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Small Business Made Simple Podcast


May 8, 2019

 

Why hello and welcome.  Welcome to Episode 19 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.

One of the worst things with having an episodic show like this Podcast is that I know it’s week 19 of 2019 – WEEK 19!  It’s flying Brain!

So last week, we spoke about what marketing is – if you missed that – head back to Episode 18 and have a listen.

So, this week I thought we might see if you think like a marketer?  Because if we know that marketing is everything and understand we’re in the business of marketing (yep, you are!), then is that how you approach business, is that how you think?

But before we get into that, let’s do this week’s discovery.

THIS WEEK’S DISCOVERY!

This week’s discovery is a bit vain.  I’ll admit it straight up.

But if you’re not a big video fan, aka being in videos yourself, then this might help. 

You see I have a tonne of video I need to do.  For instance, my goal is to make all these little discoveries into videos and put them on my YouTube channel – which I have just started, heads up!

Part of it is making time, the other part comes from “mmm, today I can’t be bothered doing my makeup and hair and, and, and – excuses, total excuses – don’t worry I get that.

So, this little app I’ve found has filters in it for video.  It’s called Snow and you’ll find it in your app store.

Like I said, it’s vain but what it does is simply puts a filter over your face – to make you look like you have makeup on when you don’t and therefore you can’t use that weak, horrible excuse anymore – you just have to do the videos!

Of course, there’s loads of filters and it can do photos as well as videos as well as putting music over videos and probably 1000 other things I haven’t experimented with before.

But for more, it’s making my life simpler (which is the aim of the podcast) because it’s taking away my excuses not to do video.

Plus, I’m having fun experimenting!  Hope you do too!

As always, just a little disclaimer, my discoveries are just that and I am in no way affiliated with any of them but promise to tell you if I ever am.  I just love them and from the response of my listeners, you guys, you are loving them too!

Hey and if you have a little discovery, or something you use in your business that you’d like to share, please do so.  Email me at jenn@jenndonovan.com.au or tag me @smallbusinessmadesimple.  I really love to know what tools you use to help make your life simpler!

DO YOU THINK LIKE A MARKETER?

There’s a clear distinction between a small business owner who has a marketers-mindset and one that does not.

So, let’s take the test.

If you can grab a piece of paper, do that or scribble answers in your phone notes or if you’re out and about (or in the bath!) just remember your choices!

Choose a or b

Question 1

  1. A) You see your key role in the business as being the DOER. Outsourcing scares you. You’re a give it to me, I can do it better/faster/quicker.

or

  1. B) You know your money-making activities, inside your business, and you give them your core time. You happily outsourcing lower level tasks to others.

Ok A or B

Question 2

  1. A) The sale is the sale right in front of you – it’s all about dollars in the door, with little thought given to future sales opportunities of prospects.

OR

  1. B) You concentrate more on create a lifetime customer than a single sale. You want clients who you can turn into raving fans, rather than just chasing another quick sale to make ends meet.

Again, A OR B

Question 3

  1. A) Everyone is your customer/client and you try and tell everyone about everything you do in the belief that by telling maximum number of people you increase your chances of making a sale of something.
  2. B) You know who your ideal customer is, who your who is, and you target them. Your message is targeted at those people.

A or B

Ok, Question 4

  1. A) If I look at my marketing, captions, brochures (marketing messages) they are ‘I’ and “ME focussed, telling people who YOU are, what YOU do and how well YOU do it.

OR

  1. B) My marketing is CUSTOMER CENTRIC, focusing whether possibly on them and the problems I solve

Did you choose A or B – ok last one

Question 5

  1. A) You are constantly telling prospects why they should buy from you and showcasing your products and services
  2. B) You recognise the value in investing time in creating a content to nurture your prospects until they are ready to buy and giving value, value, value before you ask for any sale. You want quality over quantity.

Ok, so now did you get all A’s or all B’s or a mixture?

If you naturally choose option B then you are thinking like a marketer, if however, you recognise that you are practising a lot of option A strategies, you may want to reconsider your approach.

Until you begin to think like a MARKETER, your progress in business is likely to be slow, and the number of clients you create will be low, no matter how good your product or service.

This was a little quiz I did many years ago.  I’ve adapted it for you guys here, but it was one of those learning turning points for me when I started out in business, so I wanted to share it with you too hear today.

To think more like a marketer and make marketing a priority in your business means you just need to change your mindset just a wee bit.

Here’s some tips on how to become a better marketer.

  1. Start thinking about what you do in your business to make money, what you’re good at, fabulous at in fact and do more of that! Then think about how you can outsource some other tasks to staff if you have some or a VA or PA – if you don’t have one of them either, then perhaps this is an opportunity to explore that.

 

Do what you do the best and outsource the rest!

 

  1. Start thinking and implementing strategies into your business that will make your current customers into customers that come back again and again and turn into raving fans.

Is a loyalty program appropriate for your business?  Or do you need more nurture strategies, keeping top of mind until they are ready to buy again?

  1. Sit down and work on your Ideal Client Avatar. Remembering most businesses will have 1 or 2 (possibly 3) different ideal clients/customers.  Do you know your WHO really really well?  What keeps them up at night?  What problems they have you can solve?  The more you know this person, the better your marketing will become.

 

  1. Go through your current marketing online and offline and count the times you’ve written “I’ or “me” in them. If there’s too many you aren’t talking to your prospect, you are simply talking at them.  Change this.  And lastly,

 

  1. In your marketing, your captions, your social posts, your website, your print marketing, and so on, will I find value, value, value or only ask, ask, ask?  We live in a world that we must give, give, give before we can ever ask for a sale.  We need to develop know, like and trust with our prospects before the sale.

Let’s continue this conversation in my Facebook Group – Like Minded Business Owners.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

But that’s all for Episode 19 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.

I’ll be back next Thursday with some more marketing know-how and another discovery of course.

If you’re liking the podcast – please head over to where you listen and leave a rating and even a review – those things are GOLD for podcasters like me!  I’ll be eternally grateful, and it helps others find this podcast and enjoy the free training, tips and tricks too.  It could be the best gift you give them!

Feel free to leave me a DM on Instagram with any comments or ideas (including fab discoveries)!  The DMs seriously make my day!

Catch you next week,

…….. and remember small business peeps, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!