Tips and Tricks

Public Speaking as a Marketing Tool

Public speaking is a phenomenally powerful marketing tool. 

I often tell clients to join local and trade associations - which is a good marketing strategy in of itself.  But the power of belonging to a group is multiplied tenfold if you can share your knowledge, get up and speak in front of the groups you belong to.  Public speaking provides a golden opportunity to market your business - but it’s often overlooked as a marketing tool because people fear public speaking. 

You have to remember that polished public speakers aren’t born that way. They take steps to develop their public speaking skills.

Tonight, I’m giving Toastmasters Speech 10 - fulfilling my requirements to become a Toastmasters Competent Communicator.  When I joined our Mission Viejo Toastmasters Club I was a decent speaker - but I had…um..ah…you know…like, I mean I had a lot of bad habits. (Well, hopefully not THAAAAT bad!)

When you speak for business, you are usually critiqued on the content of your speech.  In Toastmasters, the focus is on the delivery of your speech.  You may be surprised to learn that MOST of the professional public speakers you hear have been in Toastmasters - or had some other formal training in public speaking.   I joined Toastmasters to get rid of those bad habits so I could take my business to the next level - to do more public speaking and more group training sessions (which I’m now doing quite frequently!).   

I can say with 100% certainty that the Toastmasters training has paid off for me.  If lack of polish or public speaking confidence is holding you back, I encourage you to check out Toastmasters.  It’s fun. It’s affordable.  And it really can change your life.  To find a club near you, check out Toastmasters International.  If you’re near Mission Viejo, CA, you are welcome to stop by our Mission Viejo Toastmasters Club meeting tonight at 7:00.

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Exchange Business Cards Through Text or Email

When you are out speaking  at an event or doing face-to-fact networking, timely follow up is extremely important if you want to convert contacts into relationships.  Leads grow colder by the minute.   

I come back from every conference and speaking gig with a stack of business cards that I have to sift through and add to my contact list.  Solutions like Plaxo, LinkedIn, GMail, Salesforce.com, ACT and Outlook have all made desktop and online address books  fairly easy to update - once they’re in the system.  But it’s the adding of new contacts that’s time consuming.  That’s why I was so excited to find this new FREE solution DubMeNow that allows people the ability to text or email their contact info directly into your mobile device.  (There’s also a paid Pro solution for corporate users.)

How does DubMeNow work? 

Users of DubMeNow can email or text their contact info to you.  Once you accept the message, it moves into your phone database. Depending upon your particular set-up, the contact info can sync with your desktop CRM or contact management software when you perform the next sync.  Its usefulness will grow with adoption, but DUB already syncs contacts and updates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Siebel On-Demand and SugarCRM.   Facebook and LinkedIn integration are in the works.

And here’s the super cool part - anytime someone that’s given you their contact info via dub makes a change, it’s automatically updated on your phone.

You can also create DUBIDs to make the process that much easier.  Send me an invite using my DUBID, which is  TORNADO.  I will be sending my contact list DubMeNow invites shortly!

One final thought - You still have to have business cards!   They tell me a lot about you, and no matter how cool this technology is, not everyone will adopt it.  So bring your business cards AND show everyone how technically savvy you are by being an early adopter on this too-cool-for-school whiz-bang technology.  DubMeNow, I’m IN!

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Google Alerts, An Essential Part of Social Media Strategy

You’re using Google Alerts, aren’t you?  No?

Well then, sit right down and listen up, because Google Alerts will save you from countless hours of web surfing, and is an essential tool in your marketing strategy. 

Did you know:

• The Internet is composed of  that 108,810,358 distinct websites? (as of February 2007, according to the Netcraft Web Server Survey)
• There are over 112.8 million blogs (according to Technorati).
• 175,000 new blogs are created every day (though admittedly some of those are splogs (aka spam blogs)

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write a blog - you should, especially if you have something interesting to share with the world.  What it means though is that it’s virtually impossible to keep up on all the new and interesting things going on in your industry, With time being your most precious resource, you need to filter the information and get it delivered to you!   That’s why I’ve put together this two minute video that shows you exactly what you need to do to get started.

Bring the mountain to Mohammed

Google Alerts brings the mountain of information to you, consolidated into one neat little email (or RSS) package.  Once you have the alert set up, and delivering the information, you can use it as a foundational piece of your SEO and Social Media Strategy.

Act on the alerts by:

• Comment on a blog a day.
• Send a letter of congratulations! (Did someone get a new job, an award or a promotion?)
• Track which bloggers and journalists cover your industry.
• Write a blog post.
• Check out the competition.
• Create a new product or service that addresses the concerns you’re hearing.

Once you start using Google Alerts, you’ll wonder how you managed to live without them all this time. 

Do you use Google Alerts?  In what innovative ways do you use them to help your business?

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Have a Happier New Year with Micro-Goals!

I have New Years Resolutions, and you probably do too.

The problem I see is that when people set big result-oriented far-away goals, it’s easy to lose sight of how to get there.  People have a natural tendency to procrastinate, and then they end up trying to cram to meet their goal. Ever want to lose 20 lbs. for the wedding next weekend?  Then you know what I mean!

I think it’s better to set micro-goals.   Your micro-goals will become daily habits, and the results will manifest themselves.  As an example, you might have a personal goal to lose 20 lbs by April 1st. The weight is just a measurement of the habits you’ve adhered to between now and April 1st. So pay attention to the micro-goals, which will become habits, and you’ll achieve the desired result at the end - or at least you’ll get close!

For business, maybe your goal is to add ten customers by June 1. What are the habits you could develop and do every day to acquire these 10 new customers?

Daily or weekly you could set micro-goals to:

Oh the list could go on and on…. I’ve always been a big fan of Stephen Covey, who preaches that the first 20 minutes of every day should be spent planning.  Then the rest is just execution.  Easy, right?

Well, if it were that easy, everyone would do it. Discipline takes time to develop. Start with micro-goals, and you’ll be well on your way to a happier new year. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM TORNADO MARKETING! 

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Charitable Giving and Small Business

Charities are hurting for dollars right now.  As more Americans worry about paying their mortgages, they’re watching their disposable income closer than ever - and that includes what they donate to charity.  My friend, fellow Duct Tape Marketing Coach, and the master of “good cause” marketing, Randy Vaughn, wrote a great post recently for the American Express Open Forum about Charitable Giving.  In his post he writes,

Give out of a generous spirit and you will receive the proper recognition as a secondary benefit (the first benefit comes from giving and helping others). 

He goes on to give 5 easy and fun ways that your small business can give to charity.   Both

you and the charity will benefit when you promote a cause that you believe in.  Plus, when you give back, you’re often humbled, left feeling extremely grateful for all you have. You might be struggling - but no matter how bad your situation is, some else is worse off.  I’m reminded of this email I received from a friend.

If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof overhead,
and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank and spare change somewhere, you are among
the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
And if you can read this message, you are more blessed than more than
the two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

For ideas on how you can give back, read the American Express Open Forum about Charitable Giving.

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Building Trust, Small Business Marketing in a Recession

Do you believe me when I tell you that your small business should be marketing in a recession? 

Maybe.  Maybe not. 

It depends on how well you know and trust me.  If you are new to reading my blog, you might think, “Yeah right. Of course you want me to be marketing.  You’re selling marketing services.  Sheesh….” But if you know, like and trust me BEFORE I tell you you should be marketing in a recession, you are much more likely to trust my advice.  

TRUST is a major component of any decision.  Read Stephen M. R. Covey’s “The Speed of Trust” for a much deeper illustration of this principle.  Anyone marketing and selling for a small business - especially in professional services - needs to pay attention to building credibility, not just bringing in leads.  It is extremely difficult to build trust just by telling people they should trust you.  You need to SHOW them they should trust you.  How do you SHOW trust?

1.  Show studies, statistics, measurements.  If I show you that - ”According to a study by the American Business Press of the 1974-75 recession, companies that did NOT cut their marketing budget increased sales by 200% two years later, a fourfold difference over those who did cut their budget.”  - I’m backing up what I’m saying with numbers.  You can go read the study results for yourself, and know that I’m not making it up.  Here’s one PDF from Create-Demand.com called Marketing in a Recession.

2.  Don’t believe your own press - or at least don’t expect others to believe it.  When I hear someone say (about themselves) that they are a trusted advisor or similar self-serving talk, I can’t help but smile and think about Garrison Keillor’s ficticious town of Lake Wobegon, where “all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above-average.”  (Can you tell I grew up in MN?!) The point is that we all think that we’re above average, but 50% of us are wrong.

3.  Get others to say it for you.  Case studies, testimonials and referrals are powerful tools for building credibility.   Now more than ever you should be working to create enthusastic customers, and bringing in leads through referrals.  A third party voice is much powerful than your own.  Even been persuaded to buy something from an Infomercial?  Those infomercial marketing pros know exactly how to tug at your heart strings and purse strings using the power of the testimonial.

Now get out there and get marketing!  Use these credibility-building tips to boost your trust factor.  These tips will help you shorten your sales cycle and increase your lead-to-sales conversion ratio. 

P.S.  John Jantsch just sent me this offer:  For those of you who want to learn from the best, Michael Gerber and John Jantsch are running a marketing retreat up in Sonoma County November 13th and 14th.  As a Duct Tape Marketing Coach, I can offer you a 25% discount if you use purchase code EBMK1108 by midnight Monday, October 27th.  http://www.e-myth.com/seminars/ducttapemarketing/ If you decide to go, send me an email, (Email Adrianne Machina) and maybe I’ll shoot up there and join you for the marketing workshop and a glass of wine, two of my favorite things!

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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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What is your marketing perspective

Are your marketing messages crafted through a business owner’s eyes or through a potential client’s eyes? 

A business owner sees the cost, the time, the effort and energy that goes into creating a marketing piece. The business owner’s perspective is that marketing is meant as a means to sell something. A potential client sees an opportunity - to save money, to learn something or to look or feel better - based on the offer, the ‘what’s in it for me’, and whether or not it captures their attention. 

If you get too caught up in the business owner’s need of marketing and selling vs. the potential client’s need to be educated and informed, you will be off-target in your messaging, making your marketing expenditures less effective.

Owner focused:  We’re offering a 25% discount if you buy before 8/31!
Customer focused:  You can save 25% if you act before 8/31!

Owner focused:  We’re the best in the country, and have won the grand-poobah award 10 times!
Customer focused: Our award-winning team will make sure you achieve fantastic results.

Now, what can you do about it? Start looking at your marketing from a different perspective - the perspective of the people that buy your product! Before you say it - yes, there are thousands of reasons that people buy your product, and no, you can’t realistically figure them all out, BUT you can ask your current clients why they buy, and then use those ideas to find more clients!

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Google Keyword Tool

Today, John Jantsch, the author of Duct Tape Marketing, wrote a great post about Google’s Keyword tool that I just had to pass on! We have used it so many times for our pay-per-click campaigns and have just started using it for keyword suggestions for our websites, just like John suggests:

I’ve found that this tool is also a nice, low effort way to get some ideas for keyword phrases for your web pages and blog posts. The tool offers suggestions for ways that people are really searching in your industry and might spark some ideas for blog headlines. Of course, for local businesses, this can be a great way to identify terms that you might want to add your city name to.

For more insight about Google Keyword Tools, check out the rest of John Jantsch’s post

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