Tag Archives: Management

3 Best Ways To Get Shopped On Price

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As a small biz marketing coach, I’ve run into some doozy prospective clients in the past.  At the beginning of my practice, I once had a client who actually haggled with me about the payment date. She devised payment plans that didn’t exist! So I decided to give you some great tips on what to do if you want to forever be attracting clients who haggle with your price, go to a competitor at the drop of a penny’s difference and who nickel and dime you to their last breath.

1.  Blend in

If you want to attract el-cheapo clients, then go ahead and blend in with your competition. When there’s nothing different or special about what you offer, the only information potential clients have about what you stand for is your price. If you were offered the same thing for a cheaper price, what would you do?

Instead, I’d rather you got a good strong Brand Voice that’s based on your personality.  Because if your brand is based on YOUR unique personality – you have NO competition.    I’d love to see you make it a BIG part of your marketing message so that you really stand out.

2. Sell Everything To Everyone

If you want to be shopped on price, don’t you dare get a niche. Be a generalist. Offer all things to all people. Only experts get paid more so if you don’t pick one thing to be an expert–sure enough, the penny pinchers will find you.

When I hunted in desperation for a pediatric nutritionist for my adorable but stubborn baby who refused to eat, you can believe that I was ready to do anything to find the exact specialist who could help. I would’ve (and did) pay her way more than regular nutritionists and I recommended her to all my other mom friends who had the exact same problem. That couldn’t have happened if she hadn’t been niched and was a generalist like most others in her industry were.

3. Undervalue Yourself

You’re 30% cheaper than the entire industry because you’re new? You offer twice as many hours in the same contract size as your competition? Wow, not only will you attract people who are hunting for deals but they won’t even buy your bigger programs. They’ll buy it from the guy who’s got way higher pricing than you. What’s that all about?

Remember, your price is an indication of a lot of things: your quality, your confidence, your competence and your existing client base. Like attracts like.

These are the most surefire ways I know of how to get shopped on price and make your small business a nightmare to market. So PLEASE read between the lines and take my tongue-in-cheek advice.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk

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Are You A Marketing Slouch?

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If you’re not exactly doing cartwheels about how much your business has been growing then you might be interested in taking this test to see if you’re a dreaded Marketing Slouch or a happy Marketing Superstar. Chances are, if you’re not happy then you can stand to make a few changes in your biz. I’m here to shed some light!

Give yourself 1 point for every YES.

1. When people ask you what you do for a living, do people’s eyebrows go up (interest) versus down (confusion)?

2. After hearing your elevator speech, has anyone asked for your card to call you for a consultation?

3. Are you out networking with your perfect target client at least 1x a week?

4. Do you often get business from the places you network at?

5. Does your website talk more about your client’s problems or you?

If you scored between 0-2 You’re a Dreaded Marketing Slouch- Pick up the slack and you’ll see results right away, I promise!

If you scored between 3-4 You’re on your way to becoming a Marketing Superstar. Fine tune a few of your tactics and you’ll get the clients lining up!

If you scored a perfect 5, you are a certified Marketing Superstar. Congratulations! Your results probably tell you that anyway.

When you’re wondering why you’re not attracting new leads and the only new business you’re getting is from word of mouth, think back to whether you’re a marketing slouch or not.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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Startup Wedding Planners Explore Niche Markets to Stand Out

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Yes, I’m beating the drum of niching AGAIN. During my conference coaching sessions which consist of laser coaching small business owners on growth and development in 15 minute segments, the lack of a discernible niche is the number one problem for small businesses. It’s also the number one way for them to grow faster. Find that one ideal target client and that one thing that you sell to them. Make it very very specific. Then see the profits roll in.

Here is an excerpt from an article that talks about 3 differently niched Wedding Planners. I couldn’t resist sharing…

The Day-Of Coordinator
Helena Parker, Divine Events by Helena
San Diego

Helena Parker caters to brides who don’t want to spend thousands of dollars for a wedding planner but still need help. Clients hire her to deal with vendors in the final two weeks leading up to the wedding and manage the flow of events on the day, which typically requires about 20 hours of work. Unlike a full-service planner, she isn’t involved in early-stage planning and doesn’t help choose colors, flowers, food or music.

The Same-Sex Wedding Expert
Bernadette Coveney Smith, 14 Stories
Boston and New York

Bernadette Coveney Smith capitalized early on the same-sex marriage movement. When the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2003 that same-sex couples had the right to marry, she quit her job at a Boston nonprofit organization and launched her same-sex wedding planning agency, 14 Stories.

The Destination Wedding Planner
Alison Hotchkiss, Alison Event Planning & Design
San Francisco and New York

In 2003, when Alison Hotchkiss started planning weddings in exotic locales, the term “destination wedding” wasn’t yet part of the lingo, and only three other U.S. planners specialized in lavish locations.

via Startup Wedding Planners Explore Niche Markets to Stand Out.

Other wedding niches could be Goth, Sexy, Country, Glee…you name it! There are as many different kinds of people as potential niches. It differentiates you if you choose one of them instead of trying to service all of them.

It just makes marketing sense…

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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5 Signs That You Are Living In The Dark Ages

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I’ve been having lots of short phone chats with people I meet while networking, on social media or with people who’ve been e-introduced to me. In some cases, I have to really shake my head at the mindset that greets me. Here are some hints that you might also be living in the dark ages…

1. You Connect With Someone Only Because You Think They’ll Become A Client

When did every date become a marriage proposal? How do people expect every interaction to yield money? How archaic is the thinking that unless I’m going to buy from you that you are not interested in a single word I have to say? Sheesh

2. You Are Perfect (Or Think You Are)

Not open to hearing about how others are doing it? Success stories in your industry are automatically tuned out by your senses? I understand, of course I would too if I were perfect. It’s too bad there are so few of us in this world, am I right?

3. You Don’t Care About Me

If you’re spending 90% of the conversation, oh no–make that 100% talking about you and never once think to ask about my business, then I’m going to start getting the idea that you just don’t give a hoot about me. You also don’t give a hoot about helping me or connecting me with a potential partner or client or anything.

4. Your Sales Suck But You Say You’re Really Busy

Authenticity and transparency are the new black. On one hand there are clear indicators that you’re not doing so hot and on the other you’re bragging about a marathon of non ending work. Which is it my friend?

5. You Refuse Any Help

You refuse resources, partnerships or any other type of help because, yeah I forgot, you are perfect and you’re already really busy.

If you, as a small business owner are exhibiting any of these signs, I beg you to get yourself checked out and get a cromagnonitis stat. Drag yourself and your business into the new age of marketing. Give instead of ask. Listen instead of talk. Collaborate instead of sell.

Getting off my probably PMS driven soap box now.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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Building Your Brand on Twitter

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As a brand marketing coach, I am always interested in learning new ways to use my brand to enhance my presence on any client touch point. One such touch point is Twitter. Are you doing these things (some of them are admittedly no-brainers) to enhance and build your brand on this marketing vehicle?

1. Use your brand name as your Twitter name. 
(Many companies) use a cute Twitter name that isn’t related to their brand name.

2. Use your logo as your Twitter picture. 
Some companies don’t use their logo for some reason.

3. Send Tweets that provide useful information to customers and prospects.
Always add a link to more information on your website.

4. Send Tweets to new blog posts or videos.
You can also send Tweets to older blog posts and videos that are still relevant.

5. You should Tweet 10 to 20 times a day to keep your brand name in the Twitter stream.
You can schedule the Tweets that have links to valuable content and complement that with five to 10 personalized Tweets where you are interacting with other Twitter users.

6. Create a persona for your Twitter presence so people will get to know your brand.
Investopedia defines brand personality as “A set of human characteristics that are attributed to a brand name.”

via Building Your Brand on Twitter.

Your brand personality is a living, breathing part of your business. You need to shout it out to the world to differentiate yourself from thousands of others who make their living doing what you do. Use every touch point that you can to make yourself memorable and different. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself in the enviable position of never having to market yourself again.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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