Debbie LaChusa

Years ago I was watching a documentary on advertising. The creative director of a major agency was being interviewed about what makes a successful advertisement. Halfway through the interview he pulled out three tennis balls and demonstrated something that still sticks with me today. First, to demonstrate what most marketing does, he threw all three tennis balls at the interviewer. The interviewer tried to catch the balls, but as you can imagine, he missed them all. The creative director went on to explain that this is what many marketers do.

They cram their websites and brochures and ads and elevator pitches with tons of information about their business, product or service and they expect their audience to "get it." This is the equivalent of throwing a bunch of tennis balls at your audience. You're lucky if the audience walks away with anything. Much less the one key thing you want them to know about you.

Next, the creative director tossed just one tennis ball to the interviewer. Guess what happened? Yep, he caught it, easily. Same thing happens with your marketing. If you focus your marketing on one key message you can be sure your audience is going to "catch" it.

Marketing Tips Podcast: Tennis Balls & Marketing

(length 3:35 minutes)

These days it seems everyone is talking about Elevator Pitches. And anytime I start hearing something being talked about over and over again, I have to ask myself, is this topic really that important or is it just that everyone is on that band wagon right now? Well, when it comes to elevator pitches, I absolutely believe they are that important. First of all, you need to be able to clearly communicate what you do in networking situations.

For example, when I'm at a networking event and someone asks me "So, Debbie, what do you do?" I can answer in one of two ways. I can respond with "I'm a marketing consultant and coach" (which by the way is NOT my elevator pitch) or I can say "I teach people how to successfully market their own business in 10 simple steps" (which IS my elevator pitch). Which one do you think generates more interest in me and my business? Well, I can tell you I've tested both and my elevator pitch wins hands-down every time.

The second reason I believe having a clear, concise elevator pitch is important is it's usually a fairly good indicator of how clear, concise and compelling your marketing is. If you can't sum up what you do in a clear, focused elevator pitch, there's a pretty good chance your marketing message is not clear and focused either. So, I encourage you to sit down and review your elevator pitch and ask yourself if it's clear, concise and compelling. And if doesn't pass the test, get to work on it. Because it's the foundation of your marketing and it will make a difference in your success.

What is a brand?

So, then, what is a commodity?

Do you give people a strong reason to purchase your product or service rather than purchasing a competitive product or service? And, is that reason or difference apparent in all that you do? For example, I've worked very hard to establish the 10stepmarketing brand and its simple, step by step approach to marketing. Everything I do, from the articles I write, to the way I structure and teach my telecourses and teleseminars, to the way I coach, is all focused on this simple, step by step approach. Consistency is the key. And, if you can do this with your business you'll be on your way to being a brand and being very successful.

Marketing Tips Podcast: Brands vs. Commodities

(length 4:39 minutes)

When I was at Mark Victor Hansen's Mega Marketing Magic seminar in March, he gave everyone in attendance a stack of "Mega Action Cards." The stack was actually a tablet of 52 cards, one for each week of the year. The challenge? To dedicate yourself to implementing one idea a week for 52 weeks.

I started my 52-week Marketing Action Plan three weeks ago and already good things are happening. My week one idea was to implement a Free Marketing Makeover promotion to generate exposure for my Extreme Marketing Makeover Program. So far the results have been great. The press release I posted on PR Web has been read over 25,000 times and picked up by over 500 media outlets providing lots of free media exposure for my makeover program. I've added over 120 new subscribers to my list and am gaining valuable insight into the marketing challenges small business owners face. All valuable results from just one idea.

If I can do this every week, just think where my business will be one year from now! I encourage you to give this simple tip a try. Who knows, it may work wonders for your business, too! And, if you have a quick, simple tip that's helping you to market or manage your business more effectively, I'd love to hear about it.

(length 4:05 minutes)

I've been a marketer for over 20 years. But I was schooled in the traditional ways of marketing, which can require a lot of time and money to create success. When I started my own business 8 years ago, I found myself with limited time and money and was forced to find new ways to generate clients and business. That's when I discovered "Attraction Marketing."

With attraction marketing you attract qualified leads TO your business instead of spending all your time and money going out to find new clients. And the one thing I love most about attraction marketing is this ... it's more about "serving" than "selling." If you're anything like me, selling is not your favorite activity. I know I'd rather be helping prospects and clients any day over cold-calling and "selling" my services.

You can use marketing vehicles like your website, an ezine, article marketing and giving free teleseminars to attract clients TO you. Using these attraction marketing techniques and my time instead of my checkbook has helped me build my list of subscribers, sell products, fill teleseminars and courses without having to go out and "hard sell" anyone. If you're using a marketing technique that's helping you easily attract clients, I'd love to hear about it.

(length 3:53 minutes)

Even though I'm pretty "into" Internet marketing now, it wasn't always that way. I actually created my first website back in the late 1990's. At that time I was just getting my feet wet. Truth be told, I was a total Internet newbie! My site wasn't optimized - I wasn't even aware of optimization back then! But having a website gave me a place to refer prospects and it saved me the expense of having to print brochures. I could update it myself anytime I wanted and it cheap and fast ... it fit my budget and my needs to a "T!"

I also starting using email marketing way back then. At that time I didn't have a full blown ezine like I do now, but I did send out a monthly email directing people to visit my website for the latest marketing tips and trends. And you know what, even as basic as it was, it worked! So I guess the moral of the story is, start with what you know now, even if it's very little (because believe me, I knew VERY little back then!) and just do it. You'll learn as you go, and who knows, before you know it you may end up just like me, using Internet marketing as your primary marketing vehicle. If you'd like to learn more, you can read my article on Internet Marketing for Small Business and see a list of the 10 Internet marketing strategies I'm currently using by, clicking here.

Even though I have over 20 years of experience in marketing, I must admit that when I started doing business online, my skills in the area of writing sales copy were lacking. I'm a pretty good writer, and I actually really enjoy writing, but writing Internet sales copy was a whole new ballgame for me. I've spent a lot of time over the past year to improve my skills in this area and I've been writing and rewriting my sales pages along the way.

But even after all this, I still felt somewhat "copy challenged!" So last month I decided to hire an expert to help me. I hired Lorrie Morgan-Ferraro of Red Hot Copy to consult with me on my copy. And boy am I glad I did. She went through my sales pages with me line by line and helped me make the copy stronger. I'm still working on some revisions, but I'm telling you, nothing beats getting help direct from an expert. They can cut to the chase and help you get where you want to go immediately. Instead of taking months or even years messing around with trying to figure it out on your own.

Lorrie even let me share a great article in my 10stepmarketing Ezine that she wrote on why it's so important to know how to write your own copy. In the article she shared 5 reasons why. And I tell you, I'm sold. If you'd like to read the article you can find it here.

What have you struggled most with in your marketing? Writing sales copy like me, or something else? I'd love to hear about it.

I've been trying to get used to my new glasses with progressive lenses the past few weeks. In case you're not familiar with progressive lenses, they combine your distance prescription with your reading prescription so you only need one pair of glasses. Problem is, you have to get used to which part of the lens to look through in order to see clearly. As I learn where to look, the more in-focus everything becomes.

Staying focused is important in business, too. As a solo-professional it's so easy to get distracted. Because it's our business, we can do whatever we want. Sometimes this is NOT a good thing! It's too easy to get off track and waste time, energy and money. I speak from personal experience because it happened to me last summer. You can read all about my $3000 mistake here.

The best advice I can offer is take the time to create business and marketing plans and stick to them. Use them to evaluate new ideas and opportunities. Make sure every step you take is taking you one step closer to the goals you have set.

Have you lost focus or found yourself running in a million directions? If so, please share your story, so together we can help others avoid this costly mistake. Thanks!

I've always been a bargain shopper. I admit it ... I LOVE to save money! Why spend more for something than you have to, right? I apply this same attitude toward marketing. Because every dollar you save goes toward your bottom line. But saving money on marketing only makes sense if it doesn't require you to cut corners, cut quality or cut effectiveness. I've discovered all kinds of no-cost and low-cost marketing services that I use to market my own business and that I share with my clients. These are services that will make it look like you spent a bundle, while only YOU know you didn't.

While I've got over 100 of these resources listed in my 10stepmarketing Resource Center, I recently wrote an article titled "My Top 10 No-Cost & Low-Cost Marketing Resources" that I'd like to share with you. This Top 10 list includes my favorites ... these are services I LOVE because they're like shopping at Nordstrom Rack - you get high quality, name-brand stuff but for a fraction of the cost. You can read my article and get my Top 10 list here.

On Tuesday, May 9th, I hosted a free preview call for my Extreme Marketing Makeover Program. In that call I also shared what I consider to be the 5 Keys to Marketing Success. I recorded the call and you can get the free audio here.

In this free audio recording, you'll learn what the 5 Marketing Keys are and why they're the foundation of my Extreme Marketing Makeover Program. Plus, you'll hear answers to marketing questions submitted by solo-professionals and small business owners just like you.

You'll also get a behind the scenes look at what we cover in my Extreme Marketing Makeover Program and you'll learn how you can get into my Summer program for half price!

Your free audio is waiting for you here right now. Enjoy and prosper!

I have a question for you: What language do you use in your marketing? Do you use a lot of industry lingo? Or, do you speak in plain old English? Do you use simple terms that your clients and prospects can easily understand? Do you use powerful, emotional words that paint a picture for your clients of how you can help them ... how their life or their business will change if they hire you or buy from you?

Sometimes we are so involved in what we do, and we're surrounded by the language of our industry, that we use that same language in our marketing. After all, WE know what it means. But very often when it comes to our prospects and clients, that same language falls on deaf ears. Because it's all about US ... not THEM. And therein lays the problem.

Powerful marketing follows the KISS Principle ... you know, "Keep It Simple Sweetie" (or "Stupid," but I personally hate the word "Stupid!"). Powerful marketing uses plain old English ... words your prospects can easily understand and relate to. Almost as if a good friend were talking to them.

I encourage you to take inventory of the language you're using in your marketing. And make sure you're using the KISS Principle. You may be surprised what it will do for your results.

Struggle is Optional. Sounds great doesn't it? Who doesn't want to believe that? Those who promote this mantra argue that we often make things harder for ourselves than they need to be. They believe that we actually create our own struggle. And, that if we learn to just "allow" then success will flow naturally to us. Yes, there are times when everything seems to magically come together. But very often that's because of the seeds you've planted previously.

In my experience, there is another, contradictory motto, "Anything worth having is worth working for" that also comes into play quite often. Creating your own successful business takes dedication, persistence and good old fashioned "stick-to-itiveness." So, if you are struggling right now in your business or with your marketing, know that this is normal AND that you are not alone. And know that there are ways to deal with it. I recently wrote an article that shares 6 Tips For Dealing With Marketing Struggle. I hope you can put these tips into practice so you can struggle less and enjoy your business more.

It's Memorial Day weekend and that means it's the start of summer. In our house that means it's the start of travel softball season and you can bet we'll be gone every weekend supporting our 16-year-old daughter Brianna as she works toward earning a college scholarship. This weekend we're in Rancho Cucamonga. Yes, there really is a place called Rancho Cucamonga!

But it also means that June is right around the corner, and we're nearly at the half-way point of the year. That means it's time to pull out your marketing plan and review it and re-evaluate. And that's exactly what I did last week. I realized that I have accomplished a lot of what I set out in my plan. I also realized there were a few projects that fell by the wayside. It seems there always are. I guess that's because my eyes are usually bigger than my stomach. Or, to quote another cliche, I usually bite off more than I can chew. I am always eager and over-zealous about how much I can accomplish. That means my "To do" list is always long and there are always at least a few things that never get crossed off.

But I've learned that by attacking my business and my marketing aggressively I always get more done. And even if a few things don't happen I get farther than I'd get if I censored myself. So I always take a break half-way through the year to re-evaluate my plan. To take off the activities that didn't get done and that I don't see getting done. And add the new opportunities that came up that I never expected. I also measure my successes and my progress toward my goals. This mid-year marketing plan tune-up is the best way I know to stay on track toward my vision and my goals, or to get back on track if I've happened to veer off. I encourage you to pull out your marketing plan this week and review it and re-evaluate. And let me know how you're doing. I'd love to hear!

I haven't always had my own business. Before I started my consulting practice, DLC Marketing, 8 years ago, or launched 10stepmarketing in 2004, I spent years working for advertising and marketing agencies. I also spent 3 years working for the American Council on Exercise. As a senior level executive in all of these jobs, one of my responsibilities was to interview and hire employees. When I used to interview job candidates I always asked them two questions:

1) What strengths would you bring to this position?
2) What is one of your weaknesses?

It was funny how most people could very easily share their strengths. But they were always hesitant to shine a light on their weaknesses. Probably because they thought if they did they might not get the job. Not the case at all. Because if I saw that they were willing to admit their weaknesses then I knew they were open to growing and learning AND I knew they were honest. All key characteristics in an employee.

I also believe knowing your weaknesses is critical to creating a successful business. So important that it's one of the first things we tackle in The 10stepmarketing System. It's so important to know what you don't know. So you can take steps to overcome it. Early on in my career, talking in front of groups was one of my biggest weaknesses. But now, after 20 years of practice, it has become one of my strengths. Now, I'm working on my networking skills, because to be honest, it's something I'm not very comfortable doing.

How about you? What weaknesses do you have that you could work on? Don't be afraid to share them with others. By acknowledging them and putting them out there, you start the process of overcoming them. Make a post to this blog today to share your weakness. I just know it will open the door for others to do the same. And then we can all grow!

I love to write. In fact, I consider writing my strongest marketing muscle. Yes, I started with some natural ability ... plus my dad was a teacher so I got plenty of lessons from him growing up - in fact, when he reads my website or The 10stepmarketing Ezine, he still corrects my writing! I've also spent the better part of the past 20 years honing my writing skills. Working my writing muscle, if you will. The result is the same as the result you get when you go to the gym and work the muscles in your body. You get stronger. And your body is better equipped to serve your needs.

I believe that to be successful marketing your own business, you need to start with your strengths. Start applying those strengths in the marketing of your business. Do what you do best (I've used writing and posting articles, my ezine, and now this blog as primary marketing tools for 10stepmarketing ). Then, either hire or barter with others to do what you don't like doing or aren't good at. At the same time, keep working all your marketing muscles to make them stronger. Take classes. Read books. Consult experts. Strong marketing muscles equal a strong, successful business.

What are you good at? What do you enjoy? Writing? Networking? Sales? I'd love to hear ... make a post and share your strengths. Who knows, maybe someone else reading this blog might just need the very skill you've mastered.

A few months ago I subscribed to a list that sends me daily motivational quotes. So, every day in my email inbox, I receive a motivational quote. Since the service is from Nightingale Conant the quotes are from some very enlightened and influential people. Just the other day I received a very powerful, yet simple quote from Earl Nightingale about goals:

"People with goals succeed because they know where they are going ... It's as simple as that."

That really is what it's all about. In the The 10stepmarketing System I've devoted an entire step to setting goals. Because I know that without goals, you don't have a marketing plan. And without a plan, you're just wandering. If you think about it, we create goals and plans for many things in our life. Going to college. Getting a job. Getting married. Starting a family. Buying our first car or our first home. Vacations. Birthday parties. The list goes on and on. For all these activities we get a clear picture of what we want, we set a goal and we create a plan to get there. If you're buying your first home, you first decide what type of house and neighborhood you want to live in, you determine how much a home there costs, you find out how much money you'll need for a down payment and you create a plan to save that money so you can ultimately purchase the home. You have a very clear target making it very easy to see the steps necessary to hit it.

The same holds true for marketing and building your business. You've got to start with goals. How big do you want your business to be? How much money do you want to make? How many clients do you want to serve? Once you've determined this, you can create a plan to get there. What are YOUR goals? Have you written them down? If not, why not write them down right now and post them in a comment. Put them out there, make them real and see what happens.

I live in sunny San Diego, a great place to spend the summer, but so far this summer I've spent a fair amount of time on the road. I've driven to Las Vegas, Nevada; Lancaster, California; and Sacramento, California. And right now ... I'm on my way to Boulder, Colorado (actually we're flying to Boulder, I'm not crazy ... it's too long of a drive!) It may sound like a lot of travel, but it's a typical summer for the parent of a girl playing travel softball. It does take some planning to run my business and manage all of these out of town trips. Not to mention I spend a lot of time on Mapquest, getting driving directions to all these destinations.

And I got to thinking that's exactly what your marketing plan is for your business. It's your "driving directions." Just imagine if I got in the car and started driving to Sacramento, if I didn't have any idea of how to get there ... if I didn't have directions or a map. What would happen? Well, we'd probably get lost. Eventually we'd get there, but odds are it would take us a whole lot longer, and cost us more in gas - and gas is expensive enough this summer! Side note: San Diego is one of the most expensive places in the country to buy gas!

The same holds true for your business. If you don't have a destination (goals) and a map (a marketing plan) your chances of getting where you want to go (creating success) are slim. Or, if you do get there, you'll probably spend a lot more time, energy and money. I know because I've made this mistake. Your plan doesn't have to be long and complicated, but it does need to identify your goals and a clear, step by step plan to get there. Look at this way. You can either plan for success or hope for it. Which would you rather stake your career and financial security on?

I love sports. I love to watch sports, especially team sports like softball, baseball and football. My daughter plays softball and my son plays baseball so I spend plenty of time watching and cheering them on. I also love to play sports, although I must admit I tend to participate in individual sports more than team sports. I ran track and cross country in high school and I ran many long distance races during college, including three marathons.

One of the things I have noticed in watching sports is that there are all kinds of players. Some players are what I call "go for broke" players that give their all in every situation. They practice hard and they play even harder. They
take risks. Basically they give it all they've got. Not surprisingly, these types of players are usually very successful.

Then there are the players who play it safe. They go out trying not to lose instead of trying to win. I remember one year the San Diego Chargers were in the playoffs, and on their way to the Super Bowl. In the second half of a very important game the coach started playing it safe ... calling very conservative plays. Guess what happened? They lost the game. And, they did not make it to the Super Bowl. I don't believe you can play NOT to lose and expect to win.

There's one more kind of player - the person sitting on the bench. They're too afraid to go out and participate. What if they make a mistake? What if they don't do well? They perceive the risk as being too great, so they watch and they never join in. They never even give themselves the chance to win.

Marketing is a lot like sports. So I'd like to ask you, what type of marketing player are you? Are you giving your all to your marketing efforts? Are you testing new marketing strategies and learning as you go? Or, are you playing it safe or sitting on the bench until you get up the courage, or until you get everything absolutely perfect before you "launch" your marketing efforts? I believe that in business as in sports, those who play to win and give it their all are those who succeed. And those who play it safe or wait for everything to be just right before they make a move, grow slowly if at all. Do you agree? I'd love to hear your perspective.

Are you trying to market your business all by yourself? I know I've been guilty of this myself at times. If you find yourself in this boat, I'd like to suggest a very effective small business marketing strategy called Gatekeeper Marketing. A gatekeeper is defined in the dictionary as someone who controls access to something. For example, if you're entering an exclusive gated community, the gatekeeper is the person who gives you access to that community.

When it comes to marketing, gatekeepers play the same role. They have the power to give you access to a community of your ideal clients. And not only can they give you access, they can also give you an implied endorsement. This means those prospective clients will think more highly of you and your business than if they just happened to bump into your marketing on their own. Pretty powerful stuff. Could you be using gatekeepers to get the word out about your business to more of your ideal clients? The answer is more than likely, "YES!"

I invite you to learn the 3 steps you can take to employ this powerful marketing strategy by checking out my article, "Are Gatekeepers Your Ticket to Marketing Success?"

Have you used gatekeepers or partnerships to successfully market your business? If so, I encourage you to make a post and share your experience.

I work with an advertising agency that doesn't believe in entering their work in awards competitions. The CEO believes the goal should always be to create advertising that grows his clients' businesses. NOT to create work to win awards. He wants that to be perfectly clear to everyone he employs. And you know what, that makes perfect sense to me. If I were one of his clients I certainly would want the team creating my ads to be solely focused on growing my business.

On the other hand, as a marketer, I also believe that awards can be great marketing tools. Winning an award means your work has been judged superior. It provides a third party endorsement of your product or service. And you can merchandise that award in your marketing. It's a great way to get press coverage and build your credibility.

So I encourage you to look around your industry. Find out what awards competitions recognize products or services in your category of business. And seriously consider entering. You won't always win ... but when you do, you can use it to generate some great marketing exposure.

When I've got news to share, I use it as an opportunity to get free media exposure by issuing a press release. My favorite place to post press releases online is PR Web. You can post your release for free or pay as little as $80 to get full distribution across the web. Over the past year I'd say placing press releases on PR Web has been one of the most effective and cost efficient marketing strategies I've used. For one, it got me into Entrepreneur Magazine, a publication reaching 500,000 of my ideal clients for under $100. You can't beat that!

I'm excited to share that I just found 13 NEW places to post press releases online for free. Over the past week I've tested them all and found they are easy to use and while some do offer paid options, they are all indeed available for free. Here are a couple in case you'd like to check them out: Express-press-release.com, free-press-release.com and OpenPR

If you're interested in testing out all 13, I've just added them all to The 10stepmarketing Online Marketing Resource Center.

When I first opened my consulting practice, I decided I wanted to work with the "little guy." You know him ... the guy (or gal) who can't afford to hire an agency to do his marketing for him. The guy who, like me, was passionate about his own business but just wasn't sure how or where to market.

Know what I found out? Not only can that guy not afford to hire an agency, he also can't afford marketing. Which is insane because I don't know of too many businesses who can survive without marketing. Granted there are a lot of ways you can market for free or for very low cost, but if you don't know what those ways are, or even understand the basics of how to target the proper clients and create your single-focused marketing message, then you're still going to struggle.

After awhile I realized that even though I wanted to help this "little guy" if he didn't have the money to pay for my services, my business wasn't going to survive very long. What did I do? Well, for one, I realized that all clients aren't necessarily good clients. I needed to identify the best clients were my offerings, and that meant clients who not only needed my services but also those who could afford them. Secondly, I created information products and coaching programs for those "little guys" that couldn't afford to hire me. After all, they still needed marketing help, They just needed a very inexpensive way to get started.

Take a look at who you're targeting as clients and ask yourself two questions: 1) Do they have a compelling need for your services? And, 2) can they afford your services? If you can't answer these two questions with a definitive "YES" then you may need to re-think who you're marketing to. Or, you may need to create different product or service offerings to better meet their needs.

Have you ever worked with a client you absolutely loved working with? A client who truly appreciated what you had to offer. Who listened to your recommendations, and not only that, but acted on them, too! A client who respected your knowledge and experience ... who turned to you for your advice and expertise. A client who willingly paid you on time for your services. A client who was so happy with your work that they referred you to their colleagues and friends.

THIS is your ideal client. And your job as a marketer is to understand who this person is so you can go out and find more people just like him. But what do most new business owners tend to do? Unfortunately, because they're usually hungry for business, they tend to take on anyone who appears to be looking for their services. Often they don't screen new clients very well and the only criteria that seems to matter is if the client wants to work with them. Speaking from personal experience I can tell you this is NOT the way to build a successful business.

A few years ago, one of my business partners and I took on a client that had been referred to us by one of our favorite clients. We thought that was enough of a reason to take on this new client. Even though we both had an uneasy feeling after our first meeting. Even though we weren't sure this new client really understood and appreciated what we had to offer, we chose to take him on as a client because he had been referred. And we very soon came to regret that decision. The relationship was rocky. The client was very difficult to work with and was never really happy with the work we provided (mostly because he didn't really understand or appreciate it). And getting him to pay on time was like pulling teeth. Needless to say, the relationship didn't last.

I encourage you to take a look at your clients. Identify those you absolutely LOVE working with and set out to find more just like them. Then start to weed out the others. You will definitely create a more successful and fulfilling business this way.

If you've subscribed to my 10-Step Marketing E-Course, you've heard me talk about Wide Net Syndrome. And if you haven't subscribed, it's free, so be sure to take advantage of it - you can register right here on this blog. Early on in my marketing career, I was a media buyer in an advertising agency. And I remember when I used to buy radio air time, we would always buy specific demographics. One demographic that was fairly common was "Adults aged 25-54 years old." Now I didn't know nearly as much about marketing back then, but even then, this did not make much sense to me.

Why? Because at the time, both my father and I fit into this category ... I was on the very young end and he was on the older end, but we both fit into this demographic group. I remember mentioning this to one of my radio sales reps. I pointed out how very different I was from my father and asked how we could possibly be lumped into the same target group for marketing purposes. Not only were our tastes in music and radio listening habits completely opposite, but our lifestyles were different, our buying habits were different, you name it ... it was different! Just think for a minute about your father and I think you'll get the picture.

This is just one example of Wide Net Syndrome. And it is a fairly common problem among small business owners. It's when they don't clearly define who their ideal clients are. They may not pick a group like Adults aged 25 to 54, but they do pick groups like 'business people,' 'women' or 'overweight adults.' When you pick such a broad group, it's really tough to get a clear picture of who you are talking to. But I think the misunderstanding most people have is they think if I put my business out there in front of a big enough group of people, someone is bound to bite. What really happens is no one bites because they don't relate to your marketing.

I encourage you to narrow your net. Pick a specific group of people to go after. A group you can get to know well ... so you can speak directly to them and their problems in your marketing.

If you've been following my blog or 10stepmarketing Ezine for awhile, you know my 16-year-old daughter plays fast-pitch softball and is on a quest to earn a college scholarship. We've spent much of this summer traveling to tournaments where she can be seen by college coaches in the hopes that some of them will try to recruit her. And the one thing I've noticed is that these coaches are great at narrowing down exactly what players they are looking for. They know what positions they need to fill, what year they are looking to fill them, and the other criteria that are important to them. For some it's grades. For others they want big hitters, still others want all-around athletes. But one thing is for sure: they are all crystal clear on what they are looking for.

I think most small business owners (myself included!) could learn a few things from their precise nature of recruiting players. If we could apply this same clarify of vision when it comes to recruiting new clients, and know EXACTLY what we're looking for in a client, we'd probably be a lot more successful in finding them. We wouldn't waste time on clients that don't fit the mold. And, we'd also know exactly where to find them, so we'd be more efficient in our marketing. Just something to think about.

I got a call the other day from an infomercial company interested in learning more about 10stepmarketing. One of the first questions he asked me was "What is marketing to you?" He wanted to be sure our definitions were the same. He asked if it's what a business does to get clients and make sales, and I said "Yes." That's a very broad definition of marketing and that's the way I like to view it.

Others consider marketing to be a very distinct list of activities, such as advertising, direct mail and public relations. I believe that's too narrow. In my view, marketing is anything you or your company says or does that impacts how people perceive your business or that attracts clients and sales. In addition to the traditional marketing vehicles, it can also include things like how you or your staff answer the phone, how your office or retail store is decorated, how you and your employees dress, and even the colors of your logo mark and website.

Because there are all kinds of things you can do to attract clients, some more conventional than others. I recently interviewed one of my clients and she shared a very unconventional approach to marketing. She also shared that it was working amazingly well for her, and the best part was, she could do it anytime she wanted to drum up some more business and it doesn't cost her a dime. Be sure to check back on Friday to listen to my interview with Barbara Coon. You may be surprised at how she's building her business. And it may just open up your view of what is marketing.

One of the best ways to market yourself is to establish yourself as an expert in a specific area. How do you do that? Well, it's pretty easy. First, identify one area related to your business in which you have a lot of knowledge and expertise. Second, appoint yourself the expert. Third, start acting like an expert. Write articles and post them in online article directories or pitch them to the media. Pursue speaking engagements. Publish a newsletter or ezine. Become a resource for the media and make yourself available for interviews. Do this long enough and you will be viewed as an expert in your field. And who do people like to do business with? You guessed it - the expert.

This can be especially valuable if you are in a crowded field, with many others offering the same or similar services. You need to give people a reason to pick you. And being the recognized expert is a great reason. It brings people comfort. They believe you can really help them. And they will be more likely to trust you. After all, the media has trusted you. The organizations you've spoken for have trusted you. And that trust transfers over and can lead to more clients, higher rates and ultimately a more successful business.

Once you've decided you like the idea of establishing yourself as an expert as a way to market your business, you've then got to decide how you're going to go about sharing your expertise. When I first started my consulting business 8 years ago, I decided to write a marketing workbook and hit the speaking circuit. After I finished writing the workbook (it was short, only 30-40 pages but it gave me a product to sell to my audiences), I identified conferences that were looking for speakers and I started applying. I was easily able to book several speaking engagements and this gave me the start I needed to begin positioning myself as a small business marketing expert.

A few years later when I started 10stepmarketing, I created several information products and I decided to start publishing a weekly e-newsletter. This was another way I could share my expertise and position myself as an expert in the small business marketing field. I also started submitting my marketing articles to online article directories (I've written and submitted over 80 articles to date), and to the local business media. This year, I've expanded and am publishing this blog and I'm recording podcasts. So you see, I've constantly been focused on sharing my expertise in an effort to establish myself as a small business marketing expert. Because it's one thing to say you're something, but it's another to actually walk the walk and act like one. And when you start becoming known as an expert in your field you start attracting new clients and business opportunities like crazy ... it's fun!

Well summer is over and my kids are back in school. The house is quiet again ... it's just me and my two dogs ... and I can jump fully back into my work. While I did work over the summer, I also took quite a bit of time off to travel with my 17-year-old daughter Brianna and her fastpitch softball team. I'm so grateful that I was able to spend this time with her. It was an important summer, with her focusing on where she wants to go to college next year and doing everything she can to earn a softball scholarship. We also spent a full week volunteering at a camp, and that was also a very memorable and rewarding experience.

But the best part was, while I was away being a mom and volunteer, my business was still running without me. That's not something I could say a few years ago, when if I wasn't working with or for my clients, I wasn't making any money. The great thing about the way I've set up my business now is that I have a marketing system in place.

This system includes a website that's open for business 24/7, a weekly ezine that provides value and builds relationships with my prospects and clients and reminds them of the products and services available through 10stepmarketing, a blog and podcasts that also provide ongoing value, and a virtual assistant who handles my administration task so I don't have to.

This system continues to generate new prospects every single day, whether I'm in my office working or off on vacation or volunteering. It also continues to generate revenue, with orders for my products or services coming in through my website automatically. This system enables me to program emails and newsletters in advance so I can continue to communicate with my clients even when I'm taking time off. All of this enables me to have a more balanced life and do the things I really want to do. Contrary to what I have done in the past, I am now building my business around the lifestyle I want to have. And while it has taken some time and planning to get it up and running, it's starting to pay off, and I know it will continue to for years to come.

What about you? Have you set up a marketing system for your business? A system that continues to fill your business with prospects even when you're gone? A system that generates sales and revenue on its own? A system that enables you to continue building relationships with your prospects and clients even when you're out of the office doing something else?

Marketing Success Podcast: Create a Marketing System to Fuel Your Business




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(length 3:14 minutes)


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