The first is that they don’t have enough clients - they are struggling to keep their sales pipeline full. Often they are so busy one month that they don’t take the time to market themselves and as a result, their business declines drastically. This feast or famine cycle is one of the primary reasons why people don’t enjoy having their own business. It’s exhausting!

The second problem is one of capacity. In this situation, an entrepreneur has a steady stream of business but feels overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed. You are trying to do everything on your own and there are many things that slip through the cracks. It’s a constant juggling act.

If you fall into either one of these scenarios, rest assured that you are not alone. There are many entrepreneurs who are in the same boat. The good news is that there are solutions you can incorporate into your business to solve either of these problems. The answer to these issues involves creating systems - these systems leverage your time and your knowledge. By implementing systems in your marketing and operations, you will attract an ongoing flow of clients into your pipeline and serve more of them with less effort.

Here are some specific tips to help you systemize your business:

1) Delegate, delegate, delegate: Are you still doing your own books, running your own errands, or organizing your own files? If so, ask yourself, “Is this activity my highest pay-off business activity?” Or is there something else you could be doing with your time to bring revenue into your company? Be ruthless with your time and delegate the busy work to an assistant. You can also outsource to graphic designers, copywriters, bookkeepers, and website programmers to save you money, time, and energy.

2) Document your processes: Take the time to write down the specific way your company does things (or better yet, delegate the documentation). You should have a specific method for closing sales, storing your files, developing proposals, pricing your services, and communicating with your clients. By creating “How-to Guides” for all of these activities, you begin to standardize these processes. This makes it simple for an assistant or other person to step in and take over these tasks. It also makes it easier for you to repeat and refine these actions so that they improve over time. When a system works, it will lead to the same positive results over and over.

3) Cluster your activities: It takes a lot of energy to switch gears. And when you switch gears constantly, you lose time and money. Therefore, the best solution is to be ruthless with your time. Group like activities together and then create a schedule on your calendar and stick to it. For instance, if you know that a high payoff activity for you is to make phone calls to your clients, then set aside blocks of time to do this each day or each week. During this time, do NOT answer e-mails or begin other project work. Commit to these activities and follow through without fail.

4) Put it on autopilot: Look at your business to see if there are any activities that you can automate. For instance, when people sign up for your ezine, you can set up an autoresponder to thank them. Another example is placing a page on your website that answers all of the questions your prospects typically ask. You can direct people to this page instead of spending time on the phone answering the same questions.

By creating systems for your company, you’ll have more time to do the things you enjoy and you can focus on the activities that bring in revenue. Instead of spending your day scrambling to get your daily tasks completed, you’ll be able to focus on the high payoff activities that will make your company more successful. You’ll also be able to reap the rewards of having more time to market your company, leading to a steady stream of clients. Begin the systemization process today and you’ll enjoy the rewards for years to come.

Maven Action Tip: Start by making a list of your daily activities. Just keep a piece of paper next to your desk for a week and make a note of every task that you do and how long you are spending on it. Once you’ve done this for a week, notice how much time you are spending on technical (busy work) aspects of your business and how much time on business-building/revenue-generating activities. Then add to this list everything that is not getting accomplished because you don’t have enough time. Once you have this list completed, begin to develop strategies to delegate, document, cluster, and automate.

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Here are some scarcity beliefs that may be holding you back:

• I am scared of not having enough business or income.
• I think people might take advantage of me.
• I can’t charge very much because I won’t get business.
• I don’t have enough customers.
• Marketing my business too much is “bad” or “pushy.”
• I have to struggle because I work for myself.
• There isn’t enough business to go around for my competitors and me.
• Money doesn’t grow on trees (meaning it’s hard to come by).
• You have to work really, really hard to be successful.
• I’ll never be successful in growing my business.

Do any of these statements sound familiar to you?

Every time you have a thought like the ones above, there is a feeling that goes with it that affects your brain, body, and actions. The feeling might be depression, fear, stress, or anxiety. These feelings that go with the thought can bring up even more thoughts, which in turn lead to more feelings until we feel hopeless and overwhelmed. It is a downward spiral that is based on fear - not reality. And yet, it is so easy for many of us to work ourselves into this negative thought frenzy.

When you are in a constricted, oppressed state like this, it works against your creative, expansive, attractive energy that allows business and money to flow effortlessly to you. Every time you have thoughts of scarcity, they prevent you from attracting the very things you want - success, ease, and joy in your business and your life. When you are mired in a scarcity mentality, you cannot see opportunities and you radiate an energy of despair that your prospects can sense. People are attracted to success and they are repelled by scarcity. Your belief system makes itself apparent in the things you say, the choices you make, and the way you interact with people.

Your scarcity mentality is deeply rooted in you by familial conditioning. We learn these thought patterns from our parents, grandparents, peers, and other family members. You were probably conditioned with the same scarcity mentality that’s passed down from one generation to the next. Think about conversations you remember hearing about money while you were growing up. Think about the beliefs you have now. Do you remember the very same thoughts in your head being said by your parents or other family members when you were young?

The good news is you have the power to change your habits, thought patterns, and actions. You can shift your scarcity mentality to one of ongoing abundance. A successful and thriving company leader lives by the following statements: “I am a remarkable leader of a powerful business. I am in charge of my success. I choose the customers I work with. I deserve to get paid for my value. I enjoy limitless opportunities flowing my way.”

One easy way to accelerate your success and quickly move your thoughts and feelings into the abundance state is to acknowledge the customers, sales, and opportunities you are enjoying right now. Also, be grateful for all of the new opportunities that are flowing toward you. The more gratitude you express, the less room there is for scarcity thinking. It shifts your mindset into one of ongoing attraction.

Another powerful way to shift your mindset is cultivate an attitude of abundant giving. There are many opportunities to give things away to our prospects and clients. This can include no-cost teleseminars, articles, thank-you cards, gift cards, and reports. To clarify, I am not saying that you should give away your core services or products. In fact, I urge you to avoid doing this because it diminishes your value. In contrast, you should charge a high price for your expertise and you deserve to be paid well.

There is a huge opportunity to give away samples of your expertise and special “extras.” These will leave people wanting more of you. In doing this, you differentiate yourself from your competitors and you position your business as one that is operating from a place of abundance. This is very attractive to other people because it SHOWS people the value of your services. An abundant giving strategy builds the value you provide your clients, reinforces your expertise, and nurtures the long-term relationships you have with your clients.

Maven Action Tip: Answer these questions to get at the root of some of your mindset and money beliefs: What are some of the beliefs that you have about money? Which beliefs are sabotaging you in your business? How do these beliefs make you feel? How can you shift scarcity beliefs into an abundant mindset? List all of the things that you are grateful for in your business right now.

© Wendy Maynard for Kinetic Ideas: Marketing Blog, 2008. | Permalink | One comment

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Here are some key features of a winning presentation:

1. Be prepared: Know your subject intimately. Be ready to answer questions and describe the benefits to your client in detail. Well in advance, brainstorm your client’s potential objections and have a solution prepared.

2. Create rapport: Don’t be so focused on the presentation that you forget to nurture the relationship you are building with your clients. As you are presenting,  continue the conversation with them. Your clients want to know more about you. This helps sell your ideas as much - if not more - than the concepts themselves.

3. Present by objectives: With each component that you present, explain its advantages and how it will help your clients achieve their specific goals.

4. Show one concept at a time: Don’t place all your cards on the table. Each idea deserves special attention. If a client looks at work before it’s formally presented, he or she may form negative opinions before hearing its merits.

5. Describe, then show: It’s important to take it slow, giving your audience time to absorb each concept. Explain the details of each idea BEFORE you display it.

6. Let ‘em hold it: Once you put something in someone’s hands, they begin to feel ownership. Let your client get involved in your creative process. Encourage questions and discussions.

7. Keep it simple: Keep your description direct, clear, and concise. Don’t oversell with long-winded explanations. Good ideas don’t need to be pushed.

8. Leave informed: Make sure you are clear on how you will move forward. You may have to be the one to say, “So, what are our next steps?” Your client may not have a definitive answer, so be prepared to define what you mean by next steps. For example, you may suggest a specific date for a follow-up call or your next meeting.

Practice makes perfect. If you aren’t comfortable with making presentations, role-play with an associate or friend. You can also perform in front of a mirror. Observe your posture and mannerisms. Are you fidgeting? Do you maintain eye contact? Are you ready to persuade and make a call to action? Great body language and a positive tone of voice will help to sell your ideas.

ACTION ITEM: Examine your presentation style by asking for a second opinion from someone you trust. This can be an associate, a mentor, or a supportive friend. It isn’t easy to do, but if you use this feedback to improve your skills, you will reap the rewards in all of your future presentations.

© Wendy Maynard for Kinetic Ideas: Marketing Blog, 2008. | Permalink | One comment

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I have a number of areas of expertise within the field of branding and marketing. I would like to develop 3 of these into new speaking topics to give via teleseminars. But, I am having trouble narrowing them down.

Can you tell me which are of the most interest to you (your top 3)?

To make it simple, I created a single question survey in Survey Monkey.

Click on this link for survey question.

Thanks so much for your help, Wendy

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Studies show that over 80% of sales take place after seven contacts. To be absolutely effective in your marketing, you need to plan on having at least seven contacts with your prospects. Too many people give up with prospects too early. And this is one of the reasons they have trouble keeping their pipeline full.

Remember, “Not right now” does not mean “no.” “We’re working with another company” does not mean “no.” Until you hear the word “No,” it’s not a “No.” In addition, these calls are building relationships with a person who might also be a referrer or COI (Center of Influence).

Remember the Dr. Seuss book, “Green Eggs and Ham”? Super salesman Sam-I-Am works on persuading his friend to try the not-so-appetizing meal of green eggs and ham. He is relentless regardless of his friend’s objections. He asks questions about various scenarios. Would you try them with a fox? Wearing socks? In a moat or a boat? Finally, the friend decides to taste the stuff only to discover he LOVES it! A prospect converted into a raving fan. I think Sam-I-Am would have made a lot of money as a sales training consultant, don’t you? Even though he is a cartoon character, Sam is still a great model for the power of persistence.

Often when we have a goal of making a sale, we try just once or twice and then give up. We say, “Well, I guess it’s just not going to happen.” To be truly successful, keep at it! Successful business owners are not at the top of their game because they are “naturals.” It’s because they don’t give up. When at first they don’t succeed, they try again and again and again until at last…they realize their goal.

Herbert True, a marketing specialist at Notre Dame University, did some amazing research on sales follow up and found the following:

• 44% of all salespeople quit trying after the first call
• 24% quit after the second call
• 14% quit after the third call
• 12% quit trying to sell their prospect after the fourth call

This means that 94% of all salespeople quit after the fourth call. But 60% of all sales are made after the fourth call. This revealing statistic shows that 94% of all salespeople don’t give themselves a chance at 60% of the prospective buyers. (from The Success Principles by Jack Canfield)

So, how are you currently keeping in touch with your prospects and customers on a regular and consistent basis? You must create an ongoing follow-up program to keep in touch with your prospects and customers so you stay on the top of their minds. To be effective, you must get in front of your prospects and referrers at least once a week and not less frequently than once every month.

© Wendy Maynard for Kinetic Ideas: Marketing Blog, 2008. | Permalink | One comment

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I spoke with many of you about what is holding you back. And what I discovered is that most of you are already enjoying some success and you are doing SOME marketing. But you often feel like your business is running you instead of the other way around. You are exhausted always trying to hustle up new work.

The biggest obstacle for most of you is not a lack of information - it’s a lack of putting strategies into action. You don’t have ongoing marketing and sales systems. You are struggling because you don’t have the support, time, and motivation that you need to reach the level of success you desire.

People get stuck because they don’t have a mentor to help get them unstuck. And they don’t have a group of like-minded, motivated peers to nudge them along. They lose momentum and get discouraged. Until now, I haven’t had a program to answer questions and provide support outside of my private coaching programs.

So I started to think, “how can I be available to answer questions for more people and provide guidance on an ongoing basis?” And I came up with a something fantastic! After months of planning, I have created exactly what you have been requesting…

And I want to give you 2 FULL months of membership…for *FREE*! But I can only accept a limited number of charter memberships. Would you like to be one of my charter members? You can test-drive the Maven Success Circle to see if it is a good fit for you. All of the mentoring calls, activities, and tutorials are specifically tailored to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and marketers.If you would like a spot, please don’t miss out. Go to my info page right now to get the full scoop. Since it is my “grand opening,” I am also including some fabulous bonuses for the charter memberships.

You can see all of the details, bonuses, and sign up here: http://www.gomarketingmaven.com/products/mavensuccesscircle.html

Here’s to your success,

Wendy

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“Business is about confronting an endless parade of problems and disappointments–people bearing bad news. If you are not up to that, you may very well need to exit stage left. Resiliency is the numero uno characteristic required: take a hit, re-focus fast, and get on with the fixing or firing or fleeing or forgetting or whatever other productive response that may be possible.” ~Dan Kennedy

As a business builder, what do you think?

Best, Wendy

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Here are 5 great reasons to implement this as part of your marketing strategy:

1.  An ezine regularly reinforces your expertise. Over time, a newsletter establishes trust with your readers. You begin to form a relationship, even if you’ve never met face to face. And because you are showcasing your expertise on a regular basis, your ezine builds your credibility.

2.  It’s a great marketing tool to keep in touch. When you regularly keep in touch with your prospects and customers, they remember you. And since people don’t typically buy something the first time they are exposed to it, an ezine is a helpful way to stay on their radar screen until they are ready.

3.  Your ezine adds a human touch. If you include personal updates and company news, an ezine is a great way to add a personality to your business. You can write  as much as you want about your personal life and what is going on with your company and staff. Your readers will begin to look forward to your updates and stories.

4.  You can promote your services and products. An ezine offers a venue to offer specials, highlight new services/products, and provide coupons and discounts. As long as the majority of your ezine is focused on helpful content, your readers will be delighted to find out more about your promotions.

5.  An ezine is an inexpensive way to build your list of leads. Since there are no printing and mailing costs associated with an ezine, it is a very cheap way to reach lots of people. And you can easily grow your list be encouraging your subscribers to forward your ezine. Simply add a line at the top or bottom of each issue asking readers to pass it along to anyone who might find the information valuable.

To get started, pick out a system to manage your subscribers. There are many services that do this - a few popular ones include Constant Contact, MyEmma, and Mail Chimp. Use an opt-in list in which a person has to agree to become a subscriber and can unsubscribe if they no longer want to receive your ezine.

Maven Action Item: Start to think about how an ezine can help your business. Write down some ideas about how often your will publish it. What will it be called? What can you write about. Good luck on your first issue!

© Wendy Maynard for Kinetic Ideas: Marketing Blog, 2008. | Permalink | One comment

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With more than 10,000 publications in print and who-knows-how-many websites and ezines on the Internet, your opportunities are almost limitless to become a published author. From fillers to features, publications need your content to feed their ever-hungry readers. There are thousands of business, trade, and Internet publications that cover every type of industry and audience. So, there are definitely opportunities for you - no matter what your industry.

When you write an article, write about what you know. Make sure it’s related to your industry. In your article, solve the problems that are a struggle for your target audience. Easy-to-write articles focus on explaining how to do something, top-ten tips, or industry trends. Look to your own experiences as well as those of colleagues and clients.

Get your articles published everywhere you can. Try your alumni newsletter, your daily paper, or your favorite association magazine. When writing articles, don’t expect to get paid, but always ask to have a byline with your name, website, and photo. Once an article has been published, leverage it by reprinting it and sending it to your prospects and clients. Include it in your newsletter, ezine, and on your website. Remember, your name in print spells E-X-P-E-R-T.

If you want to build your Internet presence, you can submit content-rich articles to various websites and ezines. Many website owners and ezine publishers are looking for content. They NEED your articles. For online articles, I have found between 400 - 800 words to be the most popular, although longer can be appropriate in some cases depending on the content. Avoid going any shorter. Once you’ve written your article, submit it to an article directory site.

Helpful, well-written articles are snapped up by thousands of publishers all around the world. In exchange for your content, publishers agree to include a resource box linking back to your site. If 175 publishers use your article on their websites, you get 175 links to your website, building a steady stream of traffic to your site. Submitting articles is more effective than advertising because when your target audience begins reading multiple articles you have authored, you gain credibility.

Maven Action Item: List 5 topics that you could write about. Where could you get your ideas published? Begin a folder to keep your topic ideas and your publisher contact info.

© Wendy Maynard for Kinetic Ideas: Marketing Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments

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Providing testimonials from current and prior customers that demonstrate their actual problem and the specific results from your company enhances your credibility. Testimonials offer proof that you are the real deal. People receive a lot of information and they are often skeptical. But, they will be much more inclined to buy from you if you show examples of their peers who have achieved positive results. These third-party endorsements work to sell for you - even when you are not around.

If you are offering a new product or just starting your business, you can contact business associates and friends to offer them a free session or product sample to try. If you have been in business for a while but haven’t collected testimonials, make a list of all of your customers who you know have had a GREAT experience with your services or products. Even if you already have a number of testimonials, don’t stop collecting new ones. You can replace mediocre praise with the incredible ones. You can also keep your testimonials up to date and current.

Here are some ideas and opportunities to obtain new testimonials:

1. Write down the praise: Whenever one of your customers gives you a compliment in person or via e-mail, thank him or her and then ask if you can use their comment as a testimonial. Make sure he or she understands that you will be using it in your marketing materials. If someone sends you a testimonial that requires editing, go ahead and edit it, but be sure to send it back to ask if the changes are okay - explain the editing was for brevity, clarity, grammar, etc.

2. Create a website link: Another easy method to help you collect testimonials is to include a link on your website that lets people click on it to give their feedback. “Click here to let me know what you think.” Put this link next to testimonials you’ve already placed on your site to provide other examples.

3. Offer an incentive: Periodically you can have a “testimonial drive.” Send out an e-mail and offer an incentive for your customers to provide a testimonial. Depending on what type of business you run, it could be a coupon, discount, free services, and so on.

4. Make it part of your sales cycle. As you wrap up an interaction with a customer, ask them for a testimonial. BEFORE you complete your work with a customer, ask him or her to provide a testimonial with tangible and specific results from working with you or from your products. If you wait until your work is complete, you may have a more difficult time getting a testimonial since your customer can move into an “out of sight, out of mind” place. For example, if you are a financial planner, you could ask them toward the end of your sessions together. If you run a Garden Center, have cards by the register and a drop box.

5. Ask your “star performers” for testimonials. Almost every business collects raving fans. These are the individuals who buy every book you sell, the customer who you see in your store three times each week, or that individual who gets an incredible result from using your offerings. Make a point of asking these individuals to give a testimonial. If they have just had a BIG result, be sure to ask them right afterwards.

6. Follow-up after a purchase: Use an autoresponder like www.mavenmerchant.com to automatically follow up with a customer who has purchased something from you to ask them how they are doing. Ask them to provide a testimonial.

Here are some specific ways you can use testimonials to enhance your marketing materials:

1. Use testimonials in a sales letter or on a postcard that you send out to acquire new prospects.

2. Incorporate testimonials into your advertisements.

3. Place testimonials and success stories on your website and in your ezine.

4. When you are talking to a prospect, use success stories of other clients to help show the prospect how your other clients have excelled.

5. During a seminar, presentation, or teleseminar, use testimonials and success stories to illustrate points and inspire people to take action.

Hugs and success,

Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

Learn marketing techniques to attract new customers quickly in Marketing Maven’s Wendy Maynard’s free report: “Marketing Strategies to Fill Your Pipeline” at http://www.gomarketingmaven.com/free_report.html

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