Inside the Envelope

There's a radio station you may have never heard of, but it's one you need to tune into each and every day if you really want to grow your business. It's called WIIFM, and it stands for "What's In It For Me." Yes, this is a fictional radio station, and yes, it's a bit cheeky, but the message is one you can't ignore. Your customers are being bombarded with messages every single day. The only messages that will register are those which adhere to the WIIFM principles. You must clearly spell out what's in it for them, or your listener will quickly tune you out. Here's a good quote to remember from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales: "It's actually surprising how many people don't follow this simple guideline of courtesy. I often get long, tedious emails from people explaining to me in great detail how I can help them and how great it would be for them if I would work on their project, or endorse it, etc. But they fail to consi...

Marketing is about telling your story. Sales is about having conversations. From the point of view of marketing, every single business is unique. No two are exactly alike. The mistake occurs when everyone in the industry looks at what others are doing and copies it. The story is no longer unique. To sell more and to make the job of sales easier, you need to position your marketing message in a unique way that resonates with and attracts the types of customers you're looking for. When you do this right, you will end up having conversations. Conversations that will ultimately lead to sales. If you don't tell your story, you can be sure that your competitors will tell the story for you. And that is not the story you want prospects to hear. Stories and the Caveman From the beginning of time, when early human beings drew paintings on cave walls, people have been telling stories. Stories are in our DNA. Stories connect one generation to the next. The human bra...

Even though Facebook has more than one billion active monthly users, many businesses still aren't using it to its full potential. Here are a few easy ways to use Facebook to increase exposure, communicate with customers, and grow your business: Offer Facebook fan-only specials that are promoted to fans who currently "like" your page. Encourage them to stay tuned for future deals as well. Use Facebook as a quick way to spread the word on exciting flash sales that have short time windows to act. Run contests via your Facebook page. Remember to read Facebook's contest rules first, though, so you don't violate any inadvertently. Ask thought-provoking questions, create quizzes, and post survey links to encourage fan participation. Add a Facebook social media widget that enables users to like your page without having to search for you on Facebook. Include a Facebook link in your email signature, on your website, and on printed pieces such as business cards, ...

A successful business follows one core marketing concept: "Find a need and fulfill it." However, there may be many players offering similar services and products in your field. This is where having a competitive advantage can lead you to the top. To be in the top 10% of your field, you need more than just a competitive advantage. You must also communicate that advantage loud and clear through everything you do. Competitive advantage is defined as "a superiority gained by an organization when it can provide the same value as its competitors but at a lower price, or can charge higher prices by providing greater value through differentiation. Competitive advantage results from matching core competencies to opportunities." In other words, when you create a competitive advantage for your business, you can win either by charging less than your competitors through improved efficiencies or by charging higher prices than others because of the added value you prov...

One of the most effective ways to keep a competitive edge is to think like a prospective customer and compare your business frequently to your competition. What does your competitor offer that your business does not? While it's helpful to stay informed of what your competition is doing, you should avoid copying their ideas. Rather, if you see a good idea that you'd like to implement, find a way to add more value and make it an even better idea. For example, if your competitor offers free shipping on purchases of $100, you could provide free shipping on all purchases and possibly even returns, which removes potential risk when placing an order. If your competition sells a comparable product, an easy way to add extra value to your business is through service. Whether you have longer business or customer support hours, free shipping, a better warranty, free training, or live phone operators (no automated phone service), it's often these types of value-ads that really s...

As more businesses and marketers have turned to email marketing, it is fair to wonder if direct mail marketing still works as effectively as it once did. Email marketing is a good way to stay in touch with customers and prospects. Just like social media marketing, it has its place in the marketing mix. However, a downside to the massive increase in marketing emails is that only an estimated 19% are even being opened (according to the Direct Marketing Association). Direct mail marketing still works, and it works very well. However, marketers cannot just create any type of campaign and expect it to be successful. Here are some tips and suggestions from the pros: Keep specialized lists, and target each with the right message. That means no mass-mailing everyone the same message and offers. This requires a bit more preparation but will generate the best responses because you are offering the right message to the right audience. Instead of mass quantity, think quality first. Fewe...

If the economic doldrums still have you down, take action with these quick, simple, yet very effective "kick in the pants" steps for a fast turnaround. It's no secret that you must have a process for continually bringing qualified leads into your sales funnel. This is the lifeblood of your business. Some things are out of your control. Businesses close, move, and change ownership. Any of these could lead to the loss of a client you thought would never leave. To prepare for these moments, you must have processes in place to bring in new prospects to replace the ones you lose. Preparing for client turnover is something you control. Whether you have an existing process, need to dust off an old one, or are creating a brand new procedure from scratch, your client-generation plan must have goals. Base your goals on the process, not just the outcome. What does this mean? Simply put, you can't control how many leads will end up hiring you, but you can control...