Marketing Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Nuggets of Wisdom from 40 Years of Self Employment

Do people remember you? How are you memorable?

March 30, 2021 No Comments

Why do business associates remember me – for a long time AND become friends?

I received an email from a man I had done business with in 1985. He had “googled” my name, found my website and emailed me. (isn’t technology wonderful?)

What makes me memorable? I thought about this and came up with several things that I’ve used, am or have done and how you can be too. Here’s how:

1. Speak with confidence.

2. Stand up in a group and ask the question to which everyone else wants to know the answer.

3. Ask others about themselves. Don’t use the same questions such as “what do you do”. Ask an “open ended” question that gets them talking about themselves such as “what brought you to this kind of business – what did you do before?”

4. Attend the same networking events regularly. When people see you frequently they’re more likely to remember you.

5. When you’re at a group event stand up and ask a question or give a comment but always have an attitude of assurance. You’ll be remembered. I always did this not only because I wanted to know the answer but because I’m short (5’) and wanted to be seen!

6. Wear something memorable like a hat. (I was at a seminar where the speaker made hats. He said a hat can be worn by a woman anytime. The hat draws attention to your face so people “see” and remember you.)

7. When you follow up with an email, put where and when you met the person in the subject line. That way they’ll go back to that place in their mind and are more likely to remember you.

8. Speak at conferences and webinars. You won’t know everybody there but they’ll get to know you and you’ll be remembered.

9. Give training seminars. You’ll get to know the participants especially if it’s a series of seminars or webinars.

10. In social media comment on people’s posts.

11. In blogs become a guest blogger AND even if you aren’t a guest blogger make thoughtful comments on people’s posts.

In everything you do in business, you want to be remembered.

Remember – know who you are and be proud of it. Stand tall and with confidence and you’ll be memorable.

Do you have any other examples of what you do that really make people think of you? Share them with all of us.

Originally posted September 3, 2012

Marketing, Small Business

Say thank you – often

February 9, 2021 1 Comment

**Thank you. Merci. Gracias. Arigato. Danke. Grazie.** **Go raibh maith agat.**

There are many ways to show your thanks but we were taught that we should say it, weren’t we. Do you remember being told as kids that the “magic” words are please and thank you?

When should you use thank you?

Say it after EVERYTHING that’s done for you especially when clients buy your product or service.

Use it in your emails and on phone calls. You can mail a “thank you” card, send flowers, do something special that the other person likes (and that you know they do) or send an electronic card that makes them smile.

Say thank you all the time.

There’s several positive results from this this. You get remembered. You get cheques faster, people do things for you with a smile and immediately, repeat and referral business and best of all you feel good.

When, to whom and for what have you said thank you today?

Originally posted June 6, 2014

Marketing, Small Business

Where were you when you talked about your business?

January 29, 2021 No Comments

When you talk about your business, you don’t know who is listening.

You could be in line at the grocery store, at a health club, on the phone with someone trying to sell you a newspaper subscription, having a coffee or tea with a friend, picking up your dry cleaning or in a drug store ordering a prescription when you mention your business.

You never know what the person you are chatting with is interested in or who they know. And you don’t know who is listening in AND what they are interested in or who they know either.

Talk as if you are being heard (that doesn’t mean louder) or be very quiet if you don’t want to be overheard.

A colleague of mine was buying paint for her kitchen and while in the paint store, overheard the conversation that the couple ahead of her in line were having with the cashier. She interrupted them and suggested what colour paint they should get. They bought the colour she recommended and then invited her for coffee at a nearby coffee shop to talk some more. Voilà – they became her first client in her new interior decorating business!

Talk about your business

I ALWAYS mention my business no matter where I am or who I’m with. I’m proud of it.

Always be marketing no matter where you are or who you’re with. Have a marketing mindset as your way of thinking and seeing the world.

You never know who’s listening or where you’ll be when you get an idea. Tell me one of the most unusual places you were when you got a prospect.

Originally posted March 30, 2012 .

Marketing

All marketing is slow marketing

June 25, 2020 No Comments

What do I mean when I say “All marketing is slow marketing”?

Marketing activities are what you use to get known therefore they are long term, aren’t they? What is long term to you – three months? six months? one year? five years? Long term is “slow marketing”, isn’t it?

Marketing activities are directly related to and evolve out of your strategic plan.

The strategic plans you write establish your business goals. The marketing activities are how to get there and they’re called tactics. They’re for a defined period of time, which most commonly is a year, but could be a quarter or even a month. They are your monthly calendar of marketing activities.

Marketing plans and thus activities are directly related to and evolve out of your strategic plan. The strategic plans you write establish your business goals. The marketing activities are how to get there or tactics. They’re for a defined period of time, which most commonly is a year, but could be a quarter or even a month. They are your monthly calendar of marketing activities.

Therefore there’s an order to the things you need to do.

set goals for your business (one year)
decide which products and services to do AND that help you meet your goals
choose two kinds of marketing tactics – those for your long term goals (one year) and those for your short term projects (products and services

It also depends on your reason for using a particular marketing tactic and why you are you are using it. Here are two questions you need to ask.

1. Why are you doing it?

Which of your goals does it meet? Is it for a particular product or to build your reputation? The following are two reasons you may be doing it and the particular marketing activity to use.

for a campaign to launch a product or service (a page on your website, an ad, a newsletter item, several blog posts, your “30 second infomercial”, social media posts, presentations you’re doing, part of your email signature)
get known locally – nationally – internationally (your entire website, newsletter, blog posts,”follow” or “friend” people on social media in your target market, networking, speaking, training, attending events, part of your email signature, etc)

You can see you can and should use all marketing activities.

2. How quickly do you need results?

It may be for a special and therefore time sensitive so you need results according to that date.

It could be to get known and that’s long term so requires you being “seen” often and everywhere hence my belief in repetition including online. Frequency is important and therefore slow or long term.

In summary

ALL marketing is slow and repeated like a dripping tap. A client hears it so often that take action.

You’re in business for “the long haul” so market slowly and repeatedly.

How often do YOU market a piece?

Originally posted on June 2, 2015