I think the hardest part with marketing is if you are your brand in your business and people are deciding whether or not they’re going to hire you, you need to be a part of your marketing. Your voice has to be there. And if you outsource that, you’re most likely going to find that it’s not your voice.
For example, I worked with a corporate client who did that. They priced out and found somebody that would write their blogs for $1500 a month and would post three blogs a week. What that “blogging company” was doing was going out and based on what my client sells, searched for other content that was like it and re purposed it. My client ended up frustrated because it really wasn’t them. It wasn’t their voice and I said, “Well, you’re not involved. And it’s not your voice.” Even great companies I work with make sure to develop a vision and values system that creates a common voice, that supports their brand. Even when I hire people, I look for people that energetically align with my brand, my voice.
Another example: I know an entrepreneur that’s involved in sales and I actually was watching her on Facebook and Twitter one day and I finally called her because we’ve known each other for years and I said, “You are not posting. You’ve outsourced your Facebook and your Twitter.” And she said, “How did you know that?” I said, “I know you. That’s not your voice. It’s not your voice.” She goes, “Oh my God, are you serious?” Imagine the disconnect, right? If somebody is watching your marketing and then wants to hire what they see, and what they hear, and what they feel they’re connecting to and suddenly, when they call to hire you, you are somehow different.
I really believe that marketing is a part that I have to be involved in because as a service provider, people are hiring me. There truly is power in your voice!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
You might not be self employed, but discipline is so critical to having greater success in your life. See, discipline is the ability to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, whether you want to do it or not.
AND when you have discipline, you are influential.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
I often teach my clients about the power and importance of strategy. But unless you take one of my “in person” classes, or coach with my privately, or get to know me, you might not realize where the power of strategy comes from for great warriors (or me!). One great warrior, Ulysses S Grant was known for saying “trust AND verify”. (Not trust but verify, different warrior- and VERY different meaning!!). I embraced this YEARS ago when I heard it. To me it meant that I had to trust my instincts first, verify them, then execute–>that is VERY strategic.
Surprisingly, some people think that strategy has nothing to do with intuition. I strongly disagree! To me that is what “trust AND verify” means. Great strategists TRUST their instincts FIRST, then verify those instincts and develop a plan. Strategy is a necessary part of business success. James Brian Quinn says that “small businesses too need to develop strategies in order to use their limited resources to compete effectively.” For me, as a small business owner, appreciating what a great warrior in battle had to do to be strategic is powerful. They didn’t have a board of advisers to bounce ideas off first. They had to learn to trust and verify -instinct and plan- quickly and effectively. See, great strategists in today’s business world have to consider the predictable, the unpredictable and the unknowable, and using instinct can help that process. This means that strategy requires you look beyond current practice. What better to trust but your instincts to achieve that?
There are several challenges to be strategic first:
1-For most warrior-preneurs the biggest is to trust and verify more quickly.
2-Listen to that inner voice; realize what it’s telling you about what you need to do next and not rationalizing it away.
3-Get over needing to know everything BEFORE deciding. The unpredictable and unknowable require that you do so.
4-Strategy is flexible, but not random.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
I love Stephen Covey. I think the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is one of the most powerful works out there. And I meet MANY people who have read it, but do not LIVE the habits. Too often when I share what I am up to, people ask, “How do you get it all done, Ann? And have time for fun?” This lesson, which I LIVE and truly learned from the Covey’s book, explains it:
What are you focusing on that you do not have control of? How will you let it go and grow your circle of control? How will you increase the power that comes from that focus?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
Many small business owners (heck, large businesses blow this too) forget how powerful Education Based Marketing is to sales success. I learned about education based marketing as a speaker over 10 years ago and have implemented this strategy with all my clients. Many people say: “that’s great, but when do we get to the selling part?” That’s just it: with education based marketing you are selling, without being slimy.
I did a little video offering some tips that are not in the written post:
Here are some additional tips so your education based marketing is not “vanilla”:
1-make the tip, the blog post, the point valuable ALL on its own. If the reader/watcher can say, “thank you, that was really helpful,” then you have created a great education based tip.
2-share tips and insights that relate to what you DO or sell in your business, but also around what you do or sell. For example, you might sell soap but offer education based marketing about why certain kinds of soap are good for children, spa days, essential oils in your home, cold weather tips, etc.
3-speak to your target market when you write your tips. If your market is work form home moms, they have a unique voice different than 40 + woman with no children. When you speak in their voice, they know you understand them.
4-let education based marketing stand alone, without a sales “pitch”. If you have clearly branded what you do and offer, the education will lead to the sale!
What is an education based marketing tip you can offer in your business? (warning don’t sell me-I’ll call you out!)
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
One thing I have learned in 14 years in business is that in order to stay viable, to increase revenue and to be on top in my industry, we must continue to evolve our products and services. Too many companies fail because they keep doing what they have always done. Too many small businesses never thrive because they don’t evolve their products and services. This week I had the chance to sit down with one of my mentors and friends, Audrey Hagen. Great friends and mentors have this ability to listen to you and bring out the best:
Many things have been “sitting” in my business for me to grow one more level and this week they are now in motion. I have been slowly moving, and thanks to Audrey, they are on fire!
Do you have this friend in your life? This mentor?
What are you doing to develop the NEXT level on your business? How are you developing and growing?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
