Style beats a sales pitch

Email marketing is one of those bones of contention.  None of us likes to be sold at, but, if we’re a business owner, we want marketing tools to get our message out. 

My guess is that you unsubscribe from, or simply delete, any incoming emails that are a sales pitch.  Nobody wants an inbox stuffed with promotions and ads for things you don’t want to buy.  You may have bought once, or occasionally, but it seems once you get on an organisation’s list they’re going to promote, promote, promote to you.

Think cosmetics companies, chocolatiers, clothing retailers, DIY stores, food stores - and more.

If you’ve ever signed up for any of the internet marketers free downloads (have you read it yet?), you can guarantee you’re now going to get tons of emails, mostly inviting you to a free webinar where they talk a lot, tell you a few bits and then invite you to spend bucket loads of cash on their ‘Insider programme’.

How do I know this?  Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!  Multiple times.  Some of these lists I unsubscribe from, but a few I stay on and a very, very few I actually love reading.  Why?  Because they deliver value, share lots of information and, even though they may offer a paid option, still give me lots of great free advice.  The best ones also have an extremely personal style.

Develop your personal style

Nobody writes exactly how they speak, but aiming for the same kind of phrasing and language you use when you speak is a good way to create a very personal approach.

If people read your emails and it sounds like you’re talking to them, they’ll start to develop a relationship far beyond that of simply receiving ‘quite useful’ information.

Be human.  Say what you think - but try not to offend anyone - and make observations in the same way you would if you were having a conversation.  Some people find it works to share something of your daily life to help their reader to get to know them.

Probably my two favourites are Kim Roach, who often kicks off her emails with:

‘Howdy, howdy!’

I know she likes coffee, because she talks about it.  Here’s the beginning of one email she sent out:

Over the weekend my wife and I went to our favorite little coffee shop. 

I got a Caramel Latte with almond milk. 

Yummmm :)

While I was enjoying this divine treat, I overheard a guy next to us talking about his business.

I admit.... every time I hear someone talk about biz, I can't help but listen in just a little. 

Guilty pleasure. 

Then she goes on to tell the story.

Another email marketer that I really look forward to hearing from is Nick Stephenson, who is an author coach.  His latest offering kicks off:

As week three of quarantine is about to roll around, and as we are (still) unpacking in the new house, I've begun to embrace my inner manliness - such as it is. 

You see, we've only just moved in to an old farmhouse (moved in about a week before all this kicked off #goodtiming) and, as expected, around 70% of everything doesn't quite work properly. 

This often includes pictures of him and his family - and sometimes a short video.  Then he goes on to give really useful information, sometimes invitations to webinars with him or his associates (and, yes, they do offer paid for courses).  He’s very good at finding everyday situations and translating them into how we can use those as marketing lessons.

Check your values

Whatever you write, make sure that it reflects your values - personal and business.  While I encourage you to be a real person, do review what you publish before pressing the ‘send’ button.  Make sure everything you send is something you’re proud of, not something you’ll later regret.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have strong opinions, but it does mean that you should remember that they’re your opinions and everyone is entitled to their own!

Practise writing like a human being instead of an organisation and you’ll find more people stay subscribed to your list.

Start a subscription service

If you deliver products or services to other businesses (B2B) you may consider Facebook isn’t for you, but it’s an excellent platform for launching a subscription service as it offers some features that aren’t available on other platforms.

You can run a private group where only those people who are invited and approved can get in.  This means that there is the potential to deliver loads of value and people are prepared to pay for it.

• With Facebook Live you can do live broadcasts - and then have them available in the group for people who can’t make the time/date.  This gives members a library of valuable information.
• In a private group you can answer member’s questions, allowing them access to your expertise.
• ou can create a safe place for people to fly their ideas, experiments with new things and get feedback from you - and from their peers.
• You can create a digest of wisdom that you share a few times a week.  
• You can make special offers only to the members of the group.
• You can introduce other experts to add even more value.

As long as you have expertise that other people want, you have the potential for an additional income.

Some people who have successful private groups also run an open group where there is no subscription - and use that as their sales funnel, so people who appreciate what they get in the free group are willing to pay a monthly subscription to get more in-depth information and support.

Plan ahead 

If you think this might be something your audience will find of value, don’t jump in without doing some serious planning.

This kind of project usually fails when the owner can’t keep up with delivery. 

• Before you start, draft out what you’ll be offering and the tools you’ll use to do that.  
• Put together a schedule of content - and allocate time to generate the content in your diary.  
• Set up a robust means of collecting payments - you’ll need either a direct debit system (such as Go Cardless) or set up a PayPal subscription.
• •Get comfortable with the tools (like Facebook Live) and how to record video live.  Learn how to make explainer videos to post etc.
• If you’re going to do live broadcasts choose a time when your audience is available - and you feel energised enough to deliver well.  You might also send out email reminders for live broadcasts.
• Post at different times of day to find out when you get most engagement.  Alternatively, tell your members when to expect content.  
• Be authentic and be human.

Good luck!

Pick of the Press

New clients often look at PR as writing an article to promote their latest ‘news’ and then wonder why their articles don’t get published.

Sit in the editor’s shoes.  Regardless of what type of publication they produce, they need to deliver articles that will interest their readers.  The editor knows their readership and chooses items that will tick their boxes.

The chances are that, unless you happen to be a professional PR executive, your focus is likely to be on you and your company and that often results in an article that is almost a sales pitch.  Most editors can spot this pretty quickly and your article gets ‘spiked’ (newspeak for ‘thrown out’).

So how do you get a better chance of getting your articles published?

1. Know your target audience - and what their biggest challenges are.
2. Know what they read.  You may have to do some research, but it will be worth it. 
3. Know what the editor wants.  This may mean having a chat with the editor.  Clearly if you’re aiming to get into the national dailies, this is tough, but consider that more of the right people for you are probably reading their industry journals with more attention than the national dailies and you’ll find you are more likely to be able to talk to the editor who makes the decisions.
4. Always deliver value.  The article must have something that will be of value to the reader - whether that is new information, advice, or a different viewpoint.  Whatever you write keep the thought ‘how will this help the reader’ front and centre while you construct your article.
5. Stick to the facts and keep it reasonably short.  A good press release is no more than a page and a half of double spaced text.  If the editor finds it interesting and wants more information they’ll get in touch (your phone and email contact is on the footer, isn’t it?)
6. If an editor asks for an article, rather than a news story, they will probably give you a word count - this is the maximum number of words, not a minimum!  Stick to it or you may find your key point is edited out!
7. If you submit images along with your press release or article, add the captions for them to the foot of your press release/article.  Name them so it’s clear what they are.  Try to avoid ‘firing squads’ (a line-up of people with someone holding a certificate, cheque or trophy), they’re not very interesting for the reader.  Action shots are much better.

If you really want to get into print, get into the habit of thinking about what would make a good story for your audience and create regular submissions.

How good is your business focus?

If you’re about to set up in business it’s a scary step to take.  When you’re going from a reliable income as an employee to the captain of your own ship exploring relatively unknown waters with rewards that are, at best, projections, with no guarantees, it can be exciting, frightening, exhilarating and worrying - all at once.

Unless you’ve run a business like this before you can’t know exactly what it’s going to be like.  And every business is different - even in the same industry, so your experience will be different to that of a competitor.

So what’s the secret of generating an income that will - at the very least - match your previous salary?  If you’re going into business with the sole idea of making loads of money and living like a king - you probably need to rethink a little.  Starting a business is hard work - and, unless you’re very, very lucky, it takes time to get to a position where you’re financially comfortable.

Of course, we’ve all heard of people who have made a million in just a few months, but for each one of those, there are thousands of business owners who have had to sweat blood to achieve their goals.

I’ve experienced every shade of being self-employed - a sole trader, a contracted consultant, an employer and a company director.  I’ve experienced the feast and famine that frequently runs alongside being your own boss and trying to keep the ship afloat.  I’m not sure that there is a magic formula - but there are definitely things that make a significant difference.

Even if you’re not just starting out, some of these things could give your business a boost.

Who?

Who are you aiming to help?  The more focused you are on your target audience, the better your marketing will work.  You can’t hit a target you can’t see - the clearer your target is, the higher chance there is of hitting the bullseye.

So, if your target audience is ‘accountants’, what kind of accountants are you interested in?  Sole practitioners? Local firms? Larger practices? Multi-location firms? Specialists in a particular area of accounts e.g. tax?

Every type of business has sub-sectors and it’s important that you’re really clear about whom you can help best.

• What industry are they in?
• What size of business do they have - by turnover or staff numbers or both?
• What is the leader’s personal style?
• What keeps them awake at night?
• What do they read - online and offline?

It all sounds pretty straightforward - until you sit down and try to pin it down.  It’s very easy to get diverted by ‘I could also help this other group of people, and those other people over there, and that person too’.  Of course, we can all help a range of people, but there’s a purpose behind my insistence that this is one of the most important exercises you’ll do for your business.

If you’ve ever had a client who loved everything you did for them, who valued what you delivered, who you loved working with - and who was happy to pay for the services you offer - that’s the perfect client.

In an ideal world you’d want to work with lots of clients like that - and that’s much more likely to happen if you actively search them out.  It doesn’t mean you won’t work with anyone else who wants your services, but it does mean that you’ll end up with more people who make work a joy instead of a struggle.

The plus of knowing exactly who you want to work with is that you’ll be actively looking for and attracting clients who are a good match.  It’s something your brain does for you as part of your Reticular Activation System (RAS).

Imagine, if you were thinking of buying a new car and you’ve found a model and a colour you like, but you’ve barely seen them on the road before.  Suddenly everywhere you look you see those cars.  If you know what you’re looking for, your brain will spot it!

This will give you a good idea of what would happen if you were looking for a ‘family saloon with plenty of luggage room in a neutral colour’, rather than a ‘Skoda Octavia estate’ (other brands are available!)  Now you know why being specific is so important.

What?

What do you do?  How does it help your clients?

Beware of becoming a jack (or jill)-of-all-trades.  We all have a portfolio of things we can do, but being a specialist will help you to build a positive reputation.

I remember having a conversation with a few business colleagues at an association event.  One was a very successful specialist, effectively he did one thing very well and got paid mega-bucks for his expertise.  Another was new into business and said “I can’t afford to be a specialist, I wouldn’t be able to pay the mortgage, I have to be all things to all people to make ends meet.”

One of the others admitted that he had been ‘a bit of a tart’ in the early days of his business and said ‘yes’ to everyone, but it had always been a battle.  He said that when he found a client that his core skills could really help, things improved, because he started doing what he was really good at and loved to do, for this client and then for others.  Work stopped being work - it was his passion.

In his case, it had been a happy accident, but it demonstrated the value of being a specialist.  To do that you really have to understand how you help your clients:

• What problems you solve for them
• How your expertise makes their life easier
• How much time and money your skills can save for them

This isn’t the time to be modest, you need to understand the value of what you do.  If you’re already running a business, ask your existing clients what they value about what you do - and the outcomes they get from it.

If you’re just starting out, you might find it really useful to talk to some of your networking contacts - or anyone who you know who has experience in the industry or business that your ideal client is in.  Ask them about the problems and what it would be worth to solve them.  The more insight you get, the better you’ll be able to present your skills to potential clients.

How?

How do you apply your focus to bring in clients?

You could pick up the phone and cold call companies that meet your ideal client profile.  However, you need to be thick-skinned and be willing to invest a great deal of time to do that.  Most people hate it - and it’s not what you went into business to do.

The best way is to build a network.  You can do this online through various social media and offline at local networking meetings.  To make these effective you need to present yourself professionally and clearly.

Online: The first marketing tool you’ll need to get right is your website - this needs to be professional, easy to navigate (don’t hide things in sub-menus if they’re likely to be important for the visitor), with a strong and compelling message that is focused on the reader.

With social media it’s about being seen as an expert, being visible and using it to educate and market.  On LinkedIn, that means completing your profile to ensure people understand the benefits of your service.   Your About section is a marketing presentation.  On Facebook create a Facebook Page and complete the About section on that.

Platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest have less space for your biography so make every character count.  Include a professional headshot and use the same one everywhere.  This is the equivalent of meeting someone for the first time - so you need to look like you’re pleased to meet them!

Then you’ll need a posting strategy to deliver ongoing value - so good advice, links to interesting and useful articles or blogs, tips and anything else that sets you up as an expert in your industry.

Offline: Visit local networking groups.  In most areas there’s a huge range of options from very expensive membership groups to free ‘coffee and cake’ groups.  Ideally, you’ll need to visit different groups to see whether they’re a good fit.

Membership groups are great for developing relationships.  It takes time for people to get to know you and understand what you do.  As your relationships develop with the people in the group you’ll find more of them refer you to their clients and other people they know.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore the groups that you can pop in and out of.  Attend a few, see what kind of people attend them, keep your focus on your purpose.  Bear in mind that while you’re looking for referrals, so are the others in the group.  Are they a good match for your current and potential clients?

Remember that you’re not looking for new friends (although you may make one or two along the way), you’re looking to develop your business.

Don’t overlook professional bodies and associations - if your ideal client is a finance manager, maybe you should offer to do a presentation on something of interest to finance managers at the local branch of their professional organisation.

Get your elevator pitch - that’s the short-ish answer to ‘What do you do?’ - ready.  It needs to be more than ‘We do recruitment’ or ‘I’m a health & safety consultant’.  A really good elevator pitch talks about the problems people have - and how you solve them so might be something like:

You know how human resources managers often end up interviewing people who are completely unsuitable?  It’s a waste of their time and effort - and often their department managers’ time too.  Well, we work with them on a specific profile for their candidates, pre-interview the applicants and ensure only the very best candidates are presented for interview.  Effectively, they only need to interview once - as they get the short list first.

This gets people to relate to the issues so they listen emotionally.  They remember more that way - and that’s what you want - people to remember you and what you do.

Networking is about being known and remembered by more people - so you can be connected to the people they know.  It’s not a quick fix, but it’s the best way to grow a network of advocates who will recommend you and refer business.

And the point is …

When you know who you can help, how you can help them and educate your network about that you’ll get more and more people who will help your business grow.  It’s always better to get business that’s recommended than business you have to work hard to win in a competitive market.

Developing this level of focus - whether as you start your business or at any time after that - will give your business an edge.

7 essential tips for working from home

Suddenly everyone has become a home-worker - and struggling to get to grips with the difference it makes.  People who have previously worked face-to-face now have to find a way to function in a virtual world - so choirs, keep fit instructors, networking events and team meetings are all now online.

To function effectively you’ll need the right tools to make this work well for you.  Here are my tips from quarter of a century of working from home.

1. Have a place to work.  Whether this is a table in your bedroom, a desk in the garage or the kitchen table - make it clear that this is your office and that the rest of the family should respect that and stay out of it during your working hours.

2. Set a work schedule.  This might be 9-5 or 7-11am and 4-8pm or a variation on that.  Now you don’t have to commute you’ve got more time to be flexible around your family needs.  Start on time - and ‘go home’ when you get to the end of the day.  I recommend you turn the computer OFF!

3. Make sure you have the right tools:

• A reliable computer
• A stable internet connection (you might need to reduce your family’s access to streaming and  plug yourself directly into the router in order to maintain a decent connection)
• Access to online conferencing (e.g. Zoom, GoToMeeting, AnyMeeting or something similar), plus a headset with a decent mic.
• A team hub - whether this is MSOffice Teams, Slack, WhatsApp, 
• A means to share documents, such as Dropbox, Google docs, OneDrive, WeTransfer, etc.
• A scanner - if you don’t have a scanner at home, try Adobe Scan, it turns your phone into a way to create pdfs.

4. Don’t stop using your diary.  Just because you’re working from home, doesn’t mean you can’t have meetings.  Schedule meetings and deadlines in your diary and check it daily.
 
5. Have to do or task lists to help to keep you focused too.  Know what you have to achieve each day, what information you need to enable you to do that and who you’ll need to talk to.

6. Beware of YouTube!  Just because you’re at home, it’s easy to forget you’re supposed to be working and your boss isn’t going to appear behind you - so be careful not to get sucked into social media, especially YouTube (unless it’s for valid business purposes).  My tip - use OneNote or Evernote for URLs you want to revisit when you’re off duty.

7. Think like an entrepreneur.  This is an opportunity - and who knows what business may look like when we come out of the other side of this enforced isolation - if you’re productive and professional working from home, you may find you can continue to avoid that long commute more often in future.  See it as a positive experience rather than an enforced inconvenience.