One of the things I didn’t have time to cover is why a restaurant needs to be on the Internet – trust me, it’s not what you think!
Watch this 3-minute video to find out what 95% of people on the Internet don’t know… that can make the difference between a restaurant full of paying customers and one filled with empty tables.
I have to admit this is one of my pet peeves… People not answering their emails. Here’s the thing – I’ve done an informal analysis and I can make this claim with absolute anecdotal certainty. Your success in business is directly proportional to your responsiveness, follow-up and follow-through of your emails. I can without a doubt, pin-point a struggling business person or entrepreneur when it takes them DAYS to respond to an email. Of course notwithstanding annual leave or illness.
I mean it – Anyone that I know who is struggling financially or professionally (and I don’t know that many) EVERY SINGLE ONE has appalling email communication skills.
There, I said it.
Now I feel better. But y’know what? It doesn’t matter that you tell these people that in 2010 it’s unacceptable that they take 3, 4, 5 or more days to respond to a PERSONAL – non mass broadcast email.
They are DINOSAURS.
They are completely and totally obsolete – they just don’t know it yet.
Their suspects, prospects and clients know it – they are dealing with other more RESPONSIVE companies.
I know I am.
I have ‘left’ at least 3 unresponsive companies/suppliers since the beginning of this year alone. Not because they can’t offer the product or service, but because they can’t and won’t respond quickly enough.
These dinosaurs have no idea that EXTINCTION is around the corner…
Here’s the thing – let’s put them out of their misery more quickly — QUIT USING ANYONE WHO DOESN’T RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH AND REWARD THE GO GETTERS WITH MORE WORK!
I know that’s what I’m doing and that’s what I am suggesting my clients do – to get BETTER results, in today’s inter-connected world and economy, it’s a MUST.
If you don’t know how to get through all your emails – you need to join my Platinum Program. I have already revealed at least 10 email management tips on my various blogs over the past 2-3 years… If those haven’t worked – you need hands-on assistance!
Today’s post is the second of a two-part list of 20 Tips to Boost Your Direct Mail Response. Direct Mail is still a very effective way to market your products and services. To learn the art and science of Direct Marketing, you should consider our Killer Kopywriting System.
10 More Tips To Boost Your Direct Mail Response Part 2 Of 2
Today’s post is the first of a two-part list of 20 Tips to Boost Your Direct Mail Response. Direct Mail is still a very effective way to market your products and services. To learn the art and science of Direct Marketing, you should consider our Killer Kopywriting System.
20 Tips To Boost Your Direct Mail Response Part 1 Of 2
This 4 minute YouTube video takes a fun approach to resolving the challenge of breaking the language barrier in selling to non-English speaking prospects… Sometimes the obvious is well… obvious!
Today’s post is yet another example of how the little things make a BIG difference. As you probably know, I love dogs even though I don’t have any because of my ‘jet set’ lifestyle… Recently, I visited the puppies and dogs at Paddington Pups Doggy Day Care in Brisbane (video below). While I was there, I made a few suggestions to Bree Robbins, Paddington Pups owner and Platinum Program graduate. Here’s how she went…
From ZERO Sales To Sold Out In 3 Weeks
Paddington Pups is a Doggy Day Care and Pet Supplies shop. Since we specialise in dogs, I got my hands on Cesar Millan’s the Dog Whisperer Series 1 and 2 DVD sets to sell at the shop. I was excited to be able to stock these for my clients since I know (first hand) that several of them have training and obedience issues with their dogs.
When I ordered in the first and second series I also ordered a “Display Stand”. I was expecting this to be big so it would stand out. However when it arrived, it was not only tiny, it didn’t say anything about the second series. I was quite disappointed to say the least.
After over two weeks, I hadn’t sold a single DVD series. Now you might be thinking that’s fine but this was the end of November, early December which is the perfect time for people to purchase gifts like this for themselves and/or friends and family.
That’s when Marc came in for a visit and you know what that means – exponential ideas galore!
Marc suggested that I create a bigger, more obvious display to highlight this popular and much sought-after product.
As with anything Marc suggests, I thought about it and discussed it with my husband. Later that night, Ross was on Google looking for a good quality image we could use to create own display poster.
Next he went to our local print shop had the poster printed and laminated in A3 format all for under $50.
Within the next 3 weeks, I sold 4 copies of season one and 6 copies of season two at full price with no discounting. That’s what’s powerful about Marc’s advice. Most consultants would discount the price whereas Marc thinks one step ahead – the ONLY reason no one bought the DVDs was because they didn’t know I had stock. Marc knows The Dog Whisperer Series is a high-value item that is sought after and does not require discounting to sell.
Once I had my new poster up in full view of my clients, several confirmed they didn’t know I had The Dog Whisperer Series with Cesar Millan. In fact, most confirmed what I thought – that they hadn’t been able to find them anywhere.
So not only was I not selling any, I had clients WILLING AND LOOKING for the product I had in stock.
That hurts just writing it. I don’t know about you, but I want to sell as much inventory as I can, as quickly as I can. I consider myself a smart woman, but clearly I wasn’t being smart about this product promotion even though in hindsight it’s self-evident.
That’s what I appreciate about Marc’s advice – not only does he have a view from the ‘outside’, he understands people who buy. His Exponential Mindset is all about making it easy for people to buy from you.
Thanks Marc for your help once again – Come back again soon!
I don’t know about you, but every once in a while something like this comes around and you want to reach out and shake Matt’s hand – for doing something that was so obvious, but took so much time and effort…
The ketchup packet has been around for more than 40 years, and complaints about it for nearly as long: too messy, too small, too hard to open.
A lot of people ask me what the difference is between institutional advertising and call to action marketing. Simply put, institutional advertising is brand building and is only recommended when you have MILLIONS or BILLIONS in your marketing budget. Call to action marketing I don’t even call it advertising because it’s unilaterally focused on getting suspects to convert into prospects (take an action to show their interest in your product/service/offer) or prospects into clients (give you their money).
A friend of mine, Andrew Powell of Montreal, Canada asked me this outstanding question with the added twist that his company, Bogdon & Gross Furniture has been building furniture for over 80 years, using the tagline “Handcrafting your dreams since 1927″ and the e-mail signature “Canadian manufacturer of solid, hardwood furniture and supplier of Koosh ® mattresses – the world’s first high resiliency, soy-based foam Mattress.”
Whenever I ask most people what business they’re in, I usually get an incoherent rambling about what they do (and they wonder why they’re struggling for new clients… but that’s a discussion for another day!) Then I ask then what’s important to their clients and 9 times out of 10 they have no clue. If only they understood it as well as this restaurant does -> it’s not about the food!
Go on and click on the hyperlink (they don’t allow it to be embedded) and then ask yourself, one simple, yet exponential question:
What’s MOST IMPORTANT to my clients?
If you can answer that question, then you know where your focus should be.
I know this sounds too simple , but watch the video again and just listen to what the clients are saying and the RESULTS it’s producing.
Watch this short video that reveals how retailers unknowingly throw away as much as 28% of their sales – that is one customer for every 4 walking out their shop door… This is one of those rare videos that hits you across the head like a two-by-four… As it should! WHAM!!!!
In a recent BBM Magazine, I came across this article that stated that the underrated Hollywood hotty Naomi Watts is apparently the world’s most bankable actress.
The 41-year-old, who’s hot scene in Mulholland Drive, helped the box office rake in an estimated $44 for every $1 she was paid for her last three major films. That means in terms of bang for your buck, she’s the actress producers and directors turn to. What does this have to do with Management By Metrics?
Everything. If you’re in business, what metrics are you managing? What are you tracking to make sure you get your optimal return on investment? You’d be surprised who’s on the Hollywood’s MOST BANKABLE LIST and who’s not…
Naomi Watts - Most Bankable Actress
The list’s top spots are notably filled by many actresses willing to accept a lower salary than A-list stars like Angelina Jolie – who was named Hollywood’s highest-earning actress by Forbes earlier this year.
Jennifer Connelly, 38 – who previously won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe for her role in 2001’s ‘A Beautiful Mind’ – took second place making an average $41 per dollar she was paid. Meanwhile, Rachel McAdams finished third by turning low-budget films like ‘Red Eye’ and ‘The Notebook’ into hits.
Forbes.com’s Top Ten Best Actresses for the Buck:
1. Naomi Watts – made $44 for each $1 paid
2. Jennifer Connelly – $41
3. Rachel McAdams – $30
4. Natalie Portman – $28
5. Meryl Streep – $27
6. Jennifer Aniston – $26
7. Halle Berry – $23
8. Cate Blanchett – $23
9. Anne Hathaway – $23
10. Hilary Swank – $23
This blog is all about seeing your business from a different perspective – which is called antimimeticisomorphism. When you come across different metrics in other industries, jot them down and consider using something similar in your business to determine what’s actually working versus what’s really not.
Sure Angelina Jolie may be prettier, sexier and more famous, but if you were INVESTING in a movie, who would YOU hire?
Hmmm….
That’s the point – sometimes in business we make the decisions we LIKE to make, not the ones that are the most profitable…
And you thought this was a lightweight blog post… Gotcha!
If you are not a subscriber to my Internet Mastery Blog, shame on you. That means you missed out on this amazing YouTube video on the Social Media Revolution that I published a few weeks ago. Click on the hyperlink now and make sure you watch the video – it will shatter your preconceived notions that the Interweb is just a fad.
By now, you know about my 1 Percent Improvement Doctrine that simply states that it’s the small things that make the biggest difference. In fact, it’s why you are a subscriber to this and my other blogs. You know that I have countless ideas, tips and suggestions to make or save you money. Like today’s simple tip that can save you 500% to 1,000% on your promotional signage.
This is so obvious it’ll make you smile. It’s from Peter the Baker who will be getting his website up and running soon… This is exponentially valuable for anyone who deals with people who want ‘FREE samples’…
Every week people ring and ask me what type of products I produce and just
about all of them ask if they can have a free sample… so remembering
something that you did when you had your print shops, I came up with this…
“OK I will give you a free sample if you buy a cake from me. That way you get $25.00
return free from your outlay of one cake. That way we both win. I sell a
cake and they get a sample…
If they don’t agree I don’ bother giving away $25.00!
Sometimes it’s the SIMPLEST IDEAS that create the greatest value… There is beauty in the elegance of simplicity!
I can’t hold back, I have to get this off my chest. In the past 2 to 3 weeks several people have been struggling to get stuff done. They KNOW what to do and HOW to do it, but can’t get it done… WHY? Because they have their mates doing it at “mates rates” which basically means “when time allows, I’ll get around to it MATE…”
“She be right MATE.”
She ain’t right MATE. She’s p_ _ _ _ed!
She needs to get this done NOW, not tomorrow, not soon, not over the weekend, not next week…
NOW.
N-O-W.
When you deal with mates, you deal with being pushed to the end of the queue, at the bottom of the to do list. This is even worse during a recession when times are tough and money’s tight. The ‘high paying’, no make that the PAYING clients will get ALL the attention and ALL the results.
This is the first of a series of posts on sales strategies to get you to SELL MORE with LESS EFFORT. Disarmingly simple and straight to the point, each one is designed to help you get your 1 percent improvement from your sales activities and conversations. Let’s get started shall we?
Transformational Vocabulary Sales Tip #1
Don’t replay bad sales calls in your mind or repeat them to others other than when you are analysing them for improvement. Too often, salespeople – especially telemarketers will get off a call than went wrong (the sale did not get made) and repeat it to their colleagues – this is disastrous for morale as well as a time killer that serves NO purpose other than to suck you deeper into the Vortex Of Mediocrity.
Once a call is over, make the mental and physical notes of what went wrong and what was done right and MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
Any dilly-dallying is an indulgence that you can’t afford to do.
Even if you are not repeating this verbally – STOP your negative self-talk immediately and see what happens.
This is MUCH harder than it first appears.
Sales is all about attitude – you cannot afford to indulge in this ‘popular’ habit – it’s a profit killer – like second-hand smoke – it kills the smoker as much as it does innocent by-standers.
Sticking with the smoking analogy, whenever someone around you starts blowing ’smoke’ your way – stop them immediately – nicely letting them know you’re not interested.
As an eternal optimist, I rarely focus on the negative, but today’s an exception worth sharing. Monica and I spent 2 days at a ’boutique hotel’ on the Southern New South Wales coast this weekend. The property was magnificent, Internet broadband was fast, the breakfast sublime. So what could be negative about that?
The owners and staff had an ‘edge’ to them that each time we requested something, their tonality was such that it was felt that we were putting them out, disturbing them or otherwise inconveniencing them.
Monica and I thought it was just our acute sensory perception, but this morning at breakfast, the waitress broke the camel’s back with another guest when she ‘forced us out’ of the breakfast ‘house’. She said we had and I quote “We need you to leave so we can close up here.” WITHOUT explanation or apology.
The guest was stunned – I was stunned. Monica was stunned.Read More »»
If you’re a service business that is mandated to ‘do stuff’ for clients on an out-sourced basis and you get paid on an on-going retainer basis, you need to know the #1 reason people STOP buying from you or cancel their contracts…
But what I didn’t explain is that if you take this concept to the next ‘exponential’ level, you not only keep them informed, but you INVEST the time and EDUCATE them about what you’ve done.
For example:
If you optimise Google Adwords, you can let them know the words that have become more profitable, that convert more and or produce more back-end sales. This helps the client create SEO optimised blog posts, sales page content and/or other more effective advertising.
If you are a solicitor, lawyer or other legal professional and have come up with a solution to a problem that has been either overlooked or otherwise neglected by others, as part of your research or discovery process, when you explain it to your client, he/she will have a greater appreciation for your expertise and know-how and you will end up with a smarter client.
But most importantly, the EDUCATION is valued by the client and THAT is where the payoff is.
I was speaking with a colleague yesterday and she pointed to a pile of documents on her desk and said “I’ve wasted the past year taking care of refunds, claims and complaints… I hate that work, what a waste…” I then explained that what she LEARNT over the past 12 months was to do the triage of the cases that were worthy of attention and those that are not. By learning this craft, she can now use that in future roles with other clients she consults to – BUT it is a WASTE if she doesn’t use it and it is SUB-OPTIMISED if her clients don’t know she has this skill.
She could quickly and easily create a 1 to 2 page document that explains “How to quickly identify frivolous law suits” that she can then follow-up with “How to get rid of frivolous law suits quickly and effectively”.
So there you have it, a few ideas to think about…
Educate and inform your clients as much as you can and you will reap the rewards.
Whatever you do, don’t keep them in the dark.
If they are kept in the dark, you’ll be out of sight and out of mind PLUS if someone else comes around and turns the lights on, it’s ‘lights out’ for you!
I know some of this stuff is seemingly obvious, but in a recession, EVERYONE is keeping tabs on their expenses and SERVICES are the FIRST to be cut.
They are the first to be cut BECAUSE unless you QUANTIFY the value for your clients, they will never fully value what you are doing for them.
What would happen if your marketing worked? Answer the questions in the Business Marketing Autopsy and you’ll discover the profit cancers that may be killing your sales… Click on the banner below to access it for FREE.
Usually $297, it’s yours for FREE, until I change my mind… Which could happen at any time. Don’t wait, it’s not worth the risk to your business’ health.
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I recently spoke at the 2010 Food Services Australia Show. I presented a summary of “How To Market Your Restaurant To Fill Your Empty Tables”. This all came about because of the 2010 Exponential Entrepreneur Of The Year Winner, Gavin Buckett, also known as the Gourmet Guardian, Australia’s premier Food Safety Specialist and HACCP Certification Expert who put me in contact with the show organisor.
