Deb Pilgrim's Blog

My aim for this blog is to provide YOU with ideas, strategies, tools and knowledge about how to market and grow your business. These articles provide answers around how you can grow your business - faster and more successfully. Simple, how-to-solutions that can impact both your business and life success, in an easy to read format.

Three Steps for Success Planning

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, January 19, 2012

Are you great at knowing what you want to achieve, but not so good at actually pulling your goals out of your head and writing them down? You sorta know what you want to do, but aren't quite sure how to do it. 

 

Well I want to share with you a simple process that will make this a little easier for you.

First thing is to get clear on what your objectives are for 2012.  Then begin by making a list of the objectives you want to achieve this year.  Be specific and include time-frames for each one. So an example may be:

 

   I want to increase my list size by 10,000 and before September 2012.

 

From here, the second thing you want to do, is ask yourself: 

 

a)  What are my strategies for achieving these objectives? 

b)  What type of programs/services will I be selling to reach my objectives?

 

Take time to list all of the different strategies you can take to achieve your objectives.  The clearer you are here, the easier the next step will be.  So an example may be:

 

   To develop a value add free offer that will capture peoples names and contact addresses.

 

   To produce high quality content to use in promotional activities

 

And the final step is to break your strategies down into actionable steps, that you can track.

 

Your Success Assignment:

 

Now you know what the steps are to pulling together your Objectives for 2012.  It's up to you to take the time now and write our your objectives (if you haven't done so already).  Make them real for you, and make sure that you feel excited about what you want to achieve. If you don't then you've got the wrong objectives, and I would encourage you to go back through and look at what the best ones are for YOU!

 

For more accountability, why not join the conversation here or our facebook page, and share with us your 2012 Objectives.


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'Build Your Business & Get Results'

Deb Pilgrim - Tuesday, November 01, 2011

It's that time of year again, when it's important to start planning and making a decision about your business success for 2012... 

 

Our 2012 'Build Your Business & Get Results'

Coaching Program Is NOW Open!

Are you ready?  

 

In 2012, we are working with a limited number of clients to transform their businesses.  Over 6 months, we will be working together closely in our one on one and group coaching program - this is for those of you who are serious about making a difference to your business in 2012.

 

We are accepting ONLY the following clients:

  • 15 clients into our "The Essentials" Program
  • 10 clients into our "Essential Mastery" Program
  • 7 clients into our "The Maven" Program

 

For more details on each level  - click here.

 

Don't wait to make your decision!  Registration is OPENED, and with numbers limited - our programs will sell out...

 

These programs are going to be stronger than anything we've ever done before.  And I'm looking forward to seeing your business grow like you could never imagine.

 

If you're ready to put yourself forward, and take the required action, then I'm ready to bring to the table all I know and have learnt about building successful businesses.

I'm looking forward to working with you in 2012.

 

Yours in success

 

Deb

 

Ps.  Go ahead - let's work together in 2012



PPS.  Feel free to forward this email on to others you think might be interested in attending...

 

 

Helping you to start, grow and lead your business, so that you can create the life you want...



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Interview with Melanie Summer - Telstra MYOB Small Business Winner

Deb Pilgrim - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

When I sent this interview out in my VIP newsletter, I titled it "She had me at HELLO" - and when I first spoke with Melanie Summer, she did!  I knew that our interview was going to be fun and real, that there would be no pretense.  I knew that Melanie would reveal to us warts and all, what she did to turn her business from a $250,000 debt into the multi-million dollars business it is today.

 

Here's the interview:  Melanie Summer

 

If you want to know a little more about Melanie, here you go:

Melanie Summer is an award-winning business owner who oversees a multi-million dollar glamour photography company with 23 staff.  Her success hasn't come easily - she has battled bankruptcy, stress, language barriers, confidence and self-esteem issues, all while being a single mother with little or no support.  Like many small business owners, Melanie realised early on that passion and hard work are wasted without clarity of vision and that being a victim of circumstances is a mindset, not an excuse.  Rather than give up she chose to transform her life and her business by taking on a coach, immersing herself into every self-help seminar she could lay her hands on, re-training as a hypnotheraphist/public speaker and creating a focused, clear roadmap for business success.  Within three years she turned a $250,00 debt into a multi-million dollar assess and was recently awarded the Telstra National MYOB Small Business Award for her remarkable achievements.  Melanie lives and works on the Sunshine Coast with her daughter, Dana. 

 

Feel free to leave your comments below.


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Who is on your team?

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, August 25, 2011

What I’ve learnt over the many years of being a business owner is the importance of having a strong team around you.  I've learnt that you don’t have to go it alone; in fact, going alone is taking the long (and risky) road to building a business.  Asking for support is more than okay, and having others who are there to challenge you is a good thing for your business growth and learning.


I was reminded of this earlier in the week, when one of my mentor clients posted a blog in our VIP clients' secret facebook group. Kim Wight and I have been working together for the past 12 months, and she had decided to write about her experience in building a strong support team around her and her business.  I thought I would share her experience with you as follows...

"I have now been in business for eight years, but 12 months ago my business model changed when I split from my business partners and was on my own. I admit that I was a little scared and worried if I could do it by myself.  While I knew I had the expertise in my role as a mortgage broker, I was concerned about how I could grow my business.


But I believe the universe has a way of opening doors for us and it certainly did in my case.   


About the same time as my business changed, I attended a networking event where the keynote speaker was Deb Pilgrim, who described herself as the 'Entrepreneur’s Business Mentor'.  After hearing Deb speak I decided to take up her offer of having her mentor me. I had spoken with other mentors and business coaches in the past but there was something about Deb that made me feel I needed to use her service. Was it business chemistry, or that inner sense that tells you this is the right thing to do?


We talked about my business, my personal life, my fears, and my plans, and together started to chart a course of action. Notice how I've kept saying ‘my’, because with Deb it is about what you want, and about how you will achieve it. It is not about an old business model pulled out for each client regardless of their experience or challengers as many other mentors or coaches do. 


In the beginning there were times when I put up road blocks and thought I would never get to the place I wanted to be. There were tears as I started to underestimate myself, but at all these times Deb was there quietly asking the right questions and giving tremendous insight and guidance to me.


It was during one of these times that Deb introduced me to Joanne Prior of Think Yourself Successful.  Joanne has this amazing ability to focus on your life and make such positive affirmations that you cannot help but be inspired and rejuvenated. I would recommend everyone needs a bit of Joanne in his or her life.


My business is part of a franchise group, but my goal was to develop my own brand of Kim Wight and be known and recognised as an expert in my field.  To do this I had to start promoting myself. I needed to make myself stand out from all the other mortgage brokers.  We worked on my core messages and elevator pitch, so that at networking events I would stand  apart from other brokers who tended to churn out the same old content. I had always wanted to be a keynote speaker, so one thing I began to do was write e-books which I could offer to people after each presentation as an add value.


Then with the support of Deb I launched into social media. I interviewed a number of experts before deciding to work with Tracey Jarvis of Social Media Girl. Tracey had her work cut out as I had dabbled in Facebook, but Twitter and Google were like a foreign language to me. Tracey helped me to further see my Kim Wight brand. She set up my web page and taught me how to not only use social media, but to enjoy it!  I now get such a buzz when people ‘like’ my page, follow me on twitter, and then mention or retweet me –  this is my greatest compliment.


So where has my business gone in the last 12 months? Well, I have had a 50% increase in profit. I am now having my blogs pinged to other sites; I have journalists contacting me for comments on finance, and I am a regular finance commentator on Angela’s Business Mix on 99.7FM.   


I am being asked to present not just on finance matters, but also on networking and the use of social media in small business.


In essence that networking meeting where I meet Deb Pilgrim opened a wonderful new world for me. The value of my time with Deb has far exceeded my expectations, and my goals have not only been met but in fact I feel as though I have been blasted into another universe of opportunity.


So I say “Thank You’’ to my team: Deb Pilgrim for your support, guidance, understanding and enthusiasm for my success, to Joanne Prior who empowers me to be magnificent, to Tracey Jarvis for sharing her expertise of marketing and social media and to Angela Vithoulkas who has been so generous and given me the opportunity to speak with thousands of people through her program Angela’s Business Mix.   Cheers to the team who changed my life.’  Kim Wight

So who is on your team?


Let's continue our conversation, feel free to jump over and leave your comments and ideas around what your offers are on our blog.

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Is Your Offer Irresistible?

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, August 18, 2011

When a new client comes on board, one of the areas that we look at fairly early on in the coaching process, is what their offer is to their potential clients, and how can they best position this offer to bring in new clients to their list. 


You’ve all heard that you want to be able to capture people's details when they land on your website, but putting up an opt-in form for a newsletter these days is just not going to cut it!  Email addresses have the same value as your personal home address, which is not something that you are willing to give out to just anybody.


To have the honour of someone giving you their email address, you want to make sure you give them something of value in return.  There are many ways in which you can offer this value.  It could be a special report, an audio CD, an introductory teleclass, a workbook, an e-course, a downloadable audio, a video or a checklist.  The possibilities are endless!


Take a moment now and check out your website:  Do you have an offer of value there waiting for your clients to download, or are you asking them to sign up for your newsletter or to just stay in contact?  If you don’t have an offer of value, then over the next week, I’d like to encourage you to spend time developing your free offer.  And YES, I did say a free offer! 


If you’re not sure how to begin, then think about your ideal clients, and ask yourself "What are some of the challenges they are currently facing?"   Make your offer something that will solve one of their challenges.

From here, you can then decide which delivery mechanism would work best for these potential clients.  Would they prefer to receive an audio download or a white paper?  Perhaps they might prefer a workbook or simple checklist.  Because you know your ideal clients so well, you’ll easily know which method is more likely to have them opting in quicker.


There may be no charge for this offer, but that doesn’t mean it’s not of high value.  Don’t be scared to give something away that is of extremely high value and quality content.  You want these potential clients to remember YOU, and not your competitor up the road! Remember that there is now so much information out there, that it’s easy for them to do a search and find the information they are after. But who knows if this information is the right information?


You know that when they land on your website, your offer is not only of high value and content, but it will give them the results they need, as your past clients have proven that your information works! In addition, when your offer is high in value, you build credibility as well. 


Now I’m not saying that you give away the whole box and dice.  That just wouldn’t be a good financial move.  What I am saying is that you give away the ‘what’, but not the complete ‘how’.  You want to engage them, so that they come to you for assistance in the execution.


As we know, your offer is created to bring prospects into your community, so that you can stay in touch with them, continue to add value to their day through your services and products, and build a strong, trustful relationship with them.


As I mentioned earlier, if you don’t yet have a high value offer in place on your website, now is the time to go and create one. 


If you do have such an offer, excellent!  Although, can you check your facebook page: do you have this offer on your welcome tab as well?  Too often I see clients who may have an offer on their website, but on their facebook page they still want people to opt-in to their newsletter list. You don’t want to do this, because the conversion rate won't be as high as what it could be, if you had your value-add offer there.  


Let's continue our conversation, feel free to jump over and leave your comments and ideas around what your offers are on our blog.

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Do they understand the value YOU add?

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, June 16, 2011

“It’s just too expensive!”  What’s your response when you hear this from a customer? 


Do you back pedal and try to justify your price?  Do you immediately offer a discount? Or do you realise that you’ve obviously not explained the true value of your service or product? 


Yes, there are always those customers who for them, price is an issue and no matter what, they are looking for the cheapest cost for the service they need.  That’s okay, and it's a normal part of doing business. Let these clients go through to the keeper, don’t try and convert them, because ultimately it is not worth your time.  It will just be their loss in the long run.


But there are a majority of customers where price isn’t their deciding factor, value is!

So the next time a customer says that you are too expensive, consider the following.  Have you explained to them the real value of your service and/or product? Have you taken the time to speak to them about the benefits and results you deliver, or have you simply provided them with only  the price of your services?


There are many motivators that make people buy, and the main four include, making more money, saving money, saving time, and avoiding effort.  It’s important that as part of your process of educating your customers about the value of your service and products, that you are clear as to which of these motivators fit within your results. 


Here are some strategies you can put in place to further explain your value:

  • Put together a sales process for all new potential customers.  This doesn’t need to be a ‘hard’ sales process, it needs to a system that works for you and your business model.
  • Provide them with more than just a price.  Firstly, take the time to find out about their struggles, their concerns and their business. Understand what is happening for them by asking open-ended questions and then listen!  Listen to the words they are saying as well as the tonality of their voice.
  • Speak about the value you provide.  Don’t rush this process!  This really needs to be about them buying your services rather than you selling.  Take the time to demonstrate either through examples of what you have achieved with past customers, or by linking their current challenges back to the solutions you provide. 


When you take time to find out more about what is happening for your customers, and speak directly about the value you add, you remove the price point.  Without knowing it, you begin at this point to increase the trust factor,  strengthen the relationship and customers will choose to work with you. 


Is there something specific you do to demonstrate the value your services or products add - if so, share with us here.


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Four Types of Customers

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, May 26, 2011

You’ve done all of the background work, you’re clear on who your ideal clients are, the results you deliver, and the solutions you provide to their challenges and issues.  This provides you with a very solid base for client growth and retention.  Lead generation at its best.


However, one of the key mistakes I see some business owners make is that they do all this work, and then use the “If you build it, they will come” model of business.  Absolutely, if you build it, people will come – but it will be slow and painful. You need to get out there and let people know about you, your business and the problems you solve. Period!


At DebPilgrim.com we are constantly reminding our clients that no matter how brilliant you are technically, you really are in the business of marketing.  I want to share with you that you need to be spending a solid part of your day marketing your business. 


Your clients need to be in a continual marketing campaign. 


Now if the word ‘marketing’ freaks you out or doesn’t sit well with you – change it!  Use a term that works better for you, call it ‘relationship building’, but make sure you engage in it.  The important thing to remember is that 'relationship building' doesn’t need to be pushy or in your face; it needs to be congruent with who you are and be true to your business model.


Building relationships, understanding your clients, knowing what they need, and delivering results will build loyalty.  It’s this type of loyalty that you want to continue to develop.


When looking at your current client list, here’s a breakdown of four types of current customers you have within your business:


a)    Active customers:  They’ve bought at least once in the last twelve months and are  more likely to buy again soon.

b)    Inactive customers:  These are your clients who have not purchased from you in the last one to two years.

c)     Sleeping/dormant customers:  These are your clients who have gone quiet.   They don’t buy your products or services any more, and they’ve stopped interacting with you and your brand.

d)   New customers:  This one is pretty self-explanatory…


It’s often said that it’s easier and more cost effective to spend your time and money focusing on your current clients rather than looking at bringing new clients in. And I agree with this statement, these clients know you and know what you can do for them – it’s the perfect place to expend your time, money and energy…


So let’s not give up on them, and by ‘them’ I mean your sleeping/dormant customers.  They may have gone quiet, but there was a stage when they were active and engaged in your business.  You just need to find out how to re-engage them and bring them back to an active status.


Here’s a few ideas to get you started:


Idea 1:  Find out and understand why they’ve gone silent.


Idea 2:  Develop a marketing campaign that focuses specifically on bringing them back into an active status.  Offer them something that is worth coming back for.


Idea 3:  Remind them about the results you deliver for your customers.  Show them what you can do for them.


But above all else, be proactive and consistent in your messages and offers to this group.  As I mentioned earlier, it is worth your time, energy and money to re-engage this type of customer.


We would love for you to share with us here, what you currently do to re-engage your dormant customers…

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Getting Media Attention on a Budget!

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, April 07, 2011

  

Ever wondered where your next customer is coming from?  You’ve a great track record with your customers, they love what you do, but it seems that no-one other than your existing customers know about you. And you’re on a constant cycle of trying to bring more customers into your business. It’s often a frustration that I hear when I begin working with my students.


Over the past few months we’ve been sharing with you some of the strategies you can put into place to visually ‘get out there’, and today I’ve asked Kim Larochelle from Dennis Rutzou Public Relations to share with you some strategies about how to identify a news angle for your business.


As Kim explains, “It has been proven time and time again that media coverage (i.e. editorial published or broadcasted by media outlets) is much more credible and effective than advertising. The general public has become desensitised to advertising, understanding that the organisation behind it paid to have control of the content.”


What’s important to remember here is capturing the journalist’s attention is paramount is securing their interest in you and your story.


Below are Kim’s strategies for finding your news angle that will increase the likelihood of your story being newsworthy:


New is news

The release of new products or services is significant and this ‘newness’ gives your organisation a promotional advantage - this news value should be capitalised on while it is still current.


Timely

An angle that ties in with a hot topic, trend or current affair.


Human interest

People are interested in people! Show the ‘human’ element behind your business - challenges you have overcome, charity or local school you support, an interesting employee program, or corporate social responsibility.


News catalyst research

“According to a recent survey by…” - The media goes nuts for statistics and trends! One way to gain these is to undertake some research either via an existing database, via your website or through a research company.


A list

“The top 20 trends…” or “Ten tips for…” are headlines that appear on a daily basis in the media. Review trends that are happening in your industry or look at tips that your customers would benefit from, and format these into a media release.


Industry case study

Successful case studies of your clients using your services or products are particularly effective and interesting to media outlets in your industry. In addition, case studies carry an implied endorsement from your clients, showing you off as the organisation behind their success.


Launch a competition or organise a giveaway

The ‘Best job in the world’ competition by Queensland Tourism is the optimum example of a successful competition launch. But on a smaller scale, many media outlets run giveaways for their readers or viewers. 


Create or take advantage of an existing national ‘something’ day, week or month

Does your organisation have any relevant association with events like ‘Movember’, ‘World Environment Day’ or ‘International Women’s Day’? You might be able to come up with an angle that ties in with these events or even create your own!


Let me know how you go with creating your own news angles! 


If you would like to learn more about how publicity can impact the bottom line of your business, then you will want to listen to Kim as she presents at this month’s Business Building Blocks Inner Circle – Tuesday 12th April at 8pm (Sydney Time)!


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How do you buy?

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, January 27, 2011

  

Every once in a while, life hands you a lesson about something you teach your clients every day...


Over the past few weeks, I had been cataloging all my training audios and webinars, thinking about how I can add more value to these products for you.  One thought has been to have them transcribed, so not only will you have the audio or webinar available in audio/video form, but also as text.  I've been keeping a look out for someone who I can trust and rely to transcribe them for me.


A funny thing happened last week when I noticed a post on Facebook, where a friend mentioned that he recently had an interview transcribed by a contact of his.  Bingo – I’ve found someone to contact in relation to transcribing these into the written word.  It was a recommendation from someone who I not only respect, but trust.


It also made me think about this; How do we make purchases?  Now, I know there is a complete theory around the buyers’ journey (which I will be presenting to the North Sydney & CBD Athena Network in Feb ;-)). For now however,I'm going to keep this simple and ask: "Do you buy from people you trust, know, and like when you have a specific need?"


Let’s have a look at three ways in which people will buy from you….


1)  Current client.  If you are already satisfied with the service and experience you currently receive, you will buy again.  And you will most likely continue to buy as long as you stay satisfied. 


As the supplier of this service it is up to you to make sure that your current clients are in fact satisfied. I would take this one step further and encourage you to look at the experience your current clients are receiving.  As you have no doubt heard me say many times before, your clients will stay with you because of the experience they receive from you. It’s important to make this experience worth staying for!


2)  Referral source. This is what happened for me when I was starting to look for someone to transcribe my programs!  Normally, if I have a need for something, I will ask those within my immediate network that I trust, if they know of or have used someone suitable.  I may also send it out on Twitter or Facebook, which usually takes just a few minutes to give me a number of names I can follow up with.


A question to ask yourself:  "Are you on the top of people’s recommendation list for your industry?  If not, what can you do to be at the top of this list?"


3) Have a relationship, but have not yet purchased.  You may belong to a networking group, where other members may like you and trust you, but they have not yet purchased from you. This may be fine for the moment, but when they do have a need for your particular service, how can you make sure you are the first person they think of calling?


These are only three ways in which people may purchase from you, and I know you may have more ideas about this.  What I like about these three methods, is that there is already a level of trust involved in the purchasing process, as well as an established relationship. You can cut through many buyers' objections when you have this level of trust in your relationship.  And for me, I would much rather spend the time to develop strong, trusting relationships when doing doing business...


What do you think?


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Two Steps to Anchoring Your Business Mojo in 2011

Deb Pilgrim - Thursday, January 20, 2011

I always find the time immediately after a holiday, as an exciting time in business.  Your thinking is clearer and more creative, and you are open to possibilities that you may not have been just prior to your break.  I know this has been the case for my VIP mentor clients and myself!  There is a buzz in the air around business, and it’s as if everyone has their mojo back!  Do you feel the same?


If so, you’re ready to do things differently……


You want to know what are the core foundations you have to put in place for your success in 2011.  You know that 2010 doesn’t count anymore, as this is the New Year!


So, here are two key foundations that you will want to put in place for your success in 2011… 


1.  Taking action, without any excuses!

Taking action and being persistent is the difference between the successful and the not so successful.  It’s something that I learnt many years ago in my very first business!  After studying successful business people and then being mentored by some of these individuals, I realised that the difference between them and myself, was that they took action.  They made their decisions and acted upon them almost immediately!  They believed in themselves and they trusted the vision they held for themselves. 


Unlike myself, who at that time, would…make a decision, think about it, research it a little more, maybe do a course about it, think about it a little more, second guess myself…. (I know, you get the drift here now)…and then wonder why I was still running around chasing my tail while making limited profits!  Sound familiar?


It wasn’t until one of these mentors stopped me in my tracks one day, and said: “Deb, it’s time for you to stop thinking about it, stop learning about it, and just start doing it.  You spend too much time ruminating and not enough time taking action.  It’s time for you to take action, especially if you want to be a successful entrepreneur!  Otherwise you might as well close shop and go home.” 


Ouch!!!! Closing shop and going home, just wasn’t an option, so it was time to take action and be persistent.  It was time to stop thinking and start doing.  Time to believe in the vision that I held for myself and my business.


I want you to ask yourself:  “What do I need to do today?”  Once you are clear on the exact tasks you need to do, make a commitment to do them!


Sounds straightforward? That is until the self-sabotaging behaviours begin to rear their ugly heads, which leads nicely into the next foundation for your success…


2.  Removing Those Limiting Beliefs that are Holding You Back.


These are the stories that you tell, to keep yourself ‘safe’, to keep yourself where you are currently.  To stop you from focusing on the real action you need to take.

Removing your limiting beliefs, can be as difficult as culling your wardrobe!  You know you should get rid of some of your things, but even through much of it is totally out of fashion, not very flattering and you’ve not worn it for years, you insist on hanging on to it all.  Every time you open the wardrobe, staring back at you, is that white jacket with gold buttons and big shoulder pads!  It gets in the way of all the other great clothes that you could be wearing, if only you could see them.


We do the same with our beliefs:  we keep them when we don’t need them any more, when we have outgrown them.  Some of them have been with us for years.  Despite the fact they’re not really relevant anymore, we find them comfortable and familiar and insist on keeping them.  It’s worth acknowledging that limiting beliefs sometimes hold us back as a form of protection against the very success we are striving for.  So if you want success rather than to be a wannabe, you’ve got to get rid of these beliefs.  Make room for something new.  If they won’t go, change them so that they work for you more positively.


It’s time to put away those beliefs that are holding you back, away once and for all!  Take a moment to think about what your future will be like, what it will feel like with your old beliefs put away where they belong.  Notice again how this looks, feels and sounds for you. 


So, here are two key foundation pieces that you will want to put in place for 2011 - TAKING ACTION and removing your LIMITING BELIEFS.  If you have been thinking about doing something different, now is the time for you ACTUALLY do something different.  Step out of the sea of sameness and make it happen in 2011.


I can’t wait to support you further and hear about what you are doing different in 2011.  If you have your 'must-does', why not take a moment and share them with us here.


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