Walt Goshert » marketing thinking

Don’t Want? Do Want!

Walt Goshert — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:53:03 +0000

Here’s a quick time out to re-focus your business:

WHO Don’t You Want?

Knowing WHO you don’t want is the springboard to building your business.

Knowing WHO you don’t want is simply your current reality.

And your current reality can change.

WHO Don’t You Want?

in your business?

in the projects you’re doing?

in the clients you’re attracting?

in your life?

What kinds or types of customers… er, clients…

Do You NOT want in Your Business?

Question and examine WHO you Don’t Want..

Focus on Your Do WANT!

If you realize that you can have anything, be anything, do anything…

Then the question becomes:

WHO Do YOU WANT?

The trick is turning around everyone of your complaints to something you do want.

“I’m sick and tired of wasting my time with price-shoppers and tire kickers!”

Becomes…

“I WANT to ATTRACT clients that appreciate the value I deliver and willingly accept my prices as fair.

Start to Focus on WHO you WANT!

Lots of entrepreneurs create their businesses out of their own perceptions.

If you focus on lack, you’ll get more lack. If you complain about price-shoppers, you’ll get more price-shoppers.

Knowing WHO you WANT helps you aim your business in the direction you want to take it.

Where do you WANT your business to go?

What do you consciously select for your business?

Decide this TODAY:

WHO… the clients you WANT in your business!

Photo Credit:Flickr

“The Best, Jerry, The BEST”

Walt Goshert — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:17:44 +0000

“I got the best pizza in town.”

“I do great, amazing work.”

“My client service is better than anyone else.”

“My clients always refer me… everybody knows about me.”

“Just look at all these charts and my proposal. It all makes logical sense… you’ll see.”

Yeah right… and Dr. Phil is the most competent, highly qualified psychologist in America. (But he is one hellva marketer!)

Perhaps you need to face this fact:

High quality typically is a marketing problem.

Your prospects have no clue about the quality or an appreciation of the value of your work. You’re the expert. To the uninformed prospect who is out there, bumbling around, poking around on websites, and slurping coffee and munching on donuts in front of their computers, the best and the worst look pretty much the same.

That is, of course… until they live with and experience the difference in quality. Before the work is done and all the “i’s” are dotted and ”t’s” are crossed, and you deliver all the paperwork in your fancy binder, and get all the signatures…the only thing they have to compare… all that they see— is the difference in price.

So there you are with better products, better services, a richer more rewarding experience, a superior value. Of course, you cost more. Usually lots more. And you’re competing with your better products and services against cheaper, inferior stuff that can make the same claims. Your prospect is dazed and confused. All they see is the price difference.

Here’s your challenge.

Here is your wake-up call:

When you have the better mousetrap, the superior solution, for your ideal prospect, it’s your moral obligation to market it as aggressively and effectively as possible.

Here’s the thing… and an up-front warning. I’m going to get right up in your face here:

Marketing is EVERYTHING!

If you have a product or service you love and believe in and know it delivers value…

But…
You don’t know how to market..

It’s a crime! It’s theft!

Here’s my point:

I believe you’re stealing from people’s lives, if you don’t how to reach them with your product. You have the solution for their problem, but if you don’t know how to market to them, you’re stealing from their lives.

Marketing is the most powerful way to change people’s lives.

Many people think that marketing only as to do with business. That’s true. Marketing is everything to your business.

But how about how you market you in your daily life?

How you market yourself affects how you interact with everything in your life… including yourself.

Read that again.

If you really “get” it, it could make you a fortune… or it could change your life.

It doesn’t matter what you do… make pizzas, cut hair, replace windows, fix furnaces, sell insurance, do tax returns, clean teeth …

Start thinking of your company as a MARKETING COMPANY.

Try it. Watch your view start to change.

What say you…

Does “Best” thinking get in the way of your marketing?

What are YOU doing to distinguish Your business as a Marketing Company?

Flickr Photo Credit: llahbocaj

he Fourth Rule in Attraction Marketing (ronmedlin.com)
Putting Marketing on “ROIDs” Part 2: Responsibility Marketing (blogs.hbr.org)
Provide Educational Info to Build Trust with Prospects (myventurepad.com)

5 Play to Win Assets: Stimulate Your Local Business Marketing

Walt Goshert — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:26:20 +0000

Wow 66 days into 2010 already…

The New Economy, the “Jobless Recovery”, all the posturing on health care reform, talk about a Jobs Bill, Wall Street Bankers still cashing big paychecks, consumers still reluctant to buy… all the spin and noise remains pretty much the same.

But…

What about YOUR Local Business?

What’s changed in how you go about finding more clients, getting clients to spend more with you, getting clients to buy more often from you?

You know what you’ve done in the past… Yellow Page ads, Newspaper ads, Val-Pak and Direct Mailers, Radio spots… heck, even good old Word-of-Mouth doesn’t seem to have the same magic it once did for your business.

You’ve been gun-shy about really taking the plunge Online…

You’ve had a website, but not much has happened.

You’re efforts at getting clients emaill addresses and delivering an informative newsletter… spotty at best.

All the stuff you hear about social media, like Twitter and Facebook? You’re really wondering if it’s worth the time… even if you had the time.

Yet, you know the Internet is how your clients are getting information and communicating today. You know, sooner or later, you gotta jump on board.

Wanna know how to finally make Local Online Marketing work for your business?

Last year, last decade, the Internet offered Local businesses a tremendous marketing opportunity.

Yet, very few local businesses took advantage.

Why?

It appears that nearly 97% of Local businesses approach Local Online Marketing from strictly a tactical mindset.

Nearly all Local businesses are looking for the quick fix, the simple, easy trick.

Most businesses are reluctant to invest money in Local Online Marketing.

Given the state of the economy and past performance of Online Marketing for Local businesses, it’s understandable that Local businesses are a bit gun-shy about Online Marketing.

Here’s the thing…

Many Local Businesses, rather than shelling out bucks for a quick Online Marketing fix, first need to invest some time and effort in determining their Right Local Online Marketing Strategy.

How Do You Identify Your Local Online Marketing Strategy?

You’ve got to Play to Win. And if you’re going to win then you must focus on your strengths where you have an advantage over your competitors. This is the foundation of great business strategy and great wealth.

You can not afford to let your market determine your choice of business. You can not afford to let your competition define your business. You must play to your strengths. Without a clear understanding and burning focus on your business strengths, you lose any long-term advantage over hungrier competitors in your market. Hungrier competitors who grab the top Google search results on the keywords are getting your website traffic. Hungrier competitors are getting your phone calls. Hungrier competitors are getting your dollars.

When you adopt a laser-sharp focus that Plays to Your Strengths:

You have a clear view of what makes your Local business different and unique.
You understand who appreciates your unique business difference and the value you deliver.
You know what marketing messages and language will motivate your Ideal Prospects to take action and do business with you.
You know where your Ideal Prospects “hang out”- what Local publications they read, who they listen to, where they go online…

And, finally, you know what Keywords they use to search and find businesses like yours Online.

You need to understand your strengths and passions before spending a dime advertising or investing in Online Marketing. Without understanding your unique business strengths, you’re really guessing, and more than likely, falling into “same and lame” marketing. You’re simply copying the advertising and marketing of your competition, hoping it will also work for your business.

Ask yourself these key questions:

Is 2010 the year for you to make adjustments to capitalize on your strengths— that give you a competitive advantage?

Is your interest and desire to build a long-term profitable business?

Then you must think strategically. You must think long-term. To win long-term you must have an advantage. Your advantage MUST come from leveraging your strengths— directly and indirectly.

Take Action TODAY- Play to Win Online in 2010

Flickr Photo Credit: tharrin

Local Businesses Challenged to Get Local or Get Lost in 2010 (prweb.com)
Google Gives SMB Market Something to Look Forward To (marketingpilgrim.com)
Cheers to SMB’s Who Are Getting the Research Message (myventurepad.com)
Reinvent, Collaborate & Thrive in 2010 Presented March 31, 2010 (womenpartner.com)
The 8 Rules To Profit From The New Economy (johnchow.com)
Why SEO Is Important For Little Business! (ronmedlin.com)

The Mayor of Your Zip Code?

Walt Goshert — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:01:46 +0000

Right now. Today. 2010.

Each and Every local business has a rare and unique opportunity.

Some will grab this opportunity and run with it. A few already have.

Unfortunately, many will miss or dismiss this opportunity.

Fear and confusion will hold them back.

With Local Search, getting your business found on Google, Yahoo, Bing… along with the social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube… local businesses of all sizes and shapes have a free/low-cost “Neon Flashing Sign” for marketing in today’s digital world.

However, it requires many local business owners to change their mindset and how they view their business.

Traditional Marketing and Advertising techniques such as Yellow Pages, Newspapers, Radio, and TV… and even “Old School” Word-of-Mouth and Networking are losing their luster and impact when everyone is wired and looking for information and connections through their online networks.

“Every Company is a Media Company”

“While it’s true that anyone with social media skills can become a successful new media owner or producer, it’s existing small businesses that need a mind shift. Rather than starting a blog to promote your business, you should be creating new media assets that transform your business into something bigger.” – Brian Clark, publisher of a leading online site, copyblogger

So, here’s the first check of your marketing thinking…

Do you believe that creating new media assets about your local business… blogging, social marketing on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube… will transform your business into something bigger?

Now, let’s take things a step further…

John Jantsch, of Duct Tape Marketing, in a Hub Spot interview, claims there are real opportunities to “Rule Local Search” for all types of local businesses in nearly any location.

But, big challenges exist in pulling it off:

Q: What kinds of unique opportunities do inbound marketing techniques like social media and blogging offer small businesses that aren’t available with traditional types of marketing like print advertising and direct mail? Why is it so important for small businesses to take advantage of these modern channels?

John Jantsch Answer: “Over time the single greatest opportunity is to rule the local search landscape. 20-30-year-olds go straight to their mobile browser or Google Maps to find everything – shoes, food, insurance, a dentist, you name it. If they don’t find you by doing that, then you don’t exist.”

Q: To play devil’s advocate, what do you think are the biggest challenges associated with implementing these inbound marketing methods, and how would you suggest marketers overcome them?

John Jantsch Answer: “Time, fear, big scary blank white monitor screens. You can’t really practice inbound marketing tactics without committing to producing content, lots of it, over long periods of time. This is not something you can hire a consultant for, get an intern to do one week, go to a workshop, or buy a great book – you’ve got to make it part of the fabric of your daily life. Sorry, no magic dust.”