Be a Real Partner

Business used to be much simpler. The formula for success was to provide value, convenience, and great customer service, which in turn led to referrals that became new clients. This tried and true cycle kept the business world moving forward.

Somewhere along the way, however, the rules seem to have changed, and the apple cart has been upset. To win business today, you must provide more than value and customer service. Change is an inevitable part of life and must be dealt with. Change can lead to transformations in which we are active and willing participants, or change can occur despite our best efforts to stop it. In these cases, the outcomes are not necessarily in our power. An important part of transformation and evolution is to learn from the past. This is a great time to review the past year and make decisions about changes that need to be made for a successful new year. Reflections On the Past Year Was 2012 a success for you? If not, where did things go wrong? -- Did you have enough sales opportunities? -- Were you presenting the right solutions for your prospects? -- Did you learn enough about your clients and their needs in order to implement the right solutions for your clients? There are no right answers here, just honest introspection. Resolutions For the New Year To make changes for a successful 2013: -- Know what goals your clients have for their businesses. -- Help them achieve their goals with the solutions you have to offer. To be as successful as you would like to be in the new year, you need to accomplish one important task: look for ways to make your clients achieve their goals. When you can do that, you have aligned their goals with yours. You have become a true partner in their success. This can go a long way in making your new year the best ever.

Repurpose Marketing Content

Repurposing content is often one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to create an abundance of creative content, while at the same time extending the shelf life of your current marketing investment. Here are a few tips to help you creatively repurpose marketing content: Combine related blog posts on specific topics into an e-book. Add content as needed to make it flow smoothly from one post to another. Convert PowerPoint presentations into videos by adding animations, background music, or a voice-over. Maximize exposure by posting your videos on YouTube and sharing links via social media, your website, email, direct mail, and other marketing tools. Turn publications or articles into podcasts by simply reading them aloud or having a narrative conversation about a topic of interest. Create a company history timeline highlighting the stages and evolution of your business. Include news releases, company posts, social media announcements, and articles about your company. Review unconventional content as well, such as an employee handbook that may include an introduction from the president outlining the company's vision or a well-written summary of your target audience meant to educate new employees. Archive your news releases in a "news" section on your company website to increase ongoing exposure. Reuse parts of press releases, case studies, white papers, and other publications. Pull key quotes, stats, facts, and highlights, then use those materials in brochures, newsletters, blog posts, website pages, and email campaigns. Create a landing page or microsite using in-depth product pages or articles that you've already written. No matter how you repurpose your content, just remember that the more content you create, the easier it is to generate interest, educate and inform prospects and customers, and increase sales.

Defining Values, Mission, Vision, & Goals

With the new year beginning, many of us will be revisiting that time-honored tradition of planning for the new year. As part of the planning, we need to define what we want to accomplish. In order for our plan to be complete and comprehensive, we need to start with four elements: Values Mission Vision Goals Many people have a tough time determining what values, mission, vision, and goals really are. Everyone knows they should have them, but most of us aren't sure what each of these elements actually is or how they differ from one another. Let's end the confusion today! Values are the qualities you stand for. Mission is how you intend to change the world around you. Vision is how you see yourself or your business in one year, two years, five years, or even longer down the road. Goals are the outcomes you want to achieve over the next week, month, quarter, or year. That's it! Of course, you could write whole books about each of these topics, but that's all you need to start with. Complete these four objectives, and you'll be well on your way to making your dreams a reality.

No Apologies, Please

In order to be successful in business, you must portray confidence. If you aren't confident in your abilities or the quality of your products and services, why should a prospect or customer have confidence in you?

The words you choose in sales and marketing are very important and should portray a positive, confident image of your business. That's why you should never start a marketing or sales pitch with an apology. If what you have to say is important, you should always say it confidently, with no apologies. Starting a conversation with an apology ("I'm sorry to both you...") suggests that what you have to say isn't really important and may influence prospects or customers to think the same. Rather than apologizing or downgrading your approach, try showing confidence by saying, "I have an exciting new product I'd like to share with you, and I need a few minutes of your time. Do you have a moment to discuss this now, or can I make an appointment with you at a later date?" If you're promoting a product or service of value, you should never apologize for getting in contact with prospects or customers to promote it. So, if your sales pitch isn't important, don't use it. If it is important, don't apologize for using it.

Why You Need to Use Pattern Interrupt in Your Marketing

From the time you wake up until the moment you close your eyes, you're bombarded with marketing messages. You may even have dreams of the ads running in your sleep! Most of the messages you see during the day just blend together without much notice. Many are of the "me too" variety. Either the owner or the advertiser is practicing the lazy marketing technique of simply copying a competitor's ad with very little real change. Maybe the original ad had some creativity to it, but now it's lost in a sea of similarity. For your ad to have any chance of succeeding, you must use "pattern interrupt marketing" as one component of your message. What's pattern interrupt marketing? As the name implies, it's marketing that stops a prospect in their tracks and engages them. Your message must be able to capture a prospect's attention if it's to have any chance of being noticed. Imagine you're driving down a street looking for a place to eat lunch. The street is packed with similar looking eateries on both your left and right. The buildings all look the same and have signs with business names on them. The business owners have all copied each other in building design, colors, and layout so much that it's very difficult to tell them apart. But one smart business owner has hired someone with a colorful costume and given them a professional-looking sign with delicious-looking food photos and a message that clearly states all the benefits of their restaurant; in addition, if you come in today, you'll receive a great discount. The guy holding the sign interrupts your attention, and the offer lures you in to try the food. That's what pattern interrupt marketing is all about. Now, you could try any number of gimmicks to grab a prospect's attention, but there are only a few things that will truly capture their interest and hold it long enough for you to make an impression. Here are three steps to get you started: Make a list of problems your product or service can solve. Pick just one as the focal point for your marketing message. Think about the types of language and visual cues your customers would use to best understand this message. With those elements in place, you can better plan your marketing. Pattern interrupt marketing can be used in every type of business and in every type of marketing communication. Whether on a billboard, through direct mail, via email marketing, or even at a trade show, pattern interrupt marketing can be very effective. The goal is not only to capture the prospect's attention by doing something different or unexpected but also to encourage them to take further steps with you once they're engaged. Pattern interrupt marketing is only the first step in a process, but in some ways, it's the most important step. After all, if you can't capture their attention, the rest won't matter.

Know When to Hold 'Em... and When to Fold 'Em

While business generally isn't the place for gambling, you could benefit from some of the tools and lessons learned playing cards (or other games). Here are a few strategies that can help your business grow:

Create allies. Every business leader needs a strong business associate or partner they can talk to, bounce ideas off of, and count on to keep them focused on the task at hand. Think strategically, and keep an eye out for game-changing possibilities that may await you. Hone your interpersonal skills, which you'll need for negotiations, business meetings, and day-to-day communications. Control your emotions. The cards we are dealt aren't always fair, but you need self control to deal with unfair or frustrating situations. Rank your status in comparison to your competition. If your competitor is sweeping the game and overflowing in confidence, you may start to doubt your own abilities, as will others. Learn how to take risks. Just as one decision could ultimately make or break the game, decisions you make could affect the fate of your business or the rest of your life. Face the odds. Sometimes the cards are stacked against you, and the chances of coming out ahead are slim. If you're up against a challenging hand, either put forth a good fight until the end or learn to walk away. Experience is still the best teacher. While books, DVDs, and classes can help you learn faster, the experience of making good and bad decisions can't be found in a book or movie. Double down on what works. If you've found a business or marketing strategy that works, keep using it strategically to reap even greater rewards. Start over. Whether you win or lose, no game lasts forever. Don't be afraid to start fresh and put your lessons to good use on the next game.

Be a Drama Queen!

Yes, being a drama queen is typically a negative. But there is one instance where it is actually a big positive.

Imagine you are in a stadium filled with your most ideal prospects. You have one chance to present and pitch your product or service. Say the right thing, and every one of them will become a client. Say the wrong thing, and you'll lose them all. That's the potential power of communication. There are many ways to get your message across. You can bore them to death, or you can entertain them. The chances that a prospect will stick around and listen are much better if you do the latter. People are drawn to those who can share, teach, and even sell something useful. They are most attracted to the ones who can entertain them while presenting. Like it or not, we live in a society that needs and wants to be entertained. If you want to stand out and succeed, you have to be able to give them what they want. This is where injecting drama into your sales copy, blogs, direct mail, social media presence, and sales presentations has a powerful and magnetic effect. The best drama has some action and intrigue to draw the audience in. The same is true in business communication. If you take the time to package your thoughts and ideas in an entertaining way, you will be better received. Your audience will want more. The cycle of attraction, conversion, and consumption will begin. And it will continue as long as you are able to inject enthusiasm and some drama into your messages.