This week I was lucky enough to be at the same networking event as two of my VIP – Fast Track Mentor Clients, and was able to hear them speak about their businesses.  It was great to hear the clarity in their voice as they succinctly described why you would want to use their services.

The ‘elevator speech’ can be a powerful business-marketing tool, especially if there are a number of similar professions in the one room, like there was this week. 

We had two Mortgage Brokers in the room and without being disrespectful – the first Mortgage Broker stood up and spoke about the wonderful features that her and her company could provide us.  She continued to say how they were the number one mortgage broker in Australia, how she would travel to you and that they had 25 lenders to draw from, etc.  Not very exciting and it didn’t really entice you to want to find out more about what she did.

When it came time for my client to speak, she clearly and concisely described not only the features of her business, but also how she could work with you.  She described who she worked with, what challenges they could face in securing a home loan, and how she took the time to make sure she provided the right solution for each client.  As you listened, it was clear she had a real passion for her business, and she would work to get the right result for you or anybody you may refer.  So as opposed to the first speaker, who simply gave you the 'what' of her business, my mentor student also provided the 'why' and 'how' - giving a much more complete picture.

An effective elevator speech needs to communicate immediately to your ideal clients what you can do to solve their problems or challenges.  The outcome being that within the 60-second period, this person will not only want your business card, but will also want to speak with you further about your services.

It’s important to take the time to develop your ‘elevator speech’ and if you don’t get it right the first time – that’s okay.  Keep working on it and make the necessary changes, and it will come together. 

So how do you create an effective elevator speech?  There are numerous ways in which you can pull this together, but below are the guidelines that work best for my clients.  But before we get to that I thought I would share with you, the elevator speech that my client used this week- bear in mind that you have only a short period of time to make a real impact with what you say:

“My name is Kim Wight from Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers and I help you finance your property purchase with the right loan structure and interest rate to meet your requirements.

I do this by taking the time to personally understand your current needs and future plans, and provide you with the best advice and outstanding service to satisfy your needs now and into the future.

If you know anyone thinking about finance or worrying about rising interest rate they would benefit from speaking with me.”

That was Kim’s, now it’s your turn:

• Begin with your name: 

• State who you work with: 

• Speak about some of the challenges that they may be facing:

• Talk about the solutions you provide for these challenges:

• What is the call to action you would like?

I find that it is useful to develop a number of different elevator speeches, and then you can determine which ‘speech’ best suits the environment you are in. Don’t forget to have one that is fun and light-hearted!  Take time to prepare, and make sure you also practise your ‘speech’ as well.  If you feel comfortable enough, why not ask the person sitting beside you to provide you with feedback after the meeting?

Let me know how you go in developing your ‘elevator speech’, in fact, why don’t you share it with us all, in the comment section of my blog

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When you first started your business, did you make the same mistake that I made?  Did you feel you   had to take on every new client who approached you?  I did!  When I started, one of the strategies I thought would build a successful business was to see everyone as a potential client.  I would chase them until I became exhausted.  It didn't guarantee me new clients, my bottom line didn't grow, and my business wasn't successful.  Something had to change. 

I knew what I wanted to create, but at that time I didn’t really know or understand how to create it successfully. It took me time, and a high level of commitment, but after reading, studying, and being mentored, I knew I had the skills and knowledge to build a business that I would be proud of.  A business that would be successful! I realised that it took focus and persistence, because building a business is a marathon, it’s not a sprint.

Over a period of time, I developed a formula that worked for me. I called it my Success Formula.  It goes like this:

Make a Decision + Stay Focused + Be Persistent = Success

So how does this look in reality?

Make A Decision

So, you’ve blocked out your 2011 planning time, begun to thrash out your goals and intentions for creating the best business year yet.  Research has been completed. You’ve worked with your business mentor or advisors around how to stretch yourself further, and achieve these goals.  Now it’s time to make a decision! 

Ask yourself:   Are you excited by the goals and intentions you have set?  If yes: 

Have you stretched yourself?  If yes: 

After intensive research, are you willing to back yourself?  If yes:

Are you willing to make the decision that these are your goals for 2011?  If yes:

It’s time for you to commit to this decision.

Now if we go back to the very first question around being excited by your goals – if you answered ‘no’ to this question, than its back to the drawing board for you.  Keep working on your goals and intentions, until you feel the excitement, until you know internally that the goals you are setting will set you on fire.

Okay, now you’ve made the decision, what’s next?

Stay focused & be persistent!

As mentioned earlier, building your successful business is not a sprint, you want to treat it as a marathon.  Don’t make it hard.  If you read anything about successful entrepreneurs, you know that in most cases they persist when others give up.  Now that doesn’t mean at times you may need to change or modify your decision, but what you want to do is make the necessary changes, get back on track, and continue to be focused and persistent.

When working with my mentoring clients, and step up their marketing efforts – by doing research, developing extraordinary products and services, and focusing in on their target market.  Often what I will begin hearing from them is “Deb, you are relentless, and this is a lot of work.”  And they're right, but this is business, and this is the legacy they are creating. 

When you put the right work in, focus and stay persistent, results will happen.  If you’re not sure what the next step is for you and your business, why not check out my Marketing Blueprint Workshops.  What’s the worst thing that could happen?  You could come away with your 2011 marketing plan.  Remember all it takes is making that decision.

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 Marketing 101....What is the 1 thing you want to know about developing your marketing
 blueprint?

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Client Satisfaction - What are your ideas/strategies for extraordinary client satisfaction?

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By Alexandra Popovic

Are you one of those business owners who is quick to pass off social media as just another online fad? It might be time for you to reconsider your thinking. Because the truth is, if you invest in learning how to leverage it properly, the opportunities on social media are endless.

So the choice you must now make is either embrace it, or risk being left behind. Rather than focusing on the hottest tools, I believe it is essential to firstly emphasis one’s approach to this new medium, and the importance of creating valuable online conversations whilst developing worthwhile communities.

This is central to your success, so here are ten do’s and don’ts to consider before entering the socialmediasphere:

1. Don’t jump on the social media bandwagon just because it’s trendy. You’ll only wind up wasting your time and money if you don’t commit properly, or believe in its value. Take the time to educate yourself first, find worthwhile bloggers to subscribe to who also use social media, and develop your strategy, or seek advice from someone who can help you. You must however, be clear on the outcomes you want to achieve through your Social Media strategy.
 
2. Many delude themselves thinking their "brand” will impress the masses, but that’s just superficial packaging. The person behind the brand is now the focus. You’ll receive credibility and respect only if, and when, it’s earned. Do this by supporting and adding value to your online community, speak with them and not to them.

3. Forget about using Social Media as just another way to broadcast your marketing "message” en masse. If you do, you’ll only wind up being ignored and popular with “me, myself, and I”. It’s about engagement of your audience, so listening and engaging in conversation is key. In fact, why not create your own community via some free tools that make it easier and more manageable? Check out: Seesmic and Tweetdeck.

4. Don’t put emphasis on being popular, obsessing over statistics and analytics of how many likes/followers/connections you have. Focus on what makes you so ‘younique’; showcase your character, values, personality, knowledge and experience. Remember it’s quality over quantity, as the number of followers bares no relation to the number of possible opportunities.

5. What worked for you and your business 5 or 10 years ago is now irrelevant in this new arena. This new age form of customer service is all about people to people, so remember to invest in learning techniques on how best to present yourself to ensure you make a positive and lasting impression.

6. Don’t construct what you think is a compelling personality to attract your "target market”. Those that succeed in social media are authentic and transparent about who they really are, and understand the true value of their services/products. They know that building Social Media relationships, like any worthwhile relationship, takes time and they are willing to work at this for the long haul.

7. Strategy is definitely not “one size fits all”, so what might work for someone else, may not for you. Research other business case studies for inspiring examples, but bare in mind that the needs of your business should be assessed, and a practical, productive strategy customised exactly to these needs.

8. Don’t sit behind your Social Media accounts and rely solely on it for all your business networking. Yes, use it as a quick icebreaker, a learning tool,  and to start conversations, but meeting prospective clients and partners face-to-face can never be replaced. You can use Tweetups (Twitter meetups), and meet others in your local area. If you are traveling, tweetups are being held all over the world nowadays, so do a search for one happening in the place you are traveling to in advance and connect online with other attendees. In fact, why not take the initiative and create one of your own?!

9. Don’t use Social Media in place of your marketing strategy, it is only a piece of the marketing pie. Plan realistically what your business, marketing objectives, and goals are, and integrate your social media objective into your overall plan. Remember to measure your progress, so you can change your strategy if and when necessary.

10. First impressions really count, and you have less than 5 seconds! Put your best profiles forward, be consistent with your business branding and make sure your information is always informative and up to date.

Visit Alex at VIP Virtual Solutions to take advantage of her FREE social media evaluation – this is available to the first ten Biz Booster readers who contact her. Or check out her other services in relation to social media management and training.
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Marketing is key to business success - what is your #1 marketing tip?

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  Do you have a mission statement?  If so, what is it and how
  does it help/assist you with your business success?

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I was reading a report last week that said that only 10% of small businesses in America take the time to properly develop a marketing strategy. It made me think that if this was happening in the US, I’m sure the figures would be similar regardless of where you are in the world. Why is it that you may start a business, but decide not to put a plan into place of how to grow your livehood? If you were heading out on a road trip to a new destination, my guess is that you would have some type of map, whether it be a GPS, a list of directions or a good old-fashioned map. It just makes sense to know where you’re going!

Often when I begin working with my mentor clients, and we begin to speak about their marketing strategy, they overcomplicate the process and aren't quite sure what this needs to look like or be for them. And, I need to let you know that in some cases, these are woman and man who have been in business for five or more years. Now, I'm not saying this to make them wrong, but I wanted to highlight the fact that it's not just a challenge for those who are new to business. As you will know, I’m a big believer in using the “KISS” principle. Keep it simple (stupid) and make it practical, so that you firstly, develop the strategy, and secondly, make sure you implement the strategy.

Having a marketing strategy in place is good business sense, and as I mentioned if you need something simple, than please make it simple. My request is that you take the time to develop this strategy, so that it helps you grow your business, helps you increase your sales funnel, boost your client list, pay your bills and most importantly bring you back to the reason you are doing what you are doing.

Let’s take a look at two simple steps you can put in place to begin developing your marketing strategy for 2011. (Yes, I do mean 2011, because it is coming fast!)

Step 1 :

Develop your strategy .

a) Be very clear on who your ideal clients are. I’m going to presume that since you have been reading my newsletters you are clear on who these people are. If you’re not sure, then take time to re-read this article. If you haven’t done so already, take the time to work through my latest report on “How you can identify your ideal clients.”. If it has been over 2 months since you subscribed, then you may want this updated report to work through .

b) Look at what you can do to take your solutions from ordinary to extraordinary. As there are so many small businesses out there, you may not be getting noticed, because you seem just like everyone else. Take a moment, ask yourself and be really honest here with your answer; “What do I need to do to make my service extraordinary?” If you’re not sure, ask those people around you that you trust, ask some of your most valuable clients – find out and listen to what people are saying to you. The answers you receive may require you to re-think your current business strategy. But don’t despair, because I know this will be worth it; especially if you can offer a product or service in a way that nobody else can, your competition can become redundant. And I heard this saying recently and want to share it with you: When it comes to your prospects, don't be a choice - be the choice.

Step 2:

Develop your plan

a) Block out some time, and begin to develop your 12-month plan that fits in precisely with your strategy. To achieve your goals for the next 12 months - what are the strategies you need to put in place each month and how are you going to track them? Here are a few ideas to begin thinking about: email campaigns; advertising campaigns; public relations campaigns; your live events; keynote speaking; training webinars; etc .

b) Once you have developed your 12-month plan, and broken it down into monthly targets, break it down further into what you will need to do weekly to meet your overall goal. Then each week, block out some time to evaluate what happened the week before; what you will be focusing on this week and what is coming up the following week. It’s like your road trip, you know where you are going but if something comes up unexpectedly, you are prepared to meet this current challenge or issue.

Let me know how you go with this. If you’re still not sure what you need to do here to begin, then you won’t want to miss out on October’s Business Building Blocks webinar – this is exactly what we will be working on. So get the jump on your competitors and join our call.

And one last thought - activity breeds activity Tweet

I’m about to state the obvious - the key to success for any business, is your clients, your customers, those people who do business with you. And most people will start working with you, or buy something from you because of a service or product you provide that solves a challenge or problem for them. But it is the experience that they get from working with you that will keep them there, and will turn them into raving fans.

The above statement is something that I believe in, and is something that I tell my mentor clients as well as my business building blocks members whenever I can. It’s something that I want to live up to for my readers of this newsletter as well. Reading the results of the survey has really helped me better understand the needs that you have, the challenges that you are facing, and how I can support you in your business growth.

I’ve been where a lot of you are currently at, a new-start up – struggling to understand how to best market your services to your ideal clients, wondering where the next client was coming from, and thinking about where you could actually find these clients. At the five-year plus stage, when my business was growing, I wasn’t sure what my next step would be. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted or needed to do to take my business to that next level that would allow it to grow and develop into what it is today. But at each stage, I was supported by mentors and colleagues who would listen to my questions and concerns, and provide me with the information I needed to keep moving forward.

To give you a snapshot of what you have been telling me from the survey, the following areas are where you would like to see improvements:

· Knowing how to market your product or services - 73.3%
· Getting new customers or clients – 60%
· Taking your business to the next level – 53.3%
· Professional development programs – 40%
· Pricing of products and services – 33.3%
· Achieving work/life balance – 33.3%

You would like further support, ideas and information on:
· Sales,
· Marketing,
· Networking,
· Building strong referrals,
· Understanding clients/customers better,
· Social media, and
· Staying motivated and being supported, to name but a few.

Many of you stated that you would love to work with me, but don’t have the budget to work with me one on one in my Fast Track Success Program. That is okay. Over the next few weeks, I will be letting you know about a group-mentoring program I will be offering to support those of you hungry to move forward. This program will be open to only five business owners and it will be very cost effective. So if you want to know more, or reserve your spot NOW, email me at deb@debpilgrim.com with ‘group-mentoring’ in the subject line, so that you are the first to hear about it.

I am also pulling together leaders within the areas of sales, social media, networking, personal development, internet marketing, web design, client retention, and client satisfaction, to run content-rich programs for you. Most of these will sit within the mentoring programs, and my Business Building Blocks monthly membership calls, but I will also be running some free webinars to support my Biz Booster readers. These experts are also excited to be sharing their information within the article section of Biz Booster as well.

My commitment is to support you in building the business you desire. Please keep talking to me, and sending your questions through via email and I will continue to support you. There are so many great resources out there that I am committed to bring to you the best of this information. I do hope to hear from you soon.
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Today’s article is a quick tip and I want to focus on one recurring question that is coming up in the responses to the survey. This is about marketing your products and services to clients and how to have clients understand what you are saying.

So I’ve put together these quick tips to assist you:

1. Make sure you really understand your audience. If you don’t know what your prospects or clients need from you, ask questions. You can do this very simply by doing something like what I have done this week. Survey your clients, ask them what you want to know and try and find out what they need from you. I’ve used a tool called Survey Monkey to help me understand more about you! It's easy to use and the information you receive is valuable in relation to how you can better support your clients.

2. Make sure you have the right offer in place. Once you know more about what your clients want from you, then you can make them an offer that speaks directly to their needs and wants. An offer that will allievate any issues or challenges they may facing

3. Ask yourself, “What is the outcome I want from this offer, from this newsletter, from this……?”. Make sure you understand how your audience wants to be spoken to. Than, be very clear on the messages you are sending out. Track and test your messages, and see which ones are having the greatest impact.

Remember, clarity in the understanding of your clients, in your offer, and in your message will support the continual growth of your business. If you're not sure where to start, don't stand there waiting, organise a Just-in-Time call with me, so that together we can get you moving in the right direction. Tweet