Bill Gluth's Creative Business Strategy Blog

When Good Enough is NOT Good Enough

For many tasks we accomplish in small business, good enough is generally good enough. In other words, getting a task completed so you can take action to produce a result is generally the best approach.

In most cases business results are driven by action and not perfection. It’s a known fact that perfection generally causes more harm to than good.

However, good enough is NOT good enough when:

1. Servicing clients.

When delivering the value you provide, all attention needs to be on competence, professionalism and the result your client gains.

2. Recommending the next project or when asking for referrals.

Good enough is never good enough because referral strategies and next project recommendations build new sales.

Without them you miss sales opportunities.

3. Keeping in touch with clients and interested prospects.

Sending a Holiday card is the extent of many small businesses stay in touch strategy.

Unfortunately, it’s NOT good enough. Keeping in touch with past clients is vital if you hope to grow sales.

4. Following your sales strategy.

To create consistent sales you must lay out a sales strategy, follow it daily and create a consistent result to be successful and happy in your business.

5. Communicating the value you provide to a new buyer.

At the first meeting with a new buyer, you must ensure the value you’ve created is fully understood and appreciated before you leave.

A good question to ask at the end of your sales call is, “Do you understand the difference between me and all the other options you’re considering?”

Communication Strategy: Share a Piece of Yourself

Communications that reach the mind of buyers successfully share common traits. They are authentic, conversational in tone and relevant to the person reading it.

Look at your business. What can you share about yourself that will be helpful to prospects and new clients?

What tip, how-to, or idea could you send out on a regular basis?

What personal experience did you have that lead to the discovery of this content?

How did it impact your life and business?

How about personal observations? The things you notice in the world around you are great posts for blogs. You can use the blog posts as a form of content to share with interested clients and prospects.

The secret is, give me access to your personal life. Show me what you’re thinking. Tell me stories about others who use your ideas. Share a piece of yourself with me regularly.

How to Learn List Building Secrets

When it comes to learning more about something, like list building, the big question comes up, “Who do you listen to and observe.”

Most people know that the best way to learn something is to model someone who is successful at doing what you want to do.

The problem is that takes effort and patience so many people do not want to go down that path.

As part of a Mastermind group I belong to, we are exploring the list building question. What are the options in learning list building and who should you model if you want to build a huge list?

In thinking about it, there are two types of people you can listen to.

1. The Internet marketers who are selling a list building product.

2. People like Seth Godin, David Meerman Scott and Michael Gerber, for example, who are on a mission to change the way business owners think and do business.

These people are looking to improve and challenge existing business building, marketing, selling and communication practices. They are helping people create meaning and true value in a business world gone a bit haywire.

Personally, I’m going with option 2. Seth Godin, David Meerman Scott, Michael Gerber and many other “mission marketers”.

They are walking the walk and living their philosophies every day.

While I know the Internet Marketers are well intended, they know the secret of information marketing. That secret is, sell something, keep offering more to the same people, and sell them more.

They same people keep buying  because they think they will learn a secret that will change their results quickly.

I guess I’m just sentimental when it comes to marketing. I enjoy watching marketers on a mission so much more.

Who do you tend to listen to when wanting to learn something? The comment line is open. Just click the "Comment" link at the bottom of this message.

How Trying Can Ruin Your Business

Here’s an interesting fact. The word “try” can be the kiss of death to your business accomplishments.

The reason is the word try indicates to your subconscious mind that you really don’t think it’s possible to accomplish the task you’re considering.

You use the word try as a way fend off the feeling of failure.

“I tried, but just couldn’t get around to __________ (fill in the unaccomplished task).

Instead of trying and being disappointed, use this approach.

Think of something important you want to accomplish.

Decide with firm conviction you’re going to do it.

Set an exact date and time to accomplish the task.

Schedule it in your time planner. If you don’t have a time planner, get a simple one going today. I like the “At a Glance” calendar books for their simplicity and effectiveness.

Stick to your schedule and accomplish the task.

Treat it like any other important appointment. You cannot blow it off because something else came up any more than you could dismiss a sales call or client meeting.

Repeat with every important task you have.

How to Create a Plan

In any given month, most small business owners will need to plan something to reach an important goal. A majority of people just wing-it and see what happens. Most of the time important goals are not reached

A better option is to plan. Think, write your plan on paper, schedule time each day to accomplish the step, be disciplined enough to acoomplish the plan.

It's really pretty easy if you break it down into steps.

1. What needs to be accomplished (the goal)

2. Who benefits and why should they care

3. Where are you at today

4. What steps must happen to go from where you are today to your desired goal.

5. What time and day will you accomplish each step.

I personally like outlines best. Step-by-step, at scheduled times, you accomplish each step. In a short time, the goal is reached.

Try it. Just follow the outline above and let me know how it works

Small Business Press Release Secrets

“How do I attract more qualified prospects into my sales pipeline,” is probably the most frequent question I receive. Press releases make an excellent vehicle to accomplish that.

Start by understanding your buyers and the keywords they may use in a Web search for your type of business. Get to know who your buyers are and what’s important to them.

Write consumer based releases that address the issues that are important to your buyers. Don’t wait for the big news to hit, get them out there in volume.

Add links that bring people to a landing page on your Web site that expounds on the idea mentioned in your release.

Write a release that communicates TO each client group and not AT them. Add the keywords and phrases your best clients are most likely to use in your release.

Add a free trial or consultation offer to your consumer release to improve effectiveness.

Pay attention to major news stories, and tie in your product or service to that event. Link back to specific pages on your Web site to reinforce your story.

Once your release is done, send it to your clients as a marketing touch. Encourage them to share it.

Measure the results. Keep track of where your leads are coming from to see how many are generated from each release. Use that information to improve your content and press release program.

It takes work, that’s for sure. But the cost is low and the payoff is great.

Use consumer based press releases and you’ll have great content that attracts people who are most like your best clients, consistently.

I learned a LOT about the new world of press releases from David Meerman Scott and his excellent book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR. He also offers an excellent eBook, which is available from his blog