Tuesday, March 30  

2 situations - 2 big positives

Hello. Hope all is well with you and yours.

I went to a businessperson's lunch last week. A client was the keynote speaker.

At the registration desk I collected my name badge and noticed that they had inadvertently written my name as Brenda. That's fine. A quick flick of the wrist with a pen and I was "Brendan".

But on the sheet that all attendees had, I was down as "Brenda". This caused much amusement and mirth at the lunch. I didn't think too much of it until the next day. You see, I rang a few people to get their feedback on our speaker. And every single one of them remembered me because of the "Brenda" error.

That was a distinct point of difference and set me apart from everyone else. Everyone knew who I was!

Brendan or Brendon??

And then tonight. Tonight I went to a "Australian Institute of Management" meeting where we had another guest speaker. Again I fronted up to the Registration Table.

This time it was something different.

When I faxed through my RSVP the person at the other end couldn't read if I was Brendan or Brendon. So instead of taking a guess, she did something easy and smart.

They had 2 name badges for me.

One reading "Brendan Sinclair".
The other reading "Brendon Sinclair".

When I confirmed that my name is Brendon she gave me that badge.

How easy was that!

In one simple step they acknowledged that a person's name is very important to them. They demonstrated professionalism. And they showed they take care of the smallest details.

All from a Name Badge.

You see, it's the little things that count. They might not mean too much to you - I don't mind Brendon or Brendan - but they can mean a lot to others.

So cover every base. Take care of every contingency. The importance to your customer may be more than you think.

Regards

Brendon

Why you should charge for workshops and seminars

We are organising our first workshop in our local area. We've often had small seminars before, but this one is a fully fledged 4 hour intensive marketing workshop.

We've hired out a local hotel's conference room, we've organised a terrific workshop and we're set to put on an intensive and action packed show.

It's been an interesting few days as we've initiated the marketing of the workshop:

* Direct Mail
* Post Office Box leaflet drops
* Newspaper advertisements
* Letterbox drops
* Personal visits
* Media releases

Psychologically, people believe they get what they pay for. We've had a lot more interest in this workshop than in any of our free seminars.

And it's because we are charging almost $200. For $200 people expect something informative and entertaining. And something great. For free they expect you to try and sell them something.

Charging for the workshop is the best idea we've had. People's expectation of the content is higher. And our perceived expertise is higher.

And that means our clients will receive a great service for their money.

Cheers

Brendon

Sunday, March 28  

3 - very interesting ads. Well, 1 ad for 3. Read on and you'll undertsand!

Howdy. The new player here in Australia in the communications industry is a company called '3'.

They have some ads running now that I find very interesting. I think they'll work wonderfully well. Here's what happens in the ads.

A voice over shows various situations. The commentary goes something like this:

"Have you ever noticed that others always get the best restaurant table.
And that others always get the best seats at the play.
And that others find out the news before you.
And that others have better stuff than you.
And that others get the better guys...."

And on it goes

The ad is meant to make you feel like you are disenfranchised. And not part of a bigger community. You are left with a sense of alientation. Like you're not liked.

And everybody loves to be liked

But, of course, you can fix everything by buying a '3' mobile (cell) phone.

Very interesting ad. Playing on people's sense of alone, their fear of not being accepted and their desire to belong. To sell a mobile phone. A mobile phone from '3' can fix how you feel. And if you are liked.

As social beings we'll go to great lengths to fit in. Just look at any group of teenagers and what they do to fit itno a 'tribe' and not stand out.

I'm not keen on the ad - seems a bit cynical. But it might just work very effectively.

But I don't know if that's a good thing.

Regards

Brendon

It's been a dull weekend - but fruitful

Howdy. Hope you weekend has gone well so far.

Mine has been quite dull.

* I've almost finished my first e-book.
* I wrote up a Case Study on the survey.
* I wrote up a Case Study on a pitch we made for a job.
* I've been going over the changes to be made to the site.

I'll be adding all that stuff over the next few days.

But it's the last thing there - "I've been going over the changes to be made to the site" - that I'll focus on here.

In the marketing of our businesses (yours and mine) it can sometimes be a Catch 22 situation.

Should I wait until everything is perfect?

1. We don't want to release our product until they're perfect.
2. But our products can't be perfect until we've had plenty of people use them and provide feedback.

That's a situation very common for IT people - software version 1 is released. Feedback is provided. Then out comes version 2. And on goes the process.

But adapting that technique can be next to impossible for many other businesses.

After all, you probably wouldn't be keen to buy a car from a manufacturer who says "It's an okay car. But we need people to test it out and find out what's wrong with it so we can make it better for the next model."

But we can all learn something

Maybe the lesson is that we need to utilise extensive usability testing of our product.
Maybe we need to see if the market wants the product we are developing before we develop it.

Different industries use different business models. Examine unrelated industries and see how you can apply their thinking to your business. Every little bit helps.

Regards

Brendon

Thursday, March 25  

Two words to strike fear into the heart of any parent.

"Presentation night."

Two words to put joy into a kid's heart.

"Presentation night."

My 2 boys, Jack and Harry, play cricket with a local club. Love their cricket, as plenty of boys their age do.

The cricket season just finished and the presentation night was tonight. 2 hours of about 100 9-14 year old boys squashed into a room. 200 parents at the back.

A trophy for every kid. That takes a long, long time to do.

Anything for the trophy

But the kids don't mind. They'd be happy be sit there for days. Because they get a trophy. They desperately want that trophy.

The effect that this fleeting recognition gives the kids is great to watch. They strut proudly around. You can hardly wipe the smile off their faces.

People love recognition. They love being rewarded.

Right there are 2 things we should all be doing for our customers.

* Recognising them.
* Rewarding them.

Maybe you could give a prize for customer of the month??!

Cheers

Brendon

Tuesday, March 23  

Changes started

Howdy. Hope you're behaving.

We've just started to make the changes as per the survey on the site.

You can sign up to be notified when a new article is added.

The lovely Karine, a regular visitor, recommended a RSS feed and we're look at that right at this moment.

We've also changed a couple of cosmetic things on the blog and are also looking at a search facility and being able to list the heading of each blog whens earched.

That's about it. I'll be posting an article up in about an hour.

Have a good day.

Brendon

Monday, March 22  

Don't meet expectations

Howdy. I sometimes think this blog sounds like a "I'll tell everyone how wonderful I am and how perfect."

Sure, we both know it's true. I am wonderful. And I am perfect! But it's not really the reason I write blogs like the one below.

In business you should never meet the expectations of your customers. It's simply not good enough. Sure, it won't make you any enemies. But it won't generate that all-important positive word of mouth about your business.

And I try and practice what I preach. Like today for instance.

Kimberly won the book

I've only just checked my email for the day - at 11.28 pm. The winner of our survey competition, Kimberly, has responded. You might recall Kimberly won the prize for doing the survey. A $50 book from Amazon. But that's not what I offered her. Offering that book would meet her expectations.

This is what I offered. I offered Kimberly a choice:

1. The $50 book from Amazon
2. My Web Design Business Kit - value of $197 US
3. $50 cash

Giving Kimberly a choice like that exceed her expectations. And that affects the way Kimberly feels about me (I assume, Kimberly, that you think I'm a total hottie??!) and in a positive way.

It's the little things that count.

Have a good day.

Brendon

Sunday, March 21  

Kissing up...............and why you don't have to do it. 5 ways to become an expert.

I played the guy from next door at golf today where he duly delivered me another flogging. My wife (Mel) partnered him, and Scott's wife was my golf partner.

And would you believe it - Mel won the game for them with some sensational putting over the last 2 holes! You have gotta wonder how much she loves me??!! She'd better watch her step!

Scott has his own professional services business where a part of his marketing strategy could be to 'charm' the people who refer him work (other professional services people).

But Scott doesn't want to have to 'kiss up' to others. He sees it as being unprofessional and he doesn't feel comfortable doing it.

Fair enough. It isn't easy for everyone.

5 steps to expert status

So he is devising another strategy. He's positioning himself as an expert to these people. And this is how he is going to do it:

1. Send out regular info packed newsletters
2. Start a PR campaign
3. Write articles for trade journals
4. Hold a professional seminar
5. Start public speaking

A great strategy.

Before I go I'd like to mention one thing.

You don't have to see developing relationships with key referrers as 'kissing up'. Look upon it as demonstrating your expertise, professionalism and friendliness to your market. Because that's what it ultimately is.

Regards

Brendon

Article written

Howdy. I've written the article about the survey results. I also just add another article after that.

You'll find them both here.

Brendon

Saturday, March 20  

An unfounded concern and some goals

As many of you know, the survey has been completed. I've sent a group email to all participants thanking them for helping and directing them to a page on the site that has the name of the person who won the prize for helping.

I'll write an article shortly on the results, as well as an e-book on how to conduct a survey and a case study of this survey.

2 things have become clear from this survey.

1. I debated whether I should offer a prize as an incentive for people to do the survey. My thinking was that people might be reluctant to provide criticism of the site and the things I write thinking that might reduce their chances of winning.

No worries with you guys! You tell it like it is! And that's exactly what we need to get the best site possible. Thanks.

The constructive criticism we've received has been fantastic and we have some great ideas on how to make the site better and be as useful to you as possible.

2. I also wrote a personal email to every single person who took the survey. I commented on their answers and provide feedback regarding our next step in terms of what they had written and suggested.

A lot of people mentioned they'd like to see more Case Studies. The Case Studies is a pretty popular section and case studies are very useful.

To those people I mentioned that we would be adding a case study a week. Now I'm committed. Nothing like making a public commitment to ensure you get the job done. Some of us, like me, work better if we have goals and deadlines.

Regards

Brendon

Friday, March 19  

It's not about the food. It's never about the food.

You probably already know this from McDonalds. But it's not about the food.

Last night, the lovely Mel (daughter of Dragon Lady) and I thought we'd take the kids out for dinner. We had a chat to the kids and they were very excited. We went to a local restaurant called the "Nine Pines".

Simple restaurant that does of good job of providing good meals at a decent price. Here's what we ordered:

1. Harry - 9 yo. Sausages and chips.
2. Jack - 11 yo. Steak.
3. Laura - 13 yo. Grilled fish.
4. Mel - if you think I'm about to reveal my wife's age you are a crazy person! Steak.
5. Brendon - 37 yo (But I look a lot younger. Basically I'm gorgeous!!). Grilled fish.

The kids had soft drinks, Mel had a soft drink and I had an OJ.

That's pretty much what we would have had for dinner if we didn't decide to go out.

The food was lovely. But the food we cook at home is comparable.

We're not there for the food (well we are, but that's not the choice influence). We were there so we could get out of the house, relax, have someone else do the washing up and so on.

It's about the experience.

People want an experience. You need to differentiate the experience you provide them so that they have another reason to pick you.

Let's say the food was ordinary last night. Probably wouldn't matter too much. presentation of the food is important, as is the friendliness of the waitress, as is the speed of the delivery of the drinks, as is the lighting, as is the quality of the knife and fork, as is the cleanliness of the bathroom.

It's all part of the experience. It's all part of the branding of that business. It's all part of that business.

Have a good weekend. I'll write an article tonight on the feedback from the survey.

Regards

Brendon

Thursday, March 18  

All done - survey closed

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey. We do appreciate your input as we try and make this the best web site we can.

The information we received was tremendously constructive and I thank you for that.

Click here to see if you won the prize for completing the survey!

Regards

Brendon

Wednesday, March 17  

I'm a loudmouth and this was the plan

Before you read the rest of this blog, take a look at 'the latest' blog from Monday (if you haven't already).

I had lunch yesterday at a prestigious business club where a guest speaker (one of our clients) addressed about 30 of us. It was a meeting of 'business leaders' (I snuck in because I manage the speaker!).

One thing they did was ask each person to introduce themselves and talk about their business for a minute. These guys at the lunch were my perfect target market for a part of my business. How can I be remembered???

Loud mouthed and controversial

I was loud mouthed and controversial. And that's even before I got into the beer and wine!

Controversial people get attention. Loud mouth people get attention. Stick those 2 together and I'll get attention and I'll get noticed.

My introduction was this:

"Hello. I'm Brendon Sinclair. I'm an illogical, loud mouth, sexist clown. I make instant judgments on people. And these judgments are made on the barest of facts. But that doesn't bother me! You can't sway me - not even with logic!"

I then went on to talk about how the management side of our business provides training on management, image, etiquette, dress matters and grooming.

And I talked about the importance of those aspects in making that critical first impression the best impression.

That, hopefully, made me memorable and distinctive. And that should generate some interest. Which might become some business.

It's about differentiating yourself in the marketplace. Stand out. Be noticed. Get the business.

Brendon

Tuesday, March 16  

web site award win for us!

Now I don't want to brag but..........I'm a winner, winner, winner!!

I recently entered the Golden Web Awards. These awards are widely acknowledged as one of the best on the web for recognising web design.

I'm a winner!

I have won a "....prestigious Golden Web Award" today. I get a little graphic to display on my site as recognition of the win. It's a terrific award and I'm pleased to have won.

The point? I'm getting there.

The point is that people believe awards. We are now an award winning web design team! (sounds impressive, right?!). I can stick that on the web site. I can mention it in newsletters. I can even say that in our media releases.

Awards influence people. That's why the Oscars are so fiercely fought - win an Oscar and your movie revenue climbs.

People want to be reassured about dealing with you. Being an award winning business helps position your business in the best possible light.

I've had lots of clients win business awards. And the wins can be tremendous for business. It's another differentiation between your business and the competition. And that's another reason to buy from you.

Have a good night.

Brendon

Monday, March 15  

Let me introduce myself: I'm an illogical, sexist, easily influenced idiot. You can call me "Customer"

I've changed this blog a few times. I'd write it, but then think - "No, that's going too far."

Except it isn't going too far. And here is what I'm talking about.

Try these on for size

* If I walk into a bar and have a beer, I'll stay longer if the bar person is a good looking woman.

* If someone serves me in a clothes shop and they are overweight, I'll probably not go back.

* Did you know tall people get paid more?

* Or that fat women earn 30% less than slimmer women?

* Better looking people get promoted quicker.

* People with goatee beards are consider less trustworthy.

* A man will almost always make a decision on the character of a man by his handshake.

Heh, don't shoot me..... I'm just the messenger!

All the stuff I've said above is true. Absolutely and totally illogical in many instances, but true nonetheless.

And we can sit here and say "Tut, tut" or "That's not how it should be" and all the rest.

But it doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of people are illogical, sexist, easily influenced and just downright crazy in what influences them.

I once saw a million dollar hotel business go bankrupt in a matter of months because the young guy who purchased this hip, youth orientated joint didn't understand the basic rule. Give people what they want. Not what they need.

(If people bought what they needed we wouldn't have an obesity crisis in the population, or lung cancer.............)

Financed by his mother and grandmother

This guy was financed by his mother and grandmother. So they had a stake in the business. So, to keep costs tight, they got rid of the gorgeous 18 year old barmaids and barguys and installed, yep, you guessed it, themselves as the barmaids.

A woman in her late forties and her mum in her sixties were now the barmaids at a hotel that was worth a million dollars in profit. But not for long. The business went under in about 6 months.

Overnight the bar went from being packed to being empty. And you can't suddenly make an uncool joint cool.

That's life

People are sexist. They are judgmental. They are often wrong. They aren't always nice. But that's life.

It's how us, as humans, have evolved. Deal with it and don't let it negatively impact on your business. Like they say in 'The Godfather', "It not personal, it's strictly business."

Have a good night.

Brendon "Politically Correct" Sinclair!

New post below this survey bit

Howdy. Can I borrow your brain for a minute?

We receive a lot of feedback from this web site and are always looking at how we can improve things. To help us get it right we've put together a quick and easy survey (just 10 quick questions) and would appreciate it if you could take a minute or 2 to complete it.

And win a great prize!

And to make it an even better survey we'll place everyone's name in a hat and draw a winner for a $50 book! A shameless bribe!

Click here for the survey if you would like to assist.

It's hard to be humble.................for me anyway

Howdy. Hope you had a good weekend.

I've just finished my swim tonight at the local pool. I swim every day between 1 - 1.5 km. I know the owner and we often have a bit of a chat.

Tonight we were there having a chat when a little kid, he must of been about 7 or 8, came racing up, "Mike, Mike! I beat my old time by 2 seconds. I can swim 50 metres in 52 seconds!"

Mike said, "Fantastic! Wow! You are fast. That's a great effort. Well done and keep it up!"

The little fellow strutted off very proud of himself

Mike, the pool owner, is Mike Wenden. One of Australia's greatest ever swimmers. Mike was one of only three swimmers to break world records at the 1964 Mexico Olympic Games. He won the 100m freestyle (Mark Spitz came 3rd). And he made it a double with gold in the 200m. He broke 6 world records in his career.

He's carried the Olympic Torch. Carried the Olympic Flag into Sydney Olympics in 2000. Done pretty much everything.

But Mike's still contributing. He's still there giving something back.

No matter how well we do at business, not many of us can lay claim, like Mike can, of being one of the best ever.

It's important not to get carried away with our success. We can always improve. There's always something we can do to make our businesses better. Always something to change.

And if we have reached a level of success, then perhaps we can give something back. Maybe encourage a young entrepeneur? Maybe finance someone's dream. Whatever.

We can always do better, and we can always do more.

Cheers

Brendon

P.S: My PB for 50 metres is 45 seconds. That little kid will be overtaking me very shortly!

Saturday, March 13  

Great information already

Howdy. I know I would have said this before but surveys give some fantastic information. We've received some great information and suggestions in the few hours the survey has been going.

Once the survey is finished we'll let you know of the feedback and then start to address the issues you have raised (sound like a politician - but we really, truly will!).

Have a good day.

Brendon

Friday, March 12  

Can I borrow your brain..........please?

Howdy. Can I borrow your brain for a minute?

We receive a lot of feedback from this web site and are always looking at how we can improve things. To help us get it right we've put together a quick and easy survey (just 10 quick questions) and would appreciate it if you could take a minute or 2 to complete it.

And win a great prize!

And to make it an even better survey we'll place everyone's name in a hat and draw a winner for a $50 book! A shameless bribe!

Click here for the survey if you would like to assist.

Thanks a bunch. By the way, I'll keep putting this post to the top of the web site until we close the survey on Wednesday night. I'll keep adding new material daily under it.

Thanks

Brendon

Thursday, March 11  

Finding perfectly qualified targets in a small market

Good morning. Part of our business is managing public speakers. Some of the speakers we manage command $5,500 for a 1 hour speech. That's good money in anyone's language.

Companies with the need and the budget for our speakers are limited in number. So the question for us is how to find companies that would pay that sort of money.

Here's a simple technique we use

* We visit the web sites of all topline public speakers.
* We note down the names and companies of people who provide testimonials for these speakers.
* We begin a marketing campaign to them.

In this sort of industry, as in any sort of industry, testimonials are a powerful testament to establishing credibility to the potential market.

Can you use the names and addresses of your competitor's customers in a marketing campaign?

Have a good day.

Brendon

How we got a great testimonial from a happy client

We received a beautiful testimonial from a client today telling saying how thrilled they were with our work and how heartily they recommend us.

And here's the secret for receiving great testimonials.

Ask. Yep, just ask your happy clients for a testimonial. They will be, I'm sure, happy to oblige.

Then you do this.

1. Frame the letter (ask them to type out the testimonials and not to fold the paper)
2. Bang a nail in your office wall
3. Hang the testimonial with all your others where clients can see it when they come into your office
4. Let the client know what you've done
5. And say "Thanks" for the testimonial

We've just done all that. Frame cost me $5. So for $5 this has happened.

1. The client received a positive and nice contact from us.
2. The client reminded themselves what a great job we did.
3. The client was acknowledged by us as being an important part of our business.
4. The client was made aware that we treat our testimonial letters with respect by framing and hanging them. That makes our client feel great.
5. The client was thanked - another positive contact.
6. Our credibility is raised in the eyes of prospects as they walk into the office (Our "Brag Wall" is located smack bang in front of the sofa in the reception area).
7. We'll now use that testimonial in our newsletters and on our web site.

It's not just a testimonial letter. It can be a whole lot more. Use your resources to their fullest extent.

Hope that all makes sense. Have a good day.

Brendon

Wednesday, March 10  

Why I speak

No, it's not because I like the sound of my own voice!
And no, as regular readers might think, it is not to drown out the noise of the mother-in-law (anyway that noise is called "fire-breathing". Just kidding!).

I speak occassionally to business groups, business students, etc on a range of topics. I have 3 main topics:

* Marketing - why you should stop, then start
* The Power of Image - how to get what you want, when you want, where you want
* Perseverance - the art of success

I also do one on how to market your web site.

Here's the real reason I speak

I speak because it's good for my business. It gets me perceived as an expert. It helps get our name out there. And it helps to generate some interest in what we do.

(Having said all that, I also do it because I think the speeches are very useful and entertaining. I just love public speaking.)

Now in a business like mine, it's important that we have some recognition. Sure, we've won awards, have the high profile clients, etc but there is nothing like a professional services firm like ours actually getting out and about and meeting people.

And being positioned as recognised authorities in our field is also a terrific bonus.

Here are some other ways to aid your credibility within your market:

* PR campaign
* Develop information products
* Write articles
* Write a book
* Run a seminar
* Have an informative web site
* Write a newsletter

We do all of those. And they work well. They can work for you too.

Have a good night.

Regards

Brendon

And the winner is..............................

..............envelope please.

The winner is..........you! You win heaps of free publicity, recognition as an industry leader, and much, much more.

Here's how to do it

Here's how to get almost guaranteed recognition and media coverage of your business. And recognition that places you as an industry leader.

And it's incredibly simple. Just do this:

Sponsor a competition within a specific industry. Start the competition yourself if you have to.

I can see it now: The Tailored Awards for Best Advertising Campaign on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Give a nice little prize. Send out media releases. Hold a little cocktail party and announce the winner. Send out more media releases.

(What would get even more attention would be a competition called: The Tailored Awards for Worst Advertising Campaign on the Gold Coast, Australia.)

People love reading about winners. And losers! And remember, marketing is just about giving people what they want.

Have a good day.

Brendon

Tuesday, March 9  

Clients want your expert opinion

I've written before about how we (meaning me and you) can undervalue our expertise because what we do comes so easily to us. I'd like to address this topic a little differently today.

Clients pay us for our expertise. So that's what we need to give them.

My car was in the garage last week getting some work done. The mechanic rang me up and told me what needed fixing. He gave me a list of options.

I had no idea which option to pick.

I'm mechanically challenged. I said "Well, what would you recommend I do?" He repeated my options.

I was still in the dark. Sure, it's nice to get options. But it's better to get solutions.

When you make your offer to a client it makes sense to say "These are the options and this is our recommendation based on this, this and this."

Expertise is what people pay for.

Cheers.

Brendon

We've asked for the business - now what?

Howdy. Last week we made a pitch for some business and the client said he would get back to us the next day. But he didn't. And that's fine.

For many people making a pitch for new business that wait can seem forever. And quite a few people have asked me what they can do to move the client along to making a decision quicker.

The answer is that I'm not sure! Some clients appreciate a reminder, whilst other clients want to be left alone. One thing we usually do at this time is maintain a low level of contact - through sending the client our latest newsletter. Keeps us top of mind and can help speed the process up in our favour.

Whatever you do, make sure you are comfortable doing it. Many people find it very difficult to pick up the phone and call the client to ask about the decision - if that's you, then fine. Don't do it if it stresses you out. But do try and maintain contact so the client knows you are about.

Cheers.

Brendon

Sunday, March 7  

Priorities

Howdy

I'm sitting here on Sunday afternoon at 2.45 pm writing this blog. I do this because I consider this web site as important in the long term strategies for my business. With up to date information and , hopefully, strong content you'll come back and revisit.

And a growing base of readers is critical for the plans I have for this site (I won't share them just yet).

Another thing I'll be doing for the next hour or 2 is answering emails. I get quite a few emails each day asking for some advice and happily provide it. But sometimes the numbers get a little overwhelming and I need to leave a few for later.

Because as a guy trying to run my business, I know that my main priority is with my clients and potential clients. So although I try and answer every email with a day or 2, sometimes it just doesn't happen.

My focus has to be on my clients. We all have distraction in our day to day lives. But we must not let them stop us achieving our goals. We need to focus, deal with external issues and keep moving forward.

Keep moving forward to achieve your goals and become the success that you deserve to be.

Cheers

Brendon

Liking your own product

Some measures that many businesspeople use when reviewing products they sell are:

"Do I like this?"
"Would I buy this?"

I used to do the same with advertising we produced. Some simple experience soon taught me that it doesn't matter what I think. Does it achieve the desired result? That's the only real question.

I saw a good example of what we think of products today. After a massive clean-up at our house yesterday I loaded the car up with rubbish and was all set to go to the local tip (waste disposal).

My 2 sons have a friend here today playing. They were about to go for a swim in the pool. It's a lovely day here today - about 27 C (80.6 F).

But when they found out I was about to go to the tip they soon abandoned that idea! They wanted to come to the tip.

Play time at the dump!

And what a fine old time they had at the tip! Tossing bags of rubbish at the dump. Throwing rubbish as far as they could see. The boys absolutely loved it. When they eventually got back into the car they were very happy kids. All from 5 minutes at the tip!

It's another great example that it's not what you think will sell, or will work in an ad, or will make a good service - it is what your market thinks.

Have a good Sunday.

Brendon

Friday, March 5  

Work hard to get results

It was a gusty strong wind. By strong I mean about 100 km an hour. Just below cyclone level. The area was blacked out from powerline damage and a few small trees had been uprooted and strewn across the path. An emergency crew was repairing a house roof just metres from where I passed.

The pouring rain was coming from all directions. Up, down and sideways. It was coming so fast that when it hit my face it felt like needles being jabbed in.

The ocean was just metres away. The sea churning and foaming and spitting out 3-4 metre waves. A great wall of white water.

This was all 1/2 hour ago on the beachfront at a place called Currumbin Beach. I was going for a run at the time.

The raging storm

Tonight I went for my swim. But the pool was closed due to the raging storm.

So then I decided to go for a run down at Currumbin Beach. I could hardly stand in the huge winds. The rain positively hurt as it hit my face and legs. But it was a great ruin. A run against the elements. Amazing to watch this huge storm right on the beach.

I run to keep fit. If I regularly do exercise I keep fit. And it's great relaxation as well. And my run tonight made me think of results.

Getting results

If you do the work you'll get results. Sure, I could have had the night off and stayed home warm and snug. But not only is it interesting to test your own limits and experience a bit of adversity, but I was thinking that I need to do the work to get the results.

In business it's the same. If you don't do the work you won't get the result. You need to be proactive to get results. If nothing happens then nothing happens.

Have a good night. And if you are getting battered by this storm I hope you are safe and well.

Cheers

Brendon

Thursday, March 4  

The stupidest people in the world??

Here in Australia one of the major sports is a game called Rugby League. It's similar to American football.

At the moment one of the high profile teams are battling a crisis. A couple of weeks ago the "Bulldogs" played a pre-season game in a place called Coffs Harbour. Subsequent to this a woman has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a group of players.

Since then there have been allegations of group sex, etc, etc.

The club has been in damage control since the allegations were first raised. But when you are dealing with people who would surely be strong candidates for the stupidiest people of the year........well, it must be difficult for the club.

Example 1: The players were asked to meet the police at the station yesterday. They went in groups of 4. Dressed, if you believe this, mainly in shorts, t-shirts and thongs.

Not really respecting the gravity of the situation.

And then it gets a whole lot better!

Example 2: One of the players, one of the very same players who were walking into the police station for questioning about a gang sexual assualt, actually wore a t-shirt with the slogan "We play dirty" written across it!

Ding, ding! I think we have a winner!

3 things to do.

You have a major sporting team being hammered by the media in light of the gang sexual assault allegations. When a group of players walk into the police station there is going to be a heavy media contingent there.

Try this.

a) Get the players dressed in the club's formal uniform. A suit would be best. Black shoes.
b) No-one to wear sunglasses.
c) Walk together with head held high and looking solemn.

Not looking like you've just come from the beach. And not wearing a t-shirt proclaiming "We play dirty."

Think about your media and what to do. I'm sure there'll be some excuse for the way the players dressed. But a well-thought out media plan is crucial and has to cover contingencies.

Cheers

Brendon

Tomato squashed

Howdy.

I've written before about a new radio station here on the Gold Coast, Australia. it's called Hot Tomato.

The people that own this new radio station originally started out with one of the worst marketing strategies I've seen. And it keeps getting worse.

They had different people do their print, TV and outdoor advertising. It was a mess.

1. The print ads were a retro cartoon look saying "No more than 2 ads in a row."
2. The TV ad was an old woman using a metal detector on a beach and finding a tomato. The end graphic said "No more than 2 ads in a row."
3. The billboard was basically the logo with the words "No more than 2 ads in a row."

Keeping your message consistent is good. That's critical. But not if your message is an idiotic "No more than 2 ads in a row." (And not if the branding is completely different for every medium you use.)

* They're basically promoting nothing.
* They're telling people what they don't do.
* They have never differentiated their product from others in the market.
* They haven't identified what radio listeners want and then given it to them.
* They have said "We know what you don't want, so we won't give you that!"

Not great. Not good. Not even close.

Anyway, on with the shoe.

So they've done the ratings. And found that they are coming last. Which is terrible. And it's terrible because a huge portion of people will sample a new radio station to see what they are like. And the station should be able to keep a high % of those samplers by having something new and something different.

The initial period should be the honeymoon period. But it's a nightmare for these people.

I listened to the station when it first started and I'd guess my reaction was typical. They're the same. So there is no real reason to change who I listen to. And I'd certainly not go to the trouble of changing the presets on my car radio for them.

And no web site yet

***** Just as an aside here. They were after this younger demographic but they haven't got a web site up and going yet. They've been going about 8 months and haven't developed a resource that could be a terrific asset. *****

No difference. No reason.

Okay. So they haven't differentiated themselves in the market. And they haven't given people a reason to tune in. And they get hammered in the ratings. (They were after the 25-44 yo demographic. That's because this age group is most attractive to advertisers.)

So now they make the worst possible decision they could.

1. They decide to go after a different demographic - call me cyncial, but what makes them think they won't just get another beating. It'll just be a different demographic they'll get a beating in!

2. They have announced that their new morning announcer is a woman called Suki Mead. And get this next bit. Suki Mead used to be an announcer on one of the 2 main competitor radio stations.

So now they're saying "Okay, we'll make our station exactly the same as the others."

Maybe they're hoping that people won't know who they are listening to and just keep listening.

Your product has to be different otherwise there is no reason for people to buy it.
The way your product is different has to mean something to your customers (no good being different by a guarantee if your product is a parachute jumping business!).
Then tell your market why they should buy from you.

Cheers

Brendon

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I've just returned home after going for a run. As many of you know, I do tend to have some creative thinking time when I'm running and I wanted to share a couple of thoughts with you before I head off to sleep.

Creating a buzz about your business is about the best marketing that you can do. It's far more profitable servicing your current customers better than going out and getting new ones.

And I'll use my usual example:

* Sir Stamford at Circular Quay
* The Manor Botique Hotel
* Carlton Crest
* Intercontinental
* Formule 1

They are the last 5 Sydney hotels I've stayed at in the past few weeks that I can remember. I don't think I've stayed at any of them multiple times (my old memory does play tricks on me!).

With most of these hotels (I'd guess 3) I ticked the box that says "Yes, please contact me with other offers."

But I've never, ever heard from any of them.

Let's say one of them tossed my details in their database. They could email me, text message me or mail me with offers. They could build the relationship with me very cost effectively. They could ask me to stay with them the next time I was in Sydney. They could articulate why I should stay with them.

I am after all their perfect target market. I stay in hotels. In Sydney. Often. And in their hotel.

How much more obvious can I make it?!

Being a Manager or a Marketing person in a major hotel doesn't seem to require thinking smart.

Just provide good service - maybe even great service - and you'll create a buzz about your business. And that will add up to more sales.

Okay then. Next.

My son Jack. Jack loves camping. Loves it. He buys camping gear whenever he has saved up enough money. Click here for an article I wrote about the service he received - and the missed opportunities - from a local camping store.

Since I wrote that article just a few months ago Jack has purchased probably another $200 worth of camping gear. From different stores. He has no relationship with the store we originally went to and no reason to go back.

I mention a few simple ideas for the store to use to keep Jack going back that I won't go into here.

But there is a follow up. Rather than just write the article and move on, I did something more proactive. I wrote to the camping store brand owner (it's a franchise system) and offered to do some marketing (I said it more articulately than that!).

I've since implemented some other strategies to get noticed by this company. Basically positioning myself as a person who can meet their needs and get them more profit.

And yesterday (Wednesday) I received my first bit of interest. They requested an article reprint I'd written.

I've sent that off. And tomorrow I'll do something else. And keep at them until I position us as a business that they need to employ.

The point of all that is to be proactive. Identify opportunities and act on them. Don't quit.

That's it. i'm off to bed. By the way, when I went for my run there was a guy standing on his head at 11.45 at night on a grassed area near the beach. And you think i'm weird for going for a run at midnight!

Good ni....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

(I never worry that I'm the only one who laughs at my own jokes!)

Wednesday, March 3  

Packaging and what it does

We have a few case studies on this web site of the work we have done for a couple of clients (I have to update it).

We've just completing a bit of a re-packaging for a client - new logo, business literature, signage and a web site.

In my very modest way I have to say - it looks fantastic!

Within a very short space of time we have majorly repositioned this business' brand and helped the client to very clearly differentiate his business from the competition (I'll be asking the client for permission to show his stuff as a case study).

The way you're business is 'packaged' impacts a great deal on how it is perceived. It's easy to get it wrong. But then again, it's easy to get it right.

Cheers.

Brendon

Few sales...............but great awareness.

Howdy.

The web site launch went okay with the TV show airing a segment on the product. This increases the awareness of the product amongst about 500,000 viewers. That's terrific. Sales were slow and didn't quite reach 50.

When you measure your marketing campaign, don't say what I just did... "increases the awareness of the product amongst about 500,000 viewers. That's terrific."

Awareness is nothing!

That's just a lie that marketing people make up to cover their butt when we fail!

The only thing that matters in your marketing is sales. Awareness is great.......but only if that awareness generates sales. Awareness by itself does not pay the bills.

Your marketing needs to differentiate you from your competition in a way that is important to the customer. If it is important to your customer that they get great value for money, then demonstrate how they'll get better value for money from you. If it is quality that's most important, then show how your quality is the best.

Give the customer a reason to buy.

And then ask them to. That's called a "Call to action" and can be as simple as saying "Phone now to buy!"

I'll come back shortly and edit this blog and add some. Gotta run and have a swim now before dinner. The pool shuts at 6.30 pm tonight.

7.14 pm

I'm back!

Where was I.............................on awareness. Okay, so awareness is nothing. Sales are everything. Sure, people can't buy from you if they don't know about you. But sales is the one and only true measure of marketing success.

Anything else is just fluff.

I really can't think of anything else to add. So that's it! I'll write a blog on 'the latest' page, then I'll be reading a book I've been meaning to read for weeks.

Have a good night.

Brendon

Tuesday, March 2  

Could be a big day. Could be a slow day.

Tomorrow is the launch of another one of our own e-commerce web sites. We have developed a site for a specific product and it is set for some decent publicity tomorrow (it's going to be featured on a TV show). The web site will be featured.

We could sell 5,000 of the product, or we could sell 50. I don't know. I kind of have an idea because I've been involved in this exact same scenario a few times now. Sometimes the response is huge, other times not so huge.

Instinctively, I'll guess we'll sell just 50 of the product tomorrow.

That's based on knowing the market, the products, people's buying motivation and much more. It's almost instinctive. That's the wrong word......it's having an in-depth knowledge of the market and the mediums involved that means I can make a fairly confident guess.

And that's how it is for a lot of us. It's fine for me, or any marketer for that matter, to sit here and suggest how you can market your business. Quite often (!!) we'll know what we are talking about and provide solid strategy.

But don't discount your own ideas. Because they'll be based on an intimate understanding of your market developed over (probably) many years of blood, sweat and toil.

Wish me luck for tomorrow. I'll let you know how we go.

Cheers.

Brendon

Monday, March 1  

1 day. 1 business. Experience counts.

Last Thursday I finalised a deal with a Sydney businessman. It was for a web based business for ourselves through which we'll distribute his product.

On Friday I briefed one of our designers on the web site requirements. He finished the logo and the web site on Saturday.

Then our programmer did his magic on Sunday.

Today, Jo configured a secure shopping cart onto the site.

Mel set up her order manager system to accept all of the orders. She also set up the basic customer service infrastructure.

Bianka added content to the web site.

The site is all set to go

That web site is all set to go. A complete e-business (includes newsletters, autoresponders, merchant facilities, security and privacy commitments, etc).

On Wednesday this business will get some publicity. And hopefully in a week or so, it will get a whole lot more. Our web site could prove to be profitable very quickly. And it was all very easy.

But just because it was easy doesn't mean we should under value what we do. It's only easy for us because we've done it 100 times before. To be able to set up a fully functional secure e-commerce store - with full infrastructure behind it - inside 12 hours work is pretty impressive.

* We know how to market it.
* We know how to structure it for best results.
* We know how to ensure the success of the site.

But that has taken me about 2,000 hours of research and testing to be able to do so easily. And that's why we shouldn't undervalue what we do. And you shouldn't either.

Just because it is easy for you doesn't mean it's easy for others.

BTW, if this e-business goes okay I'll write a case study so you can see what we did each step of the way.

Cheers.

Brendon

Doing what you promise - do you do what your business says you'll do? (3 "do's" and a "Doing" in 1 sentence - not bad!)

I've been going through my brain today trying to come up with an example of businesses not providing the fundamental promise of what they say they do. It hit me when I was thinking about whether I should join a car hire club so that I can get quicker service at the airports - basically so I don't have to fill in the same forms every single time.

Then I thought of which rental car firm I deal with. Budget.

Except they're not. Budget that is. They are the same price - or more expensive - than their competition. So their brand is false. They don't do what their brand says. Mmmmmmm.

So I looked on the Budget web site to see how easy it is to join up to avoid the delays in the airport. I have to contact them, then they'll get back to me.

But Hertz seem to do what I want (they provide more information on their web site) and I can get started online. And their rental rates seem less.

Most people are fickle buyers. Offer them a better deal and they'll consider it. Just like I am right now with Hertz.

Have a good night.

Brendon