Recently, I was invited to be part of SCORE's small business panel so I thought I'd address how to use Public Speaking - an easy, affordable marketing technique anyone can do - to grow your small business.
Jerry Seinfeld's joke said it best "According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy."
Huh?!?!?
So, why is that the case in our outspoken, everyone-has-something-to-say society? It seems people are afraid to be judged. But we're all judged all the time in business, so why not use the power of Public Speaking to proactively grow your business?
I interrupt this blog post to announce that I use www.copyscape.com to protect my writing - and you should too!
Speak and Ye Shall Get Clients
Early on when I started this business, I saw that business owners who were on the speaking circuit had a number of things going for them:
• Exposure
• Credibility
• Ongoing Pipeline
I realized that this was a route I had to take and I'm very glad I did. Every time I do a seminar or workshop, I get at least one new client.
Here's how I did it and you can too:
Seek out potential opportunities - reach out to organizations in your local area such as: Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, leads groups, & any other local business club whose membership fits your target audience. You'll find they're surprisingly open-minded and are always seeking guest speakers.
Be sure to bring some handouts which can include business cards, brochures, a summary or tip sheet of what you discussed, even a promotional give-away.
And, always collect business cards or lead names/emails from the audience so you can follow up.
Build on the opportunities - once you get a few under your belt, the rest just flows.
You might want to create a downloadable Speaker's Press Kit for your website with a call to action so folks can easily access it. Mine is downloadable from my website at http://myaffordablemarketing.com/speaker.html
Hire a videographer to capture one or two of your early talks - this will help you evaluate your speaking style & make it better over time. Also, you can upload the video on your website's home page - choose one of your favorite snippets. This is helpful because home pages with video are up to 54% more likely to appear on page one in searches.
To charge or not to charge? - that's a good question. I know someone who has earned $5 million in speaking fees over his career. He charges a very reasonable fee & has gotten thousands of speaking engagements over the years.
When you get or make a call you should ask if they pay an honorarium. If they do, great. If not, you can look at it as an opportunity to get paying clients & so long as it's not out of town, will likely be worth your time.
For those speakers like myself who are authors, oftentimes a group or association will purchase a block of books from you & have you sign them at the event. Not a direct pay, but still revenue. I recently did a gig at the Mayor's office in my city where a small business group was meeting and this is what they did for me instead of a direct pay.
Get the word out - then watch what happens. Speakers are often responsible for doing their fair share of promoting the event. To do this you can use all of your social media outlets, put a footnote on your email signature block, even (like I did above) putting upcoming events in an email newsletter or on your website. Whatever outlets you have available for your use is appropriate.
Take it to next level - public speakers can branch out in several ways. You can get a booking agent, join a speaker's bureau, even create your own event at a local establishment or library (note: library events must be free to the public). Once you try it & see that it works, the sky is the limit.
Public Speaking for your business is a powerful, affordable technique that any business owner can do. With just a little effort you'll get immediate results that will help you grow your small business.
Now that you know these tips, go get 'em!
Remember...get started marketing TODAY so that TOMORROW your business will still exist.
©2014 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC
Showing posts with label entrepreneurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entrepreneurs. Show all posts
Friday, August 22, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Summer Marketing
With little exception, the fall and winter are high revenue-producing months for most businesses. In order to make the most of the time you should have a solid plan for how you will approach this important season.
Some key questions to begin with are:
1. What did I do this year that worked?
2. What didn't work?
3. Are there any new media I should try?
4. Did I make good use of my customer data?
5. What is my competition doing?
6. What is my marketing budget?
Even creating a rough marketing budget is a good start. Some companies use a percent of sales; others use a hard dollar amount knowing what they can afford. Unsure what's right for you? Consult guidelines for your particular industry. These can usually be found in an industry trade journal and in industry association publications. However you put yours together just be sure you have some budget set aside for the purpose of marketing.
So, now what?
Once you establish a rough budget, you'll have to narrow down precisely how you will market your business. With more options than ever, this can be a difficult task. So, here are some guidelines by type of business:
Service Businesses:
If you have face to face contact with your clients, you have a much easier route to establishing a relationship with them - such as a service person that goes to someone's home or business, or a consultant meeting with a client. You can:
• Use the person's contact information to stay in touch with them via email and direct mail
• Always follow up a meeting with a handwritten thank you to stand away from your competitors
• When a job is finished don't forget to ask for a testimonial and a referral
Retail Businesses:
Take advantage of the fact that you actually get to meet your customers and engage them when appropriate. Ways to do this are:
• If you have employees, make sure they are well trained in customer service (including knowing by name your best customers and greeting them that way when they come to your store)
• Create a "member" club for those best customers and offer them special sales or shopping hours just for them
• Collect their emails to keep in touch via email newsletters
• If you carry a manufacturer's product line, ask your rep if they offer any co-op marketing support as this can substantially increase your budget without using your own money
Online Businesses:
Establishing a relationship here is a bit more difficult and will heavily depend on having a website programmed with customer service in mind; then creating a plan to use it in a timely manner without being annoying. Some things you can do are:
• At the checkout offer upsells and add-ons (but NOT by a third party as some do with magazines and the like)
• Offer free shipping for orders above a certain dollar amount
• Email a thank you once the order has been placed
• Notify the buyer once the item has been shipped (this is SUCH a great service), and I just had the experience of returning an item and I was emailed when it was received by them and approximately how long it would take to process my refund, then they confirmed when the credit was applied - this is GREAT
• Deliver coupons online
• Consider having a one day sale
Pulling it all together
This entire process becomes easier as you begin to translate business goals into marketing goals in small, and then larger, bites. Having a plan (even if it's rough) is a way to see what's ahead. This is especially true if you are thinking of using print advertising since deadlines for ad submissions are often two months ahead of the actual issue date for monthly publications. And, this is also helpful for laying out an annual email marketing and messaging strategy plan.
So...while you're relaxing in the sun, have a pad and pen at the ready to jot down any creative ideas that inspire you so that you're ready to hit the ground running when you return to work.
Remember...get started marketing TODAY so that TOMORROW your business will still exist.
Some key questions to begin with are:
1. What did I do this year that worked?
2. What didn't work?
3. Are there any new media I should try?
4. Did I make good use of my customer data?
5. What is my competition doing?
6. What is my marketing budget?
Even creating a rough marketing budget is a good start. Some companies use a percent of sales; others use a hard dollar amount knowing what they can afford. Unsure what's right for you? Consult guidelines for your particular industry. These can usually be found in an industry trade journal and in industry association publications. However you put yours together just be sure you have some budget set aside for the purpose of marketing.
So, now what?
Once you establish a rough budget, you'll have to narrow down precisely how you will market your business. With more options than ever, this can be a difficult task. So, here are some guidelines by type of business:
Service Businesses:
If you have face to face contact with your clients, you have a much easier route to establishing a relationship with them - such as a service person that goes to someone's home or business, or a consultant meeting with a client. You can:
• Use the person's contact information to stay in touch with them via email and direct mail
• Always follow up a meeting with a handwritten thank you to stand away from your competitors
• When a job is finished don't forget to ask for a testimonial and a referral
Retail Businesses:
Take advantage of the fact that you actually get to meet your customers and engage them when appropriate. Ways to do this are:
• If you have employees, make sure they are well trained in customer service (including knowing by name your best customers and greeting them that way when they come to your store)
• Create a "member" club for those best customers and offer them special sales or shopping hours just for them
• Collect their emails to keep in touch via email newsletters
• If you carry a manufacturer's product line, ask your rep if they offer any co-op marketing support as this can substantially increase your budget without using your own money
Online Businesses:
Establishing a relationship here is a bit more difficult and will heavily depend on having a website programmed with customer service in mind; then creating a plan to use it in a timely manner without being annoying. Some things you can do are:
• At the checkout offer upsells and add-ons (but NOT by a third party as some do with magazines and the like)
• Offer free shipping for orders above a certain dollar amount
• Email a thank you once the order has been placed
• Notify the buyer once the item has been shipped (this is SUCH a great service), and I just had the experience of returning an item and I was emailed when it was received by them and approximately how long it would take to process my refund, then they confirmed when the credit was applied - this is GREAT
• Deliver coupons online
• Consider having a one day sale
Pulling it all together
This entire process becomes easier as you begin to translate business goals into marketing goals in small, and then larger, bites. Having a plan (even if it's rough) is a way to see what's ahead. This is especially true if you are thinking of using print advertising since deadlines for ad submissions are often two months ahead of the actual issue date for monthly publications. And, this is also helpful for laying out an annual email marketing and messaging strategy plan.
So...while you're relaxing in the sun, have a pad and pen at the ready to jot down any creative ideas that inspire you so that you're ready to hit the ground running when you return to work.
Remember...get started marketing TODAY so that TOMORROW your business will still exist.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog!
I am celebrating my new site at http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com/ - THE site that advocates 'affordable, accessible marketing for all'....
My new site was created for small business owners, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals who need SOLUTIONS not 'consultants'.
Please browse this site and be sure to check out my Marketing Solutions page where clear deliverables and pricing are listed so you know what you are getting before you pay for it!
Have a comment? Thought? Please let me know at randye@myaffordablemarketing.com.
Always remember that you don't need a million dollar marketing budget, just million dollar ideas implemented with your success in mind!
Happy marketing!
Randye
PS - I still haven't heard from the company I referred to in my first post...have you had an irritating marketing experience too? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Let's change the world of marketing together - one experience at a time!
I am celebrating my new site at http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com/ - THE site that advocates 'affordable, accessible marketing for all'....
My new site was created for small business owners, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals who need SOLUTIONS not 'consultants'.
Please browse this site and be sure to check out my Marketing Solutions page where clear deliverables and pricing are listed so you know what you are getting before you pay for it!
Have a comment? Thought? Please let me know at randye@myaffordablemarketing.com.
Always remember that you don't need a million dollar marketing budget, just million dollar ideas implemented with your success in mind!
Happy marketing!
Randye
PS - I still haven't heard from the company I referred to in my first post...have you had an irritating marketing experience too? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Let's change the world of marketing together - one experience at a time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)