So, let’s say you have a meeting with a referral partner. That is, someone who’s business stands right next to yours and you could easily pass clients back and forth. If you’re a real estate agent, it might be a mortgage broker for example.

You’ve already qualified them according to my previous article “Referral Partners“. How do you go about preparing for that meeting?

1. Make a list

Figure out what companies or Industries are great clients for you. In Motley Creations case, it would be telecom companies, or more generally, businesses that sell a technical product to the general public that need user guides and getting started guides. Look at your current client list and draw your answers from there.

2. Social Media

Look up the person you are meeting on LInkedIn, Plaxo, and even facebook. What you are looking for here is their connections. Look through every person they know and compare it to your list of potential clients. Find specific contacts that can get you in the door at these companies. Make a comprehensive list to present to your referral partner. Don’t ask for all the contacts at once – You don’t want to show up with 50 names – Let’s say 10 is a good number.

3. Reciprocate

Be prepared to do the same thing you are asking of your referral partner. It MUST be a 2-way street to be successful. You might even share this article, so they can be prepared as well.

A well maintained relationship with a referral partner can be a gold mine for both businesses. It takes very little time or money, and the chances of closing the sale greatly improve. As with anything, you get what you put into it. If you expect to get; you must give. Spend the time, and the rewards are fantastic.

Now get out there and look good!

Chris Motley
Motley Creations

©2010 Motley Creations. All rights reserved.

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Most people want to put up ads or banners exalting their companies expertise. A lot of companies subscribe to “most bang for your buck” and want to put the declaration of independence on an add the size of a postage stamp size ad. These fallacies can cost you a lot of money and, in the end, bring little return.

Let’s cover some basic principles of advertising that will help with your ads:

1. People are walking around think about 1 person - not you.

While there is a time and place to extol your virtues, your ads are not the place. Consumers want to know what’s in it for them. Address a pain or pleasure and provide a solution for them.

2. Purchasing is an emotional decision.

If this weren’t true, credit card companies would go out of business. People respond to images and text that pull their heart strings. If you are selling widgets for kids, rather than just show the widget, show a happy child playing with the widget. this is more likely to get the parents attention. Pleasing or stirring images will catch consumers attention more than plain photos of your product and droning text about all your features and benefits. Make them comfortable with you.

3. Keep it simple

If an ad is inundated with offers and other services you provide, there will be confusion and ultimately no action will be taken. Be direct. Clever and surprising messages can be effective but not if the message is lost. Focus on one product or service. Tell them what they receive by acting now. Make this action trackable. Point them to your website for more details about you and other services you provide. You can develop a special landing page to keep track of who responds.

You need to be attuned to who your target audience is and what makes them tick. You need to know their likes and dislikes, what clubs they belong to, where they get their news, and what political and religious beliefs they adhere to. The more you know about them, the easier it is to appeal to them.

Now get out there and look good!

Chris Motley
Motley Creations

©2010 Motley Creations. All rights reserved.

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Wikipedia states that content marketing is the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases. It subscribes to the notion that delivering high quality, relevant and valuable information drives profitable consumer action.

Producing compelling and entertaining video content allows you to publish not only on your site, but on several free portals available including Facebook, Linked-In and Youtube to name a few. A McCann Worldwide survey in 2007 found that active Internet users are 82.9% likely to watch videos - more than read blogs. This presents very real opportunities for you.

These videos are an effective method for providing insight on a company’s culture, products and people - there by raising a prospects comfort level. As purchasing is an emotional decision, this is of great value to every company.

Because of the social nature of the Internet, clever videos can become viral videos and be passed around - reaching a much larger audience. In other words, thanks to social media, you no longer have to pay for the delivery method.

I recently became acquainted with a video company called, Proffer Productions, that I believe will be a valuable asset to any company. Don Proffer, the owner, was gracious enough to provide content for this article. You can learn more about Proffer Productions at www.ProfferProductions.com.

Now get out there and look good.

Chris Motley
Motley Creations

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What if you could reach all your clients at once? What if you could do it with no print cost, do it in minutes instead of hours and have 100% of them listen to your message? Sound impossible? I’m here to tell you that it’s not.

What I am talking about is new technology that allows you to send out voicemail to all of your client’s cellphones at once. Their cell will not ring, it simply deposits the message into their mail box. All you have to do is create a message, upload it and your contact list, and hit send. No more hours of dialing and chatting with each one.

A few things you need to consider:

1. If your clients would not be surprised to receive a call from you on their cell phone, you’re probably safe to use this service. The law states that you must have permission to call them. We suggest collecting cell phone numbers from your clients as well as email addresses. One way to do this is to have permission to call embedded in your client agreements.

2. Your message should not be a canned message, but rather a natural message that sounds personal to them. Something like, “Hi. This is Mike from Oil Plus, and I just wanted to let you know that since you’re a valued customer, we’re offering a complete oil and filter change for only $15.99. Please give us a call at 555-1234 if you’re interested.”

3. I wouldn’t recommend sending messages to the same contacts every month. As with any other marketing method, familiarity breeds contempt. People will get tired of it.

4. People will delete emails and throw away mailers without reading them. EVERYBODY will listen to a voicemail before deleting it. This makes this technology the most effective way to contact your clients.

A few ideas on how to use this:

1. Personalize: Keep in contact with clientele by sending out birthday greetings. You can do this monthly to only those that have a birthday that month. “Hi. This is Amanda from Store X. Just calling to wish you a happy birthday. See you soon.”

2. Be Helpful: Send a quick greeting before holidays; “Hey this is Joe Smith from Better Homes. Just checking in to see how everything’s going in your new home. Oh yeah, remember that mothers day is next week - make sure you get your mom something nice!”

3. Reward: Send out a customer appreciation offer notice. “Hi this is Cheryl from Hair Plus. I wanted to call and let you know that you’ve qualified for your half price hair day. . .”

There are countless applications as well as some legal information you should look into. Go to www.svmCONNECT.com to find out more about this service.

Now get out there and look good.

Chris Motley
Motley Creations

©2009 Motley Creations. Use by permission only.

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Gas prices are up. The stock market is down. A lot of things are going on in this economy that can scare a business owner to death. I’m here to tell you that - yes, there are frightening things going on but that doesn’t mean you need to panic. People will still buy products and services. What you will see missing is the low hanging fruit. What does that mean to you?

I believe in processes. I believe in measuring. I believe that you control what you control and worrying about the economy is like worrying about the weather. Yes, it can cause problems but you can’t change it. Instinct may tell you to cut your marketing & advertising efforts to save money. That is like not watering your vegetable garden because of a drought.

If the low hanging fruit is drying up right now - that is, the jobs that fall into your lap - do you think it wise to stop looking for new clients all together? My answer is a resounding NO. Listed below are 3 principles to help you get through this tough time.

1. Processes:
If you have processes for bringing in new clients, stick to them. Focus your efforts. Your sales force should still make the calls they need to. You should still ask your current clients for referrals. You should still work on your social networking. You should still plan verticals and look for introductions. This is the time to increase effort, not slow down. Contact your current clients and ask them how you are doing. If they have an issue, you can correct it and increase loyalty. If they are very happy, ask them why they hired you. If they say “fair prices”, ask them if they know anyone else who could benefit from fair pricing.

2. Measure:
Use simple means to measure the results of your advertising such as putting “ask for Mr. Green” in your ads when their is no Mr. Green in your office. Use “mention this ad and receive . . .” or “ask about our fall special.” Have your calls to action go to a specific landing page on your site and keep track of the analytics. Make sure the dollars you do spend are getting you leads. Remember that purchasing is an emotional decision and your advertising and marketing validates you and makes you more comfortable to do business with. This makes it easier for your sales staff to close the deal. You do, however, need to know if your advertising is reaching your prospects.

3. Spending:
Consider spending less on yellow pages and more on your website - this is a medium that you can control and change quickly if you add a new product, service or location. You can also add functions like “tell a friend” or a blog to encourage referrals and recurring traffic. Use google analytics to measure your efforts. Transfer advertising dollars to local Pay Per Click campaigns. Remember that these days 96% of people find local businesses through the internet. Consider doing a couple of e-newsletters in place of just one of your printed versions. Reallocating the dollars will allow you many more customer touches for the same price. Don’t stop the printed version - you may already have clients that look forward to that and you don’t want to disenchant them. Consider spending more time networking on sites such as LinkedIn and Plaxo rather than just the standard networking groups. You’ll spend less money and time and reach more people. You may need training to use them effectively.

This is a time to sharpen your efforts, not eliminate them. In the end, you’ll be more effective and increase profits substantially when the low hanging fruit comes back.

Now get out there and look good.

Chris Motley
Motley Creations

©2008 Motley Creations. Use by permission only.

Tags: Advertising, analytics, Marketing, processes.

1. According to AC, Nielsen 96% of people use the internet to find a local business.

2. 67% of the people surveyed who didn’t choose to do business a second time with a company, chose not to because that business made no attempt to communicate with the client.

I recently had a client point out these interesting statistics and thought I should share them with you. I find them very interesting and think they are important to take into consideration when you are looking for, and trying to maintain clients.

How do you take advantage of these statistics?
Starting september 1st, there will be a website that can show you just how to do this at a reasonable price. Make a note of the URL: www.4EyesMarketing.com. Here you can take advantage of local search marketing to get you in front of the 96%, e-touch marketing to communicate with the 67% as well as call tracking to monitor your marketing results. You can even get a one page website built for a minimal cost.

I highly recommend this system as it’s made with the small business in mind. The small business owner must be smart and effective in how he spends his dollars. You might not have a large marketing budget. You may be great at what you do but have little idea about marketing. You may have even tried on your own to do some of these things with mixed results. Believe me, there is a science to this and the results can be measured down to the penny. Can you say ROI? You don’t need to try anymore of the “push marketing” or “casting the net” with little proof of results.

Remember: www.4EyesMarketing.com - look for it September 1st and start taking real steps towards growth.

Now get out there and look good.

Chris Motley
Motley Creations
©2008 Motley Creations. Use by permission only.

Tags: Growth, internet, small business, statistics.

Brand Image is defined by the American Marketing Association as:

“The perception of a brand in the minds of persons. The brand image is a mirror reflection (though perhaps inaccurate) of the brand personality or product being. It is what people believe about a brand - their thoughts, feelings, expectations.”

I want you to understand that your “brand” is not just your logo. It is the culmination of all your ethics, how your employee’s dress, how you answer the phone, events you put on, how you handle problems, your advertising, your contracts, ad infinitum. It is also your persona. Consider companies like Harley Davidson, Nike and Victoria Secrets. What do you think of when these companies are mentioned? I would bet it’s a lot more than their products. These companies spend billions to make it so.

Let’s assume here that you have already made the important investment of having a logo designed and a brand guidelines developed so that all of your advertising looks like it comes from the same company, including business documents. Just as important is to make sure all of your staff are on board and believe passionately in your brand and key messaging. Your staff is part of your brand. Consider the lesson learned from a child if you tell them not to lie, then the phone rings and you say “tell them I’m not here”. You can broadcast your message all you want, but if your delivery doesn’t match, it hurts your brand. You need to make sure the right people are on the bus, and they know what your vision for the company is.

I have run into businesses that have about 6 variations of their logo around the office. What kind of document with what kind of brand you get depends on who your contact person is. This causes confusion in a target audience and gives you an unorganized persona. That does not instill confidence in your clients and by proxy lessens your brand.

Every purchase is an emotional decision; To relieve pain or to increase pleasure. We rationalize and justify later. Were this not true, credit card companies would go out of business. That being said, your goal should be to make life easy for your target audience and create a comfort zone. Always keep it simple. You may have a complicated message but you need to communicate it as simpley as possible.

The important thing is your brand image. Remember that your brand image lies in the minds of the public; their thoughts, feeling and perceptions of what your company does and stands for. Your logo and your name are the icons people use for that association.

Now get out there and look good!

Chris Motley
Motley Creations
©2008 Motley Creations.

Tags: Brand, image, logo, Marketing.

We recently did some research about e-newsletters and the numbers we came up with are VERY interesting. So much so, that I thought I would share them with you.

First of all, if you haven’t read my article “E-marketing: Newsletters” do so now. Go ahead, the rest of us will wait . . . done? Good. In that article, I mentioned some of the benefits of an e-newsletter. Now, I have some hard numbers to show you that speak to those benefits.

I have a client that sends out e-newsletters as well as printed newsletters. We had some of our preferred print vendors bid on it with the specifications of 11″ x 17″, 4 color, 2 sided, 2 folds and full bleed. the vendors were bidding on printing, folding and mail services, that is, they would label each and put them in the mail based on my clients database. The number of the people on this particular list was 2,000.

Here is the average cost sent back to us: $1,000 for the printing and $300 for the mailing. This doesn’t include producing the piece, so let’s add in $500 for production cost. That brings us to $1800.

One thing you should know is that mailers of any sort, have a 1% response rate. That means if you send out 2,000, about 20 people will respond. Given the bid numbers above, that equates to $90 per lead. That’s right, LEAD. You haven’t made a sale yet. Let’s hope your average sale is over $90.

To reach those same people through an e-newsletter the cost is about $200 on average. Yep, that’s it - $200. Of course you will have to pay some up front charges, if you have your newsletter professionally designed. I left design cost out of the printed version, so I left it out here as well.

The response rate on e-newsletters is recorded at being 25% on average. Most services can be set up so you can test these numbers yourself. They’ll give you “click through” rates; which is who opened the newsletter and clicked on a link in it to visit your site. That means about 500 people will respond and your cost per lead would be 40¢ each.

What do you think now? 20 vs. 500 and $90 each vs. 40¢. If the bottom line is important to you, and if you’re a business owner it should be, then it’s all about margins. Need I say more?

Now get out there and look good!

Chris Motley
Motley Creations
©2008 Motley Creations.

Tags: E-Marketing, e-newsletter, response rate, save.

Did you know that the major players in the market spend around a quarter of their budget on knowing who they’re talking to? Even Pepsi has a target market and it’s not, “anyone who drinks soda”. If you haven’t spent time doing it yet, you might want to determine who your target market is. Who gets your service? Who readily pays and understands the value? Who will frequent your store? You might be surprised to find out it’s not who you think.

Once you’ve established this, you need to know why people buy. It’s usually for 2 reasons: To make themselves feel better or to solve a problem. We rationalize and justify later. If this weren’t true, credit card companies would go out of business.

Now you should know who you’re talking to and the reason they buy. Let’s layout some simple rules to follow:

1. Don’t put the declaration of independence on a postage stamp: Your ad is to generate interest so that you can close the sale - it is not a list of everything you do. The more you stuff into your ad, the more confusing it is and the more it makes you look hard to work with. Choose a product or service and go with that. You can always drive them to your website to find out about the rest of your products or services.

2. Call To Action: Once you have your product or service, give your prospects a reason to call now. “mention this ad and get 25% off”, “Offer ends Sunday”, “Act now, supplies are limited”, “Call now and get a free widget”, etc - You get the picture.

3. Tracking: Develop a system for tracking the response on your ad. Put a special phone number, tell them to ask for Mr. Green (when there isn’t a Mr. Green) or point them to a special landing page on your website. The point is to make sure you know what the return is on your advertising dollar.

4. Language & Photos: Use visuals and language that your prospects respond to. Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees - we get caught up in industry terms and trying to sell the benefits we think are important. People buy for their own reasons. If you are selling a beverage to men, you might use images of single women and talk about how it tastes. If you are selling to women, you might use couples and speak to less calories. You have to like your advertising but your prospects must love it.

Now get out there and look good.

Chris Motley
Motley Creations

©2008 Motley Creations. Use by permission only.

Tags: Advertising, budget, call to action, tracking.

You know the old saying “its not what you know, but who you know”? In some cases that’s very true. An introduction to a prospect can raise your closing percentage by up to 90% compared to a cold call.

Let’s define the word referral. A referral is not an idea you had about someone who needs a product or service that doesn’t know it and doesn’t really know you. That’s a lead. A referral is an introduction to a prospect that is actively looking for a product or service. It may include a little talk on how well they did for you as well as an introductory meeting.

Referrals are one of the strongest tools you can use to generate business for your company. They can also elevate your status with your current clients. If you provide a reliable solution to a problem outside the realm of your product or service, you’ve just earned emotional credit. The key word here is reliable.

By the same token, if you refer an unreliable connection, you can destroy a customer relationship. You may have even done a wonderful job with your product or service but referred a company that may have cost your client pain or money. By proxy, you have tarnished your reputation. Reputation in business is all we have.

Here are some tips on the referring process:

1. Ground rules. Meet with the company or person you are considering referring. Ask them if they are up to the work involved. Ask them what their experience is. Get proof. Gently let them know your reputation is at stake as well. If, while you’re meeting with them, they seem only to talk about their own business and not ask about yours, they may not be a good fit for trading referrals. You want this to be a healthy, productive two way street.

2. Do your homework. Check out the companies you are considering referring. If you haven’t worked directly with them before, get references. Make sure they are reliable and in good standing. Remember that your client will check out companies before using them - they may be more lax on this because they trust you. Don’t take that trust for granted.

3. Check back in. Always call your client throughout the process and especially at the end to make sure your referral did a good job. Let your client know that you care.

4. When in doubt - don’t. If there is any doubt about their ability or reputation, don’t refer them. On the other side, if you are referred and you’re not sure you can meet the deadline or provide the service, don’t put that persons reputation at stake. Treat others how you want to be treated.

5. Start small. If it’s a new referral relationship, start with a small job - not your biggest and best client. Put your toe in the water before you dive in.

Now get out there and look good!

Chris Motley
Motley Creations
©2007 Motley Creations.

Tags: cold call, process, Referrals.