More Clients More Profits

Melissa Lawson, winner of this year’s Nashville Star contest, has a hit song called “What If It All Goes Right?” As a marketing coach, I’m intrigued by this concept. The song initially looks at the consequences of things going wrong. Then it reverses and asks, but what if it all goes right.

This immediately brings to mind what happens to many of us in various aspects of our lives. Quite often we don’t try because we are afraid of failing. Or are we?In my many conversations with self employed professionals and small business owners, I see where they are more afraid of success than they are of failing. It is precisely the question that Melissa asks that strikes fear in their heats and minds. “What if it all goes right?” If it goes right, we may enter unchartered waters. We may not know what we don’t know, and that can be more paralyzing than the fear of failure — something most of us have learned to deal with over time.

Too often we do not recognize the fair of success. Too often this is overlooked or referred to as the fear of failure. Too often success is just beyond our reach, but we’re too afraid to stretch. Too often our goals and dreams go unrealized. Every time, this is unfortunate. 

As Melissa sings:
What if you could climb to the mountain top and touch the sky,
grab a cloud as it passes by.
You might fail, you might fall.
But then again, you might fly. 

People will tell you that most small businesses that fail in their first five years of existence do so because they are underfunded. Although this certainly has some validity, I believe that, in the vast majority of instances, the actual cause was a combination of lack of proper business plans and not having the proper mindset.

Mindset is extremely valuable when it come to being successful. Just like a champion athlete pictures himself hitting the baseball or herself crossing the finish line before her competitors, businesspeople must visualize themselves being successful. Whether that is visualizing prospects signing contracts, customers at a register, or driving the car that one’s success affords, it must be done and must be done consistently.

A friend and fellow business coach, Dick Herron, has a saying that I believe sums it up nicely. In fact, I like the line so much, I’ll be happy when he retires so I can use it. “Success is a choice … your choice.” How right he is!

It’s not a surprise when we hear that a major airline is in financial trouble. In fact, it’s more likely that we are shocked to hear that an airline is doing well. At least that’ the reaction I had when I heard that Southwest Airlines is in the black — as it has been for the past  69 quarters.

So what accounts for this? Systems and efficiencies are the foundation and a great decision is the closer. Let’s take a look at the last one first. About 20 years ago, the airline hedged on fuel , paying more then and betting that the cost would takeoff. It was right. So it is paying $51 a barrel, as opposed to the current $112.

It also structured its systems differently than most of its competitors. There is no first class, no assigned seating, and no meals. In exchange for these apparent short comings,  Southwest offers its passengers lower fees and doesn’t have to charge for baggage and pillows — the unwelcomed tactics that most of its competitors have had to resort to.

Then there are the efficiencies. Southwest flies one model of plan, the Boeing 737. This cuts costs in several ways. The airline does not have to carry parts for various models as its opposition does. Its pilots, crews, and mechanics are therefore trained to work on every plane in its fleet. It also flies into less crowded airports, decreasing the number of delays as compared to the other airlines. And without assigned seating, the planes “turnover” in an average 20 minutes — much less than the averages of other airlines.

So how do these ideas help you? Look at your own business. Are there ways for you to streamline your systems? How can you do things differently than the rest of your industry? What norm can you change? It’s not easy to determine such things, but when you do, you can put yourself in the position to outmaneuver your competition, even if it is more established and better known. Create systems and efficiencies that lead the way, and let your competitors fly on a wing and a prayer.

I recently saw a clip of AMC’s “Mad Men,” the Golden Globe-winning series about the advertising world in the 1960s. In the clip, Jon Hamm’s character, Don Draper, tells others that their clients must learn to differentiate themselves … that they cannot succeed by being like their competitors. As he put it (paraphrased), “They must be the needle in the haystack, not the haystack.”

I don’t know who is consulting the writers for the viewpoint of advertising agencies, but they got it right. Too bad more business owners didn’t look at it this way. 

Group coaching is one of the most powerful tools you’ll ever

experience! Today more and more people are coming together,

offering each member the benefit and power of a “brain trust” that

helps them reach and surpass their goals.

How you benefit:

- get on a quicker road to greater success

- learn strategies and tactics that you can put to work immediately

- think differently and more strategically about your business, and

create a plan of action

- share your insights with peers from other industries

- consistently review your progress

- focus entirely on improving your business while away from the

demands of your office

- receive peer opinions and advice

- gain alternative perspectives on your ideas

- work with others who know you so well that they hold your feet to

the fire

- build lasting and deep friendships with the other members

- get assistance with both short-term and long-term goals

- build mutual accountability among you and your peers

- gain valuable insights

- receive honest feedback

- get the group’s reinforcement

- experience encouragement, inspiration, and motivation

- work with a relevant curriculum

- have a capable guide and special guests who facilitate the meetings

How it works

Once a month this group of up to 12 dynamic businesspeople comes

together and brings to light marketing strategies and tactics that

you can put to use immediately. Each participant has time to

address the group with their challenges, obstacles, or successes,

and get the group’s feedback and advice. When circumstances call

for it, members are paired together so they can work between

meetings to attain their goals.

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10. You often get so caught up in the idea of having one that you forget how much work is going to be involved.

9. Sometimes you wonder if you’re just too old to go through with it.

8. To grow in a healthy manner, it must be nurtured and cared for.

7. Others will negatively influence it.

6. It may be painful, but it’s worth it.

5. You hate having to change it.

4. Other people are always giving their opinions.

3. You learn to deal with all the unexpected things that happen.

2. You look back and realize it was one of the best things you ever did.

And the number one way that developing a marketing plan is like having a baby …

The conception is a lot of fun.

Many of my clients may get tired of hearing me repeatedly tell them about the need and the results offered by consistency. But that’s okay, as long as they heed my advice. And you have seen me write on several occasions about consistency. And I hope that’s okay, too, because I’m going to write about it again.

I was watching television over the weekend, and I saw a commercial for Holiday Inn. Featured in the commercial were the “host” and baseball Hall of Famer, Cal Ripken, Jr. The idea behind the commercial was consistency. And what better icon to use than Mr. Ripken who played in a record 2,632 consecutive games.

Then, on Sunday, I was reading the sports section of the “Providence Journal” and noticed a headline that read, “Consistency, Repetitiveness, and Patience.” This headline could have been in the Business section. It gets right to the heart of marketing a small business where the owner has to be consistent, market repetitively, and also be patient for things to start happening. Oddly enough, this headline was actually for canine competitions.

So there you have it consistency, repetitiveness, and patience are key whether it is in the dog world or the dog-eat-dog world of marketing a small business.

I just received a newsletter from a business associate and friend, Bill Lovett. It pertained to the consequences of being late and six steps how to overcome this bad habit. After reading his newsletter, I wrote to Bill and told him how I used to be habitually late, leaving my office just about the time I was supposed to be arriving at my appointment. One day, after upsetting who knows how many people, it finally occurred to me that I was showing disrespect … and I just couldn’t continue to do that.

Now I arrive 15 - 30 minutes early. Some would say that they have so much to do and getting to appointments early would be a waste of time. I understand that, and I too am very busy. So I make the most of that time. I use it to make quick calls, do a little paperwork, brush up on what I want to accomplish in the meeting, or simply relax.

Last week, when I spoke to the Boston Wedding Group, I arrived in Boston at 2:30 … for a 6:30 presentation. I had originally planned to arrive at 4:30, but I didn’t want to leave things (especially my reputation) to chance. When I got there, I set up my computer, rehearsed my presentation in the actual space, and made sure my mic was working correctly.

With the extra time, I made calls, had a bite to eat, and relaxed — taking in the view of the Charles River. I also got to know some of the hotel’s employees, including the banquet manager who couldn’t be a more pleasant person. Was the time wasted? Not in the least. It proved to be very productive.

As a self-employed professional and small business owner, you know that marketing consistently offers you the greatest opportunity for success. But you also have limited time to complete everything that your business requires. That’s where marketing on autopilot helps you prosper even more!

“By the time I do everything else I have to do, I don’t have time to market.” That’s the number one reason I hear from self-employed professionals and small business owners for not marketing, and I don’t believe it for a second. In fact, I know it’s not true. You just don’t know how you can set your marketing on autopilot. In this eye-opening seminar, I show you how.

In this practical, interactive seminar, you learn how to:

• grow your business while you sleep, play, or work on other aspects of your business
• use technology to your advantage
• know who is interested in doing business with you
• get qualified prospects coming to you instead of you chasing them
• effectively use autoresponders to grow your business
• increase your page ranking on Google
• build your business just like Amazon.com did
• and you invest just $67 to learn all this information

How this seminar is different from others?
In many seminars, you just sit, listen, and take notes. In this one, you grasp concepts, participate in discussions, and actually leave with a plan of action and a sense of what to do next so you can grow your business in a cost-effective, practical way. This is possible through the memorable stories, methods, tips, and techniques I use. 

Who should attend

• self-employed professionals
• owners of small businesses
• anyone who wants to effectively market their companies using easy-to-implement technology

In her “Your Biz” blog on msnbc.com, Eve Tahmincioglu notes that Bill Bartmann, author of “Billionaire Secrets to Success,” believes that starting a business during a recession is a great idea. He cites reasons such as the availability of cheap money and the fact that others are playing things close to the vest.

I have to agree with Mr. Bartmann. As a marketing coach, I hate to see companies turtle away, waiting for the difficult times to pass. But then again, I also realize that it is a fantastic time for those companies (including small businesses and self-employed professionals) that want to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

Don’t withdraw during these less-than-perfect times. Seek out opportunities and more forward. When the economy rebounds, you’ll have moved ahead of your competition.