Solo Business Marketing

Five More Places to Meet Outside Your Office

Shirley George Frazier — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:35:00 +0000

My office may be large enough to house a cork wall, as I shared with you in a video, but it’s not a space where I can invite people to meet and discuss marketing campaigns and solutions.

That’s when I turn to meeting places mentioned in last year’s post, Five Places to Meet Outside Your Office. The environments listed are where I go when getting together with clients who also work in small spaces.

Since then I’ve found five more comfortable places to share marketing ideas.

1. Library conference room. Most libraries include access to their meeting facilities as part of your membership.

2. Convention center. This public place contains lots of tables and chairs throughout lobbies that are available whether or not an event is ongoing.

3. Public park. As long as it’s not raining, this serene area can inspire conversations.

4. Gym. If you’re a member, your guest is usually allowed to sit in the snack and beverage section.

5. Shopping mall. Seats are plentiful in the food court, though it may get noisy at times.

Where are you meeting associates and clients? Share with us what works for you.

© 2008-2010 Shirley George Frazier. All rights reserved. Shirley George Frazier is recognized worldwide as one of the foremost experts on marketing strategies for business owners who work independently. She speaks regularly at conferences, events, and meetings worldwide and is author of Marketing Strategies for the Home-Based Business: Solutions You Can Use Today. Visit the SoloBusinessMarketing.com and blog to learn more about independent success.

How to Create a Wall of Marketing Ideas

Shirley George Frazier — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:50:29 +0000

Many great marketing concepts inspire you each week. What’s a good method to document all of it in a way that serves as an everyday influence?

This video shares with you how I organize marketing information on cork that covers one wall in my office. The wall greets me each morning with supportive phrases, stories, and profiles that match my goals and aspirations, all posted on it with push pins.

Can you see yourself creating this type of influence wall in your office?

Watch the video, which not only lets you see what’s on my wall but also provides you with alternatives to create one if this same system cannot be constructed.

How helpful is this strategy to accomplish your marketing goals?

How to Get Invitations to Speak on Stage

Shirley George Frazier — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:45:09 +0000

If you’re booked for or considering adding presentations to your roster in the fall or winter, this post on How to Market Your Business in 10 Minutes will calm jittery nerves, increase your excitement, and help you focus on the topic’s structure.

Speaking in public is one of the most-powerful methods of marketing your business. Each time you walk to the stage, you have the ability to educate, inform, change lives, and spread your message in a way that promotes your expertise.

The same is possible through Webinars, teleseminars, and online videos. However, there’s a stronger connection between you and the audience when you’re physically in the room.

It’s not difficult at the beginning to be your own booking agent. Your mission is to find the groups and locations that lead you to the preferred audience. Here’s a short list of how I achieved this.

Called a Food TV Network producer by phone to introduce myself and explain how my show appearance would increase ratings.

Result: Multiple appearances weeks before major holidays, with numerous sales captured over time from viewers.

Spoke in person with a small business development director at a local business trade show.

Result: Speaking engagement at a bookstore that also doubled as a book signing event for Marketing Strategies for the Home-Based Business, plus recommendations to others in her circle to schedule additional speaking events.

Email sent to a business show producer to congratulate him about a past show and offer suggestions for new seminar topics.

Result: Invitations to speak at multiple shows produced by the owner, all with honorariums and paid expenses.

If you want to add speaking engagements to your marketing opportunity, which group in your local area will you contact first?

If speaking at business and/or consumer events is currently part of your marketing plan, how has the landscape changed for you (good or bad), and how will you expand your speaking itinerary?

Five Steps to Organize a Mastermind Meeting

Shirley George Frazier — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:27:10 +0000

Hosting a mastermind meeting takes very little time to construct and makes a big difference in your marketing outlook thanks to the people who are part of your circle.

The pictures in this post are examples of how I organized for my meeting held yesterday in a cozy environment one level down from my office.

My two mastermind colleagues arrived just after 12:00 noon, a time that alerted me to their need for comfort and nourishment as we discussed our marketing triumphs and problems.

At the end, we emerged with dynamic ideas and renewed spirits for each of our businesses.

Here are five steps to create a great space for talking about business and marketing with your mastermind group.

1. Don’t get fussy with the setup. Make sure there are enough chairs in a seating arrangement for everyone’s comfort.

2. Make writing tools available. I added notepads, pens, and pencils onto a central ottoman just in case someone forgot to bring tools or if a pen suddenly failed to work.

3. Bring your laptop. A mastermind group is all about talking with each other, but sometimes it’s important to show examples on the Web during the meeting.

4. Feed them. Again, there’s no need for fuss. I offered shrimp and chicken salad pitas and wraps due to our lunchtime gathering, but snacks and drinks (water, preferably) are appropriate.

5. Turn off all phones, or at least set it to vibrate. This is your time to give and get solutions, so unless you’re waiting for that million dollar deal to arrive, most phone calls and text messages can wait.

It’s terrific to get together with like-minded people who see your business in a different light, thereby providing you with excellent feedback to expand or streamline your marketing. What have you found to be beneficial during your mastermind meetings?

Make Lots of Mistakes if You Want to Succeed

Shirley George Frazier — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:43:10 +0000

“(Company name) has been successful because every single day we make mistakes, and we’re not afraid to make mistakes. But we also make decisions that lead to tiny incremental improvements.“

Laurel Touby, former owner of MediaBistro.com, shared this secret for success in a 2007 interview with New York Enterprise Report. This focus was key to growing her business for 14 years until it was sold for $23 million.

The word “mistake” is one that you probably don’t want associated with your business. It’s a situation that you want to stay far away from, yet it’s one of the most-important building blocks to marketing success and overall business grow.

Each time I consider taking a step forward, my mind wants to talk me out of whatever I plan, but I know that what I’m about to try won’t cause bankruptcy or hospitalization. So why not plot the goal and see how I progress or decide what change to make in order to succeed?

Remember Laurel’s words the next time your mind tries talking you out of what could be a major step forward in marketing your firm.

Three Ways to Market Like a Cemetery

Shirley George Frazier — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:44:58 +0000

When I leave this life, I want my family and friends to celebrate my achievements with balloons and beverage toasts just as they did when I was alive.

That’s the same attitude of a number of cemeteries trying to change their dead and departed image featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article entitled, “To Attract Customers, Cemeteries Plan Parties to Die For.”

Cemeteries from New York to California want to transform the morbid environment mindset into one that considers the facility as a place for events outside of burying the dead.

Cemeteries, like funeral homes, are big business. Most have visitors every day, especially in my town where urban problems keep caskets filled. However, “more Americans are opting for cremation, (so) demand for burial plots has been slack.” This choice forces cemetery owners to “lighten up their image.”

You may find bird walks, poetry workshops, and art shows at cemeteries to be inappropriate, but the land where most of us will take our final rests is where these events are being held. And don’t worry; headstones aren’t the chosen seats or cup holders.

Because the time spent at cemeteries is relatively short, you haven’t noticed that there is plenty of empty space for weddings and sky diving, two more adventures around the hallowed grounds.

So, how do cemeteries market themselves beyond the grave?

1. Plan events in the evening so festivities don’t interrupt daytime funerals. This plan is a wise choice for you as well, especially if your audience works during the day.

2. Create a memorable slogan around your events. One cemetery’s motto is “Meet us before you need us.” Your business name may not be enough to gather a crowd. Ask your mastermind group for help, or sponsor a customer contest to have them create the slogan.

3. Choose an event space that people consider as familiar territory, especially if it invokes a calm feeling. Where did your customers go for happiness when they were children (restaurant, permanent carnival, zoo) that they’d likely return to now, a place where your event can be marketed?

This may all seem strange, but these marketing campaigns are bringing visitors to cemeteries. What ideas have you developed from this story?

How to Market Your Business with Video

Shirley George Frazier — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:10:28 +0000

How much time do you have to spare to create a video that shares a tip or explains a technique that customers want to know about the products or services available through your firm?

I shared insights with you last year about video marketing, and thankfully technology continues to make this process quick and easy. The question now is: what’s holding you back from creating your own marketing videos?

The video shown above, which explains what readers will find in the fifth edition of my book, How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business, was recorded with one take on my home’s patio.

I set up the camera, brought the book to show in the recording, and created the video on my own with help from the camcorder’s remote control. There was no script (a script is encouraged if necessary); I spoke from the heart about the book’s contents and my appreciation for its popularity.

Once finished, the video production program that came with the camcorder, which is installed in my computer, helped me to add and position the titles.

The entire process took 30 minutes.

If that’s too much time to take from your daily projects, consider outsourcing the back-end work to a knowledgeable college student who, in turn, is paid a few dollars for her expertise and receives college credit for her assistance.

I usually spend one day each month creating videos. Otherwise, the process would interrupt other projects. Perhaps this schedule will also benefit you.

What’s the one thing that’s holding you back from video marketing? Share your dilemma here so that you can begin connecting with customers through this valuable medium.

Can Your Marketing Survive Without a Cell Phone?

Shirley George Frazier — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:04:33 +0000

I cross the George Washington Bridge into New York headed east on my way to a meeting in Connecticut when, just 20 minutes later, my cell phone rings.

It’s a prospect who’s just visited my Web site and wants to speak with me about buying ad space for six months.

From talks with previous ad space buyers, I know this person needs a few minutes of my time to be convinced that the audience visiting the site is the right place for his ad, so I park on the road side and begin pinpointing highlights that turn a “maybe” into a “yes.”

Marketing on the road is nothing new to me. After 20 years of solo entrepreneurship, I know my service and what prospects want in order to turn them into customers.

But what if I didn’t have a cell phone that immediately connects me to my market? Would the urgency of speaking with me dissipate, or would the caller leave a message and wait patiently for my return call?

I asked myself this question after reading The Cell-Free Club in the August 9th edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

The article tells the story of people, from high-powered executives to educators, who’ve decided not to own a cell phone. They’d rather put the world on hold rather than be interrupted by the chirp of their choice (except for the “15 percent of Americans (who) have interrupted sex to answer their phones”).

Would not owning a cell phone be helpful or hazardous to your marketing plan? Think about this before you answer. Think about how many calls you’ve taken in the past on your cell phone that finalized a deal or connected you with the person who approved a new account.

How would your marketing thrive without a cell phone?

Why All Marketing Messages are Not For You

Shirley George Frazier — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:05:43 +0000

Pay no attention to what this new guru says on stage or to the charts another guru explains.

What matters most are the ways you find prospects, convince them to become customers, and methods practiced to keep them buying and referring you to like-minded referrals.

I’m not saying that marketing experts and those who are lauded as such are wrong. They all have worthy information to share. The problem I notice happening to many of us (including myself many years ago) is that you put some of the methods they share into place and want immediate results.

What happens next? You get frustrated and not only abandon what you didn’t give a chance to work but also abandon what was working in the first place. Now there’s no marketing, no sales, and total frustration.

This problem can be rectified quickly by keeping a log of which marketing programs you launch and when, where the program is running, how prospects are contacting you, and how many of those prospects become clients.

A spreadsheet or handwritten log can do the job well, but what’s necessary is the creation and updating of the log in order to gauge results.

From here, it’s wise to review your notes and develop questions on how to increase the results before hearing or reading what an expert says about marketing. This step is similar to a retailer taking inventory before visiting a trade show and deciding what merchandise to buy according to what’s selling and what customers are requesting.

The words that marketing gurus say and write are important, but sometimes it’s not beneficial or specific to your profession or industry. Filter their ideas so that you don’t throw out everything that’s been working all along.

Three Ways to Keep Your Marketing Motivation High

Shirley George Frazier — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:52:56 +0000

I know what you’re thinking – the bills are coming, you don’t want to return to employment, and that relative who said you wouldn’t succeed are three reasons why marketing is crucial to your success – but those aren’t the reasons for today’s post.

Working alone creates a whirlwind of marketing ideas spinning in your head that only you can mine, deciding which ideas are keepers and which ones to dump. That’s what happens in my head.

Here are three ways I’ve found to be incredibly helpful to keep my marketing on track.

1. Masterminds are a must. I’m currently on hiatus from meeting face to face with two friends. We get together to discuss our business triumphs, problems, and solutions. Rather than not talk at all, we Email each other at the beginning of each week to update our accomplishments and challenges. That, by itself, keeps our bonds strong and businesses progressing.

2. Read books that foster idea development. I’m an author, book buyer, and a long-time library fan. The latter place is where I often find informative marketing books including the ones published long ago with tactics that still work today. I also swap books with friends who have lots of material in their personal libraries.

3. Convert miles into magazines. One airline that I no longer consider to be my primary carrier offers a redemption-for-miles program that includes magazine subscriptions. I’ve cashed in some miles for 12 magazines I wouldn’t normally subscribe to and read them as soon as they arrive, broadening my marketing skills and opportunities.

Which of these three methods is the one that elevates your marketing motivation?

Solo Business Marketing

Five More Places to Meet Outside Your Office

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How to Create a Wall of Marketing Ideas

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How to Get Invitations to Speak on Stage

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Five Steps to Organize a Mastermind Meeting

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Make Lots of Mistakes if You Want to Succeed

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Three Ways to Market Like a Cemetery

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How to Market Your Business with Video

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Can Your Marketing Survive Without a Cell Phone?

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Why All Marketing Messages are Not For You

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Three Ways to Keep Your Marketing Motivation High

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