More than a Few Words

#832 Sales is a People Business.

Returning guest Ross Keating says that sales is a people business.  While people may say it is the product or the features, it ultimately comes down to people and how well you connect. 
The more you understand about your customers, the easier it is to connect.  And Ross shared how using the BANKCODE method can help you do just that. 
The simple assessment takes less than 90 seconds to help you discover your Bank Profile based on what you value. Listen to the conversation, then take the assessment for yourself. 

#831 Escaping the Hustle with Matthew Turner

In this encore episode, our guest, author Matthew Turner doesn’t think owning a business needs to feel like your are on a treadmill running hard, and never reaching your goal 
In his book Beyond the Pale, he explains that many of us think we own a business, but somehow it starts to own us.
When you make a decision to work less, if forces you to think about who do you want to work with? If you have to  choose a type of client what does that client look like? If you are going to choose one personal project what will it be? And finally, what do you want to commit to over the next year, two years, three years.
When Matthew made the change in his business he ended up working half the time and earning twice as much.

#830 Reward Yourself

While I think business goals are important, there is more to life than checking things off your list. If you never stop and celebrate the win, it all becomes really tedious. So find a way to reward yourself, when you actually achieve your goal. It doesn't have to be a big deal. It doesn't have to be very expensive.
Pick something that's a little treat or a little reward that will make the moment special. For me, it might be going to visit a friend and then taking a photograph of us together so that every time I look at that picture, it reminds me not only of the fun that we had, but the goal  I achieved.
Maybe it's buying a little treat for myself and every time I wear that pair of earrings or that new shirt. It reminds me that it was a reward for something I accomplished. Then I am more likely to be excited about working on something for my next goal. How about you? How do you reward yourself?
 

#829 The Marketing Flywheel with Josh Ramsey

What is the marketing flywheel?  A real flywheel, that builds energy, as you push it slowly over time it gets faster and faster and faster.  A marketing flywheel will do that as well. With consistent action, the marketing flywheel will deliver more and more results. 
Out guest, Josh Ramsey explains there are three parts to the marketing flywheel that work together to accelerate your business.
Building memories so customers think of you when they are ready to buy
Maximizing availability so customers can find you when they are ready
Reach the market  by building connections between your products and needs of potential customers.  Put your messages where they can find you 
 
About Josh
Josh Ramsey is the Business Development Manager at ClearBrand.com. A digital Marketing Agency focused on data-driven marketing that gets results; more leads and sales. He believes that without good marketing, businesses die and people suffer, and that ethical, scientific marketing can change the world.

#828 - What’s In Your Sales Plan

 It would be wonderful if you just hung a sign out, opened your doors and customers came.  Unfortunately, for most of us that's not how it works.  You don't accidentally bump into business on a regular basis.
If you want a sustainable business you need to have a sustainable process for your sales.  That process includes a standard  procedure to generate leads and then  screen and identify who's a good prospect and who's not.  You need to have a process for stepping people through a sales conversation, following up and eventually closing the sale.  And finally, after the sale is is important to stay in contact, requesting those testimonials and keeping that conversation going so customers refer you to your next opportunity.
The sales plan is just one element of your overall business plan.  Ready to start working on your plan or updated your existing one?  Check out our new self-paced Business Map Class. 

#827 Smart PPC for Small Businesses

Maybe you think your business is too small to take advantage of PPC.  Our guest, Ameet Khabra doesn't think that is true. You can use this powerful tool as long as remember that Google is not doing something out of the goodness of their heart.  
Google is not a charity, it is a business.  Everything they do to improve search and analytics is ultimately designed to increase their advertising sales.  So use the tools, look at their suggestions, but always remember their goals are not always aligned with yours. 
About Ameet
Look up the definition of "obsessed" and you'll find a picture of Ameet. She has spent the last decade figuring out why people do what they do online, what prompts them to take action, and how to use this insight to make marketing work better. Today she uses that experience to design dazzling campaign strategies for our clients and teach future generations of PPC pros at the university level.

#826 Contingency Planning

I am an optimist. I believe things will work out.  However, when it comes to my business I also know that things can go wrong, and planning is not being negative, it is being prepared. Accidents happen. Even minor mishaps can be major catastrophes for small business owners. Every year, thousands of companies are unprepared for the interruption caused by a minor fire, flood, and burglary or computer meltdown.
Creating, and implementing a Business Continuity Plan as part of your overall business plan ensures your business survives any disaster.
Are you prepared?
I have seen studies which say anywhere from 25 – 75 percent of businesses suffering a disaster fail to reopen or close soon after. While the stats may vary, the general consensus is a well thought out recovery plan matched with appropriate insurance makes the difference between survival and business extinction.
What should your disaster planning process include?
Computer Backup – For many small business owners, the computer is the heart and soul of the business. Unfortunately computers crash, there are hackers and virus’ attack, natural disasters and every user makes mistakes from time to time.
The consequences can be disastrous. Rebuilding financial information, contact lists, E-mail records or project files can be time-consuming, expensive and sometimes impossible.
Online backups are very affordable. Not sure if you need to spend the money? Ask yourself these questions: If my computer didn’t turn on tomorrow:
Would I still have a business?
Would I lose a significant amount of time, and money rebuilding my data
Would I know what to do?
Don’t like the answers? Then it is time to explore a back up solution.
Equipment Replacement – Beyond restoring your data, you need to plan for equipment replacement. Talk to your insurance agent to be sure you have enough coverage to replace furniture, equipment, inventory and other assets. Take the time to inventory all the assets in your building. Have a list of important equipment, serial numbers, purchase date and even photos. This will really simplify the process of filing an insurance claim.
Temporary Location – Where will you and your team work if your building is not accessible? Putting systems in place for employees to work remotely is helpful even if it is only a day or two interruptions caused by inclement weather. You just don’t want to test those systems for the very first time when something big goes wrong.
Funding operations – Disasters have a way of piling up. Not only will you need to deal with the things listed above, you may incur additional expenses for moving or damages caused by missed deadlines. Business continuity insurance will help cover the other unexpected costs.
Customer Care – In some cases, you won’t be able to complete a project because of a serious interruption to your operations. Having a relationship with another firm who can take care of your customers in the short term will allow you to preserve the customer relationship for the long term.
Disaster planning is not a set it and forget it kind of process. If you are smart, you will revisit your crisis plan every year. Why? Because as your business grows, your risks grow as well. You may be lucky and never have a fire, flood, burglary or another disaster. But a little disaster planning now will save you lots of headaches down the road.
 

#825 Emotion Driven Marketing

In this episode we chatted with Jan Cavelle about connecting your emotions to your marketing, and more importantly, connecting to your customer's emotions.  
How do you do that? Jan suggests you start by being consistent about the picture of yourself you are putting forward in public, both in person and on social media. This helps people frame a firm picture of who you are allowing them to connect to you and your brand. 
 More than a Few Words is a  marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball 

#824 From Our Archive - The Elevator Pitch

From our archive: 
You have only a few moments to make that great first impression and you  won’t stand out by sounding like everyone else.  You need to find a way to be first, best or different. And if you choose different, make sure your point of difference is actually relevant to your customer. 
Beyond that first impression, our guest Mike Verret explains that your words will have an effect on others, so choose them carefully. 
 
Mike solves problems that plague small businesses by giving them a unique perspective of what he sees in their goals. He believes that any marketing message is wrong if it doesn’t speak to us in normal human terms. And he thinks that corporate language is absolutely nuts. Who “ideates?” We think. We don’t have “Key Performance Indicators.” We have goals.
Business forgets to be human. Mike understands how consumers think, and he helps businesses avoid the risk of losing their Humanity!

#823 Capacity

I spent the early part of my career in manufacturing. One of the most important lessons I learned was that of capacity.  When you know how much you can produce you can set realistic targets for your our sales team, making sure they don't  sell more than you could produce.
At the same time you don't want them selling so far below your capacity you are sitting around twiddling your thumbs.
Understanding your capacity is gives you tremendous control over your pricing. If you're bumping up against your capacity constraint, don't add another employee. Just raise your price. Now you make more money and actually do less work. 
Capacity Planning is just one element of your overall business plan.  Ready to work on your plan?  Check out our self-paced business plan workshop.