Guest Blogger

3 Simple Ways to Enhance Social Media Marketing for Business

So there’s a lot of rumors out there saying that the more you post on your business account the better. Let me explain to you 3 Simple Ways to Enhance Social Media Marketing for Business that make things happen on your social media business profile.

1. What is Quality?

I’ve talked about posting up quality vs. quantity. But let’s talk about what exactly is quality. First of all it will always depend on what your customers, or prospective customers want to see. Now, there’s no crystal ball that will tell you, but there is definitely a way to find out what they want to see through a simple survey.

The beauty of surveys is that it can become a great return customer or acquisition tool. If you place a survey out there with a reward, people are much more likely to answer it, and answer it honestly!

2. Live Feed vs. Stories

Be very cautious when using Live Feed in ANY platform. I have seen some amazing companies with great branding, do some horrible things live.

LIVE: If you are planning on doing a live feed, make sure there is a 1) Simple and non-distracting background, 2) Simple Message. The message should be simple, easy to understand and easy to hear (no background noise) and if possible use a microphone! (Use this one to try out and hear the difference!) 3) Short and sweet message. I cannot stress the importance of simplicity. The faster, concise, and more focused you are on your message, people are more likely to pay attention!

STORIES: If you have any offers you’d like to put up and don’t want to pollute your feed or timeline use Stories! They increase urgency and help people want to act since it’s only available for 24 hours!

This can also help with fun things such as moving, funny moments in the office, etc.

3. Original is not really original

Don’t stress about the content being original. The fact that you have your logo on it and the a story is being said, is original enough. In all honesty, there’s very very little of original, it’s just said it a different way.

So go out there and make things happen on your social media profile. If this is too much, never hesitate to talk to a professional to help you out!

The 2019 Race – How To Conduct Effective Marketing

EOY or End Of Year. Pretty awesome…or pretty daunting. Either way, it’s the end of a cycle and the beginning of another. I’d like to help you purposefully come up with a strategy for next year on How To Conduct Effective Marketing, by learning and focusing on the right skills, and if you don’t have time, then allowing a professional to help you with it!

The Right Soccer Skills

My personal favorite sport, and the world’s is soccer. This being said, I spent all of my high school years in the sport, allowing me to learn more and more about myself, and less and less about the rest.

On a practice day I saw one of our teammates do some amazing tricks, and it looked pretty easy to do. I practiced the move. It consisted of the ball moving backwards while I was running backwards on top of it and placing my feet right next to the other while allowing the ball to “meg” me, or go under my legs, making it look awesome! Time happened and I reached the goal of accomplishing the trick.

Highly confident in this newly learned trick, I tried to use it during a game, which failed miserably and allowed the other team to score on us.

The same thing can happen to us during the year as we learn what the

The beauty of marketing is that what you’ve built in 2018 may help you in 2019. So Here are 3 How To Conduct Effective Marketing things to do today in order to plan your next year, marketing-wise.

1. Company Inventory

Take an inventory of what’s been going on this year. This includes revenue, high-sale amount, low-sale amount, average sale amount and marketing expenses throughout the year.

As you understand where your money went this year and if it was correctly invested, you can duplicate the process and success in the one hand, or on the other hand stay away from mistakes that cost you time and money. Your Point of Sale System should have all of this information.

2. Brand Identity Assessment

A lot of people have a misunderstanding of what a brand is. The brand is what the customer thinks of your company and product as a whole. Different items such as logo, certain colors in posts and flyers, the feel of design, product design and more essentially create the brand identity.

It is very important that the brand identity is parallel to the service and customer satisfaction and as that grows, your brand should be built upon such reviews. Consider a re-brand as well if it’s not reaching the right audience or doesn’t connect with it.

3. Marketing Cost Analysis

Not spending money on marketing or spending too much can be a problem. The best way to make sure you’re not going too far on either side is by finding out the COS (cost of sale) and ACS (average customer spending) and of course marketing budget spent.

Once you find out these numbers you’ll see if the budget you have created for next year is accurate. NOTE: Use last years numbers as a soft guide, since next year may be different and add a little cushion for testing.

Marketing: Similar To Soccer

In soccer, there’s a 90-minute amount of continuous play. Within the 90 minutes there are lows and highs. The same way, your marketing strategy throughout the year will have lows and highs. Before a soccer game, the coach sets up a strategy that the team will have to follow as closely as possible and together, as a unit without any time-outs. Your company should have a strategy before the beginning of the year and it should work as one unit with the other departments such as operations, production and sales.

Focus on the right skills and enhancements. It doesn’t matter if one is getting a nice brand out there, if no one is looking at it, and it doesn’t matter if millions of people look at your service if your brand identity doesn’t go with the quality of your service and customer satisfaction.

Feel free to connect with me through my LinkedIn Profile if you have any questions about partnership opportunities that you may be looking at!

$89,000 is a lot of money, but that is what it cost for me to learn the importance of empathy.

Empathy is a rare skill but is vital in the sales process. That is why it is one of the four wheels of success. Empathy is the ability to understand the emotions and feelings of another truly. This does not mean you pity them. It does not say you can help them resolve the person’s issue because you had something similar happen in your life. It is being able to relate to the person and share the burden that comes from the emotions the person is experiencing.

I spent a vast majority of my sales career in the furniture and mattress industry. The sales aspect was exciting and challenging. I built relationships with the customers because 1.) I valued the interpersonal connection and 2.) I liked making lots of money. However, these relationships were only focused on getting the customer from point A to point B.

I suffered from a variety of spine issues and had surgery earlier in the year. I was twenty-two when I had my second surgery and had the lower three levels of my spine fused. The bill for the surgery was $89,000…thank goodness I had insurance. Leading up to the surgery, I was very nervous that after recovery I would be limited in my sales ability. The following six weeks after the operation were the longest of my life. So much pain. I could not do anything on my own for the first two weeks. I had to learn how to let others help me. My appreciation for others and the simple things grew so much. I will never take for granted the ability to put on my socks again. Though difficult, this experience opened my eyes to how many people suffer through back pain.

My focus switched when I returned to work. I was not focused on how much I could sell the customer, but instead, I focused on what did my customer need? One of the first customers I helped was Susan. She was looking for a comfortable chair. In the past, I would have taken her straight to our most beautiful and most expensive chair and tried to sell her on all the benefits of the chair. Instead, I began to ask her questions about herself. I wanted to know more about Susan and what she enjoyed. We had a pleasant conversation which led to us talking about what she valued in a chair and how she would use it. It turned out in the upcoming week she was going in for very serious spine surgery. The same spine surgery I was recovering I recently had.

Susan was terrified. She had never had a surgery before and did not know what to expect. She knew she needed a chair but was so overwhelmed with the anxiety and fear of the operation that it all just seemed too much for her to handle. No one understood her situation more than me. Together we talked through her fears, and we’re able to help Susan feel safe and confident. She felt comfortable and wanted to buy a chair. She told me she trusted me and would buy any chair I picked no matter the cost. (Trust is everything in sales, and we will discuss it’s importance as one of the wheels of success at a different time.) The most expensive chair would not help her and would not support her necessary for a healthy recovery. I instead showed her a chair that would give her all support and comfort she would need at half the price. Susan wasn’t just a customer to me; she became my friend. We stayed in contact, and I ended up helping her with many different projects over the next couple of years. Because of her experience, many of her family and friends came and purchased from me.

Empathy helped me take my sales career to the next level. I found joy in my job. My customers had a better experience. I doubled the amount of business from before my surgery. Now, I am not saying that you have to have a life-altering experience or spend thousands of dollars to learn about empathy. Take a couple of minutes a day and reflect on yourself. Think about experiences that have shaped your life for the good or the bad. Take time to point out the people that helped you learn during those experiences. When it comes to working with customers, think back on your skills. Find common ground and unity with the customer. Take time to understand their needs and do your part of fulfilling them. As you build your ability to empathize with others, you will find that your sales will increase and you will have more and more customers return for your business.

What are your experiences with empathy? Let’s connect and talk about it!

It was a hundred degrees in the shade, and I was out knocking doors selling security systems in a small town just outside of Austin, Texas. Six days prior, I had just graduated from High School and was chasing a dream of making thousands of dollars in the next three months. Up to this point, I had little to no experience in sales. The only thing close I had done was managing a small lawn mowing business, which my clientele consisted of senior citizens in my grandparent’s neighborhood. Though I lacked experience, I was confident in my people skills and determined to prove myself. I thought I was ready but let’s face it…I was in over my head.

One of the four wheels of sales is perception. It is how our experiences, emotions, and thoughts shape how we see something. That hot day in Texas I learned all about perception and the importance it has in sales.

It was a Saturday, and I had a big day planned. I had set up three follow up appointments that showed great promise. This was going to be the best Saturday ever! Especially, since it was going to be very hot that day but not for me! I was going to be inside all day, chatting with my customers drinking sweet cold lemonade. After today I was going to be rich! I was so naive and confident that I did not even pack sunscreen or water…Well sometimes in sales things don’t pan out. I had every single one of those appointments fall through, and I spent all of that long Saturday out in the blistering sun. It came to a point where I stopped talking about the product and would ask for water or even possibly sunscreen. It just was not my day as I was turned down again and again. In this one day, I was yelled at by at least five different people and chased by two dogs. The day ended with no sales but one nasty sunburn.

I wanted to quit. It was too hard, and people were too cruel. I got trapped in thoughts about how unfair life was and that everyone else was the problem. My perception focused on only the negative, and it showed as the rest of that Saturday became worse and worse. It wasn’t until the following Monday that I learned how much my perception could influence everything I do.

That Monday began with little hope of anything spectacular. However, I made sure to pack plenty of sunscreen and water this time. As I was knocking doors, I noticed some kids setting up a lemonade stand. They were filled with excitement as they prepped all of their materials and prepared for a day full of sales and fun. I wanted to go over and tell them about disappointment and sadness that awaited them based on my own experiences. I chose to observe them from time to time between knocking doors. Throughout the day they faced similar experiences as me. They didn’t have a single person stop. It was getting late and my day was about done when I noticed how sad the kids had become. One of them began to cry. This was when I learned what empathy means. (Empathy being another big wheel of sales which we will discuss at another time.) I understood exactly how these kids felt. For once I stopped worrying about my situation and focused on others difficulties. I decided at that point that I was going to forget myself and serve someone else.

I went over to the lemonade stand and purchased a cup of their lemonade. They were so excited to help me as they offered me some of their many products. I bought a couple, but when I went to pay them, I had the idea to do something special. The total was two dollars. I handed them a twenty. The little boy went to grab some change, but I told him to keep it instead. I said to them that sales are tough but to never give up, and things will work out. Twenty dollars to three little kids is like winning the lottery. I can’t even begin to describe their excitement as I walked away with my lemonade.

Their perception of sales changed immediately, and so did mine. While I walked farther and farther down the road I passed by a community pool. A man there started yelling at me to come over. Thinking he was going to harass me for my job I was a little reluctant but I was on cloud nine, so I went over to meet him. He said, “I have been watching you the last couple of days. Are you one of those security salesmen?” I nodded yes. He then said, “Well that’s all right, I just wanted to see if you needed any sunscreen or water?” This was the moment when it all clicked for me. Everything had come full circle. My perception dictated my success in sales. It wasn’t until I focused on the positive and went about doing good that I started to see progress. That experience led to the beginning of a very successful summer and beginning to my sales journey.

In sales, there are many lows, but there are also many highs. What we choose to focus on can determine our overall happiness and success. If you are struggling in sales, change your perspective. Make the most out of the opportunities you are given. Look to be the positive influence instead of waiting to receive it. Focus on the needs of your customers and the results will come.

Let’s connect and talk about your perception of sales!

With the end of 2018 and its craziness, marketing has most likely been pretty confusing to you. Most of these changes have to do with an enhanced way of connecting via social media.

We would like to help you focus on 3 simple strategies that can help with your social media marketing, since it’s not the same social media we used to know.

1. Quality not Quantity

You’ve probably heard this before, but as you know, the quality of your posts have to connect with your social media audience truly. What precisely that means all depends on your product, brand, and audience

Product: If your product is a daily use product, then make sure that the posts have to do with such use. A simple fun post, or a tip on how to use in various ways.

Brand: Marketing 101, branding is not a logo. Branding is not picture of your business, this is brand identity. A brand is what others think, feel and know of your service/product. So if your customers or prospective customers feel good about your brand, make sure they’re loud about it, this is part of your brand strategy.

Audience: The audience is the most fun to work with. Not only because people are awesome, but because they will tell you what you need to sell, how to sell it and why they want it! The more you listen to them, the better idea of what type of ad strategy you must follow.

2. Market Research

The beauty of researching is that the information is at our disposal. There was a time where information had to be searched for in books, newspapers and many harder ways than just googling it.

Due diligence: Whether you’re the one in charge of marketing for the company, or you hire someone to do so, make sure, before you begin an ad campaign on social media, due diligence is done to research the market you’re targeting. The more data you have the easier the strategy will come to fruition.

Use your database: Clients are one of the most valuable assets you have. Their opinion and their loyalty will bring you business back in huge groups, if accessed and asked nicely. Create a simple ad campaign via email to get answers for your company and how to improve it, or what you’re already doing right. Build on your strengths and focus on enhancing them further.

3…2…1…Launch

Launch. Not Lunch: Most businesses believe that after the quality ads, and the due diligence and market research, the job is done! I mean, we have the data and the content…right? So don’t just take the launching timeline as a time to rest and have lunch, this is the moment of truth, time to baby-sit!

Living campaign: A living campaign should be always the main alternative. A “living campaign” we define as a campaign that is always looking to enhance its reach and must be baby-sat for a little until it reaches maturity, creating a selling-oriented ad, because let’s be honest, you’re not advertising for tax purposes, you’re advertising to sell.

Conclusion:Create excellent content with the help of your customers. Ask them what they want. Create a fantastic ad campaign parallel with the material, and sell away, your potential customers are waiting for your solution to help them make a problem disappear!

Wheels

You can not drive a car without four wheels. No, don’t get technical and talk about those weird three-wheel vehicles and do not even bring up motorcycles. Heaven forbid we cross into the realm of Segways. We are talking about cars. So, now that we have our focus and we are on the subject of cars let us talk about we want from them. We want them to be reliable, efficient and to get us from A to B. Everyone has a different opinion of what car is best and what features are most appealing. However, there is one thing that all cars need. Wheels. The car can go nowhere without the wheels. The wheels are specific skills necessary to drive us to wherever we want to go. The road is the opportunity and when the rubber meets the road that is when the journey begins.

SalesThis one word has affected the world in so many ways. No matter what you do or where you are in the world, you have been influenced by it. Wither it makes you cringe in fear or gets your heart racing with excitement; there is an emotional response tied to the word.

DriveWhether you started a lemonade stand as a kid or as an adult…not judging. You could be running a multi-million dollar company, working for a family business or whatever it may be. There is a motivation or a drive to why you are involved. Maybe it is for recognition or to prove something to yourself. Maybe, you are just trying to get by and provide. Perhaps it is because you are trying to find yourself and what role you play in this big world. Your story is yours. Own it.

GrowthWe want to share our stories as we have come from all different walks of life. We want to talk about what drives each of us, and the role sales have had in each of our own lives. We will share the four wheels of success which are perception, determination, empathy, and trust. Whether you are just starting or you are an experienced veteran in the industry. Using these tools you can become successful in any sales. Every day is a new opportunity, so start fresh. Find what motivates you and drive.

Let’s connect and discover what’s your DRIVE.