Branding YOU!

Just a note about branding. This is my quick 2 cents worth...not a long dissertation on Branding.
Some call it "ego" some call it "arrogance"... I Simply call it Branding.
People want to work with someone who is an expert in their field. So how do you become an expert in your field. You already are!!!. Whatever product or service you sell...You probably know more about it than your clients. Just look for ways to "inject yourself into your promotions. Start by thinking outside of your comfort zone. I have a friend name David Frey. You probably have heard of him... He is a Marketing Genius. (Dave if you are reading this don't get a fat head) But Dave really truly knows how to brand himself. He IS an internet "Guru" He has written many books, newsletters, ezines and done countless marketing videos and seminars. He is probably best known for the Book he wrote called "The Small Business Marketing Bible". If you look at any of Dave's stuff...His face is plastered all over everything. It gives people the feeling that they know him and that he is well know figure that they can trust.
For those just starting out...start small. Get a good "Star Shot" of yourself. Next flier or promotion...add your picture with your title. If you are in sales for XYZ company then give yourself a different title. Don't just say "I'm in sales". Puff out your chest...Be proud of what you do and say... "I'm a widget specialist for XYZ company specializing in new client acquisition and training". Position yourself as an expert in that field. Remember...compared to what your clients know about what you do...YOU ARE THE EXPERT ...and they are looking to you for help and advice. It's mostly perception. If you look, act and talk like the expert ... you will get treated like the expert. Don't be pompous and arrogant just tell them what you know and close the deal.
Never give up, Never Surrender.
God Bless,
JRsuperstar

JUST SAY THANK YOU...THAT'S IT?

Recently, Senior Market Advisor Magazine Interviewed the "2007 Advisor of the Year" Craig Randall.

SMA asked him: " How do you generate referrals?"

CR: “Once you build your client base up to a large number, then the referrals start coming in. We get referrals by NOT asking for them, but by thanking people for them. I’ve tried every referral system in the world, I’m sure there’s some great ones out there, but none of them seem to work real well for me. As soon as I stopped asking for them and started thanking people for the referrals that we’re getting, all of a sudden we started getting a ton more referrals. It just builds on itself."


Obviously the way to generate more referrals is to be someone who is appreciative of his or her clients. It's one thing to be appreciative...but quite another to SHOW that appreciation. When was the last time you did something special for your clients? Maybe this year you can make it a habit to show your gratitude for those who "butter your bread"

Remember these words... Appreciation wins out over self promotion every time!

Never give up, Never surrender.
JRsuperstar

GIVERS GAIN AGAIN & AGAIN

Want to know a surefire way to meet a lot of people and gain their instant respect (ok not so instant...it takes a few weeks) ...Here is a great way to make yourself known and to help you get to widen your sphere of influence.
Make sure you take your camera to a networking event. Take a picture with someone at the event that you like...either you like their business, their personality or whatever. Someone that you may have "clicked" with. Now make sure that you get business cards from 4 or 5 others at least that were at the event...I'm using a networking event as an example but it could have been anything...even your kids soccer game. Now when you get back home make a real greeting card (not email, too impersonal) to send a card to the 5 new people you met. (I use SendOutCards) Let them know that it was either good meeting them or seeing them again. On the other side of the flap inside the card put the picture of you and the one person you picked to spotlight. Introduce them, telling the name of their company and what they do...a short bio. You have now just promoted someone else's business to 5 new people you just met. Make sure you send a note to the spotlighted person letting them know that you shared their info with some colleagues. Now at the next event, take a picture with a different person with an entirely different business. Get 5 new names and do the same thing again only this time you send the card to the new 5 and the previous 5 promoting this new guys business. You can do this as many times as you like. Soon you will be the person that everyone knows or wants to know because you will be hopefully promoting them soon. The more you promote others, the more people will want to, and feel obligated to promote you... It's called the Law of reciprocity. People want to give back to those people that they feel have given to them. Hope this helps.
God Bless
John Riding
SendOutCards.com
renegademarketers.com

Giving to Give??? or to Get??? What's the diff?

Giving to give...means WHAT? It actually means that you are giving out of the goodness of your heart. No strings attached. Nothing expected in return. It's about you doing something out of appreciation for someone. But I want to talk about Giving to Get.
What we really should be about is ....GIVING... That's it... just giving... Give good service, give good advice, give good follow up, give respect. In fact replace the word good with GREAT and you will have a very successful career wherever you go! Make yourself so valuable to your company that they will beg you to stay because they can't see themselves without your great customer relationship skills. The "Getting" comes from the giving. People will be naturally attracted to you because you treat them right. Because you care. Because you step up and say..."You are important, How can I BE OF SERVICE TO YOU! That is what makes you attractive and makes them want to work with you and YES...even buy from you. They will also rave about you to their friends, neighbors and colleagues. Stop selling products...I learned this from my personal coach & mentor Dani Johnson. She works with people, training them how to be relational and how to genuinely care about the prospects they encounter. She says that "your product really isn't your product, Your product is people". Find their needs, goals and desires and then help them find the solution with what you have to offer. This is key to developing a relationship based clientèle. Giving to Get, Sowing and Reaping, Sales and closing. This is the new era in sales...which is really the old way of doing business...Trust based Marketing.

Never give up, Never Surrender.
John Riding

FISHBOWL MARKETING

I'm reasonably sure that you have run across this strategy once or twice a day. But it is such an effective and non-invasive way to build your list that it is worth repeating. People always wonder how to start to generate a list of prospective clients to market to in a variety of ways. Free stuff is the ticket. Just put out a fishbowl or box (clear is better so that the people actually see that others have put in their business cards) Then give away something of value. It really depends on your company and your budget. Restaurants should not only give away a free meal but also a percentage off of the meal of everyone in the group that comes with them on that visit. (limit 2 or 4 or whatever you want but make sure you state a limit on the offer) Also make sure that you have a pad of paper and a pen (fastened down somehow so that the gremlins don't swipe it) so that those folks who don't have business cards can participate too.

Make sure that it is something that has a perceived value... Look, you are trying to build a massive list that will become a source for you to send special offers to on a regular basis. Don't cheap out on the gift. So you spend 5 or 10 bucks extra a week. Believe me when I tell you that if you start using the list to send offers to these clients, you will more than cover that measly little amount of output and be on your way to referral generation through the fishbowl. You can also use an email service to start emailing offers or discounts to clients.
Here is a link to a Free Trial of Constant Contact Email service to help you market to that new list.Send Promotions via email – 60 Day Free Trial

P.S. make sure you take the fish and the water out before you have folks put their cards in...I know, I'm king of the obvious...but you never know!

Never Give Up, Never Surrender..
JRsuperstar

Referral Postcard Idea

Here is an example of a referral postcard. There are several companies that can make this process completely automated. Notice the offer on the back of the postcard. Just tailor this card to fit your industry and start sending. Here is a good resource for an automated system to send postcards and greeting cards. Click here for an overview.

Make it a great day.
JRsuperstar
www.renegademarketers.biz

PICK UP THE PHONE DUMMY

Now I know that this probably isn't a very courteous start to my blog...but hey...it's my blog and if you don't like the fact that I am straight forward, then I would politely ask you to keep on surfing!
This is probably THEE most effective marketing technique in the world but it is very often overlooked by more business professionals than I care to recall. It is also by far the easiest to do and it gets killer results.
OK here is the grand Pooba of all Poobas (what is a pooba?)

Just call your customer and say "Thank you"

No promotion. No begging for payment. Just a a good ol heartfelt "Thanks for the business". I think we, as blockheaded overworked business people, forget the very thing that keeps that 40 gallon SUV filled to the brim...and that's your CLIENTS and CUSTOMERS. So right now...if it's not dark or family time...pick up the phone dummy (I say that as a term of endearment) and let those long term and short term clients and customers know that you appreciate them. I don't give a rats patootee if you work at a dead end job that you hate. It's called work for a reason. Those customers are your next meal and you better do something that makes them want to feed you again...So again...right now if you are physically able...the first client or customer that comes into your mind...(i call that a prompting) ...write down their name so you don't forget it...and call them. Here is a script for you shy ones... Hi Parker? (you know that's just a sample name!), it's me JR with XYZ company. I was just thinking about you so I wrote down your name on a piece of paper so that I would remember to call you. I just wanted to call and say thank you for the past business. I really appreciate you choosing us. That's all. I just wanted to say thanks.
Talk to you soon. Have a great day. There it is peeps...(my kids say that for people)
The best referral tool out there.

Never give up, Never surrender! (the immortal words of Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest)
God Bless,
JRsuperstar