the best of Marketing

I don’t know about you, but my social media feed has been filled with back to school photos from family and friends. My kids are older, and back to school has lost the fun it used to have, but I love seeing my friends reach the milestones I did! Nothing like smiling faces and new backpacks!

With the kids starting a new school year, our focus shifts back to business and doing away with the summer slowdown. Back to school is the perfect time to review your goals and refresh your business!

Here are our top 10 Back to Business Essentials!

1. Has your business grown or changed structure over the last year – speak with a tax professional to be sure that you’re meeting the requirements and filing the appropriate paperwork.

2. Take a good look at your schedule, are you overextending yourself? Are you meeting your personal and professional commitments? How are you spending your time, and could you be spending your time more efficiently?

3. Is it time for some support? Maybe it’s an in-house personal assistant, a copywriter, social media guru, or just someone to lean on – don’t wait until its too late and you’re missing commitments!

4. Is your website up to date? When was the last time you re-vamped your copy and images? Do all of your links work the way they should? Is your site mobile friendly and GDPR compliant? Not sure where to start? Send us an email with a link to your site; we’re happy to take a quick peek around and provide feedback to get you back on track.

5. When was the last time you increased your rates? September is the perfect time to consider raising your rates and provide notice to your existing clients of a rate change for the coming year.

6. Have you been keeping up with social media? Do you post regularly (text, video or pictures)? Is your blog up to date? Not sure what to write, check out our blog about creating a content calendar for ideas.

7. When was the last time you launched a new product service? Do you have some custom programs that you currently offer clients, that would have a wider appeal? Maybe its time to do an official launch and reach a wider audience?

8. Speaking of a wider audience – what tools are you using to bring in new leads? Are you looking for some fresh ideas? Download our lead magnet whitepaper, or email us to brainstorm the best lead magnets for your business!

9. Research your competition – what products and services are they offering, and at what price point? Are you in line with their offerings?

10. Get out and network! Summer slowdown is over! Networking is fantastic for business, not just to generate leads, and foster connections, but networking is great for practicing your elevator pitch and staying current with trends. You never know what you’ll learn!

Back to school means back to business! Get out there and get inspired again! Learn something new! Stuck? We’re here to help! Drop us an email for a complimentary consultation. No matter where you are in your business right now, we can help guide you to where you want to be!

My wife, daughter and I were just watching World of Dance when a community warning interrupted our relaxation time. There were toxins released into the water, which freaked out my wife.

I wasn’t worried, of course, but my wife was getting ready to have me take the 30-minute commute to Eugene and have me buy as much water as I could carry! But I’m so relaxed, please don’t make me go out there…

Luckily, I looked up the warning online and found that the toxins actually wouldn’t affect us since it was taking place in a nearby town 60 miles away.

Whew!

And instead of braving the traffic I’m here on the keyboards writing this article for you.

Before you start Internet Marketing for your local brick-and-mortar, e-commerce and start-up business, I want to give you 7 powerful strategies to implement.

These are areas where the majority miss the boat and it costs them money and time establishing a business online.

My intention in this article is to help you get up to speed quickly before you start Internet Marketing so you avoid making costly mistakes:

1. It’s essential that you have short, medium and long-term goals even before you start Internet Marketing.

This means thinking about exactly what you want to achieve within a week, a month, six months, a year, five years and so on.

Goals are critical to your success in business. Without them, you’ll flounder because you have no focus, no direction, and no plan. You can even set goals for the next 10 to 20 years.

The mind needs specifics. If your goals aren’t specific and measurable then your goals won’t be effective in helping you move your business forward.

2. Identify all the business activities you’re good at. Are you good at sales and marketing? Accounting? Human Resources? Operations? List them and analyze which ones you’d like to achieve long-term.

3. Make sure you have a proven Internet Marketing strategy that can be documented even before you start Internet Marketing. Every detail included in your plan should be studied and reviewed on a regular basis to see if you’re right on track or if you need to do some tweaking (which is normal as a business grows).

4. Identify what types of services and/or products you’ll be selling to potential clients. Focus on a small number of products or services to start.

You can always modify your goals as you adjust to your markets’ wants and desires. You can’t afford to jeopardize the quality and efficiency of your work by trying to do too much. I’ve learned this the hard way…

5. You must know what you want your marketing/sales funnel to look like even before you start Internet Marketing. I recommend to all my clients to outline their funnels. This outline can be a simple list or diagram, but you need to make sure that the layout is arranged in order of appearance.

Plus, create a products and services catalog that has product and service descriptions, payment options and possible campaigns you can run to promote them.

6. Planning your promotions is critical to your success. An editorial and promotional calendar is something you should focus on. Once you have your marketing/sales funnel outline and catalog, the very next step is to schedule when you’ll promote your products and services.

7. Look for a mentor; someone who can give you answers to all your business-related questions.

I’d like to be your mentor so if you’d like to take the guesswork out of growing your business online then click here to get the ultimate shortcut to help you start Internet Marketing today.

Of course, you can find some of this information online. But nothing beats the information and best practices by learning from someone who has been in your shoes and has successfully established their own Internet-based business.

Permit me to share my experiences with you.

Remember to keep your business goals in front of you at all times. Stay focused. This is a marathon, not a sprint, so be patient.

Stay tuned because I’ll be back with some steps for you to follow. I’ll help you take your business online and leverage 21st-century methods to attract leads, clients, and patients effortlessly leveraging the Funnel Vision Method.

My wife and daughter are out of town today so I was going to get caught up on my favorite TV shows: Supergirl, Flash, Supernatural and Legion.

I definitely like the superhero shows. I grew up watching Christopher Reeve’s Superman films and reading comics.

But when I got home, I decided to take a nap…

… and that nap turned into sleeping through the night!

Remember, yesterday I gave you a taste of how Internet Marketing works. Click here if you missed it so you can catch up!

I know there’s one that’ll suit your interests and complement your skills.

In reality, the Internet can give you countless possibilities in business and earnings. I’ll focus on the most proven ones.

These are known to have launched thousands of Internet businesses all over the world and helped local brick-and-mortar businesses see profits early.

And today I’ll start examining for you the 3 Internet Marketing (IM) models for you to choose from, starting with Affiliate Marketing.

This model is all about you joining forces with an online seller or retailer. I’ll refer to them as merchants for the rest of this article.

The revenue will be shared by you and the merchant.

How does it work EXACTLY?

Well, income is usually generated through visitors clicking through to your landing page via an ad you posted. Or through purchases from clients, who have visited your landing page.

How you’re compensated, ultimately, depends on, one of three types of Affiliate Marketing you choose to work with:

1. Pay per Sale Affiliate Marketing – this will allow you to earn income from sales finalized through advertisements you post.

The merchants will monitor your activity through these sales.

Every time they close deals originating from your ad, you’ll receive a percentage of the income or a fixed commission, depending on the number of sales finalized. One example is ClickBank.com.

2. Pay Per Click Affiliate Marketing – this model is all about linking the merchant’s website to your own website. Say the merchant pays to have their ad posted on your page. Every time a visitor clicks the link that leads to your affiliate merchant’s page, you’ll earn a fixed amount.

3. Pay per Lead Affiliate Marketing – In this case, you’ll accept advertisements posted on your website. When leads originate from the ads or links on your website, you’ll get compensated.

How are payments made?

Payments are made instantly, weekly, bi-weekly or on a monthly basis. The payments you receive will be determined by the commission rate your merchant gives affiliates.

Personally, the affiliate program Dahl Integration Marketing prefers uses Click Bank for payments. I have it set up to pay us weekly.

There are several ways to get your payments:

One is via electronic banking by way of payment or financial websites.
Money can also be wired through to your personal or business bank account – this can also be done online or through direct bank deposits.
A regular check can be mailed to you.
Another popular way to receive payments is via PayPal.
What Skills Are Required to Start an Affiliate Marketing Business?

You need to know pay-per-click advertising, email marketing and copywriting.

Advantages of Affiliate Marketing:

1. Generally speaking, you don’t need to spend a lot of cash to get started. Most Affiliate Programs are free to join although they’ll ask you to apply.

That said, there are Premium Affiliate Programs where affiliates pay a licensing fee of $1,000 or more.

2. You can earn money while you sleep. Who doesn’t want to earn more cash in the middle of the night?

When this first happened to me I felt an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders because income wasn’t always dependent on my time.

3. It’s one of the easiest ways to earn income (when you compare it to creating and marketing your own products) because you shorten the time to market.

When you create your own products and services you’re on the hook to prove that it can sell. This initial test campaign can cost thousands of dollars to prove your offers’ feasibility.

Conversely, you can simply promote a popular product that’s already proven successful and skip all the trial-and-error and initial ‘cold-hard’ cash outlay.

Whether you’re in this as a part-time source of income or as a long-term business, affiliate marketing is still one of the best ways to earn income without all the typical hassles of managing a business.

4. If you’re successful, you’ll always be up-to-date with what’s going on in the world of Internet marketing. This is a great opportunity for you to find or create different products and services to feature on your website.

5. You’ll also have opportunities to work with other affiliate marketers and increase your earnings together.

The Downsides to Affiliate Marketing

Although you can make a living with affiliate marketing, there are a couple of downsides to this model that you should know.

Once you have all this information, you can devise plans to help you avoid these potentially costly problems:

1. As an affiliate, you may fall victim to shady businesses and, in turn, you may be accused of deceiving clients.

To make sure that you keep this from happening, you have to screen all your merchants. Verify their products and check if their actual businesses are legit.

A rule of thumb is to first become a client of the merchants you plan to work with. What’s more, it’s always easier to sell a product or service you believe in, because you’re a client and can speak from your own experience with the product.

You also need to read the fine print in the contract of affiliation before finalizing the deal.

2. You’ll stop earning without prior notice. This can happen if you do not regularly communicate with your merchants.

Merchants can stop or discontinue production of products without informing their affiliates (and in some cases go out of business) so be sure to stay in touch with your merchants to avoid this problem.

Even if you have a unique product or service, before long, it’s inevitable that your company will be joined by others. With the advent of social media, it seems that it’s getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd.

Marketers have tried to address this by carving out niches and splashy campaigns. Or by creating a Purple Cow.

Another approach with multiple advantages is to incorporate impact in your strategy and marketing. I define impact as the point where your and your company’s uniqueness meet the world and make it a better place for all of us.

Here are 10 ways that impact can give your company an even better competitive edge:

1. In today’s marketplace, people at a variety of ages are focused on what a company is doing in the larger world. Is it contributing? Is it helping to make the world a better place? People over 40 years of age are showing an increasing interest in legacy, what they want to show for their time here. Millennials want to make a difference with their purchases and their work. Your focus on impact will draw those customers and tilt their buying decisions in your favor.
2. In a crowded market and in those with established and well-regarded players, it’s difficult to enter by merit alone or even by leveraging connections. Impact can give you that distinctive edge to set up the initial meeting, and be considered along with the long-time residents in that market.
3. Your focus on impact in strategy and marketing helps your company thrive. Companies that focus on impact have 12-14 times more income than those that are profit-only focused. A thriving company has more flexibility in your marketing spend and in your hires, which can contribute to a greater presence in the market.
4. You avoid being regarded as a commodity company. If you are forced to compete in a commodity market, your profit margins narrow and managing your business finances becomes a great deal more challenging. Impact provides you with a unique value proposition.
5. Impact-focused companies have been shown to be more sustainable. With that sustainability, your longevity in the marketplace can give you a competitive edge, as long as you continue to serve the needs of your customers.
6. Value for all stakeholders increases with a focus on impact. That heightened value is perceived by your customers as a thriving business that won’t let them down.
7. Similarly, market valuation goes up with a focus on impact, as your business thrives.
8. If you choose to focus on impact, your company makes a positive difference with your employees, your community, and even the larger world. Let people know about it, and you enhance the perceived value of your company, as well as increasing visibility.
9. When you nurture a company culture that helps people flourish, to have their own impact, you create an engaged workforce and a group of inspired and committed marketers. Word of mouth marketing by your employees is an invaluable asset that you can encourage with a consistent focus on your intended impact.
10. With a focus on a higher purpose, on your impact, everyone in the company moves through challenges more quickly and easily. The shared big picture helps everyone to stop dwelling on the problem and move on.

With an impact focus in your marketing and customer conversations, you can be different and noticeable. It gives you a competitive advantage with customers in their buying decisions.

Revisiting the Sales and Marketing Conversation

Back in October 2015 we shared an article called “5 Ways Marketing Departments Help Salespeople Catch Butterflies.” Recently a tenfold article was shared with us, titled “What is the Meaning of Sales & Marketing and Their Advantages?” and, I have to say, it does a pretty awesome job of breaking down the differences, responsibilities, and links between sales and marketing roles. Why revisit this now? Because it has never been more apparent that the relationship between sales and marketing is still just as misunderstood as ever, especially with advances in marketing technology.

Setting the Record Straight

Many in the business world, especially those who rely on sales and marketing for success, don’t actually have a concrete grasp on exactly what sales and marketing are. Yes, the two are linked, but they are not one and the same. Sales departments rely on marketing; marketing departments and strategies exist to feed sales (notice I didn’t say “make” sales). You wouldn’t engage in marketing if you had nothing to sell, and your sales strategy would be much less informed and successful if not for your marketing efforts. Yes, many old-school salespeople (or go-getter small business entrepreneurs) are quite capable of drumming up business on their own, and may even have some tried-and-true marketing tactics up their sleeve – but few have the time, skill, or technological resources to effectively capitalize on the true potential of their market.

A common mistake made by older, more established businesses is to assume that salespeople are skilled at marketing and that marketing people are skilled at making sales. In some cases this may be true, but certainly not across the board. While trying to conserve capital, many of these companies will attempt to combine their sales and marketing departments, essentially tasking their employees with two job descriptions, and that’s usually a bad move. It’s no accident that more recently established companies, tech giants, and organizations that employ a large number of millennials are killing it with their marketing efforts.

Breaking It Down

As the tenfold article explains, some of the key responsibilities of a sales team include:

• Follow Up
• Relationship Building
• Closing
• Retention

The mark of a great salesperson is the ability to cultivate a personal relationship. Many consumers who have stayed loyal to the same brand, dealership, or salon for years will say that they appreciate the personal attention they receive there. It is not a marketing employee’s responsibility to follow up with a salesperson’s existing customer once the lead has been handed off, nor is it their responsibility to convert a lead to a sale, “close the deal,” or make sure the client remains a client for many years. Short of having an outstanding relationship with a skilled salesperson, product quality and excellent overall experience are the main things that will bolster client retention.

On the marketing side, primary efforts are:

• Awareness
• Engagement
• Conversion (from anonymous to known)
• Retention

It is not a salesperson’s job to generate awareness or buzz about their brand, product or service. If they are expected to use their energy to make sales by nurturing leads and relationships, then how can they also be expected to have the time to do the leg-work up front that brings those leads to the table in the first place?

The marketing department creates awareness, builds engagement by creating information that will invite audience members to take action, and targets and tracks engagement by motivating audience members to provide contact information or initiate a free trial or consultation (converting them from a cold prospect to a known lead or potential buyer). It is important to note here that the retention function of a marketing department doesn’t really overlap the retention efforts of a sales team.

On the sales side, client retention refers more to the salesperson’s efforts to use the client relationship to continually check in with the client, attempt to engage them in further discussions about additional products or services they may be interested in, and seek referrals to the client’s friends and family members. On the marketing side, however, retention refers to maintaining a higher level of consistent engagement (through targeted marketing based on buying preferences, interests and history) so that the customer relationship doesn’t end at the initial purchase. Those email newsletters you receive after becoming a customer somewhere are not random – they have a purpose and are often tailored to things you’ve viewed or expressed interest in. A sales team simply doesn’t have the insights, time, or often the resources to execute these types of strategic campaigns.

The Fine-Tuned Coexistence Of It All

The ideal sales and marketing relationship is a symbiotic one. Marketers and salespeople work together to determine what consumers need and how to deliver it. Sales and marketing should motivate, inspire and feed one other. They should collaborate and coexist. In the hierarchy of the business food chain, sales and marketing should not be seen as rivals or equals, but counterparts. One truly cannot exist without the other, but their skill sets are not the same – especially today, where advances in technology require the modern marketer to have a very specific, honed, and competitive set of skills that most sales people simply do not need to have.

For this reason many marketers are introverted, analytical, and deep-thinking individuals. Whether they’re crunching numbers and analyzing data, compiling reports on trends and conversion rates, or writing awesome ads and creating beautiful websites and collateral material, they are required to intensely focus on what works, what doesn’t, and adjust their creative efforts accordingly. Usually a marketing department will have creatives, analysts, and more tech-oriented people (who dive into the numbers and algorithms behind advanced marketing tools).

In contrast though, many salespeople are extroverts – they light up a room, they have excellent “people skills,” can easily relate to others, and have the ability to pick up on social cues that might actually help them close a sale. Oftentimes salespeople have a broader focus, preferring to spend their days with appointments and meetings – activities that build relationships – rather than sitting behind a desk doing what a marketing department does best. For this reason, many salespeople have administrative assistants to help them with follow-up, paperwork, appointment setting, phone calls, proposals, and calendar management. This type of functional assistant role is less widespread in the marketing realm.

Share Your Thoughts

Be sure to read the full article (and let us know how it compares to our post ) for additional insights on the relationship between sales and marketing teams. Join the conversation: in your experience, what have been some key components of a successful sales and marketing partnership?

If I say the word “Amish” to you, what are the images that come to mind?

Perhaps your mind goes to thoughts of horse-drawn carriages, a close-knit community that stays within itself, or no use of modern comforts like electricity or photography. Maybe you think of the clothes Amish people wear or the long hours that they spend working.

Whatever comes to mind, have you ever thought of the Amish as geniuses at marketing? That’s a thought that crosses my mind when I think about the Amish. As you know, the Amish make it a point to stay in their community, and they steer away from so many aspects of modern life. The Amish have also created a reason for those of us who are not Amish to buy their products or visit their communities.

I am a big believer in marketing and think it’s an essential part of business success, and the Amish have lessons to teach the broader business community.

Brand Promise

Even if the Amish wouldn’t say it themselves, there is a specific brand that buying something Amish represents. The Amish are famous for their dedication to extraordinary amounts of work, as much as 80-hour work-weeks. This commitment to work allows them to be great craftspeople. When you buy an Amish product, you know that it wasn’t created in a factory with the use of technology. Amish products are typically done by craftsmen and women who use their hands and tools to make products as they were done a century ago.

Since their products are done by craftsmen who spend the time, the products are well-made. Therefore, when you buy products made by the Amish, you know that the brand promise is one of quality. Even though we live in a world that is light years from how the Amish live, they have remained true to their “brand.” Many communities do not use electricity or electronic and technological tools. They create their products in the same fashion that was always done, and it’s a lesson for entrepreneurs to remain faithful to their values and brand promise.

Doubling Down on their Niche

The Amish understand that the world beyond their communities is strikingly different than what they represent. Every once in a while, you might come across news articles about individuals who decided to leave the community because they want to live in the modern world. However, generally speaking, although some leave the communities and there is probably pressure within the community to “evolve” and advance into the modern world, the Amish also recognize that to maintain their way of life, and their distinction, they have to retain as much of their customs and practices.

In other words, whatever the pressure that Amish communities may feel to modernize and integrate into broader communities beyond the Amish, most Amish groups instead double down. They are true to their values, what they represent and how they want to be viewed by the external world. They understand that they have a particular way of life and most Amish communities choose to double down and stay with their customs as they have been and not what is expected of them. Think about that the next time you have investors or advisors tell you should dilute your product line or the services you offer. Stay true to what you offer and stay in your lane.

Keep Working What Works for the Long-Term

Finally, the Amish have an understanding that their values and beliefs go beyond whatever is the newest trend. Were you aware that Amish farmers tend to have better crops than non-Amish farmers over the long term? How does that happen? The Amish don’t use chemicals, and they grow different types of crops on their lands keeping the soil working and profitable. They think long-term strategy and not short-term gain. They understand they want to keep their land productive for generations and they won’t do anything to harm that idea.

Sometimes entrepreneurs want to chase the next trend or idea, especially in the beginning when they are trying to get their business off the ground. However, the Amish don’t look at the next idea or supposed promise that will make them money. They know what works to keep their land profitable through generations, and they keep working it. If you have a winning idea and you know that there’s a market for it, keep your mind focused on the long-term and not on the short-term.

Next time you buy a product or service from the Amish, or you visit an Amish community, think of them as expert marketers and remember some of their lessons as you think about your own company.

Trade shows are great platforms for businesses to boost their sales, meet new people and exchange ideas for business growth. But, not all trade shows are fruitful for businesses, especially if the exhibitors miss out on some important details about the event. In the absence of proper details, some exhibitors don’t get what they expect and end up wasting their time.

To make the most of your exhibiting experience, it is necessary to ask for information about the event and cross-check the facts before your book your space. Make sure that you ask the following five important questions to your trade show organiser and gather the relevant information you need for a successful event.

Question #1
What type of traffic will I get?
Your purpose for exhibiting is to draw traffic to your booth. However, if the type of visitors attending the event have no interest in your industry or they’re not your target customers, then it is not a lucrative choice for you. Ask the organisers about the type of event traffic. For example, how many people are expected to attend the event, what are their demographics (to determine whether they match your niche or not), what are they looking for, where are they coming from, etc., are some of the questions to ask.

Question #2
How many visitors did you get last year?
The attendance figure of an event from previous years says a lot of things about the popularity and reach of the event. By looking at the number of attendees from last year and accessing their past records you can find out whether the organisers track their past shows and how many professional events they have organised till now. If the organisers fail to provide valid details on the attendance figure, it is a sign that either it is their first event or their event is not popular enough to attract visitors.

Question #3
What are the security measures at the event after hours?
At the event, your booth will be filled with important trade show exhibits. In the absence of adequate security measures, that trade show will become a jackpot for thieves. Don’t forget to ask your show organisers how secured your booth will be after you wrap up for the day, who will watch over your belongings and do they have security cameras installed at the venue. To avoid losing your exhibits, don’t leave expensive electronic accessories and merchandise at the booth unattended. If possible, take them with you after you call it a day. These details are necessary to ask your organiser, especially if it’s a multiple-day event.

Question #4
Who will be your neighbours at the event?
Your booth’s position plays a vital role in attracting visitors. If you’re exhibiting next to a bigger booth with great displays, a celebrity guest appearance and/or highly anticipated activities, then your neighbour might get all the attention at the show. As a result, your small booth will mostly go unnoticed. Therefore, it is wise to inquire about who your neighbours are and then finalize your booth location.

Question #5
What types of benefits are available to the exhibitors?
When you book a space at a trade show, what you expect to get apart from an open space to set up your trade show booth? Is furniture also included? Ask the trade show organisers about the benefits you’re entitled to get along with the booth space. Electrical outlets, extension cords, Wi-Fi availability, access to data and lead trackers are some of the benefits that most organisers offer to the exhibitors. Be clear and ask every relevant detail so that you know what exactly you need to bring to the show.

The internet has no borders, affiliate marketing is a worldwide business. Anyone can enter the online industry, the only requirement is to have a good internet connection. An essential part of business success is having a strong network. In this article, we will talk about how you can find the right people to work with and why it’s important to build a strong relationship with them.

How to find the right business partners

Doing business online means that you can have partners all over the world. If you decide to do business in affiliate marketing, the first thing you should do is find a stable and reliable company to convert your traffic or ads with. Finding a company that suits you best requires some research. One of the most useful things you can do is to connect with people who are already experts in what you intend to do. All you really need to build a good network is the willingness to meet new people. There are a number of options that you can do to find the right and reliable contacts. We explain three below:

1. Search on Google

Searching on Google is an obvious way to find different companies to work with. Read the websites of the companies you have found carefully and decide whether it if it suits your goals. You can usually sign up for free at the company platform and once you have an account, look around in the control panel and determine whether you can work with it. An example of a reliable platform with a 24/7 support is Traffic Company. This CPA network has a variety of tools build into their control panel, that has been developed and continuously optimized for the needs of their users.

2. Ask questions on forums

Forums mostly have a wealth of independent information. This is the place where you can ask anything about the business and about the experience of other people with the companies you had already found. On the other hand, you can ask people on forums what they’re up to and how you can help. That strengthens the relationship and makes it mutually beneficial. Some examples of forums where you can find a lot of information about the industry are AffiliateFix, Affpub, GFY, Stack That Money,Affpaying, Ynot and many more.

3. Visit events

One of the best ways to grow your network is to get out of the office. Meeting partners in real life and shake hands usually have a positive influence on the business relationship. But with an internationally oriented network, most of your contacts will not be around the corner. Luckily, there are various events that gather people from around the world to meet existing and new contacts in real life. Which is great, because then you can meet several partners in one trip. The European Summit is an example of such an event that attracts affiliates, media buyers, advertisers and publishers from all over the world. The upcoming edition of TES Affiliate Conference (14 – 17 September 2018) is located in Prague, Czech Republic.

Good partners stick together

Only the best platforms offer you a dedicated account manager, who wants you to grow and will support your growth. Once you found one or more partners to do business with, it’s important to keep the relationship warm and close. Successful partners embrace change and growth, knowing that this attitude benefits them both individually and as a team.

Defining your target market is critical if you plan on any measure of success in your business. A solid foundation for your business requires that one of the first things – if not THE first thing you need to do is to – DEFINE YOUR TARGET MARKET! In laymen’s terms, that means you need to figure out who your typical customer is, and design your marketing to reach those people. If you fail to do so, you’re marketing efforts will be like tumbleweeds – rolling around aimlessly in whatever direction the wind blows them.

Defining Means Being More Specific

There was a time when business owners would say things like “I’m marketing our products/services to people between the ages of 21 and 59.” That’s great if you think every 21 – 59 year old out there will buy from you, but that’s just not reality. These days, age doesn’t mean what it used to. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “60 is the new 40” (or some variation of that). That’s very true today. Generational marketing, defines consumers not just by their ages, but also uses social, economic, demographic and psychological factors, that give marketers a more accurate picture of that target consumer. Generational marketing is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to defining your target market.

6 Other Ways To Define Your Target Market

1. Look At Your Current Customers: Which one(s) bring in the most business? Why do they buy from you? It’s highly likely that others like them would also benefit from your product/service.
2. Choose specific demographics: Who has a need for your product/service and who would most likely purchase it. Consider; age, gender, occupation, location, income/educational level, or marital status just to name a few.
3. Check out your competitors: Who are they marketing to? See if there’s a niche they’ve missed, and target that group.
4. Check out characteristics: This is also known as “psychographics” in the marketing world. This covers things like; personality, attitudes, interests/hobbies, lifestyles, etc. How will your product/service fit in?
5. Analyze your product/service: Make a list of every feature of your product/service. Next to each feature, write down the benefit(s) each feature will provide. Once you’ve completed that, make a list of the people/businesses that need what your benefit will fulfill.
6. Assess your decision: When you’ve defined your target market, ask yourself these questions; Is there a large enough market for my product/service? Will they benefit from and/or see a need for my product/service? Can they afford it? Are they easily accessible? Will I be able to reach them with my message?

Defining your target market is the hard part, but you don’t need to go crazy doing it. Once you have your target market defined, it will be easy to determine what marketing message will resonate with them and what media to use to reach them. Defining your target market will also save you big on marketing dollars while giving you a much better return on those marketing dollars at the same time.

Few things strike terror in the heart of an introverted entrepreneur more than networking. Even extroverts can be put off by the prospect.

That’s because networking has such a bad name. It feels fake. It feels icky, as one of my clients put it. It feels like a bad idea from the moment you walk into the room. And it often doesn’t accomplish what we hope for.

The reason is that networking often involves little real connection. Networking, or any gathering with other people, can be great for your business, if you connect with other human beings in an authentic way.

How do you create that connection? Here are 3 tips to get you past the ‘ick’ of networking and into relationship with your fellow beings.

1. Talk first, share your business card later. Shoving your biz card at someone before you even start conversing is a sure way to alienate people. Have a conversation first, ask questions, and get to know them.

1. Pay attention. Listen when the person is talking and respond to what they are saying. Seems straightforward enough, right? Well, it happens less than you might think. We’re often more interested in what we’re going to say next and jump in without really listening. People (including you!) love to be heard, so act on that basis.

1. Share something valuable. When someone says something that pings your brain and makes you think of something useful or helpful you can offer, share it, right then and there. When people know you’re focused on helping them, it builds the relationship.

Bonus tip: Stay off your phone unless you’re looking up something that will be helpful to one of your new connections. Even then, don’t spend more than a minute or two on it. We’re so accustomed to pulling out our phones and using them as an escape. Instead, connect in the moment with the people actually in the room with you.

When you network or attend any event for that matter, do it with the intention of connection and you’ll have a much better experience and outcome. You may even seek out more opportunities to do so!

Ursula Jorch is a speaker, business coach and consultant who helps entrepreneurs grow a successful business that makes a difference in the world. A 21-year successful entrepreneur herself, Ursula helps you define the difference you want to make in the world and develop strategy and marketing so you have ever-expanding impact.