Last week I was reading a great article about the 4 keys to great word of mouth marketing.

1. Arrive on time – nothing frustrates your clients more than wasting their time and it speaks to poor organisation on your behalf.

2. Do what you say you will do – obvious but sadly not as common was you’d think.

3. Finish what you start – again obvious not sadly not always done.

4. Say please and thank you – good manners are always good manners.

I’d also add a couple more to the list if you want to put your referrals on steroids .

It pays to ask.  Try asking the specific question “do you know anyone else who you think might benefit from talking with us?”

Try sending a regular newsletter to your client base and associates.  This will keep you top of mind.

Reward and acknowledge people who refer to you.  I’ve had two experiences recently here.  One company gave me a card with some more of their business cards to hand around.  The other visited my office with a box of truffles and a voucher for face painting for my kids.  Both are better than nothing but the second made me feel a whole lot more appreciated.  Think about it. 

Repeat all of the above and enjoy a lifetime of profitable referral leads.

Successfully

Tony Fraser-Jones

Our Business Coach

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Read on.  This little gem may be the key to cracking it.

What you think you are selling is not what your clients are buying.

Let me say that again.

What you think you are selling is not what your clients are buying.

Let me explain.

Let’s say you are an Osteopath.  Are your patients buying Osteopathic services?  No.  They are buying pain relief for a sore neck.  They are buying improved energy levels so they can enjoy life.  If the patient is experiencing crippling OOS symptoms they are potentially buying their financial independence.  They are buying freedom from any number of ailments which is ultimately about improved enjoyment of life.

Here’s the thing.

How much more success will an Osteopath have selling these powerful benefits rather than “boring old treatments”?

So the question is … what benefits do you need to sell to your clients so they swallow your bait hook-line-and-sinker?

When you understand this you’ll be way further down the track than 99% of your competitors with the happy side effect of improving the effectiveness of your advertising material.  Not to mention creating the basis for a meaningful point of difference to stop the maddening price battles.

So get thinking benefits … and then start selling benefits.

Successfully

Tony

If you found this helpful please share it with your friends and associates.

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The motivation to get and stay focused is critical to your success in business.  Every day you are faced with challenges – staff hassles, demanding customers, time pressures and disappointments when things don’t go your way.  The ability to keep pushing forward in spite of the setback marks out the tops performers from those that just seem to tread water.

Zig Ziglar a famous personal development writer, speaker and coach stated “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

So here’s a few of the strategies that have helped me (and our business coaching clients) immensely.

• Regular exercise and healthy eating (lots of water and fresh food)
• Reviewing personal  and business goals regularly
• Taking regular time out
• Reading inspirational books
• Reminding myself when things are challenging that “this too will pass.”
• Hanging out with positive and progressive people and having great mentors.
• Scheduling dedicated time for fun non-work activities.

I also find that sharing inspirational stories extremely helpful for my motivation levels.  That’s why we post motivational thoughts on social media sites like Facebook.  Many people comment on how helpful these comments are keeping them focused and on track.

So what strategies do you have in place to keep focused and motivated?

If being part of our community of positive action oriented people would help you stay motivated and focused then you might like to “like” our Facebook page!  Click the Facebook like button at the bottom right of this page to visit our Facebook page.

Here’s to motivated, focused action and changing the business world for the better!

Successfully

 Tony

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First around 50% of people end up not making any decision once they get a quote.  They do what we all do … think about it, get busy, procrastinate, think they don’t have the budget, leave it till when the time will be right etc etc.  The second group are weighing up the 2 or 3 potential suppliers to decide which way they go.  You can turn both situations around to massively boast your conversion rate.  And here’s how.

Follow up every quote the day after you deliver it.  Time is of the essence.  Have a script for following up the quote.  The script will give you the confidence to call and not get side tracked.  Your purpose is to find out why the prospect has not yet decided to go with you.  Be specific in your questions.  For instance, “John, what specifically would need to happen for you to accept our quote?”  Once you understand why then you can do something about it.  It might be a price question.  They more not understand your quote.  They may have difficulty comparing the various quotes they have.  Follow up again on a regular basis (suggest weekly) as some prospects genuinely need more time.  Repeat follow up until the job is yours or you understand why you did not get the job.

One of our contracting clients secured 2 new jobs worth $19,590 by making 5 follow up calls after we completed a script for him.  Simple, profitable and easy to implement.

So get hungry and don’t leave your money on the table.

Successfully

Tony

P.S. If you found this useful please share with your friends

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So what is the one thing that stands out in terms of who is successful and who struggles to get ahead.

Well surprisingly it’s not better strategies or smarter marketing or knowing the right people.   All these things help but they come second.  The single biggest thing I can see is that those who do the best (I mean financially, lifestyle, health, relationships and general all-round happiness) are those people who work harder on themselves than they do on their business.

Now there’s a quote from Ghandi that really helps me understand why.  Ghandi said “you have to be the change you want to see in the world.”

So what do those who get ahead do differently?  Well it’s the simple things like taking time to eat breakfast and lunch and actually making their lunch rather than munching down on takeaways and fatty foods.  It’s regular exercise as a way of life and often involves group exercise activities such as organised sports.  The successful people often have a spiritual dimension to their lives be that organised religion, meditation or something similar.  Successful people also invest heavily in their education.  And they invest when they can’t afford it because they understand that wealth, success and progress are the product of learning.  The successful don’t wait until they have the money or time to invest because without investing first the money and time do not happen.

As a coach I chuckle to myself when prospective client tell themselves the lie that they don’t have the time or money (insert other excuses here….) to start learning how to grow their business right now.  What they are actually saying to themselves is “hey I’ll wait till I’m in a better position to get started on making my life and business better.”  Sadly this all too common situation is a downward spiral.  And this spiral leads to financial, spiritual, health, relationship and lifestyle poverty.

So if you are dissatisfied with were your business or life is right now get busy working on yourself.  Invest, train, read, listen, get a business coach or business mentor do some exercise … whatever it takes to become better.  As Jim Rohn said “… never wish your life were easier … wish you were better.”

If you find this helpful please share with your friends as.

Successfully

Tony

P.S. If you want to secure $393.12 worth of marketing and business information for free visit our special page “The Most Incredible Free Gift Ever” now.

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• A lack of money (low profits, poor cash flow, earning less than what you could with a job),
• A lack of time (and systems that mean business and your life is chaotic, stressful and lacking joy), and
• Team challenges (your team is not up to scratch and / or you have problems hiring the right people).

From our business coaching clients 7 out of 10 put staff and team hassles are right at the top of their “challenges list.”  Your staffing challenges typically involve how to motivate the team, how to get them producing quality work and how to hire the right people in the first instance!

So here are three helpful tips:

• You must have a clear and concise job description for each role within the business.  The job description outlines the key tasks, what knowledge, skills and experience are required and highlights the key result areas.  Complete the job description prior to hiring.  That way you are clear on what you are looking for in a team member.

• Have regular team meetings (weekly preferably or fortnightly at the minimum).  Make sure the whole team gets to share as meetings with the boss standing up the front every week are unlikely to generate much involvement.  Holding a regular WIFLE (What I Feel Like Expressing) is a very powerful tool.  The rules for a Wifle are as follows:  Sit in a circle around the room. Starting with the person next to you, ask John (or whoever) “what do you feel like expressing?” John then has the right to say whatever he feels like without interruption, this is most important. If the team doesn’t feel safe to express whatever they feel, you are all wasting your time. Once he has had his say, he then asks the person next to him what they feel like expressing.  When everyone has had their say (and only when everyone has finished) you then ask if anyone has any “burnings”.  This is where everyone – in turn – has a chance to reply to the other person’s feelings or impression, either by apologising or explaining what actually happened. If these sessions are conducted correctly, you will find your team bonds together much more effectively and relates to each other as humans instead of just someone they work with. It is important to have everyone realise that any complaints are not directed personally, but to the behaviour of that person.

•  Map out your hiring process.  Hiring is so important that a clear process from marketing for the role, qualifying applicants (so you don’t waste time chasing the “no-hopers”), interviews, job tests and reference checking is crucial.  Don’t fall into the trap of making up the interview questions the morning of … you are bound to disappointed!

At the How To Unlock Your Business Profits workshop I’ll be talking in more details about addressing your staffing challenges and how to grow a great team.  I’ll also be giving away actual job descriptions and ads our clients use for hiring staff.  Trust me the ad makes a huge difference!

Here’s to profitable business

Tony

Our Business Coach

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Something a bit different for Friday afternoon.  Working with business owners as a Business Coach we implement lots of high impact strategies for marketing, staffing, systemising the business and getting the numbers under control.  All great and incredibly useful stuff.  But the things that make the most difference, without exception, is the extent to which we (as a business owner) learn and grow ourselves.  Everything in life (and business is no different) comes from the inside out.

I was sent the following piece from a colleague a few days ago and it really highlighted the point.  A slightly different take … have a read and I’d love to know your thoughts.

“The best thing I’ve done for my business is take care of myself. All your personal issues, hangups, fears, flaws, etc. WILL show up in your business and manifest in your company culture. Entrepreneurship has a way of finding your weaknesses (even more so than relationships), so my advice is to constantly work on getting your sh*t together. Work out, meditate, go to therapy, read self-help books, journal . . . whatever you need to do become as psychologically and physically healthy as you can be is what you need to be doing.

If you’re not already happy, your businesses isn’t going to make you happier. If you have weaknesses, your business will find them and exploit them. Entrepreneurship can be one of the greatest impetuses for self-growth, and you can either embrace the challenge or run away from it. But the challenge itself is not going to go away.”

Or as Ghandi the famous Indian Statemen put it “you have to be the change you want to see in the world” (substitue “in your business here”)!!!

So, what can you do today to improve yourself as a business owner?

Here’s to profitable business!

Successfully

Tony

Our Business Coach Hamilton

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Now don’t just say ‘price’ or ‘quality’ or ‘good service’ – these are empty terms which everyone uses.  You must make it very specific and meaningful.

For example you can choose to be the most convenient, have some special exceptional service, have an unbeatable guarantee, be the fastest, etc.  Or maybe you’re the electrician with the green and pink striped vans? Or you guarantee to be ”on time … every time or the first hour is free” etc. Or you’re the one who is the “most helpful and understanding”.  There are almost unlimited possibilities when finding your uniqueness.

The key here is that is all about perception.  Often just claiming that what you do is unique and then promoting that point is sufficient to have people believe you.  This can be the case, even when there is plenty of other people who do exactly the same thing that you do – because most businesses don’t promote themselves very well.  No matter which business you’re in, you need to stress a unique quality, one that people will perceive as being different & valuable.

The process of defining your USP is so crucial yet most business owners have never even considered it.  The process can take some time but here are a couple of questions to get you started.

 “What is impossible within my field of endeavour, but if it could be done, would have a dramatically positive effect on my business?”

 “From my customers’, clients’ or patients’ point of view, what is the single most annoying, inconvenient, uncomfortable or unpalatable aspect of my business that they have to endure? And what could I do to change this?”

By answering these questions in the form of your USP and by communicating this in all your marketing messages you will literally swamp your business with profitable, A class customers.

Here’s to profitable business!

Tony – Chief Profit Growth Specialist at Our Business Coach

P.S. If have any friends or associates who you think might benefit from reading this please forward it on.  Nothing like sharing the love!

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Like many you are probably asking is the Yellow Pages still relevant with all the changes in technology?  Are the Yellow Pages worth the money we spend on it?  How can I actually work out if my investment is generating profitable business?  Are there other marketing options that could potentially work for my business and actually generate some profitable jobs?

The good news is that Yellow Pages is not necessarily dead … in fact for some of our clients it is devastatingly profitable.  Mike Foote from Plumbing and Gas Works changed his ad last year and increased the number of calls from 8 per month to 35 calls per month.  How would your business look with a 337% increase in leads from a single marketing source?

The bad news is that most business owners waste their money on Yellow Pages.  And it’s not necessarily because Yellow Pages don’t work.

Listen carefully … here’s the two keys to making Yellow Pages work.  First, make sure your target market actually looks in the Yellow Pages.  Second, ensure you have a Yellow Pages Ad that works (clue … if your ad has your company name and logo at the top then odds are it’s not working).

I have made available 7 Free Yellow Pages Ad Critiques.  Give me a call today on 07 859 3425 of 021 499 809 or email me at tony@ourbusinesscoach.co.nz to reserve your Free Critique.

Here are a few quick tips for writing your Yellow Pages ad.

1. Use an attention grabbing headline.
2. Include an action shot or picture of yourself.
3. Include client testimonials.
4. Describe the benefits of your product or service (what’s in it for the prospective customer).
5. Include a strong call to action “phone us now,” or “call us today.”
6. Include a special offer or free giveaway for callers who respond to your ad.

These are just a few helpful hints that can transform your ad’s response rate by as much as 337% – just like Mike’s ad.

Take advantage of our 15 minute no obligation critique by giving me a bell on 07 859 3425 or 021 499 809 or via email on tony@ourbusinesscoach.co.nz.  I’m only giving away 7 free critiques so make sure you don’t miss out!

To profitable marketing

Successfully

Tony Fraser-Jones – Our Business Coach

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Brian Tracy commented that clarity accounts for probably 80% of success and happiness.  A Lack of clarity is responsible for more frustration and underachievement than any other single factor.  As Brian Racy puts it “success is goals and all else is commentary.”

In my business, and personal life, nothing has had such a powerful impact as the consistent and on-going use of goal setting.  I find the people with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.  This is true everywhere and under all circumstances.

You could even say that the three keys to high achievement are, “Clarity, Clarity, Clarity,” with regard to your goals.  Your success in business and life is largely determined by how clear you are about what it is you really, really want.  For example, the goal “I will make more money than last year” lacks clarity when compared with a goal such as, “I am earning at least $326,000 in net profit from my business per annum by the 31^st of March 2014.”

I’ve included a helpful seven step process for setting and achieving your goals for you to think about here:

The Seven Step Process for Setting and Achieving Your Goals

• Decide exactly what you want in each area of your life.  Be specific!
• Write it down, clearly and in detail.
• Set a specific deadline.  If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down in order.
• Make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal.  As you think of new items, add them to your list.
• Organize the items on your list into a plan by placing them in the proper sequence and priority.
• Take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan.  This is very important!
• Do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals.  Maintain the momentum!  And review your goals several times a week – first thing in the morning is a great time as it set you up for the day.

Only by getting clear on what you want (sometimes you can start by writing down what you don’t want) and committing to daily action toward that clear goal will you develop the business and life that you truly desire and deserve.  So get busy designing your life!

Here’s to clarity and profitability

Successfully

Tony – Chief Profit Growth Enthusiast at Our Business Coach

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