Three books I recommend for sales and marketing.

I know you can find tons of information online. However, sometimes you need a little downtime to ponder ideas and concepts. At times, reading a book seems more conducive to idea generation than surfing the net. Maybe it's just the accompanying hot cocoa?

At any rate, there are a few books I just love for marketing and sales. I wanted to share:

1. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

This book is great because it explains not only the reasons why marketing and ideas work, but how trends start and why people come to care and act on your idea. I think this book should be on every small business owner's bookshelf.

2. Guerrilla Marketing: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits From Your Small Business by Jay Conrad Levinson.

Definitely a "classic," this book is great for idea generation. Sure, it talks about marketing tactics like putting up fliers on community billboards. BUT, the ideas are pretty inexpensive. If you're just starting out in business, this book is great.

3. The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource by Jeffrey Gitomer

Let's face it: if you're in business for yourself, you're in sales. You need to be comfortable being a salesperson if you're going to succeed on your own. I highly recommend this book because Gitomer stresses building relationships, not sales. If you've ever shivered at the notion of being a sales person, this book is for you.

I'm positive you can find all these books at Amazon.com. I'm not working on commission, I just really want you to benefit from some of the great resources I have on my bookshelf! Happy reading.

Self-promotion: the power of giving away stuff for free.

Last week, I had 20 appointments. This was, by no means, normal. But, I was running a promotion: I would give away 30 minutes of my time to help women in a local networking group create directory profiles. I thought it would be a good way to promote my writing services, as I've learned that many small business owners do not know what copywriting is or how it can help their business.

Of the 20 appointments, I've had four requests for work to be done. 20% conversion: not bad.

Here's the thing. EVERYONE said that meeting with me helped. They have told other people, and I will, no doubt, get referrals in the long-run. 

All this success got me wondering, though: why is it that I've given away services and products before, and it never turned out so well? 

I've come up with a few reasons why this promotion worked, and others didn't. I hope you can benefit from my experience:

1. Value

These days, business owners are giving things away for free because it's trendy. It might be an eBook or eReport that is nothing more than a sales letter. Or, offering a "free consultation" that is always part of the meeting process. 

For the "free promo" to work, clients need to know that they'll get something out of the service, that you're not using a sleazy sales technique, and that you are, in fact, giving your time or product away for free. People want to feel like they're getting a deal and value. For example, giving away 10 hours of my time required an investment on my part (my clients got 1/2 hour of my time at no charge). The folks I met with understood what that meant in terms of dollar investment. If you're giving away a product, you might try giving an actual for-profit product away for a limited time or to a limited amount of people. This way, clients will know the actual cost of the promo they got for free. 

The other obvious reason for giving something of value is that you want people to see the quality of your product or service. If you give a piece of crap, how likely is it to get a return customer or referral? Not very. Make sure your "free" service or product is the highest quality example of what you do.

2. Urgency

The directory profiles were due on a Friday. I filled up Monday through Friday with four appointments a day. People only had one week to benefit from my help. The sense of immediacy and urgency urged clients to take advantage while they could. They couldn't procrastinate or put off signing up for a spot. If they did, they would miss out. Use a sense of urgency to motivate people to take advantage of your promotion. Here's how:

-Promotions should not be ongoing. Use time or quantity limits.

-Offer a service or product that people will need immediately. For instance, a CPA might offer a free tax deduction workbook at the beginning of April knowing that their clients will be scrambling to get their taxes done by April 15. 

-Offer an additional incentive for signing up or taking advantage of your promotion. Perhaps the first 20 customers get an additional 20% off services and products. 

For promotions to be effective, they need to have a sense of timing and urgency. When they do, you'll love the results.

3. Actionable

A product and service that doesn't help people in their lives or business is not good. I know I already talked about value, but promotions should help your clients move forward: they should be able to progress because of the information you give them. Your promotion should move them to act.

In my meetings, for instance, I typed and wrote while my clients were talking. We brainstormed and completed their profile. When they left the meeting, they had something that worked to move them forward: a directory profile that spoke to their intended audience. All they had to do was fill in their essential information (name, address, etc.). 

A business coach friend of mine, for instance, promises to get you unstuck in 60 minutes. After meeting with her, clients have a to-do list for success. A free eBook might give you five strategies for social networking that you can implement and benefit from immediately. To ensure your promotion works, make sure that clients can use your information right after using it. Make sure your product will help them become more successful. If your promotion helps clients succeed, they'll love it and call you in the future.

The bottom line? Giving something away for free does not guarantee results. You'll harness the true power of free promotions when your product or service has value, a sense of urgency, and an immediate and powerful use. 

My new website is complete! YAY!

Hey everyone! My new website is up and running...I am so excited! If you want to take a peek, visit: www.inkwell-marketing.com.  Have a great day!

Inkwell published to National Biznik site.

You might not be able to see it because the screen shot is so small, but Inkwell was published to the National Biznik homepage. (That's me in the lower left hand corner.) What an honor. 

If you're interested in reading the article, visit my Biznik page here.

Three reasons I love Biznik for online networking.

As a small business owner, you're probably no stranger to Linked In. But, you might not be familiar with a just-as-great, but lesser-known online business networking tool: Biznik.

Biznik claims to offer "Business Networking That Doesn't Suck." And I must admit, it's true. The site does not suck.  Here are three ways to use Biznik to help your business:

1. Create a free profile.

On Biznik, there are three membership levels. The basic level is free, and I recommend trying it out before you commit to one of the paid membership options. On a free profile, you can post articles, benefit from search engine optimization, and host free events. Once you have a profile, you can invite friends or colleagues and build a following. You can get to know other members in your area. The result? Online promotion, website traffic, and new prospects for free. 

2. Post articles.

One of the best ways to promote yourself on Biznik is by writing and publishing articles to your profile. These articles are a great way to position yourself as an expert to your business contacts and provide them with value. Even better, if your article meets Biznik article specifications, it could be published on the Biznik main page--appearing to thousands of Biznik members across the country.

3. Take advantage of the search engine optimization options.

By becoming a Biznik member, you have the opportunity to create tags relevant to your business services. This not only increases the odds you'll be found within the Biznik network, but through major search engines like Google as well. You can also create tags for articles and blog posts on Biznik as well. Awesome!

3.5. Host an event.

Alright, so I have more than three ways. The last I want to mention, though, is hosting an event. On Biznik, if you host an event, you get immediate credibility and people start seeking you out. You're seen as a leader and organizer. That is never a bad thing.

If you're new to online networking, Biznik is a comfortable and fun place to start. It helps your business, your online marketing skills, and it certainly does not suck. I hope to network with you soon!

I'm Twitterpated: How to use Twitter for business.

Remember in the movie Bambi, when all the animals made there way out of hibernation during the Spring, and they started falling in love with each other? The old owl simply shook his head and commented, "Twitterpated."

(If it's been a while since you last watched this classic, check out the following videos for a refresher course):

Video 1: Definition of Twitterpated:

Video 2: Twitterpated in Action:

Now, while Bambi may not have a lot to do with business, I feel like most companies (both small and big) are twitterpated about Twitter. They're falling head over heels in love with the program that gives you 140 characters to tell the world what you're up to. 

I'm new to the whole Twitter thing, myself. But, I'm going to drink the Kool-Aid and see what all the fuss is about. 

I'll be documenting my experience. And, because I'm new to this whole thing, I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. I'm simply going to follow the masters before me. I'm going to follow the suggestions laid out by marketing master Chris Brogan, and see how it goes. (Here's the link to his article, "50 ways to use Twitter for Business.")

Who knows, maybe I'll become Twitterpated. I'll let you know.