Take Comfort in Writing...

Do you have something to say? Do you have the opportunity to say it to everyone you need it to be heard by?

If not, like most of us the opportunities aren’t a daily happenstance.  We have to make opportunities to be heard and most of that time is going to be by using our words in a published manor.  If you have been told you speak well, congratulations that’s a valuable portion of the skill set you can take advantage of when writing your thoughts, needs, stories, value down in an article format.

Every day our skills, products and services are seen in the form of reports, posts, proposals, blogs, guidelines, social media updates, texts, memoir notes, thank you notes, emails, ads and more.  We live in an era where the written word is around us 24/7 and it can make or break a business.  Knowing this that on average we will write more than 35,000 words in a year – we all need to brush up on this skill set and learn how to become a better writer, the kind of writer that gets results…

• First before you start writing (anything), ask yourself: Why am I writing? You need to have a purpose so that the outcome becomes the solution to the reason.  If you are writing to thank someone for a meeting you had, to motivate, or even to change a company policy your writing needs to be clear and bring value.
• Next when writing gauge the length need. The acronym K.I.S.S. is a very good rule to live by for majority of our writing needs.  Twitter has schooled a lot of us in the art form of getting a point across in 140 characters or less & even then if you can get it to around 100 you will have a 17% higher engagement rate. Why? Because humans are in a hurry and our attention spans are very short.
• There will be many occasions that we need to write without brevity. In these cases, first write like you talk don’t worry about the punctuation, sentence structure or flow.  You want to get your thoughts out on paper first then restate your purpose before quality checking, shortening, changing your words.  Ask yourself: What is the reason you are writing? What should it accomplish – what is to be taken away by the reader? What is the conclusion – what should happen after it is read?  Tip: if you are selling something there should be a call to action included.
• Where ever you are be there! This goes for writing too – make sure your surroundings will inspire your thought process. If you are stressed or in a location where focus is a struggle the results of your writing will show your frame of mind.
• Plan the time and set limits. Did you know the first four hours of your day are when we are at our most creative?  If you are writing for an important purpose don’t select the time based on leftovers.
• Choose by choose wisely – (great movie) but also words to write by. If you want your articles read, acted on and also shared don’t be repetitive. Use a thesaurus or buy a book of creative ways to use words; (Words that Sell – Richard Bayan, Phrases that Sell – Edward Werz)
• When writing key thing to ask yourself, ‘will this appeal to more than me?’ An accountant likes numbers and thinks differently than a gift retail shop owner. But, both need to communicate with each other because they both use each other’s services.  So when writing you have to channel your audience and what would appeal to them when they read your written verbiage.
• Email can be attributed to the fall of Rome. Not literally but definitely an applicable phrase in the twenty-first century. Clear & decisive with an open ended prompt will get you more effective and successful results. Save the three+ page montage for your book or thesis.
• Prior to publishing or sending out say it out loud. Does it sound bizarre like it was written by a transformer? Do you struggle over excessively long sentences? To catch typos, duplicate words or run on sentences during your final proofing read the last paragraph first and work your way back to the first sentence.  Our brains are skilled to be able to read misprinted sentences as long as the first and last letters are correct, so changing the direction you proof in will help you see the writing before the story.
• End all things with a gift. Inside of every written need, every text, tweet or article you have the ability to make a positive moment in another person’s world. Don’t miss an opportunity to be an affirmative force increasing the beauty in the world.

Keep these tips in mind when writing and whether or not it is perfection, your intent will cut through bringing you remarkable results.

Quick release or hold hostage?

Question... (Rhetorical) 
With technology being what it is today, why do you get the response when unsubscribing from a newsletter that is no longer providing value: "Sorry to see you go, please be patient it might take a few days or weeks before you stop receiving our newsletter"...

And then you start receiving double! 

FYI - This is not a good technique to try & salvage what you lost by bombarding them with even more - just a thought

Example: I was receiving this newsletter (on a side note that I don't recall signing up for) and for the first half a dozen e-newsletters they sent great give-away offers, coupons and even a few good short articles I enjoyed reading.  To tell the truth one or two more newsletters and I would have been clicking on the site to see about the cost of the products they were talking about. But before I could act on my interest I started receiving aggressive call to action e-blasts then a few threatening to 'weed' out those that weren't interested.

That brings me to two thoughts I'd like to share:
1 - assumptions without facts
2 - if you want to use a system understand how to work it

If you are trying to generate business which is the basis I would think for using marketing mediums then at least allow the client to make the choice whether to follow or not - subscribe or not - purchase or not.  You never know who else might see or get recommended to view your newsletter & it certainly isn't hurting to have the subscriber. But threatening to cancel their subscription is more than likely to create an action saving you the trouble of removing them.

Instead of assuming they are not a value why not try understanding why they are not acting on your offer? This would be the logical next step - understand the marketing tools we use is seriously the key to having a successful marketing campaign.  If you are not getting results adapt and change don't use knee jerk reactions to something that just needs a little tweaking or patience.

"Every connection is not always a good client, but understanding that every connection has the potential to be a value to you will help you to look at your efforts and the results in a more productive manner."  ~K.Kirkland

Great businesses use the 'quick release' a one click unsubscribe because they understand the value of putting time into generating something worth sharing that their clients will want.  Think about it this way if you are providing value the ones that leave aren't in your 'tribe' of potentials anyways.  There are plenty that want to receive & will want to keep receiving as long as you provide value.  So why hold hostage the one that doesn't?

Have questions? Need help in your marketing efforts to create results that reward you for your time? We'd love to help just reach out when you're ready to accelerate!

Kristi Kirkland
Adding Needed Solutions Working Every Relationship!

How much is enough?

Marketing it can make or break a company - so how do you know you are doing enough and where do you market?
Marketing is defined as:

noun: marketing

1.

the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

I define it as:

2. the action by which your consumers build the trust and desire to use your product or services.  

So let's break it down to the first question everyone asks, 'How Much Is Enough'?  There are multiple variables out there and it factors down to not just time but the usage of resources to get you in front of your consumer enough times that when they are finally ready to buy your company is the name that pops up in their frontal lobe which is the part of the brain that is involved in movement, decision-making, problem solving, and planning! 

While every industry is different like say a restaurant can invoke through their advertising an immediate hunger creating a response to action while a harder industry like financial planning has to do a lot more strategic planning in their marketing to induce a return on their advertising investment.  Having said that a good rule of thumb is the 60 - 30 - 10

Hold on to your seat... the 60% is how much time you should be causing an action in marketing your business product or services!  In a 50 hour week that is about 30 hours of time devoted to getting in front of your customers.  This is a time & again proven fact for all successful businesses!

· Spend 60% on marketing and sales

· 30% on making or providing products or in service delivery

· 10% on administration and management

Or simply, prioritize your time as marketing - making - managing.

The exception to this is when you're in start-up. Since you have no customers (or very few) spend 80 - 90% in marketing and sales and 10 - 20% developing systems in administration and management. 

This 60 - 30 -10 rules transfers into other aspects of your business as well. 

For example, when it comes to Client Retention and acquisition, spend 60% of your time and effort on keeping and growing your current clients. Spend 30% on getting new mainstream clients in the short term and 10% on long term sales for those bigger projects or clients.  It factors down to the same story no matter the industry it is easier & more affordable to keep a client than to cultivate a new one.

For training, spend 60% of your training time and budget developing and enhancing your strengths;

30% learning new concepts; and 10% working on improvement of your weaknesses. I get asked all the time when attending a seminar for services I offer, 'Why are you going to that when you could be teaching it'? There's never a time when you have learned enough to stop learning more...

If you don't have a budget for training, I suggest you rethink this. Imagine how much more business you could grow simply by sharpening your edge and honing your strengths. I'm confident you'll realize a high return on your training investment. Fact is with the internet education is more affordable than ever!

If you have staff, spend 60% of your time on the superstar best performers. 30% on the high potential staff and 10% on the low performers. Just like enhancing skills, investing time and energy into winning opportunities will yield greater results than trying to improve weaknesses or poor performance. 

So how does this 60 - 30 - 10 rule translate out to an actual week?  In an average 50 hour work week, these percentages equal 30 hours sales and marketing, 15 hours providing products or service delivery and 5 hours doing administration and management.  

Are you having a bit of a reality check? Give it a try and you may be amazed at the result on you business. 

Next blog will be on Marketing Artfully! If you are needing to spend 60-80% on marketing don't you want to get the most bang for your buck? Make sure to subscribe so you get notice when it is posted! 

As always - AMI is here for you! 

Kristi Kirkland

Answer Marketing Inc

850-215-7667

3rd times a charm?

Yes, I know you've heard it before try - try again and we hope the 3rd times a charm. Well, this is about your daily routine and adding some serious productivity boosts to your day.

Think now about how many thoughts roll around your head - I don't know about you but that is a serious time distraction when you have 'brain blogging' going on.  Some of us get so bogged down with the ideas, needs, issues and other thoughts that roll around on a regular basis that we don't function at our highest or stay as creative as we need to be.



Third times a charm - here's where it comes into play.
First time charm: When you come in to the office in the morning before you start your daily routine take your first moment in the day to seriously clear your mind.

Now this is harder than it sounds you are not just taking a quick few breaths, thinking of your happy place, and starting your day.  You need to close off distractions (cell phones, computers, lights, activity in the halls) and let those 'brain blogging' thoughts surface while you visualize a list in your head and prioritize the thoughts that surface.  For some of you that do not visualize well it is ok to write down the thoughts surfacing.  Now go over them and put them into perspective.
1) Grass needs mowed (This can be thought about at home)

2) Power point presentation needs fixed (Prioritize)
3) Coffee pot needs rinsed (Do at next break)
4) Client follow ups (Right after you clear out yesterday left over)
5) Left over work from yesterday (Start your morning with - prioritizing value)
6) Call back utility company (Handle at first break)
7) Squirrel.... ok that was a serious distraction (How many of you have unexplainable randomness?)
8) Check on car oil level (Right after work is over)

Next open your eyes you have your structure for the start of the morning - take your deep breaths, roll the shoulders, straighten the spine and take on the day!
Wait!! What about 3rd times the charm?? You all know as well as I do that even the most well laid plans go awry when other outside factors come into play. So what you just did to start your day you do right after lunch and before you go home.  Only difference is after lunch you will re-clear your mind and re-prioritize your morning list taking into effect higher priorities that may have come your way.  The 3rd times a charm & one of the most important for a balanced life is when you clear your work day out of your mind - remember you are human and there's only so much you can do in a day.  Write yourself out a task list for the next morning and put it out of your mind allowing family and fun come into your mind.
Some might do this task right after you shut down the computer for the day or on the ride home, where ever it is just make sure it is handled before you walk into your home. Consciously think about a wonderful memory before you walk into the house and be the greeter with a smile for your castle area.
This will not happen over night and it does require concentration and dedication. But, if you make it part of your routine like drinking 8-8oz glasses of water a day it will improve your spirit and productivity!

Think Happy Thoughts!
Kristi Kirkland
www.answermarketing.net

Seven Networking Tips:

Networking goes hand in hand with running a successful business.

But many of us dread walking into a room and introducing ourselves to a bunch of strangers. We get direct referrals through our A-Team but we need to be cultivating referral resources through our memberships & community connections.  Here are a few valuable tips:
1. Resist the urge to be fashionably late. It's almost counter-intuitive, but showing up early at a networking event is a much better strategy than getting there on the later side. As a first attendee, you'll notice that it's calmer and quieter – and people won't have settled into groups yet. It's easier to find other people who don't have conversation partners yet.

2. Ask easy questions. Don't hold up the wall or wait for someone to approach you. To get the conversation started, simply walk up to a person or a group, and say, "May I join you" or "What brings you to this event?" Don't forget to listen intently to their replies. If you're not a natural extrovert, you're probably a very good listener – and listening can be an excellent way to get to know a person. When first getting your feet wet bring someone with you - walk up to a group or single person and say, "Not sure if you've met..." & introduce the person you are with, then follow up with & by the way I'm.... Works every time!
3. Ditch the pitch. Remember, networking is all about relationship building. Keep your exchange fun, light and informal – you don't need to do the hard sell within minutes of meeting a person. The idea is to get the conversation started. People are more apt to do business with – or partner with – people whose company they enjoy. You don't network to sell a product or service you network to build a connection, that leads to a follow up meeting that ends in one or both of you getting or referring business!
**If a potential customer does ask you about your product or service, be ready with that one thing that makes you stand out from your competitors.
4. Be passionate. Win people over with your enthusiasm for your product or service. Leave a lasting impression by telling a story about why you were inspired to create your company. Talking about what you enjoy is often contagious, too. When you get other people to share their passion, it creates a memorable two-way conversation.
5. Smile. It's a simple – but often overlooked – rule of engagement. By smiling, you'll put your nervous self at ease, and you'll also come across as warm and inviting to others. Remember to smile before you enter the room, or before you start your next conversation.
6. Two ears ONE mouth. Some people who dislike networking may overcompensate by commandeering the discussion. Don't forget: The most successful networkers (think of those you've met) are good at making other people feel special. Look people in the eye, repeat their name & listen to what they have to say. Be a conversationalist, not a talker.

7. Remember to follow up. It's often said that networking is where the conversation begins, not ends. If you've had a great exchange, ask your conversation partner the best way to stay in touch. Some people like email or phone; others prefer social networks like LinkedIn. Get in touch within 48 hours of the event to show you're interested and available, and reference something you discussed, so your contact remembers you. Write on the back of their business card something you can refer to later so they know you were sincere.

Success is only one connection away - Kristi Kirkland
www.answermarketing.net

Increase Your Local Business Search Results

Are you still dragging your feet about getting a presence on the web or have you set up a basic profile on a few social media platforms and are asking yourself, now what? It's a brand new day guys and statistics say majority of consumers are researching on-line before they buy.   

What does your on-line presence say about you?

As business marketing becomes more competitive, making your online presence and other marketing efforts as powerful as possible should now become part of your total marketing efforts.  For all concerned more and more customers now go online first to find what they need locally making sure they find you and that something concerning what they find generates a call or visit is vital. 

The question now is: Will yours? 

Here are few things you can do to improve your chances of being found in the most cost-effective manner:

Top is not always best

Many online advertisers have been conditioned to believe that first position in a search ad results page is the best way to go. But it may not be the best value. Slightly lower positions in the paid search results (also known as SEM) can produce better, more cost effective leads. The reason is that the lower position will cost less per click, but still get you on the first search results page. The best approach is to test. 

Juice up your profiles

Local businesses with detailed online business profiles – including their products and services – get better results. Trouble is your business probably has profiles in more places than you know. Make sure your online listings are complete – including not just your location and hours, but as much detail as you can get in about what your business offers and what sets you apart from others. If you have a business video, include that too, along with your social media connections. A great way to monitor how your business appears online if you don't have the time to supervise it yourself is to use a reputation social media management service.  Ask around and do your on-line research as well before choosing a company.

Focus your spheres

A common mistake that local businesses make online is spending money on ads that appear outside their service area. By using locally focused websites, services, you will get more bang for your advertising buck.

Check it “check-in” services

With location-based or “check-in” services and applications, customers create a profile and sync up with friends by “checking in” when they visit a local business. Participating not only helps you get found, it’s a great way to reward customer loyalty. Look into Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook and Google Places. 

G-Target your website and ads

G-Targeting, short for geographic targeting – means customizing your pitch to a specific city, state, region, profile or even neighborhood. One technique is to make sure your complete business address appears on every page of your website. The content on your site and in your ads and directory listings should also mention your city, as well as neighboring cities and neighborhoods that you want to cover or do business in.

Make it work for Mobile

Search engines are starting to give higher scores to business websites that include a “mobile optimized” version. The main rule for a mobile site is to keep it simple.  Having location keywords (city, neighborhood, street, etc.) are especially important to people searching for you on a mobile device. 

Get your social media platforms in order

Having an active presence in social media is vitally important for local businesses to connect with customers. At a minimum, make sure you have a Facebook business page and consider other networking sites such as LinkedIn, Merchant circle, Twitter and more. Make sure once on to keep active - don't use a roller-coaster as your guide.

Reach out and ask

Not everyone has the time to work their social media platforms or to find connections that will help them spread out.  Check with local clubs, organizations, groups, chambers for groups or teams you can join that will get you the return you are looking for.