Requirements of every small business

Referring Qualified Leads

How many times has this happened to you? 

You discover an urgent need with one of your customers or prospects.  They have budget.  They’re raring to go.  They are a qualified lead in every way - EXCEPT the product or service isn’t something you can deliver.  You either don’t have the training, you don’t love doing it, or it’s just not part of your business model.  What do you do? 

Sometimes, you can refer that client to someone you already know and trust.  Of course, you have a go-to business network that you can usually rely on.  However sometimes, you don’t have anyone in your Rolodex who is a perfect fit….but you want to be helpful.  You may gain future business from this client - and it’s just nice to be nice, right?

I’m encouraged to see lots of good online matching programs popping up to fill this void.

For any industry, check out Referral Key, which allows you to easily expand your circle of trust to give an receive qualified lead referrals.

If you are a Microsoft Partner, check out  Microsoft Matchmaker.  Microsoft Platform Partners will get paid $250 for every Microsoft Dynamics lead they enter into the system.   Use the link above to register for the free introductory webinar they’re hosting on April 30, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. PT. 

For dental industry referrals, look into DDS Weblink, a program that allows you to make sure your patient recieves the proper care and follow up. 

Know of any other programs that fit this niche?  Post a comment with a link to the referral lead service.  We all know that referrals are the BEST source of business.  The more you give, the more you’ll get!

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Make A Referral Week

I wanted to make sure you heard about Make A Referral Week, which is happening March 9-13, 2009. We all know the best leads come from referrals, right?  By coming together as entrepreneurs, we can take charge and stimulate the economy on our own.  The goal of Make A Referral Week  is to generate 1000 referred leads to 1000 deserving small businesses, which could potentially blossom into millions of dollars in new business.  Small businesses are the lifeblood and job-creating engine of the economy.

No money is exchanging hands. No sponsors are being hit up.  The referral week concept is completely a grass-roots, boot-strap effort.  How can you get involved?

• Visit the Make a Referral Pledge page and submit your intention now to make at least one referral during the March 9-13 event. (Take this step and you are automatically eligible to receive audio recordings of the entire expert series)
• Post the Make A Referral event to your FaceBook page. (You can re-post the link from my posted items.)
• Promote this event to your partners and clients through email, newsletter and blog.

This week-long virtual event will also feature daily education programs focused on teaching small business owners and other marketers how to tap the power of referral marketing. The featured session includes a live web conference with Ivan Misner, founder of BNI and author Masters of Networking, Bob Burg , author of Endless Referrals and the Go-Giver, Bill Cates , author of Get More Referrals Now. (Here’s the full list of education planned for the week)

During the week of March 9-13 we will activate the Referral-o-meter to track the march to 1000 referrals as small business owners visit and describe who they referred a lead to and why.

This is every small business person’s chance to be a part of the economic recovery solution!

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Is your business on the road to hell?

 You know the road I’m talking about - it’s the one paved with good intentions.

 Remember how before the New Year you promised yourself you’d commit to growing your business in 2009?   You’d start an email newsletter.  You’d start a blog.  You’d do monthly mailings. You’d start calling 5 customers every Friday.  Whatever your promises were, are you doing them?

 It’s February now. 

The truth it’s oh-so-easy to be well-intentioned, but lack the structure and commitment to achieve your goals. 

How can you get that grow-your-business marketing structure?  You need to create a marketing system and hold yourself accountable for executing to plan.  How can you do that?  You can:  

• Hire a marketing coach/consultant. 


• Buy the Duct Tape Marketing System. 


• Buy Marketing Plan Pro. 


• Put a big calendar whiteboard on your wall. 


• Write your tasks in your day planner. 


• Put your daily tasks in Microsoft Outlook.

There are lots ways to get structure - you just need to figure out what will work for you.  Because - without structure - you will never be consistent with your marketing.  It’s just too easy to put off  marketing tasks and focus on the other 99 aspects of your business.  A structured marketing system tells you exactly what you need to do every day, every week and every month to bring in a steady stream of clients.

I don’t want to see you on the road to business hell.  That’s an awful place where creditors are calling, payroll is late, and you have to make hard choices.  It’s not too late.  It’s never too late.  I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the road to riches - or even just a smooth and steady predictable road - is a lot more fun!

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Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Are you super fabulous at what you do?  Do you believe that you are a GREAT …IT shop, accountant, VAR, trainer, lawyer, designer, contractor, (insert your small business type here)?  Do you know your customers LOVE you?

I hate to tell you this.  But - just being good (or even GREAT) at what you do might not be enough. 

Don't wait until it's too late!

Sure, in good times, business regularly comes flowing in through word of mouth and referrals.  But what do you do when that stops?  Do you have the core marketing infrastructure in place?  What happens if you don’t?  What happens if you take a “wait and see approach” hoping for the best?  Read the sad, but true blog post I just wrote for the AMEX Open Forum:  http://blogs.openforum.com/2009/01/14/dont-wait-until-its-too-late/

PLEASE - Don’t wait until it’s too late!!!  I don’t want this to happen to you. 

You don’t have to use a marketing consultant if you can’t afford one.  There are lots of affordable small business marketing tools out there!  In fact I created a website Tornado Tools exactly for that group of small business owners who can’t afford to hire me, but just aren’t sure which marketing vendors to trust.

If you’re a OC Small Business Owner, I just launched a super affordable OC Duct Tape Marketing Meetup Group, which will meet the last Wednesday of every month.  The first meetings are scheduled for 1/21 and 1/28. (running repeat sessions.)  Details here: http://www.meetup.com/The-OC-Duct-Tape-Marketing-Meetup-Group/ Every member will get a copy of the Duct Tape Marketing book when they attend their first meeting. 

This Marketing Group is live because I feel there is a lot of value in face-to-face networking, but if anyone is interested in an internet-based session on the same topic, email me at tornado@tornadomktg.com, and I’ll schedule one.

No excuses.  Just do it! 

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Free and Almost Free Small Business Marketing Tools

Some of the best things in life are free - and that includes some fabulous new small business marketing tools.  Some of these tools are free at the entry level, and once you fall in love with their offering you pay to upgrade - and others are just plain old FREE. I don’t know how they stay in business, but I’m not complaining!

For Small Business Press Releases

• http://www.PressReleaseGrader.com - A free offering from Hubspot, you can put your press release through their site to see how well it’s optimized for the search engines.
• http://www.PRweb.com - Publish your press release for as little as $80.
• http://www.PRlog.com - Publish your press release your PR for FREE.
• http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/Instant-Press-Release.htm - This tool guides you through the steps of writing your own press release. 

For Small Business Blogging

• http://www.Twitter.com - A free micro-blogging software tool.  How much can you say in 140 characters?
• http://www.WordPress.com - Hosting Wordpress on your own site can provide your small business with great SEO
• http://www.TypePad.com - Starting at only $10/month, TypePad is a great option if you want to integrate with Vertical Response or other email systems.
• http://www.FeedBurner.com - A great way to get metrics about your blog, as you give people an easy way to subscribe via email or RSS.

For Small Business Organizing

• http://jott.com/ Call your phone to create lists, write notes to yourself, write blog posts, and send text messages to your friends and family.
• http://basecamphq.com/ Organize your projects online.

For Small Business Marketing

• Duct Tape Marketing Coaching Excellence Series Tape Hear John Jantsch interview a variety of small business and marketing gurus like Seth Godin and David Allen.  Free.
• VerticalResponse Get a free trial for this easy-to-use email marketing system
• Queensboro Shirt Company Mix and match as few as 4 shirts with no embroidery charge 
• Social Media eBook - Free from Microsoft
• And not free, but well worth the money for the do-it-yourself small business marketer, check out the new and improved Duct Tape Marketing Ultimate Marketing System.  The system is now broken into booklets, making it very easy to use.  And it’s only $399. 

I’m sure I missed lots of my favorite free small business marketing tools, but this is a good list to get you started.  If you have small business marketing tools you think other small business owners would LOVE to know about, add your suggestion to the comments.  If I get enough submissions and I pick your small business marketing tool, I’ll write a “Free Small Business Marketing Tools Continued” post giving you credit and a link back for the submision.  Share the free tools love!

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7 Recession Proof Small Business Marketing Tips

With all the talk about the economy and the bailout, I thought it would be perfect timing to re-post John Jantsch’s 7 Recession Proof Small Business Marketing Tips.  If you aren’t already following John’s Duct Tape Marketing blog, you can find it over at:  Duct Tape Marketing Blog.

John says:

It’s times like these that send many small business owners on a quest for the magic recession fighting marketing tip. Today I would like to share my top seven quick fix marketing strategies with the caveat that you understand nothing beats building a marketing system based on a narrowly defined ideal customer and core message of differentiation.

Being the practical guy I am though, I also know that sometimes you need to hear about ways to start getting out of a hole before you can really listen to the message of long term fix. The good news is that these seven strategies, applied effectively, can help you make your business recession proof and unswayed by the various and inevitable cycles in the economy.

Take these seven tips and re-energize your marketing today!

1) Partner with other businesses - Proactively creating strategic partnerships is a great way to generate new leads and build long-term momentum. The trick is to do it ways that are win-win and simple for all parties. Number one rule, only seek marketing partnerships with organizations that you would have no problem referring your best customer too. Adhering to that logical rule alone will make this strategy more effective. Creating motivated strategic partners is simple if you can find a way to tap their self-interest. Take them an effective white paper or seminar idea and let them co-brand and co-sponsor it. That way they have a ready made and logical way to partner with you and you’ve done all the work.

2) Reactivate past customers - Where did I put that customer anyway, I know they are around here somewhere. Sad but true, sometimes we don’t bother to communicate with current customers unless they call with an order. By the time they have decided someone else appreciates their business more, it’s too late. Reach out to lapsed customers and make them an apology, promise to never ignore them again, and make them a smoking hot deal to come back.

3) Get out from behind the computer - Building personal relationships is always in style. It’s very tempting to sit and write blog posts and participate on social networking sites, and while these aren’t always bad things - sometimes you need to go out and shake some hands. Make it a point to go to several industry conferences every year. Join an industry or chamber type group and go to events where you can make connections with prospects and partners. Join a referral group such as BNI and participate. Go visit your customers and ask for referrals.

4) Speak at events, hold workshops - Marketing is essentially a trust building game. Few things build trust more efficiently than getting in front of a group of potential customers and sharing your expertise in an educational setting. Go propose to conduct a hot sounding workshop for your bank, accounting firm, law firm and insurance firm. Check local libraries, chambers, and associations for opportunities. Look in your local business papers and see what groups have speakers listed in calendars of events. Get two of your best customers to help conduct peer2peer webinars to discuss best practices and issues with peers you invite.

5) Fix your follow-up - lead generation and conversion is not a one shot deal. By automating your multiple follow-up messages, scheduling routine marketing touches and sending the occasional thank you, hand written note, you can stay top of mind when the buying and referral decisions are made. The longer the sales cycle for your industry or service the better your follow-up needs to be. There is so much that technology can do for you here, let it!

6) Repackage your products and services with offers to act - This goes along with differentiating really, but sometimes you’ve got to give that tired old dog a new look. Find simple ways to relaunch yourself, your people, your products, your services, your packaging, to give yourself a new start in your market. You don’t need to start from scratch, look for innovative ways to repackage, reprice, redeliver, reguarantee and recommunicate about what you do. Make them an offer they can’t refuse, make it so bold they must rehear you.

7) Fix the marketing gaps - In every way, shape, and form that your business comes into contact with your prospects and customers it is performing a marketing function - good or bad. You must look at all of your customer touchpoints and turn them into positive, brand-building opportunities. Tear down the lead generations touches, sales touches, service touches, delivery touches, follow-up touches, transaction touches, and billing touches and make sure that every single one of them is a performing a killer marketing function for your business.

Maybe by now you’ve surmised that all of the items above are good for business, no matter the economy, it’s just that sometimes you need a fix or two to get restarted.

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Going GREEN

Everyone wants to be greener, right?  Wouldn’t you love to know how to help your business go green, AND save money at the same time?

One of the easiest (and most affordable) ways go go green is to minimize your printed marketing collateral. Most companies can do-away-with or significantly reduce the amount of printed marketing materials they use. Most marketing documents have a short shelf life - many end up in the trash before they’re even given to prospects and customers. 

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I don’t have time for marketing!

It’s the one phrase I hear ALL the time  when I first meet with people.  “I know we should be doing more, but we just don’t have time for marketing,” they  confess dolefully.  I also hear its variants:

“I know our website hasn’t been updated in 10 years, but….”  

“I know we don’t have any collateral material, but….” 

“I know our logo is still so 1986, but…” 

“I know our materials don’t really reflect what we do, but…”

But what?  Yes you need time to sell, consult, implement, do your accounting, pay taxes, meet, go to the bathroom, grab a bite to eat AND…you need to make time for marketing.  There’s not enough time?  No, there’s always enough time.  Everyone gets the same 24 hours a day.  You get to choose how to spend it.  Many times you shoot yourself in the foot by focusing all your energy on sales - only to lose the deal because your presence (your marketing) didn’t make you a credible competitor.

Recently in John Jantsch’s Duct Tape Marketing blog for small business marketing, John wrote :

Marketing is and must become a habitual activity in your business. You must live by the marketing calendar or die by the lack of time available to complete the greasing of the squeaky wheel. 

Amen, Brother John!  I’m a big fan of Stephen Covey, and live by his quadrant theory of paying attention to those items on your to-do list that are important, but not urgent.  Those items will propel your business forward. That’s where marketing lives.  Marketing means getting people to know, like and trust you — and that’s a lot easier to do if you buid a relationship BEFORE you’re trying desperately to sell them something. 

So what’s the secret to maketing marketing a habit?  The secret is….to make a calendar.  It can be in Excel.  It can be in Marketing Plan Pro.  It can be on a giant whiteboard in your office.  Just do it.  Live it.  Your sales people will thank me later. I promise.

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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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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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