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Small Business Tips

Good-Better-Best?

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

Good Better Best –What is good to do, better to do and best to do? Well, that depends on your goal doesn’t it? In other words, if you don’t know where you are going any path will get you there.

Start by defining where you are going by stating your goals. Those goals set your priorities for how you will spend your time and exactly what you will do during your available work hours.

Speaking of hours, there are only so many hours in the day even if you choose to work all 24 of them. So, first step is to decide what is good, better and best for how to spend your time even with well stated goals.

Here is how it works: I have a goal of finding one new paying client who wants help with his PR efforts this month while maintaining my current client base and keeping everything balanced and working smoothly. I now know specifically what I want to achieve, by when and the surrounding context for my business.

Now I make a plan, specify the steps I will take, where to look, do I need to create anything to send out or provide to existing clients, etc. With a plan and logical steps listed, now I schedule my time – say an hour a day devoted to finding one new PR client. I also keep that goal front and center when I am out and about this month and work at it until I have achieve my goal.

Remember, to take break these things into steps. Break your work into a logical order by asking, what is best to do today? Keep your focus on on achieving priority goals with steps, a time line and measures attached. If there are other things on your to-do list that are not helping you achieve your goals, dump them or delegate them to someone else. They are not contributing to your goals therefore, they are not something you should be bothering with right now.

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Drive Sales With PR

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Many people look at PR as an expense that they want to avoid if possible. Don’t go there my friend! Instead, look at PR as a valuable, relatively inexpensive and highly effective marketing tool that can drive more customers to your door be it digital or brick & mortar.

Every one of you can create media interest in your business when you understand what it is the media want, how to reach them and when they are most likely to use what you send them.

What do they want? It depends on who their audience is. For example, if you have a technical product that is a whiz-bang problem solver. Choose a media outlet and writer that speaks to those who might buy your product. Don’t waste their time. Use the subject line of the email to identify the problem your product is solving. Tell them in the body of the short, concise email (2 paragraphs or less) what problem your gadget or system solves and the amount of money and time users are saving by using it. Give them the link to your site and your phone number. They will be back to you when they can.

No matter the product or service you are selling the same rules apply.

Don’t waste the media’s time.
Put yourself in their shoes before you contact them – don’t badger them with a dozen emails a week. Give them some time.
Make it easy to work with you.
Always, always get back to them as soon as you can. Their lives are ruled by very strict daily deadlines.

Want more how-to tools for working with the media? Let me know what interests you.

Posted in Get Organized | No Comments »

Get Every Day Off To A Great Start

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

If getting started on the piles and backlog of to-dos and over-dos has you somewhat paralyzed these days here are 2 easy ways to make every day a whole lot better.

1. Don’t ever leave the night before without at least a short list of 5 things that need attention the next day. When you get in, review it, prioritize according to most urgent, and start at the top. If you only get one thing done today you can feel great that it was the most important thing on the list.
2. Got a really hard thing to do that you have been putting off? I always do that first – get it out of the way when all your energy and commitment to make this day a great one is fresh.

The great news is that as you make this simple method of planning the next day before you leave the office the night before and taking on the hardest thing first, you will find that procrastination disappears, your productivity soars, and your energy and self confidence are noticeably increased.

Next time I will tell you about the wonderful Martha Ringer — a powerful coach I have met recently and the life-changing, practical training that has enabled me to create some exciting and positive changes in my business and my life.

Keep smiling!

Tags: organize, plan, success, tips
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Spending in hard times?

Monday, February 14th, 2011

When times turn bad they can be made worse by hesitation, halfway measures and panicky decisions.
The decision to slash or eliminate marketing is often the knee-jerk response to hard times. The fact is, companies that maintain or increase their marketing during recessions generally get ahead. A less crowded field allows messages to be seen more clearly, and that increased visibility results in higher sales both during and after hard times.
That said, marketing spending has to be done wisely. Look for less expensive channels, drop back to earlier effective spending levels, get creative, but don’t quit altogether.
Companies that do not eliminate marketing tend to have higher growth in sales and net income even during hard times.
A study by McGraw-Hill of both the 1974-75 and 1981-82 recessions reported that firms that cut marketing in both recessions increased sales by only 19% while those that continued to market saw 275% jump in sales.
Harvard Business Review found that airlines that increased their ad spending during 1974-75 increased sales and market share in both years while carriers that cut ad spending in both years lost sales and share in both.
The results of these studies are consistent, and unequivocal: companies that made the effort to continue to market themselves through recessions maintain notably better sales and reputation than companies that don’t.
Questions? Let’s talk!
Michele

Tags: advertising, marketing
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Are you up for some FREE marketing?

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

Today any marketing plan worth its salt includes a regular and strategically focused element of publicity.

What does that mean?

Well, first it is essentially free — I know that gets my attention these days, how about you?

Second, if done properly it will build on carefully developed and vital aspects of your brand, your product offerings and of course, the things that drive your bottom line.

You build a PR plan the same way you build any other plan. Start with the basics and find creative ways to make those elements attractive to the media through personalized contacts and smart tie-ins.

For example, use an upcoming holiday, let’s say the 4^th of July, to interest a reporter in running a story about how your veterinary practice can make pets more comfortable during all the fireworks.

Write a simple 3 paragraph release about the dangers and terrors that some pets go through every year when the big booms hit the night sky. Focus one paragraph on the newest short term meds or products available at your vet practice that will help. Then give a tip or two about how to prevent a problem with a little better planning.

Send it off to the reporters in your town, and call later to chat with them about the release, answer any questions and clarify points that are of concern to the reporter. My guess is that you will find your name and services in the paper in short order with resulting phone calls and appointments from interested pet owners.

Think about it, whether you are in the carpet cleaning business, are a veterinarian or a manufacturer or banker, simple, relevant, timely and creative PR strategies like this one can work for you and they need to be part of your marketing efforts.

Want help? Give me a call. I specialize in both developing PR for businesses like yours and in training your inside team to do it effectively.

More Later!

Posted in Marketing, Media & More, Small Business Tips | 1 Comment »

Leader Coach

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Get higher productivity starting right now – 5 easy steps

Is that you howling mournfully behind the piles on your desk? Are your to-do’s getting steadily deeper every day? Here are 5 easy, practical, time management skills that will give you back your life, quickly eliminate the past due to-do’s, and start a stress reduction habit.

Sound good? OK, let’s get started. (more…)

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