Marketing Your Services on a Shoestring Budget

Dr. Stan Fine is my Business Guru.  As the author of the highly acclaimed book, Business Boot Camp for Women, Dr. Fine lays out, step-by-step, what it takes to successful start and market a successful business.  It’s a book every woman in business should have in her library. 

Here’s another “Fine Tip”:

Marketing can be free or very cheap. Here’s a quick checklist of 22 different free or nearly free marketing ideas.  

1. Write, distribute, and publicize a free report (like this one)
2. Cultivate relationships with media sources
3. Use carefully written and appropriately distributed press releases that include solid information and are accompanied by a visual
4. Write the right letters to the editor
5. Organize and promote newsworthy events–and show media people why they’re important to their audience
6. Get your products or events previewed and reviewed in as many places as possible
7. Get involved with community service activities (and let your skills be used)
8. Publish articles–with full contact information and relevant credentials
9. Self-syndicate an advice column to special-interest publications
10. Take advantage of radio call-ins
11. Sponsor or underwrite carefully targeted special-interest shows on radio and TV
12. Donate premium prizes to media sources and charitable organizations
13. Appear as a guest–or host!–on radio and TV shows
14. Do as much public speaking as you can–to audiences that need what you offer
15. Use the Internet to promote yourself through e-mail signatures, articles, Web sites and links, live conferences, and more
16. Cross-promote with others, at every opportunity
17. Use every free classified ad you can
18. Write benefit-focused classified and direct mail copy that pulls in the reader and shows why you’re performing a great service to him or her–s/he’ll be so much better off with your offer that s/he’ll be grateful for the chance to buy
19. Focus your marketing on solving your prospect’s problems, easing pain, or achieving aspirations–not on how great you are
20. Use clear, persuasive testimonials–and attribute them so your prospects know these are real people
21. Tell everyone what you do and how it helps people achieve their goals
22. Actively encourage referrals

Marketing in a Touch Economy

If you missed Business Boot Camp for Women last month, you missed A LOT!  Dr. Stan Fine, the keynote speaker, provided some awesome tips on how to jump start your business. 

In the following article he talks about how to rise above the ashes in today’s ecomony:

There’s a lot of shocking financial news recently. The two major mortgage lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were just taken over by the federal government, the brokerage Lehman Brothers is in bankruptcy, banks are either closing or being bought out, foreclosures are at an all-time high, the stock market is plummeting and consumer prices are up all around.
 
Add to that a couple of major hurricanes and the uncertainty of the presidential elections, and a lot of people are reacting with fear, uncertainty and hesitation.
 
Are you finding that your clients are reluctant to pay for professional services right now? Are contracts not being renewed?  Are referrals drying up? Perhaps it’s not that dire for you right now, but when the economy tanks, professional service businesses are often hit hard.
 
Are there specific things you can do to market yourself in a down economy? Yes there are. Let me share a few with you.
 
1. Have an actual marketing plan. That is, a plan to carry out specific marketing activities. Most professionals have no plan at all. Nothing! We wait for referrals and perhaps call up past clients to see if they have any work A plan is a definite strategy developed for the purpose of connecting with new prospects and converting them into clients. What’s your plan? 
 
2. Accelerate and multiply your marketing. Most businesses cut back on marketing when the economy slows. If you accelerate your marketing, you will be more visible than ever. You don’t have to do expensive activities, you just need to be out there more. Networking, speaking, events and tele-classes are all relatively inexpensive. Get out there, don’t hide!
 
3. Deliver programs, not services. The best way to market and sell an intangible service is to make it tangible. Don’t just sell “management consulting services.” That’s too vague. Create programs that have very defined parameters and promised outcomes. Sell this program at a fixed price with clear deliverables and guarantees. Increase your perception of value.
 
4. Be willing to negotiate. It’s always better to sell “something for less than nothing for more.” Your clients are going to be looking for deals as well as great value. For instance, let them know that you’ve re-structured your services so that they will need to invest less if they are willing to do more of the implementation.
 
5. Go to the bottom line. All professional services need to be seen as an investment, not an expense. But that needs to be more than a cliché. How exactly will your services pay for themselves? If you can
document increases in revenue or decreases in costs, you’ll get the attention of prospects. But you need to prove it. Do some case studies of past clients showing the bottom-line value of your work.
 
6. Work on your mindset. This might be the most important of all. Negative external circumstances tend to trigger “Constrictive Marketing Mindsets.” That is, you start buying into the bad news and you start to panic, avoid taking action, and retreat to a place of worry and paralysis. Question those negative mindsets and find your place of power and innovation.

 
These are just a beginning. Above all else, don’t stick your head in the sand and hope the economy will change. Things may get worse before they get better, and those who are proactive about their marketing (and their thinking) will do better in both good times and bad.
 
The More Clients bottom line: The key to marketing in tough times is to work at adding more value. Prove that your services are a wise investment. Communicate about your services in more depth and with more clarity. These are things you should be doing anyway, but when the economy is suffering, these marketing approaches are more important than ever. 

Conducting Business Via Voice Mail

How can you conduct business via voice mail—especially if all you’re doing is leaving a message?  Good question.  Dr. Stan Fine, author of the book Business Boot Camp for Women, says it all starts using the right words to ensure the person on the other end will call you back.

According to Dr. Stan, you can use these seven techniques immediately to dramatically improve your rate of callbacks when you leave voicemail.  What you’re doing is enabling the recipient with enough detail and reasons so that calling you back just makes good sense.

1. Be brief and get to the point. Don’t begin your voicemail with small talk, jokes or other needless filler words.  Your message may be one of many, so he may be tired of listening when he gets to yours, so get right down to business.  Identify yourself and the purpose of calling.

2. Put the call into context.  Say something immediately after your greeting that puts you and your importance in the mind of the listener.  She may not remember you if you just met once or twice, so give her a reference.  The listener is always thinking, “Who the heck are you and why should I return your call?”  If they asked for the call, make sure you say so. Bad:  “Hello Ms. Watson.  I’m calling today to let you know of our great new line of…” Better:  “Hi Ms. Watson.  This is Karl Walinskas.  We met last Tuesday at the Internet trade show in Chicago at my company’s booth, The Speaking Connection.  I’m following up on your request to…”

3. Given the listener a reason to reply.  What does the call recipient get if he gets back to you?  Pleasant conversation?  A special offer?  Offer something compelling that makes the listener want to get back to you for his own good.  Everyone wants to know what’s in it for me, so provide the listener with an answer to that question.

Bad:  “I’d like you to call me back so we can discuss…”

Better:  “I’m holding the cruise dates for 24 hours until I hear from you.  Call me by tomorrow to book your vacation or plan something else.”

4. Time stamp the message. Most voicemail systems have automatic time stamps, but don’t rely on them.  I never listen to them because the electronic voice is annoying, and many answering machines don’t have a time stamp.  Let the person know the day and time you called and more importantly, when she can call you back.  Provide a window for the return call that is accurate but not too restrictive.

Bad:  “We need to talk on the medical account.  Call me anytime to discuss.”

Better:  “I’m calling on Thursday around 3 pm.  I can be reached in my office tomorrow from 10 to 1 in the afternoon at 555-1212.  Please call to discuss…”

5. Let the listener know how to reach you.  Simple right?  Give the listener a phone number for a return call and an alternate like a digital phone that’s always with you.  If you’re never around and don’t have a mobile phone (like me for years), use the convenience of email technology to let her know an email address that she can reply to that you can be sure to get.

Bad:  “Call me back so we can get to it.”

Better:  “I can be reached at 555-1212 from 3-5 today, or at my mobile number of 555-2121 anytime.  You can also get me through email at ssfine60@yahoo.com I check it regularly.”

6. Provide Instructions. Tell the listener exactly what you want him to do.  For business calls, discussion isn’t good enough.  What is this person needed for?  The “I need” phrase is the most powerful two words in the English language, so use it.

Bad:  “Call me back so we can discuss the Warren account.”

Better:  “I need your approval on the final contract to propose to Mr. Warren for the half-million dollar widget order.”

7. Explain the consequences of not calling back. This is a great call-return-getter that most people don’t use.  Think of the cruise example earlier, with the implied consequence of losing the trip reservation unless a return call was made.  If you can, be explicit.

Bad:  “Honey, call me back about the groceries you wanted me to pick up.”

Better:  “Honey, call me back to let me know if you wanted skim milk or whole milk.  If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume you found other nourishment and no longer wish for me to pick up groceries.  Bye-bye!”

Be Mindful of the Company You Keep

There’s an old saying that goes, Birds of a feather flock together. In essence, that means you are associated by the company you keep. According to Stan Fine, PH.D., and author of the book Business Boot Camp for Women, the business relationships you develop should be the kind that have you reaching for the stars. If you and your business friends are constantly stumbling around and not making much progress maybe you need to change your associations.

Here are some more tips from Dr. Stan on maintaining a positive mental attitude about your business:

o Successful entrepreneurs keep their positive attitude by being careful about who they hang out with. There are always others who will readily tell you that “it can’t be done” and ” you’ll never make it”. Surround yourself with supporters. Good supporters will help you work on contingency plans and help you work around challenges without pounding you with discouragement. Avoid the “aint-it-awful” club.

o Every weekday afternoon in America, between the hours of 4:00pm and 7:00pm, there are people sitting around bars and lounges talking about how bad the world is. They bemoan the economy, the competition, the government, the company, the weather, blah, blah, blah. And they call this “HAPPY HOUR!” Don’t join the “pity party”.

o Successful entrepreneurs also develop their positive attitudes because they feed on progress. At the end of each day, instead of recounting all the difficulties and all that remains undone, write your accomplishments.

o End each day on a positive note by jotting down the three best things that happened this day.

o Often, there is no one around to acknowledge your achievements, especially those little ones that happen in the course of the day. By focusing a few minutes on your accomplishments, you give yourself a little pat on the back and recognize progress, even when small.

o Successful entrepreneurs take charge of the quality of their lives. A recent study showed only 4% of people enjoy both their work life and personal life. Many people have made financial objectives their sole concern and have paid a heavy price for their success – poor health, failed marriages, neglected friendships, no personal development in any area except business.

o Financial success, no matter how great, can never compensate for poor quality of life. A properly functioning business is supposed to be the servant of a full and satisfying life that includes good health, close and loving relationships, recreation, culture, and a powerful contribution to the community.

o The successful entrepreneur develops a personal life that is multi-dimensional. How? The solution is to take time away from your business. Free time makes you sharper. Free time provides the rejuvenation you need to restore your confidence and sense of well-being. You come back from time off with a new perspective, a higher energy level, increased creativity, and often, a breakthrough idea.

When things get busy or when business gets tough, it’s easy to let your attitude slip. Yet, this is when you most need your positive attitude. Your attitude influences your actions. When you really need positive action, remember that “it’s all in your head”. Enjoy the journey!

You Have Eight Seconds to Make a Lasting Impression

Dr. Stan Fine, author of the book, Business Boot Camp for Woman, says women in business don’t have a lot of time to waste when it comes to pitching an idea to a potential prospect.

Here’s another tidbit from my business guru:

Excerpt from Business Boot Camp for Women:

Do I really have to tell you that decision-makers avoid letting others waste their time? Must I actually point out that executives spend no more than a few minutes each day going through their mail? Yours is not likely the only letter on the prospect’s pile, so at most you have …

Eight seconds before the decision-maker will make the first yes/no decision about whether to crumple and toss.

It probably took you four seconds to read that last sentence, which has 19 words. So, at most, you have about 40 words with which to deliver your first compelling message, and thereby avoid the crumple-and-toss response. Then again, one compelling point is probably not enough to get your prospect to invest the time to read the entire piece, but a great opening can “buy” you …

Eight more seconds before the prospect makes his or her second toss/don’t-toss choice. That’s only 40 more words to make a point so compelling that the prospect will make the conscious decision to read the entire letter.

The second 40 words are probably the most critical of your letter, because they will either cause it to get tossed for good, or “buy” you …

One additional minute – the average amount of time most decision-makers will invest before making their final crumple and toss decision.

If you don’t make your first compelling point in 40 words, your next compelling point in another 40 words and keep your entire letter at 500 words or fewer, your letter won’t survive the prospect’s three crumple-and-toss decisions.

Promoting Your Business with Little or No Money

Often times when women go into business for themselves, they don’t have enough financial resources to give them a fair start.  But according to Business Expert, Dr. Stan Fine, if you know how to promote your business effectively, you may not need a lot of money to work with.  Here’s his take on  promoting your business on a shoestring budget:

Sooner or later you find yourself trying to figure new ways to get more business. We think we have done everything we can and yet something is missing. So before panic sets in I recommend that you give yourself a steroid injection of a few ideas that may help you along in getting more business.

BUSINESS PROMOTION TIPS

Research your market before committing to any promotion. What may be good for someone else may not work for you.

Plan your promotions. Don’t just throw together advertising and hope for the best. Develop promotions which take advantage of seasonal and economic changes. What worked last year may not work today, and what works today may not work tomorrow.

Evaluate your promotional program periodically. Get rid of some of the less successful promotions and replace them with other programs you feel will produce better results.

Follow the lead of the major corporations and distribute your promotional dollars between several different promotions. In small businesses this usually means 5 – 10 different promotions.

Develop promotions which communicate to the prospect what you can do to help them with their need or want. Entice prospects by offering a free estimate, special, trial period, money back guarantee, buy 1 get 1 free etc.

Budget a specific percent (%) of your projected gross income to promotion. In most businesses this averages to about 10% in new businesses (i.e. businesses less than 3 years old) this averages to about 15%.

Have a realistic ideal of what a successful promotion is. Many businesses expect a $10,000 return off a $500 investment or a new customer who will spend $50 per month for the next year.

Compare promotions like any other investment, by the percent (%) of return. Don’t expect $500 of print advertising to bring in the same amount of new business as $5,000 of radio or television advertising.

Change ad copy periodically. Different messages appeal to different customers.

Develop a habit of determining where new business is coming from. A good tracking system would allow the employees to distinguish what promotion the customer was responding to.

Dr. Stan is the author of the book Business Boot Camp for Women, available on Amazon.com

The Right Mental Attitude for Your Business

It takes a lot to run a business and I’m talking about more than just money.  You’ve got to have a plan and the right mental attitude before you even get started.

Please enjoy this article from my guru, Dr. Stan Fine, author of Business Boot Camp for Women.

So you have a new business and you are worried. It all begins with you and how you think. I am sure many of you have heard about the Secret, a book and video on “The Law of Attraction. The Video and book don’t really tell us anything new it just reconfirms what we should have been thinking So let’s start our column with your mindset and what it take to be successful:

First let’s talk about how you think:

o A positive attitude is not accidental. Successful entrepreneurs know how to create a positive attitude and positive motivation for themselves. They don’t just wait for it to happen. That would be like wanting a drink of milk, then sitting in a pasture, waiting for a cow to back up to you.

o By the way, having a positive attitude is not the same as blind optimism. I am not suggesting that you ignore the challenges in your life. I AM suggesting that you just not dwell there. What do successful entrepreneurs do to develop and maintain their positive attitude?

o First, they know what’s important. They have carefully determined what counts in their business and personal life. Highly successful people have clearly articulated values for your business in the areas of: customer service, employee relationships, cash flow, productivity, image and growth.

I also believe that there are good business tips a person must have, which I am sure you do, in order to be successful:

o Being aware of what you say to yourself inside your head (self-talk) will help you adjust your attitude. Many people beat themselves up when things go awry. When you berate yourself and tell yourself that you are “stupid” or “useless” or “an idiot”, naturally you begin to feel negative about yourself, your business, the people around you and even life itself.

o Mistakes are the fuel of creativity. Everyone makes mistakes. Smart entrepreneurs LEARN from their mistakes and move on.

o Try positive affirmations in place of negative self talk. When things get a little tense, just say to yourself “I can do this” or “We’ll find a way to make this work” or “Let’s concentrate on a solution, not who caused the problem”.

Please join us for the first in a series of Business Boot Camps for Women on October 11, 2008 in Durham, NC.

Women in Business Need to Shape up in Boot Camp!

This website was created following a wonderful and stimulating conversation I recently had with the author of the book Business Boot Camp for Women. Dr. Stan Fine has tapped into the core of what women need in order to start up and be successful in their businesses.

It is my pleasure to be associated with Dr. Stan and to offer a series of Boot Camps for Women in collaboration with him. The first of its kind will be held on Saturday, October 11 at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC.

One of the things Dr. Stan loves to talk about is how women must take their vision and passion for their businesses and put it into guerrilla warfare street fighting.

Well, that’s what we’re going to do at the Durham Business Boot Camp for Women. We’re going to get down and dirty and deal with the issues that hold us back as businesswomen. Celebrity actresses Bern Nadette Stanis and Debbie Zipp will be on hand to share their experiences about Hollywood’s treatment of aging actresses and how they were forced to shift career gears. There will also be other women on hand to share their start-up business struggles and what they did to overcome them. You’ll be armed with information and other “goodies” to take home with you to help give your business the extra “boost” it may need. You’ll also be able to network with other women during a special luncheon.

This is a MUST seminar for every woman who has a business or is thinking about starting one. Why? Because Durham’s Business Boot Camp for Women is the only place where you’re going to be Educated, Empowered—and even Entertained in the process!

FREE BUSINESS HOW-TO BOOKS TO BE GIVEN AWAY. One lucky woman will receive a prize package valued at more than $500! (includes a free business consultation).

Boot Camp plus Friday night hotel accommodations is only $97.