Tip #3: Top 10 Mega Marketing Mistakes

Two weeks ago I started blogging the Top 10 Mega Marketing Mistakes that I learned from Bill Glazer on my blog and here they all are….
#1 – Being an Advertising Victim
#2 – Lacking a Data Collection System
#3 – Lacking Diversity in Your Marketing
#4 – Lacking a Referral Program
#5 – Lacking a Lost Client Reactivation Program
#6 – Thinking You Are Your Own Client
#7 – Working “In” Instead of “On”
#8 – Not Understanding the Importance of Marketing
#9 – Lacking Self Promotion
#10 – Continuing to Make These Mistakes!

MISTAKE #10:

Continuing to do mistakes #1-9!

Find a way to change what your doing

MISTAKE #9: “Lack of ‘Shameless’ Self Promotion.”

 One thing that I have discovered, in speaking to thousands of business owners; is that everyone thinks their particular business is different. Well you’re probably right. Every one of you has something different or special about your business. But the mistake you are making is keeping it a secret.  You all have a great opportunity to promote yourselves and your business and the best part is that you can do it for the cost of a “first class” stamp – just 44 cents currently. 

That’s right – learn how to write a simple 1-page release and send it out in a #10 envelope. Your local papers and media are hungry for your story.  But they can’t run it unless you give it to them. Making the mistake in your thinking that they will seek you out is simply – a mistake!  In fact, over 80% of all local news stories are a result of a simple press release.

Study Donald Trump…a Master of Shameless Self-Promotion.  You will see the obvious correlation in Self-Promotion and Income.

MISTAKE 7 & 8

MISTAKE #7: “Working ‘In’ Your Business Instead Of ‘On’ Your Business”

& MISTAKE #8:  “Not Realizing The Overall Importance Of Marketing.”

They address one of the biggest problems that I hear from business owners, which is – I’M TOO BUSY. I’m too busy to do any marketing because I’m the best salesperson…..I need to wait on my clients personally…..I need to shop the marketplace and know what others are doing…… worse yet, I need to parent staff. The problem is, you are working “in” your business instead of “on” your business.

If there is one thing that you should write down and post as a constant reminder, it is this:

“STOP SEEING YOURSELF AS A RETAILER OF YOUR PARTICULAR

CATEGORY OF MERCHANDISE, BUT AS A MARKETER OF A RETAIL

BUSINESS THAT SELLS YOUR CATEGORY OF MERCHANDISE”

The Marketer of ANY business will be the one who achieves total financial freedom. The real money is in the marketing, not in actually doing all the tasks within the business.  Setting aside time to work “on” your business instead of “in” your business will become the most profitable time that you spend during your entire career. And by all means, make the time to learn marketing.

Tip #2: I Won! I Won!

SuperConference Women Marketer of the Year

I had a great time in Dallas – the days were full sun up to sun down! Now I’m back to work (with 1,042 emails to catch up on)! Here are a few pictures from the conference! More pictures and info from the conference will be in the GKIC June Newsletter, so keep an eye out for it!

Top 10 Mega Marketing Mistakes
Richelle Shaw
Last week I started blogging the Top 10 Mega Marketing Mistakes on my blog…. http://blog.themilliondollarequation.com/

My goal is to share with you what mistakes Dan Kennedy helped me identify in my own business, and what you can do to avoid them. Chances are, you are making or have made the same mistakes. Just knowing AND avoiding them will make a HUGE difference in your bank account balance. Don’t feel bad if you identify with most of these as I go through them. I’ve only made one of them…yeah right! The real key is making necessary adjustments going forward. So checkout my blog posts and good luck!

MISTAKE #6: “Thinking You Are Your Own Client.”

Do you know how many times I’ve heard people tell me that their clients are too sophisticated for “this” type of marketing or “that” type of advertising. That kind of thinking, without testing, can be dangerous. In fact, the most successful direct mail piece that I’ve ever seen is an award winning 5-piece handwritten letter on yellow legal paper.  It didn’t matter the income level of the customer – lawyers, doctors, judges, presidents of multi-million dollar companies…the response was phenomenal!

There was obviously more to this than just writing a 5- page handwritten letter on yellow legal paper. There were many proven direct response techniques used in this letter. But what is particularly instructive to note is the fact that just because you might not respond to something, it doesn’t mean your clients won’t.  You need to and test new ideas all the time.  There is no such thing as a failure, only ‘testing.’

To your consistent and persistent TESTING…

MISTAKE #5: “Lack Of A Lost Client Reactivation Program.”

 If a referral customer is the second easiest client to sell, then whom do you think is the third easiest client to get? The answer is your “lost clients.”  Again, most businesses totally ignore the clients that have NOT done business with them in several years, when in fact; these people are infinitely easier to sell than any new client – if you know how. Therefore, this mega marketing mistake is the “Lack Of A Lost Client Reactivation Program.”

Yes, this does require planning and organization…but it’s worth it.  The limits of the success of this program are the ones you place on it.

Don’t worry if you are 5 for 5 on these mistakes.  99% of business owners are…GUILTY!  Now, what are you going to do about it?  ‘To know and not to do is not to know.’  Do something!  I’d love to hear from you about your success.

MISTAKE #4: “Lack Of A Referral Program”

What is the second easiest client to sell? The answer is A REFERRAL!  Unfortunately, most people live with the myth that if they treat their clients great and give them great service and products, their clients will refer their friends to them. WRONG!

The “Lack Of A Referral Program” is a HUGE marketing mistake. The last thing that anyone is thinking when they are finished doing business with you is: “Whom can I send to these nice people so that they can get some more clients?”.  It’s not because they don’t want to. It’s because we are all too busy to be thinking about it. That’s why you need to have a “Client Rewards / Referral System” in place, which will give your existing clients -an incentive to refer.

When it comes to referrals, we leverage an automated system to tell our clients what we expect of them, when we expect it and what’s in it for them, month after month after month.  Your clients, customers or patients do not read minds – communicate what’s in it for them and watch them open their mouths.

The most inexpensive form of marketing and advertising is when your current clients refer others.  Invest the time to cultivate referrals.

MISTAKE #3: “Lack Diversification In Your Marketing?”

 I’m continually amazed at how many businesses still are NOT aware of the vast number of different types of media that they can “cost effectively” use to market their services. Let me prove it to you…have you ever hear of an advertising media called Voice Broadcast? Well, let me tell you one thing about this powerful media EVERY one of you, I don’t care what you are selling – either high price or bargain basement merchandise – should be using this automated technology.

Voice Broadcast is just one of several types of media that you should be using in your business as part of your multi-step marketing campaigns.  Marry just one type of media in your marketing and you will suffer from ‘mediocrity syndrome’ in your results.

MISTAKE #2: “Lack Of An Iron Clad System For Client Data Collection.”

How many times does a client do business with you and you are not able to continue to communicate with him because you do NOT know how to contact him? The real gold in ANY business is in the customer base. The proper building, maintaining, nurturing and use of the most valuable asset of any business – the ‘house list,’ is widely neglected.

It is 10 times easier to get an existing client to return to you than it is to get a new client to do business with you.  Plus, returning clients will spend twice as much with you upon their return as the new client will spend on their first contact with you. What would happen to your businesses if you had to constantly rely on selling new clients instead of existing ones?  SO why do so many businesses still NOT collect their client data?  Bad business decision, pure and simple. You must collect the necessary information which allows you to continue to market to your most valuable asset-YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS.

In our marketing consulting firm, we get the name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and birthdays (with bribes so we can give them a gift) of our clients.  If I would let you look at our database, which I wouldn’t for proprietary reasons; you would see complete contact information for each of our clients. The key is market to your existing customers and continue to grow your business every year totally immune to outside factors.

There are several different CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) software providers that allow a person to easily keep track of, stay in touch with, market to, ask for referrals from our clients.  We’ve done a ton of research and use two exclusively that are very user friendly and allow for a high level of automation.

Make the commitment now to become the best at client data collection!