Archive for August, 2008

Small Business Marketing Plans in 30 minutes!

Many of my clients have been in business for YEARS - some as many as 20 years - and before they hired me, they’ve never put together a marketing plan.  I know why they didn’t have a marketing plan.  Here’s what I’ve seen:

1.  Small Business Marketing Plans can seem like an academic exercise.  They just take too much time to create, and involve to many meetings.  Entrepreneurs like ACTION.  Sitting down and doing strategic planning works against their strengths of being nimble, decisive, and fast-paced.  But as your small business GROWS beyond just a couple of people, you need a way to SHARE your vision with others.  A marketing plan ensures you are taking the RIGHT actions.

2.  Small Business Marketing Plans can feel restrictive, like a budget that’s making you live within your means.  But just like knowing you have money in the bank to pay your bills, knowing that you have the budget and resources to execute your marketing plans is incredibly freeing!  Your marketing team doesn’t have to go “begging” for every marketing expenditure.  This frees up time for the small business owner and gives responsibility and accountability to the marketing team. 

3.  Small Business Marketing Plans are subject to change.  Yep.  And they should - to a degree - but one essential component should be consistent.  That essential component is your core differentiators.  WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?  Answer that question, articulate it clearly, and the work is halfway done.  How you communicate your core difference to the world - your “great ideas” need company-wide buy-in to be executed for maximum effectiveness.  Getting the whole team on the same page is a great reason to put together a marketing plan.  Don’t hide your marketing plan.  Hand it to every employee!

And now you have no excuses!  Just this week, John Jantsch and Duct Tape Marketing, announced the launch of a brand-new Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing.  With Marketing Plan Pro, small business marketing plans can be created in as little as 30-minutes.  Everyone has 30 minutes - and you can grow the marketing plan from there.

Anyone who knows me knows I love software, gadgets, and tools that make my job easier. That includes Marketing Plan Pro. I include it in all of my Tornado Marketing Whirlwind Marketing Planning Engagements. That’s where I spend 8-sessions developing a comprehensive small business marketing plan using Duct Tape Marketing’s Ultimate Marketing System AND Palo Alto’s Marketing Plan Pro.  

Right now, I’m accepting new clients, so if you are ready to recession proof your business, call me or email me about kicking off a Small Business Marketing Plan.  I’m here to help!

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The Partner Event for Microsoft Dynamics Partners and ISVs

Are you a Microsoft Dynamics Partner?  Are you going to The Partner Event?  If you are unfamiliar with the event, it is a mixture of the old Great Plains Stampede and BBC, and takes place from September 14-16th in Great Plains’ old stomping grounds - Fargo, North Dakota.

I’m going.  In fact, I’m giving a presentation on Duct Tape Marketing and how Microsoft Dynamics Partners can apply the principles of Duct Tape Marketing to make their marketing more effective and affordable.  I’d love to see some friendly faces in the audience - so for that reason alone, I recommend you go!  You can register right online at The Partner Event.   Here’s some detail about the presentation I’m giving.

Duct Tape Marketing Session - Adrianne Machina
9/15 at 3:00 and repeated on 9/16 at 9:00 a.m.

Would you like to attract all the clients your business can handle, work only with clients who value what you have to offer, and convert more leads to sales? Simply follow these simple small business marketing systems, strategies, and ideas. Duct Tape Marketing is the first small business marketing program that treats marketing as an integrated system. At the core of the system is a series of steps and strategies, in various stages, that any business can use to finally produce stunning returns from a consistent marketing effort.

I know that travel is expensive.  Conferences are expensive.  The out-of-office time is expensive.  But for me, nothing replaces meeting people face-to-face.  To me, events like The Partner Event are worth the investment - not just because I’ll have clients there.  Long before I became a marketing consultant, I was a marketing director for a Microsoft Dynamics partner. 

I am so thankful that my former employer saw the value of the Microsoft conferences.  I think they also saw that I put a lot of energy into attending, networking and getting maximum value from their investment.  Like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it! The Microsoft conferences always replenished my spirit.  I found kindred spirits who were struggling with the same marketing and sales issues.  I learned about Microsoft Dynamics ISV solutions that I didn’t even know existed.  I learned who in the channel I could trust (and who I couldn’t.)   I created new referral and co-marketing opportunities.  And most important of all, I got re-enthused about my job and the opportunities to improve my marketing programs. But what’s right for me, may not be right for you.

Just like local networking, attending conferences can become a critical part of your success as a Microsoft Dynamics VAR or ISV - or they can be a complete waste of time.  If you are going to spend the time and money to attend, prepare for your success:

1.  Bring plenty of business cards!!!! 

2.  Attend at least some of the sessions.  Even salty old dogs occasionally can learn a new trick. 

3.  Set up meetings in advance.  To find people you don’t already know (most will be 2-3 degrees of separation away from you) network online though LinkedIn, Plaxo and Facebook. 

4.  Hang out.  Be around.  Mingle outside of your clique.  Much of the networking value comes from after-hours and hallway meetings.

5.  Have a follow up strategy.  Many connections are missed just because people get back to the office and don’t do anything to follow-up with the people they met.  And remember, your connection needs to have a ring of authenticity.  Microsoft Dynamics VARs often feel barraged by Microsoft Dynamics ISVs.  If you are an ISV, make sure that you are offering value, not just asking to be brought into the next deal. 

6.  HAVE FUN!!!  And if you are having fun, call me because I like hanging out with fun, positive people!

Hope to see you there!

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Marketing to attract the ideal client

At my Mission Viejo Toastmasters Club meeting recently, a group of us were discussing how to attract more members.  Attendance has been really low over the summer, and the group would be more fun with more people.  The ironic thing is that our group actually has about 25 members - a very decent sized group!  But because expectations weren’t set to make much of a commitment to the group, some people only show up when they are scheduled for a Toastmasters Club function - like being the speaker or an evaluator.  

So the conversation turned to how we can attract more of our IDEAL member.  An ideal Toastmasters Club member would be someone who:

• Shows up (almost) every week
• Is highly motivated to improve their public speaking skills, and
• Is willing to give of themselves as much as they get from the Toastmasters Club group.

The secret to finding our ideal club members is to set the expectations correctly right up front.  We have plenty of people who show up as guests.  If we want to be a thriving club, we can’t just accept anybody.  We need to screen for the ideal Toastmasters Club member as outlined above.  We need to let people know what’s expected of them when they join.

Sound familiar?  My clients know that I’m a HUGE proponent of finding the IDEAL CLIENT.  You may not always hit your target, but by setting your bar high, you will avoid a ton of headaches down the road.   It’s not enough to say, “I want to attract the CFO of mid-market companies.”  That’s a good start, for sure, but I encourage you to take it a step further.  For example:

• I want to find clients who are really committed to using technology to save money. 
• I want to find clients who consistently pay their bills on time. 
• I want to find clients who appreciate the value of outside consultants.
• I want to find clients who have a pleasant disposition. 
• In want to find clients who are in a particular industry so that my consulting team can become really hone their expertise in that one particular industry.

Sure, when you’re starving for business, you’ll take anyone with a pulse.  You’ll make concessions.  You’ll jump through hoops.  That’s all the more reason to fill your marketing pipeline.  You can only be picky if you have choices.

DTM Differentiate

Anyone who isn’t a current client, and who wants to figure out how to attract the ideal client, may want to check out Duct Tape Marketing’s Differentiate and Dominate program. 

For those of you who want guided group coaching, email us at Tornado Marketing, and we can put you on the list for the group session we’re running this October.

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Do we need the marketing hype?

Marketing hype drives me crazy.  I understand the need to be compelling, persuasive, and time-critical, but do marketers really have to underline and highlight every third word?  When I respond to an interesting marketing offer, and find a landing page filled with marketing hype, I just want to abandon the page.  Personally I’m turned off by 2000-word pages, 3-5 testimonials, and fake price slashing that’s done to convince me I am getting a great deal.  Am I the only one?  This marketing tactic must be effective (or must have been greatly effective at one time), because so many people use it.

Tell me please, readers, am I missing the boat?  Does the marketing hype make you want to buy?

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Try before you buy

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m a big fan of social media for small business marketing – but I haven’t always been. While I don’t have a Twitter following like some people and I’m not a big believer in “promiscuous linking” on LinkedIn, I believe that social media is going to revolutionize marketing for small businesses. Never before has it been so easy, and so affordable for a regionally-based small business to get prospective customers to know, like and trust them.

But starting any new endeavor a challenge – and social media is no exception. You don’t really know what to do at first. Should you trust the people and the information they’re providing? How do you start to build trust?

Many of the new social media sites and software-as-a-service sites give you a free trial or tour that allow you to familiarize yourself with their offerings at your own pace. (Twitter allows you to take a tour, so does Flickr.) Basecamp allows you to create a free project. Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers a free trial. Getting people to TRY is a critical first step.

Your customers feel the same way when they are thinking about working with you. They don’t know whether to trust the information you give them, or worse, they don’t know if they even need you! So, think about ways to give your prospective clients a way to get to know you. A sales pitch disguised as a free consultation is often too big and scary. Give them a smaller, less threatening way to engage.

Do you give your customers a “free trial” or a bite-size appetizer? Can they download a free whitepaper, or join a free webinar, before they have to commit to working with you?

Giving your potential clients a way to ease into working with you is one of the quickest ways to gain their trust and alleviate some of the fear. Next time you are wondering why a customer has reservations about working with you, think about it from their perspective. You are a big scary new thing - they want to test the waters before jumping in with both feet. Figure out a way to let them do that, and you’ll have a much easier time proving your use.

What other ways do you use to give your customers a way to ‘test you out’? Do you trust companies that let you ‘look around’ more than those that don’t?

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Is Social Media a Time-Waster or a Wise Investment?

For some of us, social media is like breathing.  We check Twitter every day (ok, 10-15 times a day).  We blog every day (or at least try).  We have a group of friends on Facebook, MySpace, FriendFeed, plurk and all of the other creatively named social sites. But for others, like Landon Ray, the CEO of Office AutoPilot, jumping into social media is scary.  What business owner has extra hours in the day?  None I know.  And for Landon and others like him (including some of our clients), social media seems like an endeavor that might suck away valuable time for questionable return on investment.

I am definitely a late joiner of social media.   I just started Twittering and blogging this year.   ( see our posts about deciding to use Twitter.)  I vividly remember being all alone on FaceBook, wondering who would be my friend, how I’d find them, and whether it would be be of any benefit (business-wise) to have more “friends.”  

You see, most of my clients are professional service companies who sell software such as Microsoft Dynamics, Sage Mas 500, QuickBooks, and Deltek.  Most of the owners of these businesses aren’t on the social media sites - at least not yet.  

So how do I justify my Return on Investment in Social Media?  I measure my ROI though:

1.  Fabulous Search Engine Optimization.  My stats have increased significantly every month.

2.  An Incredible Wealth of Knowledge.  Clients turn to me to be a marketing expert - but I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know everything about marketing.  Marketing is constantly changing. By keeping in the loop with other marketing experts like myself, I can learn about and think about new tools, tips and technologies that will speed up their return on investment.

3.  A Network of People to Turn to.  If I don’t have the answers or skills to do something, social networking has put me in touch with people who do. 

4.  An Opportunity to Show Clients Who I Am.   Anyone can look good on a 10-page website or a glossy brochure, but blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. but the more casual format of social media gives clients more insight into the authenticity of the person and the company that they’re hiring.

5.  An Early Opportunity.  It’s true that most of my ideal clients aren’t using social media yet.  So what! Some of them are.  I’ve been able to connect with lots of Microsoft Executives because they’re early adopters too. Once my ideal clients do get on board, they’ll see that I’ve been doing it for YEARS…. And they can still find be better than they could before because social media has given me such great search engine optimization. 

The way I see it is that by spending 30-60 minutes EVERY DAY on social media, I avoid spending signficantly more time and money getting clients to know, like and trust me through traditional mediums.

Want to be my friend?  Join me:

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/amachina

Facebook: http://profile.to/adriannemachina/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/adriannemachina

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Writing when there is nothing to write about

Most people start blogs about a topic they are passionate or knowledgeable about. They think that because they love a topic or know a lot about it - it will be easy to maintain daily posts. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Despite your passion or knowledge, you don’t always have a brilliant idea on the tip of your tongue. But, the best bloggers, the ones that post 4-5 times a day and have a great readership, seem like they always do.

So - How do they do it?

They employ the use of drafts, notebooks and files of information on possible topics and interesting articles from other experts in the field.

For anyone who is getting starting in blogging, or who has been blogging for a while and run into a mental block should take this tip to heart. Starting today, begin to collect articles that you find interesting, put them in files on your computer or files in your office, and the next time that you have a mental block you can pull out an article and put your opinion on the words of the author. Also, if you have a day where you are overly creative and full of ideas, try writing more than one blog and saving them in your drafts. Then, if another day is busy or you are unable to come up with something, you have a back stash of great ideas already put together.

Do you have any other great tips to share about coming up with blogging topics? Let us know!

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Twitter Guide - Business use explained

THANK YOU JOHN JANTSCH!

Recently I spent some time trying to explain Twitter for business to a client. After the conversation, I kept thinking ’someone should write a guide’ but just didn’t have the time. Well thankfully I wasn’t the only one in need, and John Jantsch has answered my request. If you are wondering about Twitter for business uses too, check out the rest of John’s blog and his free beginners guide.

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