I just got finished giving a terrific talk on the 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins to about 60 or so members of the Master Builders Association. I love seeing the light go on when people realize what they’ve been doing wrong and how to fix it!

Inevitably, most small business owners are guilty of one or more of these sins (Find out if you’re guilty, and what to do about it, by downloading a copy of my FREE REPORT “The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins…Are You Guilty?“. Judging by the nods and knowing laughs I got throughout the presentation, this group was no different.

What’s always most interesting are the questions people ask afterward. This time, the one that stood out for me was “I loved your presentation, and totally get what you were saying, but I run a painting company that works for remodelers. Isn’t it different when you’re marketing to businesses?”

Now, anytime I do a presentation like this, I include plenty of real life stories and examples. This time was no different. And although some of my examples related to consumer sales, some also related to selling to businesses.

Of course, it’s easy to overlook this because when I tell the stories they’re all about people selling to people. Because regardless of whether you’re selling direct to consumers or to other businesses, the reality is you’re always selling to a person.

Even in the biggest corporations, your marketing materials eventually end up in somebody’s hands. That person is the decision maker. And just like a consumer, the reason they are looking at your marketing materials is because they have a problem to solve, a want to fulfill, or a need to fill.

Maybe they need to cut costs. Or they’ve just laid people off and need to fill the void with contractors. Or they’ve been dying to redecorate their office. Or the last person flaked. Heck, maybe they want to make themselves look good by brining in a hired gun. Who knows?

Whatever their reason is for considering hiring or working with you, you can bet there is a reason. So if you can show them how you can help them achieve their goals in a way that’s better or different than anyone else, you’re in.

Besides, even CEO’s go home at the end of the night, eat dinner, then (hopefully) put their feet up and read or watch the tube. They also put their pants on one leg at a time. And whether they’re making business buying decisions or buying for themselves, they do business with people they know like and trust. And they really just want to know if you have what they’re after, and the benefits of doing business with you (especially when compared to the other guy).

So whether you’re selling to businesses or consumers, you’re really just selling to a person. And they’re really just buying from a person (you). So in my book all the same basic marketing rules apply, though the details, design, terminology, voice etc. may change.

• You have to know your target market and understand their wants, needs and problems.
• You have to get in front of them over and over in a warm, personable, helpful way so they can come to know, like and trust you.
• You have to speak to them in a way that it is attention-grabbing, easy to read and resonates with the reader.
• You have to show them how you can solve their problems, fulfill their wants, or fill their needs.
• You have to give them a good reason to buy from you instead of the guy down the street.

And so on…

Do you think marketing should be done differently for B to B versus B to C sales? Why or why not?

Share your thoughts by posting a comment below…

[tags] Business to Business Marketing, Business to Consumer Marketing, B to B Marketing, B to C Marketing, differences [/tags]

A few years ago, I was brought in by a marketing consultant to do some copywriting for one of his small business clients—a local remodeler. I met with the consultant and client, gathered information, and got ready to start writing.

First, I carefully considered the target market, and their needs and fears. Goodness knows people have lots of fears around hiring a remodeler, including:

What if I give them money, they start my project, then disappear leaving me living in a disaster zone?

What if it takes four times as long as they promised to finish the job?

What if having my house torn apart and a bunch of construction workers around every day turns into a living hell?

What if they don’t understand what I want so I don’t like the end result?

What if the whole thing ends up costing me WAY more than I budgeted and they promised?

The list goes on…

Thankfully, the client had been in business a long time. So they had systems in place to keep these types of problems from happening.

My job was to write marketing materials that would show how the client was different from other remodelers, and most importantly, alleviate these fears as much as possible.

So I worked hard to address each fear and make prospects feel confident it wouldn’t happen if they hired my client.

Once I had a solid first draft, I sent it over to the consultant for review. And you know what he said? “You can’t write about these things…I don’t want you to bring up anything negative!”

His theory was that if we didn’t talk about it, they wouldn’t think about it. Baloney!

The problem was that most people were already worried about these issues long before they read the client’s brochure or Website. So if I didn’t talk about them, their fears became a giant elephant in the room.

I tried to state my case to the consultant, but the client and project was in his hands. So I did the best I could without bringing up any of the objections I knew prospects would have. I just sort of talked around them.

The result? The pieces I wrote weren’t bad, and they did get clients, but all too often prospects would read the brochure or Website and say, “This sounds too good to be true!” (voices dripping with skepticism). Because it did.

Everything I wrote was sunshine and roses without a dark cloud in sight…Even though everyone knew good and well those dark clouds were out there.

I’m quite sure the client lost business as a result.

The moral of the story? Whenever you write marketing materials, or even do a sales pitch live, you must address all of the prospect’s objections. Otherwise you probably won’t make the sale.

Think about it…Would you spend your hard-earned cash on something if you still had a major fear, worry or concern about the purchase? Probably not. And your customers won’t either.

So don’t ignore the elephant standing in the room…Everyone knows it’s there anyway and it smells funny.

Instead, point out objections and fears up front, then show prospect’s why they don’t need to worry about whatever-it-is after all. They’ll feel a million times more confident buying from you if you do.

Have you ever been on the verge of making a purchase, but stopped because of a fear, concern or objection that wasn’t effectively addressed?

Have you come up with any handy ways to address and/or alleviate prospect’s objections and fears in your own business?

If so, please do share by leaving a comment below…

[tags] Small business marketing, copywriting, sales, objections, costing you sales, marketing [/tags]

Just yesterday I was on the phone with an amazing business man. I met him at the biznik BizJamSeattle2008 a couple of weeks ago, and was really impressed with his work, attitude and obvious success.

So we were chatting to get to know each other better and see if there might be some synergy or strategic partnering potential.

He does fascinating work around helping entrepreneurs recognize and harness their strengths—and let go of limiting beliefs—to achieve success. What struck me was that about 30 minutes into our conversation I ran straight into a big wall of his limiting beliefs…!

We were talking, and I mentioned something about having my Virtual Assistants (VA’s) take care of a task for me. And you know what he said???

“I’ve been thinking about hiring a VA, but I have a really hard time figuring out what I can let go.”

I almost sprayed a mouthful of hot tea all over my monitor! Here’s a clearly successful guy with a thriving business helping others let go of their limiting beliefs to achieve success, and he’s got a doozy himself!!

Frankly, if someone asked me for just one piece of advice I could give other small business owners, it’d be “Outsource everything you can, as soon as you can (and no matter what your budget, or income, or field, you CAN start outsourcing right now)!”

How do I know? Because I’ve lived on both sides of the coin.

I grew up working in my parent’s animal hospital (definitely as cool as it sounds  ), and my mother was a firm believer that if you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself. So, like most small business owners, I struggled to do it all myself in my first three businesses.

When I did finally start trying to outsource, I had worse luck finding good people than I did finding quality to men to date in my early twenties.

I hired a bookkeeper who didn’t keep my books…An accountant who was always nine months late filing my taxes…A copywriter whose work I had to completely rewrite…

The list goes on, and the experience was bad enough to make me stop outsourcing for almost nine months!

In hindsight I think part of the problem was that, although I knew I needed to lighten my workload, deep down I still believed I had to do it all myself.

Plus, in the beginning it was a bit of a cool challenge to learn it all. So I was having fun being the copywriter, marketer, bookkeeper, accountant, sales person, Web designer, admin assistant, shopping cart administrator and email autoresponder expert (just to name the biggies!).

Then the clients started rolling in, and it wasn’t long before I was also overworked, overstressed, exhausted, in pain from sitting at a computer all day, and not making enough money.

On top of that I had zero time to focus on getting out of this rut. So I and kept pushing forward and making it happen. I lasted almost 3 years before burn out set in hard.

Finally, I hired a part-time assistant for 4 hours a week (it was all I could afford). This helped, but it wasn’t enough. I was unhappy and unhealthy because I didn’t have time for the things I enjoy, and my hubby was feeling neglected.

It was time to take stock and redesign my business so I could work less and make more. Otherwise I was not going to last.

So I committed to outsourcing everything possible.

Today I have two VA teams, a bookkeeper, an accountant, a graphic designer, a couple copywriters, a print production team, and a Web developer who all do work for me.

I’ve reduced my work hours by 30% AND increased revenues by 35%, while only paying about 15% more than I was before.

So if you’re still doing it all…STOP! You don’t have to. Even if you have very little cash, you can afford to hire a VA to work a couple hours a week.

You’ll be amazed at what they can get done in a short amount of time. And at what YOU can get done once you have the stuff you’re not good at off your plate.

The best part is, you don’t have to pay taxes or guarantee anyone a certain amount of hours each week. Plus, they come pre-trained and only bill you for the minutes they work on your projects.

Wondering what you can hand off to a VA?

I say outsource anything you hate doing, are not good at, never seem to get to, or that someone else can do faster or cheaper than you can.

Here’s a short list of what my VA’s do for me…

Blog design and updates, press release submissions, setting up and maintaining social networking sites, Website updates, building mini-sites, online article submissions, buying and mailing gifts for clients, handling emails when I’m out of town, shopping cart management, online research, data entry…The list goes on.

Finding a great VA is as simple as doing a Goggle search

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you look for your new VA…

• Some VA’s specialize in certain software or tasks, so have an idea of what you need first.
• It’s best to hire a VA who has more than one person on their team. That way if they have an emergency your business doesn’t come to a screeching halt.
• Just like hiring an employee, check references and ask to see samples of their work before you hire them.
• It’s best to create standardized task lists with details of how you like things done. That way there’s no confusion. And if you have to switch VA’s you already have everything documented.
• A good VA will charge anywhere from $35-60 depending on their skill level. Though it seems expensive, since they only charge for the minutes they’re working on your project (and most are really fast because they do these tasks day in and day out) you can a lot done for a little money.

If you haven’t started outsourcing, I’d love to know what’s stopping you…

If you already use a VA, I’d love to know how it’s been going for you and any tips you have for outsourcing effectively…

And if you hire a VA in the near future, let me know how it works for you…

Please leave your comments below!

[tags] Small Business, Outsourcing, Hiring Virtual Assistants [/tags]

My husband made an interesting point the other day. It’s one that has a huge impact on how you market your products or services, and what people are willing to pay.

He said, “Do you realize people are whining about the high cost of gas, yet happily paying more than $5.00 a gallon for bottled water?”

Last I checked, gas prices here in Seattle are averaging $4.33 a gallon. While on average, people are paying more than $6.00 a gallon for something they already have—water, at a cost of pennies for a gallon—in a bottle they’re going to throw away (or hopefully recycle).

Why are people willing to pay so much for bottled water? Because there is “perceived” value in it, even though there might not be “real” value. Let’s look at both sides of that coin, shall we…

• Bottled water is convenient, so you drink more which is good for your health. But is it really more convenient than buying a bottle you can refill at any tap?
• It’s “natural spring water”, so it’s better for you. Maybe. Maybe not.Back in 1999, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published the results of a four-year study—that were fairly well publicized—where researchers tested more than 1,000 samples of 103 brands of bottled water and found that, “An estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle—sometimes further treated, sometimes not.”Yet, according to a study noted on the Amber Waves Website in June 2007 http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/June07/Findings/SoftDrink.htm
  “From 1997 to 2005, per capita consumption of bottled water increased by 90 percent”! Perception wins again!!
• Bottled water a way to donate to a worthy cause (Athena water donates all profits to breast cancer research, for example). Sure, but you could just donate outright. Then your cause gets more money and you get a tax write-off. Plus, you have to factor the environmental costs into the equation as well, then see if you still feel good about it.
• Everyone else is buying bottled water, so there must be something to it. Hmmmm…To quote my mother, “If your friends all jumped off a cliff, would you think that was a good idea and do it too?”

The bottom line is that marketing is all about perception. Something is exactly what people think it is—regardless of whether they are right or wrong. This is where value-based pricing (versus cost-based pricing) comes in.

Think about it…Water costs pennies per gallon (at most), and the bottles are probably only a few cents as well. Yet people happily pay a couple bucks for a small bottle to get all these perceived benefits.

Now, hopefully, you have some real value and benefits to offer your customers. In which case you can absolutely set prices based on value instead of cost (though cost should be a factor you take into consideration too). As long as you can get your clients and prospects to see the value in what you do, and that value is something they want, they’ll pay higher prices to get it.

The key is to understand a bit about the psychology of the average consumer. One way to do that is to ponder this question…

Why are people so willing to pay through the nose for bottled water (something they already get practically for free anyway), but are up in arms about the rising cost of gas (something that clearly costs a lot to extract, refine and transport—and has very obvious and real benefits or value)?

I’ve got my own theories, but I’d love to know yours. Please do leave a comment with your answer below.

[tags] consumer, consumer perceptions, marketing, pricing, small business, business [/tags]

Like many small business owners, I’ve been experimenting with online social networking as part of my marketing plan. I’ve long been a proponent of offline networking, and in fact launched my last business almost entirely through in-person networking events.

Though I still love live networking and belong to a couple organizations, I’m becoming a fan of online networking too. Having joined a number of sites in the last year or so including: LinkedIn, FastPitch, Facebook, Plaxo Pulse and Biznik, I’ve learned a thing or two about online networking.

The first is that, just like live networking, you need to participate regularly to become known and trusted. Offline that means showing up regularly and being a helpful resource to others. Online it means basically the same thing, only in the form of posting articles or answering people’s questions…And updating your own page regularly.

The second, and most important, thing I’ve learned is that you still have to make a personal connection or you won’t really benefit. Why? Because just having a bazillion “friends” online won’t do diddly-squat to grow your business.

If those “friends” are people you don’t really know, but they seem like interesting business people to align yourself with (or possibly even joint venture with), you need to get to know them better. So pick up the phone and give them a call. Or better yet, if they’re in your neck of the woods, meet for coffee.

I’ve done this a number of times and gotten way more out of it than just connecting online ever provides. This is why I’ve come to love Biznik so much.

Rather than simply offering a place to connect online, Biznik uses its Website as a portal for connecting local small business owners in person. And they offer plenty of opportunities to be of service to the community and get known as an expert in your field online too. Best of all, it really works!

I attended Biznik’s two-day Bizjam in Seattle last week, and it was amazing how many people I recognized—and that recognized me—from the Biznik site. I finally got to meet a couple of folks I had been corresponding with via the Biznik Website, plus some new folks whose names and faces I had seen online.

I also met a couple of new and interesting people I’m planning to talk with further about some joint venture and teleseminar possibilities. And I was only there for one of the two days!

On top of all that, Bizjam itself was an info-packed event filled with speakers and topics sure to interest most small business owners (or “indies” as Biznik calls us).

My personal favorite was a talk by Eliza Sherman (www.mediaegg.com) on ways to better manage all your social networking efforts. She was fun to listen to and she packed in tons of practical advice.

Here’s just a short list of her recommendations that I’m planning to implement this week…

Friendfeed.com for aggregating all your social network info
Utterz.com for doing quick Audio Podcasts
Hellotxt.com for aggregating your micro blog status (that’s the little box where you can say what you are doing right now. Also works for Twitter.)
Sharethis.com for offering an email sharing system on your blog instead of just an RSS feed

If you’re not on Biznik yet, I highly recommend it. Chances are there’s already a Biznik group meeting offline in your area, as the concept has been quickly spreading nationwide. You can join for free at www.biznik.com.

However, I can say that I’ve been getting way more traffic and visibility since I upgraded to a paid membership. Check it out. Participate. And connect with me once you’re there.

I’d love to know what you think of Biznik, and whether or not it’s helping you grow your business. Please post a comment below…

[tags] Small Business, Social Networking, Biznik, BizjamSeattle08, online marketing [/tags]

I just read a terrific article by Chris Crum at Small Business Newz entitled “Thinking About Rebranding Your Business.” In it, Chris offers some incredibly valuable information about the mistakes business owners often make when rebranding, as well as links to other resources. He also focuses on something I believe is especially important…Not forgetting about your current clients and customers when you rebrand. Otherwise you might just lose them.

Words to take to heart for sure.

I’ve been through a successful rebrand in my own business, and as a small business Practical Marketing Consultant, I’ve run across tons of small business owners who’ve decided to rebrand. Oftentimes for the wrong reason…Or perhaps I should say, without a good reason.

Anyone considering rebranding needs to take a step back and ask themselves two, important questions…

“Why do you want to rebrand your business?”

And,

“What exactly do you hope to accomplish by rebranding?”

Rebranding simply because you’re tired of your current logo or colors is NOT a good reason.

I once had a chiropractor client who wanted to change his business name, logo and colors (from healthy, happy green and yellow to formal, austere black and gold–the colors of funeral homes and lawyers.).

Why? Because he was tired of it all ((Of course he was…He sees it every day!). And, because he had seen a lawyer’s sign in those colors and thought they looked slick.

Worst of all, he had no plans to even send out a letter to his current clients announcing the changes.
How many people would have driven by his office, seen the new name, sign and colors, and assumed a new chiropractor must have moved in? I know I would’ve.

Bottom line…If you don’t have a good reason to rebrand (expansion of products or services, surveys saying your brand doesn’t resonate with your target market, you’re going after a new market, etc.), you also don’t have a good explanation to offer your current customers or clients.
You must let your clients know what’s changing and why. They’re used to your old brand, so the new one may come across as just that–new. They need a reason for rebranding that make sense and ideally shows how it is linked to other improvements that matter to them. People remember, and are excited by, the prospect of more benefits.

The last thing you want (in most cases, at least) is to lose your current clients because they think you’ve moved, or sold, or got bought out.
So think carefully before you begin the rebranding process. Then create a plan for making the change AND communicating it to your current client base. You’ll be more likely to see good ROI from your efforts if you do.

Have you been through a rebranding? If so, I’d love to know how it went for you and if there’s anything you’d do differently if you had to do it over again.

Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below…

Read Chris’ entire article here.

I just finished reading Jason Lee miller’s terrific post on Web Pro News “24 Ways to Get and Keep a Customer”.

In it, he references a Future Now’s 2007 Retail Customer Experience Study that every business owner with a Website should be aware of.

The study states that a 2007 Forrester survey revealed, “only 26% of online consumers were simply satisfied with their shopping experience. This suggests a whopping 74% — three-quarters of online shoppers — weren’t even satisfied. And what of the remaining 26%? They weren’t delighted. They were merely “satisfied.” In other words, the shopping experience was, at best, adequate.”

Twice recently I was personally reminded of how bad some Website shopping experiences can really be—as well as what a stellar shopping experience is like. In the course of one day, I had shopping experience that ranged from frustrating, to great, to near perfection.

Let’s start with perfection…

First, I went looking for a place to send the rear shock on my mountain bike to be overhauled. Usually you send them back to the manufacturer, then wait 4-6 weeks to get it back.

I wasn’t happy about this idea…Especially since I’d procrastinated on taking care of this over the winter and now biking season is here. The last thing I want to do is be bikeless but my shock is shot an leaking oil. So I went online to find the address for the manufacturer’s repair shop.

Only I couldn’t find it anywhere. Even though my shock is pretty popular, I had zero luck finding the manufacturer’s Website at all.

Thankfully, I found two Websites for independent repair shops that could overhaul my shock. And one (http://www.thebrokenbike.com) was, quite frankly, one of the best examples of a small business e-commerce Website I’ve ever seen!!

Everything was well-organized and easy to read and navigate.
His buy now buttons were big and obvious.
He had his picture and the story of how he came to start this business that added tons of credibility.
He included testimonials for even more credibility.
And he had audio and video explaining the entire process…From the best way to ship your bike part, to what he’s going to do to make it like new again.

On top of all that, he made a promise I couldn’t resist big and bold…Same day turnaround.

I was sold and sent my shock in yesterday. If he delivers as promised, I should be riding on my overhauled shock next week (woohoo!).

Now, because of my needing to rebuild my shock (and the fact that I’ve never been thrilled with how it, or my bike, ride), I’ve also been considering selling this bike and upgrading.

So I started surfing bicycle Websites in search of a new steed.

I’ve been mountain biking pretty avidly for about 5 years, but I’m not a total gearhead about it. I couldn’t tell you which front forks have more travel, or why I would want one disc brake over another. And I certainly don’t know the features and benefits of all the different bikes models and components by name.

As a result, the first Website I went to (http://www.santacruzmtb.com/home/) totally lost me. Rather than dividing out the bikes by style or ideal use, they just had a list of names and icons. So I had to click on each one to see whether or not it was a bike might be interested in (a huge PIA!).

Then, when I got there, I couldn’t easily find the info that was most important to me (namely, a simple statement of what type of riding the bike is designed for, and how much travel the shocks have).

Clearly they geared their site towards more gearhead riders. But they lost a sale by not communicating enough for the average, non-technical mountain biker to make a buying decision. And I don’t think they would lose the gearheads by offering more info.

Needless to say I left that site and went to another…

The Kona site was a whole different ball of wax. It immediately helped me locate the bikes that would be the best fit for me via an interactive questionnaire. In seconds I was looking at exactly what I wanted.

On top of that, the bike descriptions were really helpful in explaining what the bike was best suited for, as well as giving me the key feature info I needed. Now I’m seriously considering buying one of their bikes.

The only negative is that their banner picture is a bit too big. So when I first clicked on the site, and it opened in a half-size window, I couldn’t find the navigation. Other than that the site was easy and intuitive to use.

The bottom line is, if you’re focused on driving traffic to your site, that’s great. But it’s a waste of time and money if you’re site doesn’t do a good job at helping people find what they want and give them enough info to confidently make a purchase.

Jason’s article lists some terrific tips to help you make your Website visitor’s buying experience better than adequate.

For even more helpful info on how to turn your Website into a highly effective salesperson, check out my latest e-book The Small Business Website Bible.

Have you found a Website you either love or hate? Are there certain things you always look for, or that always drive you nuts, when you’re shopping online?

If so, please do share by posting a comment below…

[tags] Website, ecommerce, small business, sales, marketing, online shoppers, shopping [/tags]