Follow Up Marketing Experts Blog

Great Ideas from Chris Cardell

I just posted an article from Chris Cardell. He is the top marketer from England. It will give you some ideas. http://ping.fm/8a1F7

Words of Wisdom by Chris Cardell

One thing I've noticed about business owners over the years is how they fall into two camps: those who think this marketing thing is a good idea; and those who think this marketing thing is a good idea... and then actually DO something with it.

Many people spend so much time thinking about and Analyzing what they should and shouldn’t do, they replace ‘Action’ with ‘Analysis.’

You can get away with this in a normal economy. We can’t get away with it now. We need to fight the Recession with massive Action.

So here's a foolproof system you can use to kick-start your marketing and avoid the "analysis paralysis". Believe me, no matter how many good ideas you have swirling around inside your head, not a one of them is worth a penny to you until you actually take action on it.

1. Make a list of your top 7 marketing ideas. These are the 7 different things you think have the best chance of working for you. Bear in mind you cannot possibly KNOW for sure until you test, so let go of any fear of "failure" you might have.

In marketing there is no such thing as "failure". There is only a result. And this is why we test small – no more than 1000 mailed pieces to a list and only one run of an ad (and make it a small one), until we have some actual statistics on how it performs.

2. Start working on the first idea and stick with it until you've either completed it or you can go no further. Then move onto number 2.

The trick here is not to get into the situation where you're getting diminishing returns. The 80/20 rule applies here.

For example, if you think it's going to take you 20 hours at the keyboard to write the perfect copy for your website, the truth is you're going to have it roughly 80% "right" after the first 4 hours.

The remaining 16 hours you work on it are largely a waste of your time, because they're responsible for such a small return.

So, decide how long you think it's going to take you, and then whatever you've got after, say, 25% of the time, you run with it. Get a kitchen timer, set it, and be strict with yourself.

3. Don’t waste time working out whether something will or will not work.

When I used to do consulting work, I would sit around board tables with business owners and their managers and listen to hours of mass debate about whether a certain strategy I had recommended would work. I can assure you that many years on,some of these companies are still having the same discussion. Being great at Marketing is not about trying to predict the future.

It’s about testing new methods and finding what works best. And wealthy business owners know it’s also about finding out what does not work so you can move on to the next approach.

4. Don’t do things one at a time.

If there are three new things you want to try to get more customers, do them all at the same time. It will triple your effectiveness because you’ll get the results so much faster. We’ve been conditioned to do things one at a time. That’s boring. Life’s too short.

So take action. Take massive action and do it all at the same time. That will make you so much more effective than the competition, it’s breathtaking.

Best wishes

Chris Cardell

Cardell Media LLC 5755 Oberlin Drive San Diego CA 92121

Do you really know who your target market is?

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Do you Really know who your Target Market is?

By Pam Lutey

How many times do we hear that it is very important to find your target market? I hear this daily in articles and other places. Why do we hear this so often? It is because it is really important.

When you try to market to everyone, it is expensive and often times a waste of time. Finding your target market and then narrowing that down will not only be less work but much more profitable.

I am saying this because when I first got into marketing I tried to learn it all. It took years of my time and I came out with general knowledge about marketing. I was competing with so many people that I would never get noticed. Is this happening to you? When I realized that my niche was too broad, I narrowed it by becoming an expert in Follow Up marketing. This was better but if I narrowed my Follow Up marketing to working with just restaurants, that would be better still and I would just be concentrating on learning all I could about Follow Up marketing for restaurants.

Look at your business. What do you sell? Now start writing down the people that could use your product or knowledge.

I thought about this last night in bed. We have some friends that are in the home improvement industry. They want to focus in on people that need their services. I thought about this and came up with several niches that would narrow their search for clients and customers.

It might be people that have their grown children back home or they are caring for their parents. These people need creative ways to use their existing home to make room for everyone. They might need to finish a basement or remodel the existing rooms. But how do you find these people?

Perhaps this is too big of a niche. Perhaps they should find people that need to sell their home and need some work done to make it more sellable. Contacting real estate people might be one way to find the people that need work done on their homes before they can sell them. Drive around your areas and make a note as to who is the listing agent. Contact them to see if their client might need some help getting their house ready to sell.

What about the homes that are in foreclosure? Perhaps contacting the banks and letting them know that you would be glad to redo the home so they can sell it. It certainly would be worth a shot!

Perhaps letting interior decorators know what you do. Many times they have clients that need work done. The interior decorator can help design the project but might need someone to do the project. Let them know that you would be willing to put in a bid.

Ok, it is your turn. Look at your business and what you do and write down the people that would make good Joint Venture partners. The more you narrow your niche the easier and more lucrative it will become.

What do you mean there is no such thing as a Free Lunch? That is exactly what we are offering to any small business. We take you to lunch, listen to your situation and then give you some great marketing tips that you can use right now. Our goal is to help businesses become #1. Call us at 970-587-2869 or email us at [email protected] and we will set a time to meet. You can also sign up for our newsletter on our website at http://www.followupmarketingexperts.com.

Out of the Colorado area? We consult by phone or by Go to Meeting. Simply call us at 970-587-2869 or email us at the address above. We love helping small businesses.

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