, small business marketing coach

Why Those IDIOTS Don’t Buy from You

 

40

Have you ever wondered why your prospects DON’T buy from you? Especially when you can see as plain as the nose on their face that they DESPERATELY need what you do and could benefit from it HUGELY?

Well… as with most marketing - it’s not about YOU.

It’s about THEM.

And your prospects are not actually idiots - but IDIOTS is a good acronym for the six biggest reasons that your prospects DON’T buy.

I’ve done a lot of thinking about this because MANY of my 1-on-1 marketing coaching clients experience precisely this problem when we begin working together.

And solving it for them immediately puts money in their pocket. Just like it will for YOU.

Here are the six parts of the IDIOTS acronym:

  1. Ignorant of their problem
  2. Denial of their situation
  3. Indifferent to your brand
  4. Overwhelmed with choices 
  5. Terrified of making a mistake 
  6. Suspicious of marketers/salespeople 

Let’s unpack these one at a time. And you’ll also get specific ideas for what to DO to punch through each of these six obstacles and close more sales - better sales - faster sales.

1. Ignorant of their problem. They “don’t know what they don’t know” about what’s wrong, missing, broken, too slow, too inefficient. And you can’t sell someone on the fact that they have a problem. Never works. Just pisses ‘em off.

What to DO: Use the following language: “Is This You?” and then cleanly and crisply articulate their pains, problems, heartaches, headaches, challenges, and gaps in language that they will instantly recognize - because you’re entering the conversation that’s already happening in their head every single day.

2. Denial of their situation. “Me? Problem? No, no, no - that’s impossible.” This is actually a WORSE problem than mere ignorance. It’s awareness plus a determination to avoid, deny or minimize the problem. This is also commonly referred to as the “head in the sand” syndrome.

What to DO: Call out the elephant in the room (the denial) and skillfully weave in stories of other people in similar situations who emerged from their denial, made some tough choices, and came out victorious in the end. In order to avoid insulting them, use language such as, “Many folks in your situation prefer to address the surface issues rather than deal with the problem head-on. That makes perfect sense because this can be messy, expensive, and painful. Using our [product/service/whatever you’re selling], our clients find that it’s not nearly as bad as they feared - and once it’s done, everything gets better in the areas of X, Y. and Z."

3. Indifferent to your brand. “Who are you again? And from what company?” Early in my entrepreneurial career as a marketing speaker and marketing coach, I called on a client and we had a very cordial 20-minute meeting. He seemed ready to move ahead. Until he thought to ask me this question, “If you’re so good, how come I’ve never heard of you before?” OUCH! 12 years ago I didn’t have a good answer. (Today, I would take a copy of my book from my briefcase and slap him upside the head with it before leaving an autographed copy on his desk and seeing myself out.)

What to DO: Buyers don’t buy you, your product, your service, or your brand sight unseen. So the answer is easy: GET SEEN! Use 3PR strategies to maximize your influence and impact in the right places in front of the right prospects for the right reasons. Keep showing up as a person (and company) “of value” and soon, they’ll be coming to YOU, not vice versa.

4. Overwhelmed with choices. Your buyers are lazy, busy, and befuddled. I don’t need to convince you any further of that, do I?

What to DO: Market to the LAZY - What can you OFFER that’s easy, fast, and free? Market to the BUSY - What can you DO to be heard above the noise? Market to the BEFUDDLED - What can you SAY that will immediately resonate with your best prospects because it shows that you “get” them?

5. Terrified of making a mistake. Yup - your buyers are risk-averse. Scaredy cats, in fact. As they should be because they’ve probably been burned by people who looked a lot like YOU in the not-too-distant past. What should you offer them? Guarantees, success stories, testimonials, and proof.

What to DO: Show them specific names, specific companies, and indisputable points of proof that you have a strong, clear and compelling track record of making those people happy. Let's face it - one BIG reason people don't want to buy is because they're putting their own relational capital (aka reputation) on the line. And that's risky. If you can remove the risk of the sale, you will open the floodgates to getting more and better clients for life. Hint: They won't believe YOU. They WILL believe your clients, references, referrals, and people who have given you money in the past and been thrilled to do so. Print up a sheet called "Client Success Stories." Put in 5-7 specific success stories with the right names to drop and the right stories to tell. Bingo! Instant sales breakthrough.

6. Suspicious of marketers/salespeople. Yes, of course they are. And you are, too. Salespeople and marketers have a long-standing (and sometimes accurate) reputation as liars, shysters, slimeballs, and fraudsters. That’s the stereotype you’re up against no matter how expensive your suit, how specialized your services, or how sincere your approach.

What to DO: Position yourself not as a salesperson OR a marketer. Position yourself as an expert - a thought-leader - a trusted advisor. In my marketing keynotes and seminars, I show a slide that has this text in a giant 288-point font: VALUE + TIME = TRUST. That’s the key. Deliver value - relevant insights, resources, advice, recommendations. Do this over time and become known as a person of value - and a company of value - and then over time, your prospects will begin to seek you out and you’ll be positioned as the obvious go-to choice for what you’re offering.

That’s the antidote to prospect IDIOTS who don’t buy from you. (Again, no offense - remember, it’s an acronym!)

 

Want to apply for your Speaker Strategy Call to see how you can IMPLEMENT some of these concepts right away? Apply for your call here.

 

Tags: marketing success, marketing concept, thought leadership marketing, professional services marketing, trusted advisor marketing, small business marketing expert, professional speaker marketing, marketing coach, do it marketing, small business marketing speaker, doitmarketing, sales and marketing

Corey Perlman eBootCamp Interview

corey perlman ebootcampHere's a two-part interview with my pal, Corey Perlman of eBootCamp.com. 

We talk about... 

  • Social media myths vs. reality
  • Why your website still matters - big time
  • Different social media approaches for different businesses
  • The key elements to a digital marketing gameplan that WORKS
  • A special time-sensitive offer to boost your marketing success

Part 1 is here... PLEASE STOP watching at 17:45 when our video connection blew up!

Due to hysterically funny technical difficulties, we put the last 5-6 minutes of content onto Part 2 here...

p.s. Corey is running one of his special 2-day intensive seminars in Michigan on 9/26-27 and you can get full details on that here. If you email him at corey@ebootcamp.com and put in the subject line, "David sent me" you'll qualify for a free electronic copy of Corey's bestselling book and "bring a friend" privileges to the event.

p.p.s. It's the best investment you'll make in your business this year. Corey guarantees it. And so do I. 

Tags: social media, marketing expert, small business marketing expert, small business coach, ebootcamp, corey perlman, professional speaker marketing, marketing ideas, small business marketing, small business marketing speaker, social media marketing, small business marketing coach