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Is Your Customer Service Muddling Your Marketing?

Lauron Sonnier — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:00:00 GMT

No matter how great your external marketing, if your customer service team isn't upholding your marketing promises or taking advantage of prime marketing opportunities, you're missing out.

Explore this poignant list of questions to determine how well your customer service staff is advancing or muddling up your marketing impact. Use it to spur some stimulating conversation about how to kick up your customer's experience--and to capitalize on every customer interaction.

Share some candid discussions with your customer service team using these all-important questions:

--Do I look at everything from my customer’s perspective?

--Am I saying “no” to customers too often?

--Do I use the customer’s name when I speak to him/her?

--Do I treat my customer like I know him even when I don’t?

--Are my words polished, or am I always fumbling because I am not confident in what I’m saying?

--Do customers have my business card?

--Do customers ever get something from me that they have not asked for?

--Do I give more bad news that good news to my customers?

--Do my customers know I care about them?

--Do I dedicate quality time to my customers?

--Do I know more about my customers than their last job, order, purchase, proposal, or estimate?

--Do I tell customers how busy we are without saying, “but of course we always have time for important people like you?”

--Do I tell customers my personal troubles?

--Do I blame other people or departments for mistakes and hiccups?

--Do I share too much behind-the-scenes information?

--Do I share the right details about what happens to get their job done or product out?

--Do I ask the customer what is important to her?

--Do I listen for common comments from customers and pass those on to the proper people and departments?

--Do I take an opportunity to educate my customer anytime I can?

--Do I use the power of questions to market, understand, and further my relationship with customers?

--Do I tell the customer about our services and programs on a regular basis?

--Do I ask for the order?

--Do I offer my customers solutions even when I cannot help them personally?

--Do I get answers for my customers even when I cannot personally provide them?

--Am I apologizing to customers too often?

22-Nov-09 9:00 PM

Productive Networking

Lauron Sonnier — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Today business really is not just about who you know, but who knows you, and that means getting "out there" through networking. Here are five ways to make those activities more productive.

Choose smart venues. If your goal is to build business, go where your prospects and influencers are, not just people you like. The return on your time will be directly related to the prospect quality of those present. Definitely don’t overlook the online networking scene. People are gathering on popular conversation sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. If your targets are there, then you need to be there, too. Like all outlets, some provide more fun than business opportunity, so do your homework to find the best places to invest your time and attention.

2. Be prepared when someone asks, "So what do you do?" Your goal is to quickly establish whether there is a possible match between what you do and what they need. You can take a straightforward approach or get clever. If you’re an organizational consultant, for example, you could say, "I work with individuals to help them clear their clutter and live an organized, stress-free life," or you could say, "I help people find their keys every morning." Just be sure that the other person immediately knows what you do, who you serve, and a benefit of working with you. Also, be cautious in using generic statements like, "I help people achieve their dreams." We hear these far too often from all types of people—anyone from a career counselor to a financial consultant to a travel agent in this case. Craft your answer, relate a benefit, and give people just enough information to make them understand what you do but want to know more.

3. Go for quality, not quantity. It’s easy to spot the networking madman who’s zipping about the room looking for the next sucker to give his business card to. If you are a mass-appeal business like a restaurant, then sure, you don’t need to spend a lot of time explaining what you do. However, it is never your goal to be a business card dispenser, but to make connections and build relationships. Watch your pace. Spend as much time as you need to make strong connections, even if that means talking to fewer people.

4. Keep showing up. The power of networking, like all marketing, lies in consistency and repetition. People need to keep seeing your face to be reminded of your business. People who didn’t get to visit with you "last time" will be happy to have an opportunity "next time." Plus, people who want to make introductions for you can’t help you if you aren’t there. Choose a few, well-fitting venues and become a regular.

5. Keep the contact going. Follow up after the meeting with an email or personal note to strengthen the connection. Also, plan ahead. If there’s someone in the group you want to meet, send a note or make a phone call ahead of time to coordinate a visit at the next event.

15-May-09 1:00 PM

Know-Think-Feel-Do--A Handy Tool

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

I watch people stress over marketing communications all the time. Whether it's an email, brochure, web page, advertisement, estimate, proposal, or anything else, careful thought must be given to ensure that you're putting the most marketing value into (and getting out of) every communication, large and small.

To help me and you improve marketing effectiveness and ease of production in our business communications, here is a simple, but extremely useful tool to get all of us clear on what really needs to be done within each communication.

It's my Know-Think-Feel-Do Formula. Before venturing into any communication written or spoken, simply ask and answer these four questions:

In this communication, what is important for our target to KNOW about us?

For our target to THINK about us?

For our target to FEEL about us?

What do we want our target to DO as a result of this interaction, exchange, communication, or tool?

Now, turn it upside down and ask the same four questions from your target's perspective.

To DO what we are asking our target to do:

What does he need/want to KNOW about us?

What does he need/want to THINK about us?

What does he need/want to FEEL about us?

Sometimes answers will seem to bleed in the "think" and "know" categories, but no need to get too technical about it. Just decide on the issues that really matter and which points you need to focus on. Of particular importance are your answers in the "feel" category. Remember that people make decisions based on emotions and justify them with fact. If you determine that targets want to feel confident about something, use the word "confident" in your text and tell targets specifically why they're going to feel that way working with you.

Marketing doesn't have to be complicated—when you think like a marketer and you apply simple, but smart marketing techniques.

To make life and marketing extra easy for you, I've created a handy Know-Think-Feel-Do Form to guide you in this process. Download it now and pull it out every time you're crafting anything that goes before a prospect or customer. Remember, everything is marketing and everything presents a marketing opportunity, so don't leave any on the table—and make the most of them while you have them by applying this formula.

14-May-09 11:00 AM

Lauron's Survival Tips for Building Business in Bad Times and in Good

Lauron Sonnier — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Marketing is always a critical component of business success, but certainly when times are tight. If you aren't maintaining a smart, aggressive marketing effort, your business will always fall short of its potential, and that can become detrimental or even devastating in a stressful economic environment. Sometimes it takes a few buckets of sweat to kick us into the activities we should be doing all the time. View challenging times as an opportunity to clean up and perfect your marketing act. Eliminate the weak and the excess and then implement and hold firm to the principles, practices, and mindset that will help you weather the storm today and create growing and lasting success tomorrow.

Here are a few survival tips to help you protect and move business forward both in bad times and in good.

1. Think like a marketer so you'll act like a marketer. In my upcoming book, Think Like a Marketer: What It Really Takes to Stand Out from the Crowd, the Clutter, and the Competition (July, Career Press), I address head-on the mindset that makes your company a marketing machine. One component is simply realizing that everything in your business—every communication, exchange, interaction, piece of paper, sign, policy, everything—makes an impression that can help or hurt you. In both good and bad times, you should be capitalizing on the myriad marketing opportunities that are inherent in the normal operation of your business every day. Accept that everything is marketing. Everything that is you and that represents you works to make customers choose you (or not) and choose you again (or not).

Therefore, thinking like a marketer means constantly asking, "What is the marketing opportunity here?" If you're on the phone with a prospect, ask the question. If you're sending a fax, ask the question. If you're working up a price quotation, ask the question. Everything presents an opportunity to sell, cross-sell, up-sell, and re-sell. If you are not making every moment in your business a marketing moment, then you are leaving money on the table constantly. In troubled times these could be the rafts and rescue boats that could save you from the storm. Put everything you already have to work for you. Constantly ask, "What is the marketing opportunity here?" and then capitalize on it.

2. Get your entire company operating from a marketing mindset.First, get sales and marketing teams talking. These players need to be in constant communication and collaboration anyway, but more than ever when times are tough. Get your power brains in a room and devise an aggressive action plan that can generate sales and make a difference in your business right now. Get everyone involved, including customer service representatives. Rough seas call for all hands on deck. Every employee who closely interacts with customers needs to be active in keeping tight connections and fostering business along, but they'll need specific direction from you on how to do that effectively, so don't leave them hanging.

Next, pull in the rest of your troops. Every single person in your company plays a significant marketing role, no matter what they do. Everything they do every day—what they do and how they do it—determines whether or not prospects and customers will choose you, choose you again, or spread good news about you. Any single person may be the very reason a customer does business with your company—or not. Keep staff mindful of the impact they have on the overall marketing of your company. Help them understand how they can improve the customer's experience by what they do and how they do it. Get everyone asking the question, "How can we make a great impression here?" and "What is the marketing opportunity here?" Encourage more by acknowledging, rewarding, and celebrating all good deeds and successes large and small.

3. Get up close and personal with your customers. Now more than ever, you need to know what's on the minds of your customers. If business is tough for you, it's likely tough for them, too. Ask how they're doing and how you can work together to keep business flowing for both of you. Demonstrate a "we're all in this together" attitude. Say thank you. Indifference and neglect are always customer killers, but the tighter the margins, the less you afford to allow them in your business. Take the lead to keep relations tight and communications open. Plus, you want a heads-up if bad news is coming.

4. Pick up the phone. There's no time to wait for customers to come to you. The greater the need for business, the more direct and personal your approach must be. You don't have time to wait for marketing to build, you have to go straight to the source, so pick up the phone. Call customers. Call prospects. Hire a telemarketing firm if you need to (just be extra diligent to choose a good company). Be aggressive, direct, and personal.

5. Crank up the volume. Get out there relentlessly. This is no time to cut back on marketing. I understand you have to have the funds to make it happen, but you're only putting yourself in more danger by being silent. Tailor back expenditures that aren't producing, but keep the best ones active. Get your entire company out there. Network more. Make phone calls. Send more notes. Follow up on the contacts you made 6 months ago. Tell everyone you meet who you are and how you can help them. Ask one more question about what else they need and how you could serve them. Whatever has been productive for you in the past, double your efforts in half the time.

6. Stand out. Get bold and creative with how you reach your audience. I have seen a ton more signs about town lately, and that's terrific. Add signage to your door, curb, street corner, and inside walls. Get extreme with a killer promotion or offer that really gets attention (like the car companies who say we'll let you return your car if you lose your job). There's no room for playing around. Do something really big, bold, different, or unexpected to get noticed and get attention.

7. Expand your reach. If you aren't getting enough business from your traditional circle, expand your universe. Can you reach into a neighboring geographic area? Can you go to a different market segment that you haven't focused on before? Can you use a new tool like email and other online campaigns to reach more people faster? Go where impact and results are the warmest and the likeliest. Also look to other centers of influence who can help you. What organizations or other industry groups can help you find business or make referrals for you? Reach out to them.

8. Do what you've hesitated to do to get in front of customers. There's no room for subtlety in tight times. Maybe you've resisted some less-desirable marketing activities because they just weren't fun. Certainly, you must always uphold the highest standards of ethics, professionalism, and human courtesy, but when business is starving, you may have to take some less than desirable measures. Maybe it's time to hire high school students to put flyers on doorknobs. Maybe you need to draw extra attention to yourself at networking meetings by wearing a button or interesting hat as you pass out colorful notices about your business. Maybe you need to ask other businesses to carry your business card or walk the halls of a large office building and make cold calls to introduce yourself. I personally wouldn't enjoy those activities either, but if my business were starving, I'd do it. Rough times call us to step out from our normal routine. Remember, you don't get it if you don't ask. The greatest flaw of salespeople is that they don't ask for the order. Go where your customers are and ask, ask, ask. Who knows what great things might come of it.

9. Take ultimate care of customers. There's no room for sloppiness. Make sure customers feel extra pleased and extra appreciated by paying attention to every detail. Again, you must eliminate the possibility of indifference at all costs. People make decisions based on emotions and then justify them with fact. Make sure you're creating positive (not just average) emotions in every customer in every single step and transaction. Remember, all impressions either help you or hurt you so pay attention to everything.

10. Keep positive. If you dwell in the negative, you only get more negative. Companies have defied tales of woe because they didn't listen to them. Countless salespeople have made record sales in the "down seasons" because they didn't know they weren't supposed to sell that much at that time. Keep a positive attitude and just keep talking to customers and prospects, offering incentives, making great impressions, and taking advantage of every moment and tool in your business to ask, sell, cross-sell, and up-sell.

Whatever you do, you must keep stirring the pot to keep the momentum going. Don't back down or slack off when business picks up again. Whatever delivers results for you today can deliver results tomorrow—if you maintain your pace. The best defense in rough times is an ongoing, smart, and aggressive marketing strategy. You can learn more about how to keep marketing automatic in my new book, Think Like a Marketer, available right now for pre-order at Amazon.com.

7-Apr-09 12:00 PM

Marketing Opportunities Here, There, and Everywhere

Lauron Sonnier — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

My family and I put a little magic in our holiday by escaping for a few days to Disney World in Orlando. It was terribly fun watching my 3-year-old’s head explode as she came up close and personal with all of her favorite characters and princesses. I was equally mesmerized with wonderful sights, but of a different kind.

As a marketing professional, I’m prone to scrutinize every detail of every place I go. I often remark on where a company missed or hit the mark in finding and capitalizing on marketing opportunities. (This drives my family crazy!) Definitely Disney wins the gold star in this regard for a myriad of reasons.

The one I’ll address today is the fact that everywhere you go, the Disney imagineers have given you something to marvel over. Of course we expect the rides and spectacles to be impressive, but I’m talking about the less-expected places--like waiting spaces and areas behind attractions. No matter where you go at Disney--and I do mean no matter where--you’ll find something of interest that makes you laugh or point and tell your companions to "look at that!" Everywhere you wait in line, there are wonderful objects and amusements to keep you occupied.

Disney wants you to look around. They want you to peek behind the pictures and under the carpets and they’ll never disappoint you. There’s even a popular game to find all of the "hidden mickeys" throughout the property begging visitors to pull out their magnifiers. As a tourist, these details kick up my experience manyfold. It’s another part of what makes Disney truly unmatched by anyone else of their kind. They pay attention to every single detail. No exceptions. I’m convinced they have staff whose sole purpose is to walk around looking for more opportunities to humor, inspire, and beguile their guests (as evidenced by this photo with my little Sarah and Cinderella's wicked step-mother and sisters who were unexpectedly lurking around to grumble at all children passing by).

Paying attention to every single detail is a big lesson we should all employ in our own businesses--that is, if we’re interested in being the best.

At Sonnier Marketing, we add surprises anywhere and anytime we can--such as with our invoices and even holiday cards. We work hard to find unexpected places to do something extra or give something unusual so we’re constantly stirring great emotions in our targets.

Today and throughout 2009, I encourage and challenge you to walk around your facility, click around your website, and step into every single process and protocol used by your company. Follow the flow of a prospect or target in every respect and see where you can add some humor, surprises, and other nuances that make people laugh, wonder, point, and look. (After you do it, send us a note about what you did so we can give you big kudos.)

Here are a few quick ideas to get you started:

1. Take advantage of wall space. Scrap the abstract artwork and add some "props" to acquaint visitors with what you do. Pictures of smiley, happy people with testimonials always work well, too.

2. Kick up your signage with creative and and playful sayings. Rude and stilted signs are everywhere barking commands like "no parking" and "no substitutions." Nobody gets a warm fuzzy from those. I saw a "no parking" sign at a bed and breakfast in Gruene, Texas, that said, "Elvis says anyone who parks here will be all shook up." Instead of getting frustrated, I laughed my way to another spot.

3. Incorporate lots of surprises in unexpected places like your bathrooms, invoices, deliveries, etc. All it takes is a little note or cheap gift from the party store to make you memorable.

4. Incorporate humor anywhere and any way you can. As the saying goes, the shortest distance between two people is a laugh.

5. Engage all of the senses to get your target involved. Consider how you can use music, scent, taste, touch, and interaction in everything you do. Obviously some things won't always be practical, but do what you can where you can. (The 4D shows at Disney World are by far the most popular.)

6. Get playful. Remember, "professional" doesn’t have to be boring, and fun isn’t just for kids.

14-Jan-09 1:00 PM

Stirring the Pot When You're the Pot

Lauron Sonnier — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Sometimes the most difficult target audience or "pot" I have to deal with is the client himself.

He will say that he wants to make things happen in his business, but when it really comes down to it, he doesn't want to stir things up. He's nervous, uncomfortable, uncertain, overwhelmed, paralyzed, stuck in the past, and afflicted with many other ailments that hold him back, along with his marketing and business success. Oh, he'll have good reasons to derail a marketing effort, but they won't be the right ones. Remember, as humans, our tendency is to make decisions based on emotions and then use facts to justify them. So, in the end, I'll hear about budgets or time schedules or changes in the marketplace or something else that makes him sound smart. But I'll know. Because I've seen it a hundred times. Because I'm a business owner myself with the same worries and concerns and uncertainties. But I know that nothing ventured is nothing gained. I know that I can't attract customers with something sitting on my desk.

So, let's stir the pot--starting with you! If today you find yourself in a similar situation (and you don't have to admit it out loud to anybody but yourself), then work through the 5 Stir Points to market the concept of marketing to yourself!

1. Stir Awareness
Remind yourself that marketing can help you be successful. Put it on paper. "Marketing can help me be wildly successful faster." Write it every day, several times a day. Develop any other affirmations you need to help you work through your marketing barriers.
"Marketing will help me achieve my business and life goals."
"I am a smart, confident marketer."

2. Stir Emotion
Take a few minutes to feel how great it will be when you achieve your marketing goals. Envision the spreadsheet with your monthly sales. See the number you want to see on the bottom line. Think about how great it will be to celebrate the success, money, comfort, confidence, and overall excitement of your business doing even better. On the flip side, think about the concerns, sacrifices, and worries that come from not marketing your business. Which emotion do you want?

3. Stir Mindfulness
"Marketing must be constant in thought and constant in action." Do whatever it takes to keep marketing at the top of your mind. Post marketing reminders and motivations around your workspace and workplace. (See my Marketing Motivations pack.) Follow my 12 steps to Maintaining a Marketing Mindset Throughout Your Company so marketing is always a hot topic. Start every day asking, "What do I need to do to stir the pot in my business today?" Finish every day with "What did I do today and what do I need to do tomorrow?"

4. Stir Conviction
Just as you must constantly tell your customers "what's in it for them" and "what you've done for them lately," you may need a little reminding yourself. Make a list of the reasons why marketing serves you (earn new customers, grow sales with current customers, realize a dream, keep your job, have opportunity for bonuses, grow and do new things, etc.). Talk regularly about what marketing has done for you lately. Acknowledge all successes large and small--a compliment from a customer, a great new account, a special project or alliance, media attention, record sales, survival through rough times, everything. Keep reminding yourself why you must hold firm in your faith and purpose in keeping marketing in motion.

5. Stir Word-of-Mouth
As with customers, when you've passed through the previous four stages, you've built up excitement and conviction of marketing as a key player in your success. The more excited and committed you are, the more others will share in your enthusiasm be they employees, co-workers, vendors, peers, associates, or anyone else. People will want to help you. They will make referrals for you. They will introduce you to people you need to know. The viral effect will take off. Success will come faster and more easily, and you'll reap the benefits of all that hard work along the way.

The cycle of smart marketing works for all targets--even yourself. Do whatever it takes to stir the pot in your business, even if that means starting with you first.

Check out Lauron describing her Stir the Pot method on Life, Business, and Money with Steven Kay (Houston 650AM) or click here to read the Steven Kay Newsletter featuring Lauron.

10-Nov-08 10:00 AM

The Good, Bad, and Indifferent Index

Lauron Sonnier — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Lauron explains how to reveal missed marketing opportunities in your business by asking the question, "Does this make a good, bad, or indifferent impression?"

Click here to listen!

10-Nov-08 10:00 AM

The SMAC Method to Marketing (and How It Can Make You Successful)

Lauron Sonnier — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:15:00 GMT

I think we all make marketing much more difficult than it needs to be. Send a good message to your target audience on a regular basis. That's essentially what marketing is all about. Certainly we can spend countless hours and dollars refining that message and analyzing our target audience--and we probably should. But, along the way, it's easy to neglect that core principle while we're busy strategizing, masterminding, planning, reviewing, producing, and reviewing some more.

The acrononym for Sonnier Marketing and Communications is of course SMAC. I didn't realize how fun that would be when I was naming my company, but later, when my marketing mind really kicked in, I discovered a new marketing opportunity. So, today, I love telling people that I'm going to SMAC (smack) them with my spoon! And I'm not joking...

SMAC, along with it's onomatopoetic benefit, has also come to represent my philosophy for marketing success--"Smart Marketing Applied Consistently."

That's what "stir the pot" is all about. That's putting and keeping marketing in motion, and as physics has proven, "an object in motion tends to stay in motion." That principle makes no exception for marketing. You can't build and maintain marketing momentum with a lot of starts and stops. As I always say, "To be an effective marketer, you must be a consistent marketer," and "Marketing must be constant in thought and constant in action."

When you think like this, you become attuned to the myriad marketing opportunities that are literally handed to you every day. When you act from this mindset, you build and maintain momentum that makes great things happen. It's just that simple. Might not be easy, but it's simple, and why would we want to make things more complicated than they have to be?

So, give your business a good SMAC with a spoon, and keep stirring!

10-Nov-08 9:15 AM

The 4 Questions You Must Answer Before Every Customer Communication

Lauron Sonnier — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:00:00 GMT

What do you need to share with the customer in every interaction you have?

Lauron tells you the 4 key questions you must answer to get you thinking like a marketer in every communication. Click here to listen!

10-Nov-08 9:00 AM

4 Secrets to Standing Out from the Crowd, the Clutter, and the Competition

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Standing out is about taking conscious, deliberate action to get noticed, get attention, and get your desired results.

It's about going from ordinary to extraordinary. It's about shining in a way that helps you thrive. It's about being memorable--in a good way.

I could talk for a long time about this topic, and I do in my marketing keynotes, trainings, workshops, and of course in my books where I give you all the how-to's as well. For now I'll share the 4 secrets so you can start thinking--and taking action--on how you can stand out from the crowd, clutter, and competition. With a very noisy marketplace, it's more critical than ever to make "standing out" part of your business plan.

The 4 secrets to standing out of the crowd, the clutter, and the competition, or what I could also call "the 4 habits of highly memorable people" are:

1. Do something different. Do something no one else is doing and you're sure to stand out.
2. Do things differently. Put a different spin on a common product or service.
3. Stir emotions. Move people emotionally and you'll definitely break through the clutter.
4. Be consistent. Consistency tells a story that sticks. Turn great actions into habits so they become part of who you are.

These work independently and collectively. Each will help you stand out and get noticed and maybe even get attention. But you'll need to use them in concert to achieve and maintain your desired results.

So, how do you stand out today? How do you need to stand out to get noticed, get attention, and achieve your desired results with each of your target audiences? What can you do today to start doing that?

6-Nov-08 12:00 PM

Common Marketing Mistakes

Lauron Sonnier — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

The race for a successful finish to 2008 is on!

That means marketing should be a big topic on your mind. In truth, you should be thinking about marketing every second of every day. You and everyone in your business should always be asking, "What is the marketing opportunity here?", "How can we make a great impression here?", and several other questions that challenge you to stand out, "stir the pot," and put marketing into action.

Right now I strongly encourage you to take a good look at how you've marketed yourself this year--and what you need to do differently next year to take your business to the next level. Business guru Brian Tracy recommends a trick I would suggest to you here--and that is to assess your start-stop-more-less model. To accomplish your goals, what do you need to start, stop, do more of, and do less of? All four lists are important to help us focus on the right 20% that generates 80% of our desired results. With the end of the year approaching and lots of unrest in the marketplace, it's more important than ever to be on top of our marketing game.

To help you, I'd like to offer some suggestions of what you need to do less of by sharing some of the common mistakes people make in marketing. If you're guilty of any of these, then you know exactly what you can start and stop doing to make your marketing and business-building more effective.

Common Marketing Mistakes
That Entrepreneurs, Owners, and Managers
Often Make:

1. Underestimate the impact of what they offer. If you've lost sight of the impact you have on others with your products and services, you definitely won't be as motivated as you need to be. Your passion and excitement about what you do and what you offer--or the lack of them--will be reflected in your marketing aggressiveness and effectiveness.

2. Focus too much on running their business than building their business. Ask yourself how much time you spent on marketing in the last month. Rate your aggressiveness on a scale of 1-5. Are you happy with that? What level do you want to operate at most of the time, and what do you need to do to make that happen?

3. Make marketing so complicated that it doesn't get done. I think we all make marketing way more complicated than it needs to be. If you're stuck in "overwhelm mode," pick one thing that can make a difference and get it out there working for you. Don't over analyze or get too picky. Just finish something. Remember, nothing counts until it's finished, and things don't work for you until they're out the door!

4. Are afraid to spend money; won't invest in themselves. Hey, I get it--budgets can be tight. Still, it must be a priority to invest the money you do have into your marketing and future success. If money is spent wisely and consistently, no doubt your return will be many-fold.

5. Do production work they're not qualified to do (copywriting, design, production). If you're not good at creating your marketing materials and message, hire someone who is. Spend your time and energies where you excel instead of wasting them on less-than-professional marketing that won't get you anywhere.

6. Get too stiff. Hey, stop trying to be so professional. Be personal instead. Be real. Put a face on your company. Make a human connection with your targets. Remember, people buy from people, not companies, and they buy from people they like. So be likeable.

7. Are afraid to be silly. People buy based on emotions and then justify their decisions with facts. Even top-level CEOs love to laugh. Getting people laughing--while making your point--with silly items and promotions is a great way to stand out and get attention. I've broken through often with bottles of tobasco, packages of play money, oversized sunglasses, slinkies, and other fun items. Don't be afraid to add some humor to your marketing.

8. Fly by the seat of their pants. If you want significant things to happen, you have to have a plan. You can change it as often as you need to, but you have to have a plan.

9. Don't make marketing routine. Integrating marketing into the day-to-day operation of your business so that it becomes common, natural, automatic, and routine is imperative for great marketing success. I teach companies how to do this in my workshops, and it's the biggest eye-opening moment when they realize how easy marketing can be if they just make it routine.

10. Don't maintain a reliable database. Your list, be it mail or email, is gold. It's the most critical component of any external communications effort. Have a bad list, and you're just sending to the wind. Establish systems and people to coddle your database.

11. Have scatter-brained efforts and messages. Consistency is everything in marketing, and that means consistency in message, look, feel, tone, timing, everything! So get a good message and park it everywhere for a while. People tend to change things up too often because they get tired of it. Your targets haven't lived with it forever like you have. The more you change things up, the less opportunity for anything to "stick" and work for you.

12. Talk only about themselves. Your target doesn't care about you--only what you can do for him. Are you telling him?

13. Data dump. Give everything they have in one big scoop, be it their entire story or every marketing piece they have. Spread it out! Let the process build. Remember, it takes 7-9 exposures to even hit your target's radar. Success comes from a trickle more than a tidal wave.

14. Try to reach too many targets. Yes, you need to reach all of those prospective targets, but you may need to do it in batches. Frequency and repetition are the cornerstones of successful marketing, so if you can't afford to reach everyone on the list as often as you need to, then scale back the list. Send to fewer targets more often.

15. Have too great of a time-gap between messages. How often people buy what you sell dictates how often you need to be in their face. If you're selling pizza, you need to promote frequently since people are making decisions about food every day. If you're selling washing machines, you don't have to be so aggressive. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. Another consideration is whether or not your target knows you. For example, a monthly "touch" with current customers might be all you need, but for targets who know nothing about you, a more frequent schedule would be necessary, maybe even weekly, to get them paying attention.

16. Don't use the resources and marketing opportunities they have already. Every day in everything you do, there are marketing opportunities that you're likely not capitalizing on. Everywhere you go, ask the question, "What is the marketing opportunity here?" I guarantee you, you'll find opportunities everywhere once you start looking for them.

17. Keep their marketing objectives and plans under wraps. Marketing has to run deep and wide throughout your entire organization. Everyone is part of your marketing team, and everyone should be part of the strategy and its execution.

18. Give up too soon. Don't give marketing a chance to work. It's easy to get impatient, but patience and persistence are required in the world of marketing. Don't give up too soon. Keep the momentum going. If you're "stirring the pot," good things are happening even if you can't see them. Trust the process. You can't move forward with constant stops and starts.

So, what marketing mistake is hurting you most right now and what can you do about it? Choose one area and commit to correcting it with some real action before the end of the year. Remember, success in marketing comes from the culmination of lots of little things happening all the time. Do something--anything. No matter how small it is, it can make a big difference.

Have a question about any of these common mistakes? Drop me a line at lauron@sonniermarketing.com.

4-Nov-08 4:00 PM

Stir the Pot! What It Means for You and Your Business

Lauron Sonnier — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

My mother was not born Cajun, but she could cook like a mad Cajun woman, and she was always working up some fabulous Cajun cuisine like gumbo, sauce piquanté, and etouffé. These dishes begin with a base called a roux, a mixture of flour and cooking oil that has to be stirred constantly until it's just the perfect color and consistency. It takes about 45 minutes of endless stirring to get it just right. As a child, I'd of course complain and want to stop, but my mother would just tell me to keep "stirring the pot." If I stopped, the roux would burn and we'd have to start over (and Mama would not be happy).

Little did I know at the time that my mother was teaching me a significant life lesson and a cardinal rule of marketing—that for good things to happen, there must be motion, there must be action. When there's no motion, no action, there's trouble. Things burn. The parts separate instead of meld. The flavor isn't nearly as good, and you simply miss out on all the good stuff that sinks to the bottom.

The same is true whether we're talking about food or business. If a business is not stirring up its marketing, its not building momentum. It's not getting the consistency and flavor it needs to get and keep customers' attention. It's attracting the junk that floats to the top, or walks in the door, instead of the ideal customers it really needs to target and attract. But, if its "stirring the pot" on a regular basis, then you're getting that great consistency of everything working together. All of the parts--some small and some significant work collaboratively for a fabulous flavor and a wonderful end product. When it's right, people love it, talk about it, and beg for more, and that's successful marketing indeed.

The 5 things you must constantly be stirring to build and maintain marketing momentum, whether it's with a specific target or your marketing strategy overall:

Stir Awareness

Make them know you even exist.

Stir Emotion

Create an emotional connection to get them engaged.

Stir Mindfulness

Stay "top of mind" so they think of you first when they want or need what you have to offer.

Stir Conviction

Get them to emphatically choose you—to decide that you're their best choice.

Stir Word-of-Mouth

Make their knowledge and experience of you so significant that they spread the word about you. Get them talking by giving them something to talk about.

So, the next time you pick up that spoon to stir your coffee, tea, soup, or gumbo, ask yourself, "What am I doing today to stir the pot in my business?"

Click here to listen to Lauron describe her Stir the Pot^SM method on the radio show Life, Business, and Money with Steven Kay (Houston 650AM).

Learn more about how to accomplish each of the 5 stages of "stirring the pot" in Lauron's keynotes, training programs, workshops, and her daily marketing guide.

29-Oct-08 2:00 PM

What's In It For Me?

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT

What Your Target Audience Really Wants to Know

It may seem paradoxical that the way to promote yourself or an idea to someone is to focus on the other person, but that's exactly how it works.

Your first task is to get that person to listen to you, and that means you have to get their attention. People aren't inclined to listen to others who brag about themselves, share their problems, or constantly talk about themselves and what they need.

All the time I hear people of every age, educational background, and professional status commit the cardinal sin of marketing--talking solely about themselves in hopes of convincing the lucky listener to do something for them. They say things such as:

"I really need this job."
"We want your business."
"I would really appreciate it if you would help me out and buy this or do this."
"We'll do anything to make you our customer."
"This is a good organization; you need to join."

What is the other person thinking when he/she hears this?--"I don't care." Or, "It's not my problem."

This type of talk is certainly not productive from a marketing standpoint because it doesn't engage the attention of the person you're marketing to. In fact, it does quite the opposite--it turns them off. Best friends, close associates, husbands, wives, and Mom may be the exceptions, but even they need a little marketing sometimes to be motivated to listen, agree, or act in the way you'd like them to.

Hands down, you'll be more successful with them and everyone else--prospective employers, managers, dates, associates, everybody--if you follow the cardinal rule of marketing which is to answer the question your target audience wants to know: What's in it for me? Why should I choose you, pay you, trust you, listen to you, or do whatever else you're asking me to do? To be an effective marketer, you must put your message in terms that matter to your target audience and that means looking at things from their perspective.

Research tells us that the average person is exposed to over 400 solicitations to buy per day! Add to that all of other things people are always asking us to do--take a survey, mail something in, call, try for 30 days, whatever. We're bombarded with people begging for our attention, our energy, and our time, which we all know are already scarce, overcommitted, and overextended.

So when everyone else is dishing out the standard "me" story, you can stand out, get noticed and get results by talking to your target audience in a way that they will listen and pay attention to.

A few tips to make sure you're answering, "What's in it for me?" for your target audience:

1. Know what matters to them. What do they want or need in this situation? If you don't know, ask and then really listen. Do some research. You must know or at least consider the answer to be able to operate from a marketing advantage.

2. Answer the question yourself of "what's in it for them?" Why should they consider hiring you? Agree to meet with you? Join your organization? Purchase your product or contribute their money to your cause? Why should they agree to your request?

3. Get specific about what you can do to help them meet their needs or wants. Saying, I'll be a great employee" doesn't really communicate anything, especially when every other candidate is saying the same thing or something similar. Stand out by being specific. Say instead, "I understand that accuracy and timeliness are very important to you, so you'll be glad to know that I can type 75 words per minute and I am very accurate, so you can feel confident that your correspondence will be done well and quickly."

4. Use the most important word in marketing--you. Turn "I" and "we" statements into "you" statements.

EXAMPLES:

Instead of saying:
I really need this job.

Say:
With my good typing skills, you can be confident that your documents will be done accurately and quickly.

Instead of saying:
We want your business.

Say:
If speed is important to you, you are going to love this machine because it can cut your current production time in half.

Instead of saying:
This is a good organization; you need to join.

Say:
This organization gives you so many opportunities to network and promote your business. It could really serve you to be a member.

Instead of saying:
I would really appreciate it if you would help me out and buy this.

Say:
These cookies taste so creamy and so delicious. Your family will love you for bringing these home. Plus, your local third graders will be so very grateful to you for helping them attend this important event.

Instead of saying:
We'll do anything to make you our customer.

Say:
We're committed to making this relationship work for you. We have a lot to offer, but what's most important to make this work well for you?

Remember, always think and communicate from your target audience's perspective and communicate in terms of what matters to them. Don't sound like everybody else by only talking about yourself. Talk about them. You'll build far better relationships and you'll stand out!

31-Jul-08 4:00 PM

How to Become a Marketing Maven

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT

1. Marketing doesn't mean sales so don't worry if you're "not a salesperson."

The idea of selling invokes great fear in many people, and I have to admit that I don't particularly enjoy it either. But, I love to market because marketing is about making connections between those with a need or want and the person, company, or organization that can meet that need. It's about helping people, making their lives happier, easier, or better in some way by connecting them to my product or service.

Many think of selling as the act of cold calling, overcoming objections, convincing someone to buy, and facing lots of rejection. None of that exists in marketing. Marketing is not about pushing people or playing games or getting doors slammed in our face. It's more about telling our story so they understand what we can do for them, and that then motivates them to act or buy.

In all of my marketing advising, teaching, and writing, I define marketing as: "A process whereby we make impressions and create perceptions so that the target audience decides that we are the best choice for the products and services we offer."

This definition applies to anything we're marketing and anybody we're marketing to. The other person, our target audience, has to perceive that we can serve them in some way--make them money, save them money, make them happy, make life easier or better, whatever. When they see that their need or want can be satisfied in a way that is pleasing to them (and they have the capacity to buy if money is involved), then they are likely to choose whatever you're offering.

We may say yes to a pushy salesperson to make them go away, but we're not likely to be a committed customer. However, when we make a decision to accept or purchase or agree to another's marketing of us, then we are more committed to the purchase, the idea, or the relationship. That's when you hit marketing success--when your target audience chooses you because they have reasoned that doing so is a good decision for them. You achieve this by communicating your message in a way that matters to them. (For more details on that, see What's In It For Me?)

2. Everything is marketing.

Everything makes an impression and creates a perception. The way you dress, speak, walk, make eye contact (or not). The way you shake hands. The way your resume or company brochure looks and reads. Your business cards, reception areas, and company correspondence. Everything you say, do, present, or otherwise communicate sends a message that can help or hurt you. So, it's important to pay attention to every detail to make sure you're sending the right messages about who you are, what you value, and what you can do.

Remember, perception is everything, and until people have more information about you because they've spent time with you or conversed with you for a while, they will make their judgements about you based on first impressions and perceptions.

Maybe you're just quiet and shy, but if someone perceives you as being unfriendly, you are unfriendly to them and that's the story they will tell about you. (Remember, they have no other information about you to think otherwise.) If one person at your store is rude or unorganized, your entire company is perceived as being that way in the mind of your customer. If the papers you use to represent you are sloppy, low-grade and unprofessional, then you are perceived to be sloppy, low-grade and unprofessional, too, whether it's true or not. Be aware of the messages you're sending in all that you do and all of the materials you use to represent you. View every behavior and material as an opportunity to positively market yourself.

Start by writing down how you want others to perceive you. I call this the "Key Attributes List." On Sonnier Marketing's list, for example, we have things such as "creative, organized, fun, accurate, professional, knowledgeable." Use this list as your standard and your checkpoint for everything you do. Ask the questions, "Is this action consistent with how I want others to perceive me? Will it communicate that I am creative, organized, fun, accurate, professonal, and knowledgeable?" Does this letter that I'm sending communicate those things by the way that it looks and sounds? Do my paper and typeface choices communicate that message?

Until a prospect has more information about you through conversation and observing your abilities and behaviors over time, all they have to go on are the external details that represent you. Make sure they communicate the right message.

3. Repetition, repetition, repetition.

Studies tell us that it takes a minimum of 7-9 times for a marketing message to even hit a prospects radar unless they have a specific and timely need for what you're offering. That makes persistence paramount in marketing. Your message must be there when they need it, and the only way to be there when they need it is to be there all the time. It may take several exposures or "touches" for your target audience to even notice your message. Then, they may not need or want what you're promoting or selling. But, later, something happens to change that and now they're looking and paying attention. Are you going to be there? Or will you give up too soon?

Giving up too soon is the greatest marketing mistake most people make. Just because you're ready to deliver doesn't mean they're ready to buy, or hire, or decide, or choose you. But if there really is a good match, meaning you can provide or serve a want or need of your target audience in a way that is pleasing to them, it's often just a matter of keeping in touch long enough.

Be consistent and relentless about getting your marketing message out there to your target audience. Put it out there at least 7-9 times in a reasonable time period. Don't give up too soon.

31-Jul-08 4:00 PM

Getting Your Image and Identity In Sync

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT

When your outside image is truly reflective of your identity, you're in an ideal state, one of authenticity, where you can be most effective in promoting and marketing yourself. However, when your image and identity are out of sync, the result is either a misrepresentation of the truth or a lack of marketing of the real you.

So how do you get your image and identity in sync?

1. Clarify your vision of how you want to be perceived by others. (e.g. organized, knowledgeable, a "get it done" person)

2. Identify the characteristics, attributes, and actions that go along with your vision. You may have different focus lists for different groups or situations such as work and family though there should be many overlapping items (e.g. kind, trustworthy, hard-working, dependable, punctual).

3. Objectively assess where you are in relation to your goal. What changes or adjustments need to be made to ensure that you are creating the correct and best perceptions about you and what you can offer? (e.g. dressing in a more tidy and professional manner, maintaining eye contact when shaking hands, participating more in group discussions, being on time regularly)

4. Consistently act, interact, communicate, and hold yourself to your list of personal standards. Post your list of attributes in a common place such as your computer screen or the bathroom mirror. Use your list to guide your decisions throughout the day. (e.g. decide to wake up earlier each day to ensure that you're always on time and can establish yourself as a punctual person)

Some common ways people get their image and identity out of sync:

Not doing what they say

Not saying what they do (we don't know what you know or what you can do unless you communicate it)

Being inconsistent in their behavior or the way they present themselves

Dressing sloppily or inconsistently with the way they wish to be perceived

Using poorly produced materials (resumes, business cards, brochures, etc.) while claiming that they believe in high standards and top quality

Not being all they promise in print

Not establishing the habits that send the desired messages (e.g. actively participating in company meetings to show interest and demonstrate knowledge and capabilities)

So, where do YOU stand with your image and identity? Take this simple quiz.

Answer true or false to the following questions:

1. I like the way I present myself to the world.

2. Those who know me would describe me as a "what you see is what you get" kind of person (or company or organization).

3. I would describe myself as a "what you see is what you get" kind of person (or company or organization).

4. The way I dress and physically present myself to the outside world accurately reflects how I want to be perceived.

5. I generally behave the same all the time, regardless of whom I'm around.

6. The way people would describe the materials I use to represent myself (resume, business card, brochure, etc.) is the same way they would describe me personally.

7. Everything I say about myself is true.

8. It is easy for others to see what values and characteristics are important to me.

9. I am seldom surprised about what others say or think of me.

10. I always do what I say.

11. I feel like I live authentically, never having to hide who I really am.

If you answered true to 8 or more statements, congratulations! Your image and identity are likely in good sync and you're well positioned for effective marketing.

If you answered true to 5-7 statements, you're doing a good job but have a few areas to focus on. Identify them and make some adjustments in the way you're presenting yourself or in the way you're standing behind your marketing claims.

If you answered true to 4 or fewer statements, it's time to identify where there's a disconnect and what you can do to fix it. You're likely missing opportunities and struggling somewhere you don't have to be.

Regardless of your score, carefully consider how you can turn any statement answered false into a true. What adjustments do you need to make in the way you think, act, and communicate to make this area work positively for you?

Getting your image and identity in sync isn't always easy, but it's necessary if you want to communicate a correct and complete story about who you are, what you can do, and what you can offer others. When your image and identity are in sync, more doors will open for you. You'll build stronger relationships. And, you'll find that success comes all the more easily!

31-Jul-08 4:00 PM

Got a new customer? Time to celebrate!

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Gaining the confidence of a new customer is a big deal and it should be treated as such with a celebration.

Internally, you and your staff should at least let out a good yelp, ring a bell, high-five each other, or do something to signify the success of another customer earned--and to alert everyone that they have a new customer to take great care of.

Externally, it's time to show your gratitude and make a huge impression on your new customer.

Welcome them in with a bang. Send them a personal note or a gift. Food is always a big hit, and if you can, send enough for the entire office or department. Make an impact on as many people within the customer organization as you can. Show them that you're excited to have them aboard and that their relationship is meaningful.

Consider what tools you could give them to make working with you all the easier, such as a package with business cards, notepads, checklists, order forms, personalized materials--whatever you can to show you have your act together, to make them feel welcome, and to make doing business together all the more fun, easy, and successful.

Earning a new customer is like finding gold in the mines. It's what you're working for everyday, so make it as big as you can for both you and your customer.

This Week:

Determine what you can do to celebrate new customers and get moving on making it happen. Review your client list. Who recently became a customer? Get the celebration started!

31-Jul-08 3:00 PM

Are you putting the success of your company solely in the hands of your sales team?

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Who are you really selling--your company or your sales team?

Do you worry that your salespeople will take good clients with them when they leave?

Do you have to work extra hard to save clients when a salesperson moves on?

Prospects and customers need a relationship with your entire company, not just their salesperson.

Why would you put the entire success of your company in the hands of your sales team? That's exactly what you're doing if you don't have a marketing machine running in tandem and in support of your physical selling team. Companies have far less to worry about if they sell the entire company and not just the salesperson, but that's what you're doing if your customers and prospects are only exposed to your company through the salesperson.

So, how do you sell your entire company?

1. Have many marketing tools and vehicles working for you to remain "top of mind" with prospects and customers. Make sure they are hearing from the company regularly, in addition to their salesperson's contacts.

2. Give your customer team support and a personal touch. Involve receptionists, customer service representatives, delivery staff, accounting personnel, management, and as many other staff members in building customer relationships. Customers become "bonded" to their salespeople because of the personal touch, so make sure they are getting personal attention from more than just their salesperson.

3. Jump in immediately when a salesperson leaves to maintain your client-company bond and instill confidence in the client.

4. Implement a system to follow-up with clients at least annually to make sure they are happy with their salesperson. Customers who become displeased may be too embarrassed to complain and instead choose to quit the company rather than "tattle-tell" on a specific individual. Clients need to "click" with their salespeople and you'll never know if the relationship is a good fit unless you ask the client.

31-Jul-08 3:00 PM

Are You Telling or Asking?

Lauron Sonnier — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Why questions are your friends

Salespeople spend too much time talking and not enough time listening. HR managers use up sacred interview time by doing most of the talking themselves.

If you really want to know what to tell customers, clients, and employees, listen to them and they'll tell you what they need to know.

This week work on spending more time thinking of what questions you need to ask, rather than what information you need to share. If you learn to ask the right questions you can not only save precious time, but make communication more efficient and effective.

Questions are your friends. They can make communication more efficient and effective.

Questions...

Help you clarify where you are and where you're going; get you focused

Give you the data you need; help you understand what prospects and customers really think and want

Help you direct the conversations and communications

Help you lead customers to their own personal resolution

Show concern and genuine interest in the customer

Open doors to up-selling and cross-selling

Lead the client through constant understanding of why you're their best choice

Get you and the client out of automatic mode and into think mode which maintains the relationship

Make you LISTEN to the customer

Also, remember the two most important question that all of our audiences want to know the answer to:

What's in it for me?
What have you done for me lately?

31-Jul-08 2:00 PM

Sales Versus Marketing

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Unfortunately, many companies do not embrace the idea of marketing as they do the theory of "selling."

"Sales makes money. Marketing spends money." That's on old perception...one that is dangerous for today's competitive marketplace. Companies that sell on the merits of their salespeople alone are in for rough times and will never realize the sales strength and potential of the company that understands that marketing is crucial to its success.

Marketing sells the company as a whole. "Sales" sells the salesperson. How many companies fight to keep key clients when salespeople leave? That's because they've sold the salesperson, not the company and its products and services. Marketing builds a relationship built on the credentials and performance of the company. It builds a a relationship that is not threatened by the loss of a salesperson.

To market your company effectively, you must be willing to commit time and patience. Because marketing does not consistently produce instant gratification, it is sometimes viewed ineffective and a waste of resources after only a short time. But when we consider the cost of a marketing campaign that can reach 5,000 or 100,000 prospects in a matter of days or an instant and compare that to the cost and time it would take for a salesperson to personally visit the same people, it's easy to see the benefits of marketing. Sales is an expense, too, like anything else. In fact, some studies report that the average sales call costs the company over $200 each visit!

Successful companies incorporate both marketing and traditional sales in their overall campaign to promote the products and services of the company. Fortunate are the salespeople who have a campaign working in concert with their efforts so when a new prospect is approached he/she is familiar with the company. Fortunate is the marketing director who has salespeople enforcing their marketing message.

So the first step in devising your annual business plan is to re-think your ideas--your paradigms--about marketing and consider how they can impact your sales goals for the year.

Consider these questions in particular: Why do customers buy our products/services? How and how often do our customers hear from us? Are we getting as much new business as we would like? Could we sell more to existing customers?

Click below to listen to Lauron's podcast on Sales versus Marketing:

Part One

Part Two

If you would like to see improvement in any of these areas, give us a call. We can help you coordinate an entire plan or just a project.

26-Nov-07 10:00 AM

52 Pick-up

Lauron Sonnier — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 20:00:00 GMT

Talk to one person and you're essentially talking to 52.

That's because, when we count it all up, everyone has about 52 people in their circle of influence—52
co-workers, associates, neighbors, family members, friends and others who they can spread your message to and whose opinion they can influence.

Everyone has 52 people in their circle of influence.

As marketers, that means that with every person we reach, we have the opportunity to communicate to 52 other people through them. Sell one, sell 52. Tick off one, tick off 52.

Our marketing and communication efforts are far more widespread than we think. The impact of what you do, both positive and negative, reaches many more people than you realize. Are you giving them something good to talk about?

7-Aug-06 3:00 PM

Sonnier Marketing & Communications, Inc. Articles RSS Feed

Is Your Customer Service Muddling Your Marketing?

Productive Networking

Know-Think-Feel-Do--A Handy Tool

Lauron's Survival Tips for Building Business in Bad Times and in Good

Marketing Opportunities Here, There, and Everywhere

Stirring the Pot When You're the Pot

Sometimes the most difficult target audience or "pot" I have to deal with is the client himself.

The Good, Bad, and Indifferent Index

Lauron explains how to reveal missed marketing opportunities in your business by asking the question, "Does this make a good, bad, or indifferent impression?"

Click here to listen!

The SMAC Method to Marketing (and How It Can Make You Successful)

The 4 Questions You Must Answer Before Every Customer Communication

What do you need to share with the customer in every interaction you have?

Lauron tells you the 4 key questions you must answer to get you thinking like a marketer in every communication. Click here to listen!

4 Secrets to Standing Out from the Crowd, the Clutter, and the Competition

Standing out is about taking conscious, deliberate action to get noticed, get attention, and get your desired results.

Common Marketing Mistakes

The race for a successful finish to 2008 is on!

Common Marketing Mistakes That Entrepreneurs, Owners, and Managers Often Make:

Stir the Pot! What It Means for You and Your Business

Stir Awareness

Stir Emotion

Stir Mindfulness

Stir Conviction

Stir Word-of-Mouth

Learn more about how to accomplish each of the 5 stages of "stirring the pot" in Lauron's keynotes, training programs, workshops, and her daily marketing guide.

What's In It For Me?

EXAMPLES:

How to Become a Marketing Maven

1. Marketing doesn't mean sales so don't worry if you're "not a salesperson."

2. Everything is marketing.

3. Repetition, repetition, repetition.

Getting Your Image and Identity In Sync

So, where do YOU stand with your image and identity? Take this simple quiz.

Got a new customer? Time to celebrate!

This Week:

Are you putting the success of your company solely in the hands of your sales team?

Prospects and customers need a relationship with your entire company, not just their salesperson.

Are You Telling or Asking?

Why questions are your friends

Sales Versus Marketing

Unfortunately, many companies do not embrace the idea of marketing as they do the theory of "selling."

52 Pick-up

Talk to one person and you're essentially talking to 52.

Common Marketing Mistakes
That Entrepreneurs, Owners, and Managers
Often Make: