I am re-publishing this article today for several reasons.

Most importantly is that I want people to have an opportunity to make 2011 a really great year and that starts by building a plan.

The 90 day plan format is perfect for so many reasons, not least it is manageable and achievable for pretty much anybody.

The vast majority of business owners (over 90%) will go into 2011 exactly the same way they went into 2010, but will expect and hope for different results.

By taking just a few hours out of your business and concentrating on planning and strategy for the first quarter of the New Year has the potential to make a massive difference.

This Friday (10th December) I have just two spaces available for my last and best 90 day planning day of the year.

If you really, truly want different results in 2011 then you really, truly need to do something different. Building a great plan is the best place to start.

These workshops have been going on all year every 90 days and we have returning business owners at each event. They have an edge over their competition – you can too.

Join us this Friday 10th 12 noon through til 16:30 with lunch provided.

• Small group
• Planning workbook to complete
• 121 time with the coach to help you find some goals and objectives
• Help with building your very own plan
• Work together with like minded local business owners

It’s not too late to book, simply go to www.iandickson.biz/events

It’s that time of year where we begin to evaluate how well we did and start to develop new plans for this year. This year I’d like to suggest that you try something new, rather than creating a one-year marketing plan or a five-year marketing plan, why not try creating a 90-day plan?

While it’s important to always monitoring your marketing it is vital in this economy to be diligent and watch where you spend your marketing pounds as well as track how effective your marketing campaigns are.

Why a 90-day plan?

• You can use it to clearly track progress in the short-term.
• You can use the data you gather over the 90-days to create a baseline that you can use to track your grand plan.
• It enables you to re-direct your plan if something is not working and do it quickly without worrying that it will affect your annual plan.
• Using 90-day increments enable you to stay in tune with change and meet the market demands, without detouring from your master goal.
• Your master plan will not become irrelevant, because your 90-day goals will continue to drive you the finish line.

What better time to get started than today? I’ve always noticed when working with companies to redo their marketing plan and build out a workable strategy that it ignites a new excitement about the business and the potential that may have been lost in the paperwork and busyness of day-to-day duties.

Are you ready to get started? Find a quiet place, sit down and spend some time evaluating and answering the following questions:

• What marketing worked well for my business in 2010?
• What marketing worked well, but could have done better in 2010?
• What marketing did I do in 2010 that didn’t work well at all?
• The marketing that I did in 2010 that did well, performed well because:
• The marketing that I did in 2010 that failed, failed because:
• In the next 90-days, I define my target market as?
  • Will I change the geography I target?
  • Will I target a different income level or demographic of consumers?
  • Will I target product-oriented users, service users or both?
• In 2010 my consumers could be defined by target market as?
• What marketing vehicles will I use in the next 90-days and why?
• I really need to work on enhancing, concentrating or revising my marketing message by:
• In the next 90-days my marketing budget will be?

Now use the answers to these questions and chart them on a 90-day timeline. Set your start date, your end date and what you will do in between. Evaluate weekly how your plan is working, make changes where you need to and adjust when necessary. When you list out what has to happen in the next 90-days, you’ll have a clearer picture of priorities, a realistic working plan, and the results you’ll generate.

With so much written about marketing I thought I would put just a few simple factoids together to share some thoughts, interesting statistics and a maybe few pointers to help you on your way to generating more leads for your business. For me marketing has changed so much over the past 5-10 years. I believe it really is more about being found by your prospects than finding prospects these days….So here are a dozen factoids for you..

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Customer experiences and referrals

• On average a good customer experience is told to 8 other people
• On average a bad customer experience is told to 22 other people
• It takes about 10 good experiences to make up for one bad one
• 70% buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated

Customer retention and churn facts

• An average company loses between 10 and 30% of its customers each year
• A 5% reduction in the customer defection rate can increase profits by 25% to 80%
• Satisfying and retaining current customers is 3 to 10 times cheaper than acquiring new customers

They don’t always know why they bought!

• Most purchasing decisions are made in the subconscious mind.
• In fact nearly all our daily decisions are subconsciously driven.
• So it comes as no surprise that our customers won’t always be able to tell you why they bought.

Repetition is the secret to accessing the subconscious mind of people.

• The most important rule in marketing is repetition.
• Too many marketing programs give up too soon.
• On average, it takes about 5-7 touches before you will see results in your marketing program.
• See my previous blog “how many touch’s” for more information on this

You can be twice as effective by targeting both sides of the brain with your marketing.

• Your marketing can be twice as effective if you aim it at both right-brained (emotional, aesthetic) and left-brained (logical, sequential) people.
• The population is evenly split, so make sure your advertising appeals to both sides.

The quality of your prospect data is the key to successful marketing

• The more data you have, and the more you know about your customers, the better your marketing will be.
• This data is available from many published sources, or (as I recommend) you can collect your own by asking your customers lots of questions.
• Your customers already bought from you – Who better to ask for ideas to attract more customers.

Everyone in the family is influential in the buying decisions.

• Children are influencing family purchases more today than ever.
• These are the results of more mothers working and children’s greater access to media.
• The buying power of the younger generation has increased too.

TRUST is first in any sale, without it no sale can take place. Bonding…

• There are two bonds to make a sale – the human bond and the business bond.
• People would much rather do business with a friend than with anyone else. So become their friend.
• Your level of success is directly related to the people who know and like you

They are not just numbers.

• People are human beings and like to be treated as such.
• Don’t treat people as prospects or as demographic groups.
• Take time to document and describe your ideal prospects it will help humanise the logical and cold process of marketing.

Joining the club.

• People have a basic need to belong. Let them belong to your club.
• Recognize the 20% of your customers that give you 80% of your business.
• People who join your metaphoric ‘club’ are a level above a normal customer too.
• Find ways to confirm they are now part of the gang or club
• Have pride in your business and create a club-like atmosphere and culture

They are buying more than you think

• Your customers will be buying a lot more than merely your product or service.
• They are buying into
  • your personality.
  • your reputation.
  • your service.
  • your status in the community.

Don’t lose your message

• People will remember the most fascinating part of your marketing and not necessarily your product or service. That is why you need to be very careful every step of the way.
• We can all remember clever and funny adverts on television but we don’t always remember the product.
• Make sure the message is received loud and clear
  • Call now
  • Buy it today
  • Who, what and where you are
  • Reiterate the product or service as often as is needed to get the message across

Follow these simple marketing tips and factoids and I am confident you will generate more leads and convert more prospects.

Your feedback is always welcome..

How Many Times Should You Touch A Lead?

If every time you picked up the phone you could get a hold of a hot lead, selling anything in your business would be a no-brainer. But no matter how good a sales person you are, you will spend time quoting people who just aren’t ready to buy — yet.

A big mistake sales people make is to throw these “cooled” prospects into the “follow up with later” pile… and never touch them again. You’re busy, and it’s tough to tackle that heap of dusty contacts. But if you don’t do something to stick in your leads’ minds, you can’t count on them remembering you when they’re finally ready to buy.

You have to touch leads repeatedly to make the sale… or risk losing out to another sales person. So what’s the right number? And what’s the best way for a busy agent to squeeze follow-ups into their schedule?

And The Magic Number Is…

S E 7 E N

Whispered by marketing execs and experts around the country, seven is considered the magic number of times a person must see your message before they’re ready to buy. Some people go so far as suggesting 10 touches are needed before money exchanges hands.

This doesn’t mean you have to log in seven phone calls to every lead you get. Your marketing materials can do the touching for you, whether it’s a letter thanking your lead for the opportunity to quote them, a promotional postcard, an email auto responder or a copy of your newsletter with a note saying, “I thought you’d be interested in this.”

Other examples of touchs include.

• Emails
• Phone calls
• Letters
• Invites
• Adverts
• Signage
• Postcards
  

Each time your prospects’ eyes land on your message, you’re building the connection between your name and “your product or service” in their minds. You never know when one of them will suddenly decide it’s time to purchase from you, so your message better be in front of them again and again!

Some statistics for you to consider:

The average # of prospects who will respond to the 1st touch = 2%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 2nd touch = 3%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 3rd touch = 5%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 4th touch = 10%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 5th and above = 80%

Create A Follow Up Campaign… And Stick To It!

The biggest challenge you face when it comes to following up leads is finding the time to do it.

If you’re already mailing out postcards and newsletters, adding new names to your list is simple — all you have to do is re-evaluate your timing. Make sure you’re touching people the most during that first month and a half, and then slow down to a quarterly schedule.

Most importantly, your follow-up campaigns must be consistent. If you stop and start touching leads (and it’s tempting to do when you are overflowing with work) you won’t see a payoff. Establish a follow up routine, stick to it, and then you can count on commissions from your older leads during both the crazy and slow times.

As always, your feedback and comments are welcome.

MYTH. It is good to have a great deal of white space in advertisements, brochures, and other printed materials. Fact: Not today where the consumer wants as much information as possible about your company and products. If you don’t have room, include your web address where they can go to get more information at their convenience.

MYTH. Use short copy. People won’t read long copy. Fact: This is one of the most dangerous, costly, and silly myths in marketing. People want enough information to make a buying decision.

MYTH. Sell the sizzle and not the steak. Fact: The easiest way to sell a product is to offer it as a solution to a problem your customers may have.

MYTH. Great marketing works instantly. Fact: Great price-off sales work instantly as does giving away product. Great marketing takes time.

MYTH. Marketing should entertain and amuse. Fact: Show business should entertain and amuse. Marketing should sell. Winning marketing awards for your advertising does not mean more profits in your pocket.

MYTH. Marketing should be changed every few years to keep it fresh and new. Fact: The longer your marketing promotes your product or service, the better, e.g., things go better with …

MYTH. Public relations stories have a short life span. Fact: Only if you let them. Make copies and use it a part of your other marketing strategies.

MYTH. Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all. Fact: Bad publicity is bad for your business! With on-line services such as the Internet, millions of people can get to know about bad publicity. Have an action plan in place for such contingencies.

MYTH. Word-of-mouth marketing is all a great business needs. Fact: Not any longer. Businesses need to be marketing all the time with a variety of tools.

MYTH. The purpose of marketing is to generate maximum sales volume. Fact:
Wrong, the purpose of marketing is to generate maximum profits.

MYTH. Quality is the main determinant in influencing sales. Fact: Confidence in the business is the main determinant; quality is second.

MYTH. It makes a lot of sense for a small business to retain the services of an advertising agency. Fact: No it does not. Better work at more reasonable prices is available from marketing consultants.

MYTH. Once your business has a solid customer base, it can cease marketing. Fact: Perhaps you can cut down on general marketing but you must maintain contact with your customer base or someone will take them away.

MYTH. Repetition of a marketing message is boring. Fact: It may be boring to you, but it won’t be boring to your prospects and customers.

Avoid these common myths and misconceptions in your marketing plans and you will be on the track to ensuring great business results. Measure everything you do, keep track of what works for you and keep doing it till it changes. I hope you enjoyed the article please feel free to comment.

How would you like your very own BIZ-SAT-NAV? Set a destination (Your goals) and then a clear way to get you there.(Your plan). Specifically designed with the business owner in mind you will receive top tips from an award winning business coach.

Friday 23rd April 2010 – 12.00 noon to 14.30.
Innlodge Hotel, Burrfields Road, Portsmouth PO3 5HH

FREE SAT-NAV for business owners….

• Do you know where you will end up at the end of 2010?
• Do you have some destinations planned?
• Do you know how to set some realistic goals for your business?
• How are you planning to take advantage of the recession recovery in 2010?

After all, if you don’t know where you are going how will you know if you have got there!

Why don’t you come along to this FREE event and pick up some tips and ideas to help make 2010 a great year for you and your business..

Here are three great reasons to attend…

1. Want quick results? I will be giving away marketing tips, sales ideas and methods, proven systems you can impliment straight away in your business. INSTANTLY!

2. Proven Concepts – These aren’t just some ideas from a book.. Proven, tried and tested methods applied over and over again in businesses local to you. I will share their results and ourcomes from using these methods to grow your business.

3. Having the Winners Mindset – Walk away with ENERGY, VISION and FOCUS. I’ll give you some tools that will help you plan and set clear goals and objectives for the next 90 days. Clarity is the key.. if you don’t know where you are going how do you when you get there!

Mindset x Knowledge + Action = Performance - I will share all of these things with you on the day.

Business success starts with YOU and your MINDSET. As a Performance Coach I can show you how to achieve the winners mindset. Take-away proven strategies to help you grow your business all completely FREE…

Book your FREE place today – Spaces are limited

Without doubt one of the most rewarding and cost effective ways to generate leads for your business is through a referrals program. When done correctly it has multiple advantages for you and your business.

1. It saves you time
2. It saves you money
3. It has a high conversion rate
4. It ensures you are keeping your existing client base happy
5. You generate a higher number of grade A customers.

1. Set A Target: In business, measure the results to improve performance. Set a clear goal with a time line. Example, 10% increase in referral business over the next 10 weeks.

2. Timing: Conventional sales wisdom claims the best time to ask for the referral is immediately after the close. This tactic is far too aggressive. Give your clients time to experience your service or product before asking for a referral. Ask for the referral at close only if your client is already delighted with your business.

3. Top 20: Not all customers are referral candidates. Find the top 20% that are ecstatic about your business and ask them for referrals. Make sure their network is the type of client you want.

4. Give and You’ll Receive: Give your clients extra service and follow-up support before asking for referrals. When you give willingly to your customers, they will return the favour.

5. Type of Customer: Inform your referring clients of the type of customers you can help. Provide a clear picture of the customer demographics will help your referral marketing.

6. Rewards Program: Provide special rewards to your referring customers on a regular basis. If a customer provides you with 5 sales, offer them something special, e.g. discounts.

7. Thank-You: You need to establish trust to build referrals. Create a basic thank you letter that can be personalized and sent to each referral you receive. Treat your referral sources with the utmost of care and you will not only build a foundation of trust but keep hot prospects coming to your door.

These tips are simple but when executed on a regular basis they can drive your referral business and build sales revenue. Start today and watch your referrals grow.

Then here are a few questions you should ask yourself to ensure you get the very best advert working for you…..

Does the advert:

• Have a strong headline to catch attention?
• Does the layout follow the A.I.D.A. princinples? – (Attention – Interest -Desire – Action)
• Mention the benefits of your product or service?
• Have ‘you’ appeal – will it appeal to your target audience?
• Answer questions the reader might ask?
• Include a Call to Action (CTA) telephone number, website address and/or contact details? The size of the CTA needs to be relative to the size of the advert use typefaces and logosin a consistent way? This will help form your company image
• Have short sentences and paragraphs and use simple and clear language to avoid confusion?
• Make sense? Will it to your target customer?
• Include quotations from happy customers as proof that your product or service is worth purchasing (if applicable)?
• Have an image or picture appropriate to the purpose of the advert? (if applicable)
• Break up the copy with sub-headings that tell the story (if it is a large advert)?

Finally:

• Is the advert being placed in the most appropriate place?
• Is it legal, honest, decent and truthful?

These simple questions will help you to create a business generating advert for your business.

I am running a workshop in the next few weeks where we will be applying these rules and building adverts for those attending. Contact me for more details.

I know you understand the value of planning. Unfortunately, in today’s busy business environment, most business owners never manage to put the time aside to get the essential planning done that will enable them to take their business to the level they desire. Because of this, far too many business owners – just like you – end up feeling frustrated and trapped with no end in sight.

So, during 2010 I am going to provide 2-3 afternoon sessions throughout the year where I will help you put together a plan that you can actually take away with you. ON THE DAY….

FIRST ONE  – Friday 26^th March 2010 – 12.00 noon to 16.30

For just £50

I’ll give you ALL this…

• Goals for the next 12 months to aim at.
• A clearly defined plan for the next 90 days.
• A marketing plan to support the delivery of your goals.
• A step by step guide to keeping you on track.
• Some marketing strategies to help you build your profits right away.
• The skills and tools to get more done in less time.
• A list of your top 5 goals for the next 90-Days.
• Help & advice from an award winning performance coach.
• Network with other like-minded business owners.
• Lunch, tea and coffee throughout the afternoon!
• My personal guarantee that if you don’t feel you have had  good value for money I will refund your £50 (no questions asked)

This is a workshop environment, fewer people, more 121 time with the coach and a hands on experience for you and your business plans.

For just £50+VAT you will go away with a clearer understanding of your destination for 2010 and how you plan to get yourself there.

These workshops are designed for smaller groups. Consequently they SELL-OUT fast… So don’t delay book today and reserve your place, before the competition does!….

To book your place today BOOK HERE – OR – Call me on 02392 423218

Be memorable.. Have a powerful pitch, be decisive and confident about what you do. Develop a powerful unique selling point (USP) that is quick and easy to communicate. Don’t forget, you want to be remembered when you are not at the meeting too..
H elp Others
This is a really powerful networking tool. By helping others you will help yourself. Members will respect and remember you if you can provide help to them. This can be through leads, referrals or simply offering your advice or services without charge.
I nvolvement
100% participation.. Give 100% and you will get 100%. By being involved in the running of the group you will raise your profile, it will improve your status amongst your peers and ensure members and guests remember you for longer. Volunteer to take supporting roles within the group.
N ext Step
After the meeting remember to take the next step and follow up on the leads and referrals you gather. Unless you have an elephantine memory keep records of your contacts and their business. A great tip is to make a few key notes on the back of their business card. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honour that and your referrals will grow.
E njoy yourself

• He’s going to decide somewhat slower and more cautiously.
• He’s going to consider price as a higher priority than before.
• He’s angry about the value of his home, and his investments.
• He will not be doing business the same way anymore.
• He will not be advertising the same way he advertised before.
• He’s online. Checking out your website – and your competitor’s website.
• He’s Tweeting, Face Booking, and Linkedin-ing. (Social media is still a firestorm.)
• He’s blogging about his experiences with you, for the world to read.
• He’s YouTubing about his experiences with you for the world to watch
• He’s Googling, not yellow-paging.
• He’s using his mobile device to nearly everything.

So going to market to attract this new “beast” has changed. You need to make sure you are able to deal with this new breed and new attitude to buying.

• Re assure them you are strong, fit and able to service their needs
• Remind them about your product, service
• Re-enforce the difference between you and the competition
• Make use of ALL the new marketing mediums – Twitter, Linked in, Web, Blogs, Video
• Introduce products or services that reflect their buying needs – keeping your existing range too.
• Be patient, he may take a little longer to decide.
• Bolster up your USP’s and Guarantees to create trust.

Remember “we” are the new consumers too.. Sometimes just looking at our own buying attitudes and feelings will help us to understand what is different about our own customers too.

*Some of the above was inspired by an article by Jeffrey Gitomer and his Caffeine Fix – Always a good read!