Author Archive

ESTRADA STRATEGIES, KNOXVILLE WELCOMES ASSOCIATE COACH ROGER SCOTT.

Estrada Strategies has always been focused on creating opportunities for all businesses to succeed.  With the addition of new Associate Coach Roger Scott to the Knoxville team, we are better prepared than ever to make that vision come true.

Roger is a leading expert in helping small to medium sized business owners achieve greater personal and professional success. For over 20 years, he owned and operated an award winning national telecommunication company. Recently, he completed the succession of that business to his sons.

Speaking about his new role, Roger said, “When I returned to the university to earn my MBA, I was required to read many books. The one that I still remember is “The E-Myth Revisited” by Gerber. The ideas in that book struck a cord with me. I knew they were somehow important to the success of my business. A written down procedure or system should be made for every task in my business. So why didn’t I do it?

Estrada Strategies also struck a cord with me. I have attended several of their training sessions and have learned that their mission is to help business owners develop, deploy and monitor effective procedures and systems that will insure the success of any business. However, good business systems by themselves are not enough. The business owner must have some way to monitor and get feedback on their progress; a method to hold themselves accountable. I know from experience that unless the business owner has accountability, it is much too easy to get lost working in the business. The coaching that Estrada Strategies provides is a great way for a business owner to hold themselves accountable.

What if I had an Estrada Strategies coach? I can’t go back and get a “do over” on my business, but I can help other business owners as an Estrada Strategies business coach. Using Estrada Strategies’ systems, methodologies, training and coaching, I can make a difference in someone’s business.

Roger holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. His personal passion is turning wood into objects d’ art. He is also an avid trout fly-fisherman. During his career, Roger has managed to balance his work, family and play time. This is a skill set that he is eagerly anticipating teaching his clients.

Please welcome Roger to the Estrada Strategies team.  You can contact him by email at rscott@estradastrategies.com.

I attended a “speed networking” event last night hosted by one of the local chambers of commerce.  If you have never been to one of these events, think speed dating with a business purpose.  I must say, networking is always a challenge.  Every event I attend I find myself asking if I am not just looking for my customers in the wrong place or in the wrong way.  Last night’s event started that way, but in the end it was very good.  It was interesting and fun.  I learned some important lessons.  I want to talk about the lessons learned.

Before I talk about lessons, I want to commend the chamber for putting on a great event.  They opened the evening with a very good presentation on networking by one of the members.  The presentation was a light hearted but excellent discussion of why and how to engage in networking.  I loved it (thank you John).

After the presentation was over we got down to some serious networking.  People faced each other one-on-one across the table for five minutes at a time to discover and learn about one another.  After five minutes, the partners rotated and started again with a new face in front of them.  It was a good arrangement and a great opportunity to meet some awesome people.

Lesson #1.  Most of the people in the room were sales reps or Solo-Entrepreneurs.  This is not really a surprising discovery.  It has been true for as long as I have been networking in the chambers of commerce.  I think it was especially true in this speed networking environment.  The simple truth is that the owners of more substantial or more established businesses do not generally attend these types of events.  They either don’t have the time or don’t see the value in their participation.  And, for the most part, they are probably right.  This was not a business owner’s event.

Lesson #2.  Most of the people in the room were there hoping to sell something to the other people in the room.  The presenter who opened the event did a very good job pointing out that the purpose of the event was not to sell, but to connect.  Unfortunately, when we get into the tangle of actual networking, human nature takes over and we start doing what seems to be in our immediate best interest.  It was amazing to hear the people across the table from me fall into their sales pitch almost every time.  To be sure, most of them did try to ask questions about what I do and learn about my business.  But the questions they asked tended to focus on learning just enough about my business to see if they could find an opening to sell me something.  Selling was the first objective.

Lesson #3. Most of the people in the room were unsure of the best way to present their business and its opportunities to an unknown prospect.  This might be because so many of the people were new to their business.  Of the people I spoke to directly, 9 of 14 have been in business or in their current position less than one year.  Most of those were brand new solo-entrepreneurs with less than 6 months in business.  They are still finding their way through the maze of business ownership and learning how to be most effective.

Lesson #4. Networking’s greatest value is in finding people who know your suspects.  Of course this has always been true of networking, but last night it came through for me again in very clear terms.  Of all the people I met at last night’s event, I can only think of three or four that are really my suspects.  But when I think about the contacts that I could make through the people there last night, I am stunned by the numbers.  I could have made connections to hundreds of possible clients by spending just those few hours together with 20 some other professionals.  Now that is cool.

So, the moral of the story is clear to me.  Networking is not about you, it is about the people you meet and how you can help them.  Can I give you a tip?

Go networking as often as you can.  Know going in that most of the people you will meet are going to be sales people and they are hoping to sell you something.  Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the need to sell.  Instead, listen and learn and make sure to ask how you can help the people you meet achieve their goals.  If their goal is to sell their product or service, take the time to learn enough about them to help them find good customers through your referrals.  Don’t be put off or offended by their efforts to describe their business or “sell” their value.  Instead, look at every contact as a potential source of new connections to your suspects.  If you want them to help you meet more prospects, start out by helping them in any way you can.  The more you add value to their world, the more likely they will be to tell others about you.

I want to welcome Victoria Ipri to the Business Coach Blog as a guest blogger. I met Victoria in the blogosphere and was very impressed with her knowledge and her skill communicating through the written word. This will be the first in a series of guest blogs that she will be posting weekly. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

What You Absolutely Must Know About Internet Marketing
by Victoria Ipri

I have often wondered why people seem afraid or hesitant when I talk about Internet marketing. To me, the topic seems so simple and clear. Then again, if I had to talk about industrial equipment, I’d be in trouble. And that’s exactly what I want to discuss today: Internet marketing…or more specifically, how to embrace your fear and begin using proven online marketing tactics, especially social media strategies, to make an astounding difference in your own success.

What Qualifies Me To Help You?

I embarked on a 5 month social media campaign in January. I had about 15 connections on LinkedIn, no Facebook presence, no Twitter presence. By the middle of May, I had 12,000+ followers and more business than I could shake a metric at. I won’t lie to you and say it wasn’t a lot of work, or cost me no money. It was. It did. But even today, almost 6 weeks since my campaign officially ended, the ‘promo machine’ we created continues to generate buzz, leads, and all kinds of conversation starters. It’s a beautiful thing when it’s done right.

I thought you should know this because I’m hoping to come back and chat with you about once a week right here at The Business Coach, and I want to thank Kevin for allowing me to do so. If we’re going to work together to get you on the path to your highest aspirations, I think it only fair that you know who I am. (Learn more at http://bit.ly/a7M7az )

The Very, Very Basics of Internet Marketing

People often ask me, “So you’re an Internet marketer. What exactly is that?” Internet marketing is a very broad term for promoting products and services online. After all, each of us comes to the web as a buyer or a seller. (Sometimes we just want information, but even this often eventually leads to buying something.) Think about your corner store – they sell products, offer sales, put merchandise in the window, and advertise to bring in business. That’s marketing, plain and simple. Online marketing is no different – except there is no physical store. Someone like me simply helps companies figure out the best methods for reaching and selling to a specific target audience.

Where Internet marketing begins to raise anxiety levels is in deciding which strategies are best. The typical online merchant feels completely overwhelmed, unsure, and indecisive about which strategies to invest in. From building a website, implementing SEO (search engine optimization), and choosing a shopping cart, to linkbuilding campaigns, PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising and social media, it’s enough to make you quit. On top of all of this, one expert says “Do this”, while another says, “No, do this.” So what happens? You do nothing, because you just don’t know what to do.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

Bottom line, the best Internet marketing results can’t be had without a plan. I know talking about plans, strategies, data and target audiences isn’t fun. But unless you do the hard work beforehand, your marketing strategy is doomed to failure. You’ll start out in one area, then become completely distracted somewhere else, and end up with a hodgepodge of unrelated, unmeasured tactics, none of which are working well. The next thing you know, you’re on the phone with me saying, “Internet marketing doesn’t work for my industry.” Unless you’re working in a secret underground military installation, this is hogwash! Every company needs to sell goods and services to survive. Traditional media is dying, replaced by Internet marketing more and more each day, with billions of dollars worth of goods being exchanged daily. It simply doesn’t hold water to say it doesn’t work for you. The problem is not the marketing; the problem is your approach. Perhaps you don’t understand where to begin…or you’ve begun but become stuck…or someone gave you very bad advice. This is common, and very fixable. But you’ve got to build your online presence and show up where your customers are. It’s the only way, because they’re all online, looking for you.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll help you understand the basics of the most common Internet marketing strategies…in plain English, no bells and whistles, no hype. You’ve got to know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and what results you hope to achieve. You’ve got to know your budget, and how to squeeze every ounce out of every dollar you spend. And finally, you’ve got to have a clear vision of how all the available strategies work synergistically to point your target audience to your brand. It’s the only way to achieve online success.

I welcome your questions and comments. Visit http://TheConfidentCopywriter.com, email me at Victoria@TheConfidentCopywriter.com or call me at 800-614-4619.

At the start of this year I launched a poll of business owners asking this question:  “What is the outlook for your business in 2010″?  (Participate in the Poll at http://polls.linkedin.com/p/71629/ddizp) I asked the question to see if I could learn how small business owners feel about the near future.  I also want to know how they are responding to current economic conditions.  I am encouraged, and maybe a little surprised by the results so far.

To date, more than 60% of respondents expect their business to grow by at least 20% in the coming year.  Another 24% expect at least 5% growth.  That means that 84% of the respondents expect their businesses to grow in the next 12 months.  Wow, I wish I had taken this same poll last year for comparison.  I believe the results would have been remarkably different.

As I read through the responses, I found two themes that struck me as very significant.  First, many of the responding business owners pointed out that their growth plans involved getting back to the basics of their business.  One business owner wrote, “My 20% growth projection is based on . . . my planning and effort going back to doing all of the things I did to grow my business when I first started.”  That is powerful.  The message is, when you know something works, keep doing it.  When the economy changes, return to the core principles of growth and your business will see the results.

Second, I was struck by the way so many respondents highlighted the importance of focus on sound growth principles.  Without question, these are the center piece of small business growth no matter what economic conditions we face.  These core principles include, identifying your core market and developing marketing strategies to target those people.  Using marketing and advertising strategies that promote growth continuously.  Developing daily disciplines to ensure that all of the key behaviors for success are part of your routine.  Establishing core behaviors measures for yourself and other members of your team.  Staying out in front of the competition by keeping your message fresh and your product or service competitive.

I know there are other core principles, but the people who are planning to grow by 20% or more this year have at least paid attention to these. Of course, I was also happy to read some business owners commenting on the value of business coaching as a part of their growth systems.  In my view, this is the most critical of all the core principles.  A business coach is a great investment during times like these because he/she has the ability to help you focus your energy and your resources to those activities that are likely to produce the best results for your business.  The stories of success from small business owners who have discovered the value of a business coach are amazing.

How about you?  Are you planning to grow your business this year?  What are you doing to make it happen?  Why not take just a minute to participate in my poll and give us your insights.  And while you are at it, take just a minute to look into the values of business coaching.  Do a web search on business coaching and read the stories of successful small business owners who have found greater success because the coach was there to help.  You might be amazed.

Want to know more about how to grow your business today?

Click Here

to learn about our CEO Club, Entrepreneur’s Club or Online Club programs for Business Owners.

I can’t remember where I first encountered this, but I have made some modifications and offer it here for your thoughts and responses.  If anyone knows where the original is housed, please comment so we can all give credit to the author.

Business Owner’s Declaration of Independence

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for an individual to dissolve the economic bonds that have tied him/her to the rules and schedules of others without access to the profits they have created, and assume among the powers of the free market economy the separate and equal station to which the laws of personal effort and economics entitle them, a decent respect to the business owner and his/her community requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation and define means by which their full independence shall be achieved.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that every business is born out of a dream and carries within it the hopes and aspirations of its founder; that every business has the right to succeed; that to secure this right business coaches, consultants, and mentors are established in the marketplace; that whenever the economy or any of the professionals supporting business success become destructive of those ends, it is the right of business owners to alter or end their relationships and establish new relationships for their own benefit to increase success and profits.

Prudence will of course dictate that a relationship long established should not be thrown off willy-nilly or without strong provocation, and accordingly all experience shows that business owners are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable rather than take the steps necessary to throw off bad advisors or engage the services of new advisors. But when a long train of struggles, frustrations, and even failures reduce them to a state of slavery to their own businesses it is their right, their duty to throw off those former advisors and to set aside their reluctance to engage new mentors and coaches and to seek new opportunities to increase and secure their successes.

Such has been the patient sufferance of the small business owners of America, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to seek out new systems for business coaching, training, and monitoring. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid marketplace.

Every year thousands of new businesses are formed in the United States alone. Each of these businesses represents the hopes, dreams and fortunes of the founders. Of these businesses, as many as 60% will fail before the end of their 3rd year.

Even among those businesses that survive their first three years, a high proportion will face failure and defeat within 5 years taking with them the hopes, dreams, and fortunes of their owners.

Business owners who stay in business are often overwhelmed by the tyranny of too much work and not enough time followed by too little reward. They become a slave to their business and find themselves wondering what happened to the joy, excitement, and passion that they had at the start of their business.

We are seeking freedom from the tyranny of working too many hours with too little return. This freedom comes when we learn how to get more done through others and how to trust others to do what we need done the way we want it done.

We are seeking freedom from the tyranny of effort without reward. This freedom comes as we achieve greater profits through more effective strategies.

We are seeking freedom from the tyranny of doubt and mistrust that keeps us from getting the most out of our team. This freedom comes as we develop systems for recruiting, training, coaching, and monitoring the best people for our business.

We are seeking freedom from the ups and downs of the economy. This freedom comes as we establish systems for financial stability, steady growth, and customer retention.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that we will go forward from this moment determined to secure our financial independence and establish our businesses on a secure foundation based on solid advice and strong relationships. That we are, and of right ought to be, SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNERS; that we are therefore absolved of all allegiance to our former employers, mentors, coaches and advisers; that all economic chains preventing our complete success are hereby dissolved; and as FREE AND INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES we have full power to choose our coaches, mentors and advisers from among those best qualified to serve; that we have right to expect the highest standards of excellence from all those who provide advice and services to our businesses; that we have the right to expect their help in our efforts to define our goods and services, develop our operating systems, conduct sales, serve customers, collect profits, and do all other things that FREE AND INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES may of right do. And for support of this declaration we firmly pledge our time, our resources, and our energies.

Want to know more about how to grow your business today?

Click Here

to learn about our CEO Club, Entrepreneur’s Club or Online Club programs for Business Owners.

Does your corporate message reflect your corporate action?

Guest Post

By Ron Hoesterey

This story began when California passed a law that requires a hands free device when using a cell phone in a car.  Let me admit, I hate change, but I resolved to take all actions necessary to become compliant.  So, I set out for Costco to get the device I needed.

Walking through Costco (Costco is not the subject of this article, so corporate attorneys settle down).  It grabbed two devices that I thought would be great to own.  Item # 1 a digital blood pressure cup on sale for $29.99.  Item # 2 a Hands Free Device, (HFD for short), that was both a speaker and microphone that hung in the visor of the car.  It said it was blue tooth compatible with my phone so I can now be legal.

I Got home and decided to hook up the blood pressure cup and then tackle the linking of my cell phone to my new HFD.  Since my 3 year old grandson would not be down for a week to set it up for me, I vowed to carefully follow the directions.  Beginning blood pressure 120/73.

Cutting the HFD out of the impenetrable plastic package took about ten minutes of pulling, slicing with a letter opener and cutting.  Blood pressure 130/85.  I read the instructions in the HFD and began the process of linking.  The first attempt was unsuccessful.  Try again, unsuccessful.  Blood pressure now reads 140/95.  After numerous attempts, repeating the same instructions that did not work the first time, the device still did not link as advertised.  So, I went to the website for the company where the answer to my dilemma was not to be found.  Well, there is always the 800# right?

“Thank you for calling ………..” (name withheld because these guys are the subject of my article).  “To ensure you receive excellent customer service, your call may be monitored.” All of our representatives are busy helping others so please stay on the line. Your call is very important to us. You’re anticipated wait time is 35 to 40 minutes.”

WHAT?????  If my call is so freaking important, why don’t you hire more people to answer the @#%&* phone!  Blood pressure 175/130.  After sitting through a few more minutes of “Your call is very important please remain on the line,” I found the upper limits of the other device I had purchased.  Blood pressure 200/160.  I hung up and called 911.  “Thank you for calling 911, your call is very important to us.”

Needless to say, the next day I returned the HFD to Costco for a refund.  I did notice at the return desk at Costco they had their service expectations posted for both the customer and the employees to see.  I am also happy to say that my customer service experience there actually matched the message they had posted.  When the message equals the action, the stress level for both the customer and the employee is minimized.

As a side note, my doctor recommended I do not return the second item.

So what’s the point?  Did the HFD fail?  Sure, but I have come to expect and tolerate some of that.  Did their company fail?  Big Time.  I don’t tolerate that as a customer.  Their message did not match their actions.  Obviously, their core values were not match to their public promises or their customer service systems. I decided that irrespective of their corporate message, the company did not care about my “excellent customer service” experience so why bother to tell me that is a concern of theirs. So, how about your small business?  Do your actions and those of your employees match your message to customers?  Do your actions keep your promises?

By the way, if you call my cell and get the message “thanks for calling Ron Hoesterey”, you will know that in am in my car and my grandson has not arrived yet to link up his Papa.

Ron Hoesterey is a Partner in the Coaching and Leadership Development Firm Creative Performance Strategies.  Ron is the former CEO of a multimillion dollar manufacturing company and is a former Western Regional Manager of a Fortune 500 company. Ron has experience in top leadership positions in business, government and community organizations including Mayor, Chairman of the Orange County Sanitation districts and Integrated Waste Management Commission of Orange County, CA. His broad background and unique style make him an ideal partner for organizations who seek growth, change and perspective in their organizations.

Want to know more about how to grow your business today?

Click Here

to learn about our CEO Club, Entrepreneur’s Club or Online Club programs for Business Owners.

So What?  That is the question I have been asking my clients and my students for the past 15 years.  So what?  So you make a very cool widget?  So what?  How does that widget make a difference in the life of the person who buys it?  So you offer the most amazing service?  So what?  What difference do you make for the businesses you serve?  I want to know, how does what you do or what you sell make a difference for the people or the business who buy from you?

I started asking this question when I was teaching as a university professor.  Many of my students were planning to go on to be teachers themselves, and I wanted to challenge them to think beyond the curriculum.  I wanted to help them figure out how to make the classroom relevant and important to their students.

Along the way, I discovered that this same question was critically important for business owners.  With very few exceptions, buyers have choices.  They can choose to buy from you, or from somebody else.  Their buying decision is made up of all sorts of considerations, but underneath all of the product or service evaluations, underneath the questions about quality, price, durability, and availability is this core value.  What difference will it make if I buy it, and what difference will it make if I buy it from you?

During the past year I have had several opportunities ponder this issue but it has really come home to me in the past two months.  I thought I had answered this question in my own business years ago.  In discussions with several clients and with prospects I am reminded that answering it once does not answer it forever.  The difference you make must be restated as the conditions around you change.  In other words, So what has to be answered in terms of today and tomorrow, not yesterday.

I got my aha on this when several people recently decided not to join our CEO Club because of the cost.  Let’s face it, business coaching is expensive.  But I know the actual cost is not really the issue here.  In every case the business owners who decided not to buy or continue in the program had enough money.  It was not the money itself, it was their understanding of the difference it makes.

Here’s the reality, no matter what you spend on a business coach, it is money that you don’t have available to spend on other things or to put into your own pocket.  As a business owner, that makes coaching expensive.  So then why do it?  Why pay a coach for his or her services?  The only reason to spend the money is because you understand that hiring the business coach will make a difference for you that is worth the cost.

Now, back to your business.  What is true for my business is true for yours.  People have choices.  Especially during times of economic stress like we face today, people are careful to look for the greatest value.  Often business owners default to the idea that greatest value is defined by lowest price.  In some cases this is true, but even that default value has hidden within it this truth – the real question is what difference does it make.  Your task, as the seller, is to know what difference you can make for the buyer and then make sure that you communicate that difference well.

I heard a great commercial just the other day that brings this home.  The ad was for Mercedes-Benz.  At the center of the ad was this idea, “we sell quality cars, but not the only quality cars.”  To convince people looking for that quality that they should consider a Mercedes, the ad emphasizes the difference they will make through relationship, service and quality.  In the end, those things will matter more than the price to their buyers.

So, what difference to you make?  Ask that question of yourself and then ask it of four people you trust to be brutally honest with you.  The value of your business is in the difference you make for customers.  Learn to communicate that and your business will grow.  It is just that simple.

Want to know more about how to grow your business today?

Click Here

to learn about our CEO Club, Entrepreneur’s Club or Online Club programs for Business Owners.

The Bottom Line IS The Bottom Line

CEOs, quite often we put so much time in growing our company.  Almost all of our effort and energy go into sales and new client acquisition.  By operating in this manner, from time to time we loose track of the overall importance of the Bottom Line.

Here’s a tip:  Set gross profit and expense standards in dollars and percentages for your business.  Track these standards; hold people accountable and communicate with your departments how well they are doing at meeting their targets.  At the same time, set net income goals for you and your business because remember: It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep.

This is your CEO Rule of the Week.  I am Ruben Estrada.  Your Next Move

Click on the link below to listen  to the CEO Rule of the Week

The Bottom Line IS the Bottom Line

Find Great Employees through Behavioral Interviewing: A Webinar for Small Business Onwers http://bit.ly/cFTOOO Register NOW!

It seems that every day there is a new take on the recession. The housing market is up, but housing sales are still down? Consumer sales are up, but consumer confidence is still down. The stimulus is not working. Small businesses are taking advantage of stimulus dollars to bridge the sales gap. Who is right here? What can I expect?

The short answer is, all of these are correct. What you experience is likely dependent on some key determining factors.  Your industry, your location, your systems will all play a part in what is happening for your business.  More important than any of these, however, is how you have responded to building your business during the recession.  If you have been working on growth in meaningful ways, you are more likely than others to see improvements now.  One of my clients illustrates this very well.

When this recession started, perhaps the hardest hit industry was home construction.  Certainly new home construction was hit hardest, but every segment of that industry fell the pain.  Master Custom Home Remodeling in Knoxville, Tennessee was no exception.  As the recession started they saw a decline in customer inquiries and a reduction in sales.  Many business owners responded to this market change by withdrawing, Dawn Steimer decided the better idea was to grow.

In the early days of the recession, Dawn began a radio marketing campaign that was expensive, but promised high returns if it worked.  Over the course of the next 12 months she continued to pay for ad presence on one of the area’s most popular stations.  She also volunteered to be a guest host on a local Saturday morning radio talk show focused on home maintenance and repair.  The results were dramatic.

Measuring and comparing this year to last year, Dawn’s lead generation increased by 400%.  The result for her is a full pipeline and opportunities that could make this one of the best year’s ever for her business.  I would say the recession is most likely over for Dawn and Master Custom Home Remodeling.

But what about business owners who did not start marketing so early?  What can you do to end the recession in your world?

First, you have to believe that it is not too late to make a difference.  If you want to get your business growing right now, then get started today on your systems for lead generation.  As you do, keep these principles in mind:

1.  Who:  Lead generation begins with a very strong understanding of who you are marketing to.  You need a current profile of your target customer that let’s you know exactly who you are trying to reach.  The CEO Rule is, “you market to suspects.”

2.  What:  Before you start marketing or advertising, make sure you know exactly what you intend to offer.  This may seem obvious, but creating a value proposition that will be meaningful to your suspects is not always easy and may change from time to time.  This is especially true as you are trying to break out of a recession.  Revisit your product or service mix and define a value proposition that will sell right now.

3.  Where:  This piece has two components.  First, define the geography of your market and then target that geography.  Dawn Steimer did a lot of things to increase her marketing activities during the past year, including updating her website and getting active in social media marketing.  While some of these may have had global reach, she defined each of them in terms of how they would help her reach her local market.  That is why the radio program was so valuable.  Her voice on live air was supported by other activities that emphasized her commitment to her regional marketplace.   A great strategy.

Second, you need to know where to find the people or businesses who make up your target market.  There are hundreds of marketing avenues, but only a few of them will actually lead to your suspects.  For example, if you want to meet business owners, you have to know where you will find them.  What organizations do they join?  What events to day attend?  What kind of mail will they actually read?  What radio or television stations and programs do they follow?  Blindly investing in marketing activities that don’t actually reach your suspects is not money well spent.

4.  When:  There are good times and bad times to approach the people in your target market.  You need to know when is the best time to reach them.  Not only the best time of day, but the best day of the week, the best week of the month, the best month of the year.  All business has seasonality.  Know when is the best time to make your pitch.  Plan your activities to match their patterns.

5.  Why:  This is the most important piece.  Before you begin your marketing and advertising campaign you need to understand why your suspects will buy your product or server.  Know why not from your perspective, but from theirs.  Think about the times when someone has tried to sell you something.  If they don’t have the why part right, they will often focus their energies on telling you how much you need what they have to offer.  How much better would it be if instead, they focused on asking you about what you want or need so that they can make sure they know just how their product matches your need.

Now that you have answered the key questions, you are ready to put your plan into action.  Of course, that is often the most difficult part.  You may need to find a coach or adviser who can help you decide the best avenues to pursue.  If so, give me a call.  I can help.  Whether you set out on your own or work with an adviser or coach, make sure you create a plan that you can measure for success and then commit to that plan for long enough to produce the results you want.