Debbie LaChusa

New year's Day. A day of new beginnings. A time to start fresh. With new ideas. New goals. And, hopefully a re-energized spirit. It's also a great time to re-focus on your vision. I create a new vision every year. For my business and for my life. In my opinion it's the only way to get where you want to go. You first identify where that is, and what it looks and feels like, and then you write it down with crystal clear clarity.

If you aren't familiar with the visioning process, I invite you to sit down and close your eyes and think about what you want your life and your business to look like one year from now. See it in incredible detail. Taste it, touch it, smell it, feel it. Then write it down and focus on it regularly throughout the year.

If you are into visioning, today is a great day to fully embrace your vision for the new year. Really feel what it will be like to achieve your vision. Internalize it. Embrace it. Own it.

I know that's what I'll be doing today. Happy New Year and may all of OUR wishes come true this year!

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I'd like to invite you to take your Visioning exercise one step further. Several years ago I attended a seminar in January. One of the exercises we did was to create a poster. This poster was a visual representation of all of our hopes and dreams for the coming year. It was our vision.

On that poster I drew pictures of everything I wanted to create in my life and my business over the next 12 months. I wrote words that represented the success I would create. I really let myself dream big, and I captured that big dream in living color on this poster.

I hung that poster over my desk and saw it every day for 365 days. And I watched as my hopes and dreams started becoming reality. It was absolutely amazing. Ever since then I've made it a practice to create a new Success Poster every January. It's the easiest way to manifest success and it is so cool when you start to see the things on the poster materializing.

So grab a piece of poster board, get out your colored markers and crayons and start drawing your future in bright, living color. I dare you!

Do you have a visioning exercise that has helped you create success in your life? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

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Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "Andrea Glass of Writers Way"

Here's your chance to eavesdrop on one of my Private Coaching Calls. Listen in as I talk with 10stepmarketing Client, Andrea Glass.

Andrea admits she has struggled with marketing her writing business. In fact she's working like a maniac and barely making ends meet. She's tried networking (a ton of networking!), and writing articles and press releases, but still isn't generating the clients she needs to support her business.

In Park 1 of this interview, listen as Andrea shares her frustrations and we talk about some simple ways she can improve her marketing success in the future.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 23:15 minutes)

I'm not one to dwell on the negative, but as I look back at 2006, I must admit that not everything went as planned and hoped for last year. Even though I'm a marketer by trade, I'm still always learning and testing and fine-tuning. It's the nature of the marketing beast.

So what was my biggest disappointment of 2006? Drum roll please .....

Blogging and Podcasting.

I must admit I knew nothing about blogs on January 1, 2006. I jumped in head first and launched my blog and podcast in March 2006. I worked diligently on both all year long, posting and learning, interviewing and learning, recording and learning, editing and learning ... okay you get the idea.

My goals were two-fold: (1) to create an avenue for two-way conversation with people posting comments and sharing from their own marketing and small business experiences and, (2) to build by list.

Well, comments have been few and far between and my list has continued to grow at the same pace it was pre-blog and podcast.

So what do I make of this MAJOR disappointment? Will I stop blogging and podcasting in favor of trying a different way of marketing?

Two conclusions. First, looking back I think my expectations about how quickly my blog and podcast would grow my list were perhaps not realistic. Live and learn and learn some more.

And second, NO I don't have plans to stop blogging and podcasting anytime soon. I do still believe both are the future of online marketing. But I will be changing the way I blog and podcast a bit in 2007. And of course, I'll continue testing both, and learning.

How about you? What was your biggest disappointment of 2006? I can't be the only one who didn't get everything she wished for last January? Post a comment to share what didn't go as planned for you, and how you plan to address it this year. By acknowledging it, you will then be free to move forward toward success in 2007.

This week feels like it's really back-to-work time. After taking some time off over Christmas to relax with my family and scout real estate in Idaho, I must admit, I had a tough time getting back into the swing of things last week, partial week and all.

But, when I took a look at all the activities I have on my Marketing Plan for January, I figured I better get to it! First order of business is a website redesign. After designing and building my own websites for the past few years, I am finally ready to hand this over to the pros. My website is getting a bit more complicated and I just don't have the expertise or the patience to try and figure out how to do it all myself.

As with anything, I think it's great to start out doing things yourself. It saves you money and it's good to know HOW to do things so when you delegate or hire work out, you can manage it more effectively.

Much to my pleasant surprise, after posting my website redesign project on Elance, I've come to find out it isn't even going to cost me that much. I could have (and probably should have) actually done this much sooner!

This is my first Elance project, so it is a bit of a test. I've checked ratings on the bidder I've selected and cost-wise this project is pretty small so I'm not risking too much. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Meantime, if you have experience with Elance, I'd love to hear about it. Share it all ... the good, the bad and the ugly! Please post a comment and share your thoughts.

If you watch TV or listen to the radio, it's hard to miss all the "Get in Shape Now" ads. In fact, even without looking at the calendar, you know it's January. It's marketing blitz time for health clubs and gyms, weight loss programs and anything related to getting in shape.

Why? Because these business owners know their ideal clients have just made a New Year's Resolution to get in shape and lose weight. So they do the smart thing. They put their ads out in the marketplace when their ideal prospects are ready, willing and able to buy.

In the marketing world, it's called seasonality. And, taking advantage of it is a great way to maximize your marketing budget and generate higher response rates. And, seasonality doesn't just apply to the health and fitness industry.

Today's Marketing Step: Take a look at your business. Are there certain times of year your clients are more likely to be in the market for your services? Or, times of year when buying your product or service is the last thing on their mind? If so, time your marketing plan to coincide with these seasons and you'll not only make your marketing dollars go farther, you'll get better results as well.

Does your business have seasonal ebbs and flows? Have you used them to your marketing advantage? I'd love to hear how it's worked for you.

Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "Andrea Glass of Writers Way"

Here's the conclusion of my Private Coaching Call with 10stepmarketing Client, Andrea Glass.

Listen as Andrea and I continue talking about ways she can market more effectively to grow her writing business into a company that supports her, instead of draining all her energy and enthusiasm. Learn how you can market effectively online without spending a fortune, and how to know what to change when your marketing is not working.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 9:34 minutes)

I talk a lot in this blog and in my weekly ezine about the key steps you need to take in order to build a successful business. Clearly I believe that without a solid marketing plan, most small business owners will struggle.

However, there is another side to success that in my opinion cannot be overlooked. I believe we create our own success, by creating a powerful vision of what we'd like to achieve and by being thankful everyday for what we already have. By focusing on everything good in our life, we are able to attract more good things into it. Including business success.

Many people get caught up focusing on their goals, and how far they are from achieving them. They focus on what they don't have. Unfortunately, I believe this brings us more of what we don't want.

It is tough when you are struggling to focus on being thankful. I know because I face this challenge, too. I don't think we'd be human if we didn't.

So when I discovered a wonderful tool to help me stay in an attitude of gratitude, I wanted to share it with you. It's a short video produced by the makers of the movie The Secret. It's free and I encourage you to download it to your computer and begin each day with it.

Here's OUR Marketing Step For Today: I am making a commitment to watching this short video every morning for the next 30 days. And I encourage you to do the same. I'll report back in a month and I'd love for you to do the same.

In fact, why don't you post a comment, committing to watching this video every day for the next 30 days. By writing it down, you'll make it real, and it will help hold you accountable. Let's see how many people we can enroll in this little test.

Here's the link to download the video: http://thesecret.tv/secret-to-you/

Today we're going to take a look at how well your home page represents your business and your brand, and how well it converts visitors into prospects and clients. Because if your website looks beautiful, but it isn't bringing you prospects and clients every single day, it's not a marketing vehicle, it's just an online brochure ... a pretty picture.

Marketing Step of The Week: Look objectively at your website home page and answer the following 10 questions.

(1) Is is clean and simple, or is it crammed with too much content?

(2) Does your eye follow a logical path down the page? Or, does it jump all over the place, not knowing where to look first?

(3) Is it clear to your visitors what action you want them to take?

(4) Do you want them to subscribe to your email list?

(5) Do you want them to call you?

(6) Do you want them to email you?

(7) Is the headline large enough to attract attention?

(8) Does the headline address your ideal clients and the problem you can solve for them?

(9) Is your navigation a short list of choices, or a long overwhelming list?

(10) Is your home page consistent with your brand, in content and design?

How did your home page do? Did it pass with flying colors? Fail miserably? Or, maybe you're not sure? I encourage you to take the next step and answer this question honestly. Then take steps to tune-up your home page so it becomes a client-generating marketing tool.

Making over websites is just one of the tasks we tackle in the Extreme Marketing Makeover Program. And these are only a sampling of the questions we ask in our critique. Click here now to learn more about this results-oriented program and to find out how you can save $100 on tuition.

Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "Is Your Website A Lead Generator, Or Simply An Online Brochure?"

A website can be a powerful lead generation tool or it can simply be an online brochure for your business - nice to look at, but not very effective at generating clients. Listen as I walk you through a quick, 10 question evaluation of your website home page. And, learn what steps you can take to turn your website into a powerful lead generator for your business.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

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My family was watching American Idol the other night, in the room next to my home office. While I tried to tune out the horrible singing (I enjoy the show when it gets down to the serious singers, but I can't stand the auditions!) I couldn't help but overhear Simon Cowell ask the following questions to several contestants:

"What makes you unique? What sets you apart?"

Since this is a point I drive home to my clients, and one they often struggle with, I found it interesting that it was coming up in this context. But then I remembered, the making of an American Idol is as much about marketing as it is about talent. In fact, this holds true for the music and entertainment industry in general. Just look around at some of today's top stars. Brittany Spears. Paris Hilton. Lindsey Lohan. Madonna. Angelina Jolie. Rosie O'Donnell. Donald Trump.

Love 'em or hate 'em, they are brilliant marketers. They have each created a very specific image and they don't vary from it. They know what they stand for and they flaunt it consistently. They understand marketing and the concept of standing out and standing for something. They understand the concept of USP - Unique Selling Proposition.

They know when they are true to their image they will attract as well as repel people. But that's okay with them. They know you can't please everyone. Because if you try, you fall below the radar into a sea of mediocrity. A sea of me-too stars whose names you never see on Entertainment Tonight.

This week's Marketing Step: So how about you? Does your business have a clear identity? One you never waiver from? Or are you floundering in a sea of me-too products and services? Or struggling to figure out exactly what identity will best serve your business? I invite you to share your USP or your thoughts on this post by posting your own comment.

Footnote: USP is so important that it's one of the primary marketing elements we work on in my Extreme Marketing Makeover Program. Your USP is the foundation for ALL of your marketing. It's what makes your business stand out and get noticed. You can save $100 when you register by January 30th for my next Extreme Marketing Makeover Program.

Today marks the first in a series of posts taking a deeper look at popular marketing techniques and asking the tough question: Does it really work?

There are many marketing and business advisors sharing advice on how to grow your business, make more sales, get more clients ... I know, because when it comes to Internet Marketing, an area I only ventured into 2-1/2 years ago, I have probably tried most of the ebooks, courses and teleseminars available.

Today I'm posing a question about what I guess could be considered a "tried and true" online marketing method: Email Marketing. You know, ezines, e-newsletters, permission-based, opt-in email marketing. All of the Internet marketing gurus recommend it, saying "to be successful, you've got to build your list."

I've been using Email Marketing consistently for the past 2 years. In that time, I have seen my opt-in rates bounce around from 9% to 59%. I have tested a squeeze page vs. a standard home page to see which garners the highest opt-in rates (after a year of testing, the jury is STILL out!). I've had to do more and more marketing to build my list and it's still not anywhere near the volume I'd like it to be.

I've watched my deliverability rates go down, down, down and the spam filters get tighter and tighter. I've watched the open rates, for my double-opt-in list (that means my subscribers say they WANT my email) go down consistently from well over 50% to about 20%.

This begs the question ... Is Email Marketing Dead?

Is there just too much of it out there? Are people overloaded with free information? Are all the spammers ruining it for the legitimate email marketers? Is it time to bury Email Marketing and replace it with RSS, blogs and other forms of information delivery?

I'd love to hear what you think, or hear about your experiences with Email Marketing. Please post a comment and share your thoughts.

Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "Alexandria Brown, The Ezine Queen"

Listen to this fun, engaging, candid interview with Ali Brown. We talked about how The Ezine Queen got her start. She gave me her answer to the question, "Is Email Marketing Dead?" And, she shared ... tips for growing a quality list, what to do if you're worried that sharing free information will hurt your sales, the #1 thing she's done to successfully market her business AND the first step to take if you want to start publishing an ezine.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 25:06 minutes)

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I just scheduled a Free Preview Call for my Winter Extreme Marketing Makeover Program. It will be held on Tuesday, January 30th at 5pm. You can register for the free call here.

Join me to hear about everything we cover in this program and to get all your questions answered. And you'll still have time to save $100 with Early Bird Registration - full price goes into effect on Wednesday, January 31st!

Do you live near Fort Lauderdale, Florida? I'm looking for people to test drive my 10stepmarketing System 12-CD set and provide testimonials for my Infomercial, which will be filmed near Fort Lauderdale this spring.

We'll provide the complete 10stepmarketing System to you at no charge in exchange for you agreeing to work through the system and report back on how you like it. Who knows, you could end up on TV!

If you are interested, please contact me immediately by email at debbie@10stepmarketing.com

Or, if you know a solo-professional or small business owner in the Fort Lauderdale area that you think would like to participate, please have them contact me. THANKS!

As I posted a few weeks ago, I am test-driving Elance.com with my first project: a complete website redesign. I am happy to report that so far I am very pleased with the entire process of using Elance.com and with the service I have received from the provider I selected.

We did have a minor miscommunication - which I guess is somewhat expected given we've only communicated via email and Elance's Private Message Board. However, the provider has promised to deliver everything at the agreed upon price.

They definitely understand the power of building a relationship and customer lifetime value. If this project wraps up as well as it has gone so far, I've got several other web projects already lined up for them.

I can't wait to get my new website. My old site, which I designed myself (and my website design capabilities are quite limited!) is ready for a makeover. Hopefully I'll be able to unveil the new site in February. I'll keep you posted!

I just finished eating a delicious cup of cookies and cream frozen yogurt with carob chips. Mmm Good! And, not only did it benefit my taste buds, it also benefitted the Class of 2007 at West Hills High School.

You see, my 17-year-old daughter came home from school and said a local yogurt shop was doing a one-day promotion. They were donating 100% of all profits to the club or sport of your choice at the high school.

They distributed flyers at school and all the kids had to do was bring in the flyer, purchase some frozen yogurt and let them know what club or sport they wanted the money donated to. My daughter said the yogurt shop was packed with high school students. And, this is NOT the closest yogurt shop to the high school - it's actually on the other side of town.

How smart is that!?

Get free promotion to 2000 of your ideal clients. Give them a reason to come in on a particular day. Create goodwill. Drive traffic. And, hopefully create some long-term customers.

I'm not sure how well this "cause marketing" promotion did for the yogurt shop but I've put in a call to the owner to see if I can find out. I'd love to let them share their story on my Marketing Success Podcast. And reward their creative idea and goodwill with a little more free promotion!

So how can you use a smart marketing idea like this to promote your business?