What The Heck Is Elegant Simplicity, Again?

elegant simplicity

Elegant Simplicity – the podcast!

Today I want to share a podcast that is excerpted from a web broadcast recorded in November with Frank Thomas of the Small Business Tips Show.  I have previously shared the broadcast with you here, however, I know that many of you like the flexibility of listening to, or downloading, a podcast so you can listen in at your convenience.

Frank and I often get the inspirations for our shows through our conversations. It was during one of these discussions that Frank mentioned about how people tend to complicate things. I think you’ll agree that, way too often, we think that we have to add layers upon layers to our ideas, thoughts, products and services. But in so doing, we end up making things too complex and lose the interest of our intended audience.

In this podcast, we discuss the benefit of making it simple for your clients to interact with your business. Frank calls it ‘elegant simplicity’.

Join us and listen as we discuss how to accomplish this that for your business!

Listen here, or listen to the podcast:

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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How To Get More Clients – Part 1

get more clients

2015 is wrapping up,

and many small business owners are reviewing their successes and failures to see how to improve results for the next year.

The key, of course, to a successful business is finding – and keeping – clients. Everyone wants to know how to get more clients.

Recently, I had a discussion about getting more clients with Frank Thomas of the Small Business Tips show. In fact, we found that this subject was so involved that we actually made 2 shows. You may have seen the video here a few weeks ago, but we have also created a podcast of the presentation so you can “take it and go”.

Enjoy the discussion, here or connect to listen to the podcast!

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

It’s Time To Start Preparing For 2016!

preparing for 2016

Where did the time go?

Here it is, December 1st already. It’s been 11 months since you started implementing your 2015 goals and plans you hoped to achieve this year.

So, how did you do?

Everyone’s attention is turning to Christmas and the holiday season. But it’s also time to review both the successes and the failures you experienced in your business in 2015. It’s time to take those peaks and valleys, learn from your mistakes, and begin to build your plan for 2016.

We’ve never fully recovered from the global financial crisis in 2008. Sure, we’ve had periods of fairly good growth, but overall it’s been fairly tepid. Many things have changed, not just in North America, but globally. The advances in communication and technology have had a huge impact on how we do business in this day and age. As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Read more

The Science Of Marketing

science of marketing

I wanted to talk to you today about the science of marketing.

I think this is a very important topic because, despite what many people believe, effective marketing is truly a science.

Let’s look for a minute at the definition of science:

sci·ence/ˈsīəns/
noun

  • the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
  • a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject.

As you can see from the above definition, science is not limited to the study of chemicals, biology, physics, etc., but rather can be applied to any subject as long as that subject is approached and executed in a systematic way.

Those of you who have been reading my articles for a while have heard me say many times that marketing is a science and must be approached in that manner. One of the things that I have repeatedly said is that marketing is not advertising. And, to repeat myself again, marketing is a process and advertising is a method of delivery of your messaging to your clients and prospects.

So, why do I continue to repeat this mantra?

Well, partly it is because of this common misconception which leads to the belief that “anyone can do marketing”, with the end result being disappointed clients. And partly it is to help educate folks, assisting them in understanding the difference so that they can make better choices and ensure that their marketing dollars are being allocated appropriately.

Unfortunately, just like in many industries, there are those who promote themselves as marketing experts when, in truth, they are simply executing a single advertising method. For instance, we all know that in today’s technology-based environment that we must have an online presence. And, based on your business model and your intent, being found online can an important factor in the success or failure of your business. Knowing this, many individuals and companies have been formed who will promise to give you first page rankings on search engines for a specified fee. This is an effective strategy when employed correctly, but make sure that you are working with a reputable individual or organization so you will not be disappointed with the results. In some cases, these people or companies will charge huge fees for a short term result, causing your rankings to drop again as soon as their engagement is completed. Even more worrying, is that some of these individuals and companies employ “black hat” techniques which can cause you to become banned from the search engines.

Everything of value takes time to build. You must create a solid foundation and build on that foundation for the structure to be solid. Do not be seduced by quick fix schemes; you will end up disappointed and poorer for it.

Do your homework when hiring your marketing consultant. Check testimonials and asked them about their methods, tactics, and techniques. And also, make sure that your personalities fit. There is no denying that we get along with some folks better than others, and you will not get your best results if you do not get along with the people with whom you are working.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

Elegant Simplicity – Keep Your Clients Connected!

Elegant simplicity

So what the heck is elegant simplicity, anyway?

This is the topic that Frank Thomas and I discussed on the most recent episode of our broadcast on the Small Business Tips Show.

Elegant simplicity is the art of developing and creating your product or service that is simple and easy for them to understand and connect. There is nothing worse for client or prospect than having to maneuver and negotiate complex roadblocks to attain what it is they are looking for. Indeed, if you make it too difficult for them to understand or connect with your product or service, you will lose them to your competitors. Read more

Marketing Your Small Business – Going Deeper

Dive into advertising

How do you market your small business?

Last week, we shared a podcast with you that was recorded earlier this year with Frank Thomas of the Small Business Tips Show. Well, it ended up that that was one of the most popular podcasts on the small business tips show to date, so last month Frank and I decided to do a follow-up podcast, going deeper into the subject of marketing your small business, and diving into advertising.

In this episode, we begin to dissect the whole concept of marketing. We discuss and identify key components to marketing your small business. These include such things as:

  • What is marketing?
  • What is the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing campaign?
  • How does advertising fit in?
  • How do I measure the results of my marketing efforts?

Read more

Using Offline Marketing As A Strategy For Your Business – The Final Say

Using Offline Marketing As A Strategy For Your Business – The Final Say

Today, we live-streamed the final video in this series on offline marketing.

It was a lot of fun doing this video series, partly because I am gaining comfort in front of the camera and partly because it was such a great opportunity to address an area of marketing that is often forgotten or neglected.

Offline marketing methods are extremely effective tools that are often overlooked in this technology driven time. But, as I hope we have demonstrated in this series, they play very nicely when integrated with online marketing methods.

As we pointed out, there are a variety of off-line marketing methods, each with their own advantages. When you’re creating your marketing strategy, it is vitally important that you integrate the appropriate methods into your plan, always keeping your target audience, intent, goal, and budget in mind. Read more

Using Offline Marketing As A Strategy For Your Business – Integration

integration

Integration

So far in our series, we have talked about what offline marketing is, why you would want to use it, and what types of offline marketing you can choose from. Today, we discuss how to integrate offline marketing with online strategies to get the most for your marketing efforts.

Offline and online marketing methods can actually support each other in ways that create a broader reach. Watch our video to see how that works. Read more

Using Offline Marketing As A Strategy For Your Business – What Is It?

what is offline marketing

Welcome to the third video in our newest series, Using Offline Marketing As A Strategy For Your Business.

In today’s video we are going to discuss what, exactly, is offline marketing.

Our previous video discussed the reasons why you would want to choose to use offline marketing strategies. Many people, especially those who have grown up never knowing what it was like before we had technology at our fingertips, might question why you would choose to use off-line strategies. However, as our last video demonstrated, there still are very many valid reasons why using off-line marketing strategies still makes a lot of sense.

As we all know, technology seems to be ruling the marketing world. We are seldom not connected, either by our phones, our tablets, or our computers. In fact, some studies have shown that some people actually suffer a type of withdrawal when they’re unable to be connected via technology. Read more

Know Your Customers!

know your customer kyc

How well do you know your customers?

Our previous post addressed the importance of knowing your competition. Today, we are following up with a presentation about knowing your customers, also known as KYC.

Indeed, knowing your customer is just as important as knowing your competitors. In fact, it might just be even more critical to your success.

This presentation will help you understand why this is so important, how to identify your client, and how to deliver your product and services in a way that ensures their loyalty. KYC is the key!

Watch our video and see how you can enhance your customers’ experiences.  As always, if you prefer, you can watch on our YouTube channel.



Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

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