TheCEOMamma Blog » Marketing

How to Give to the Needy Through Your Business

Tyjuana Wilson — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:57:32 +0000

Nope, I’m not referring to charitable contributions. (But yes, you should also consider giving back whenever possible.) The people in “need” that I’m writing about today, are those lost prospects and one-time customers of yours, who are on the edge, are reluctant to return your phone calls or emails, or are looking at a PayPal screen with debit card in hand, and skepticism in their hearts.

For some, the economy is still not where it should be and every penny counts. This means he or she is only interested in spending money on what they need. Well my friends, with some creativity, oh baby you, you’ve got what they neeeee-eeed!

The Coach Outlet had three purses I needed to have just the other day. I am so serious right now. We’re talking bags that will never go out of style, never call for replacing, will require little maintenance and one of the bags will put a smile on my daughter’s face when she graduates middle school next month. Yay!

So I needed to take advantage of the sale-on-top-of-a-sale sale they had. If Coach, who doesn’t even need my money in the first place, can create a need for me, then you can develop needs for shoppers, too. Here is how you can give shoppers what they need through your business:

Ask questions on top of your questions. If Product X costs more than Product Y, why? It’s not enough to answer one question and go for the kill (the sale). You must get to the heart of the matter with follow-up questions.

For example, “X costs more than Y because it includes _____. Now, when was the last time you had ______?” You’ve now launched what is known as a needs assessment, and you’re smart if you create a list of these questions to keep handy for your next prospect.

Give them the answers. We all could use help in the thinking area. Prepare a survey with multiple choice answers for prospects to choose from. If you know your business, you already know what to include as choices. Think there might be others answers you should be made aware of? Leave a blank space for “other” answers. The answers are their needs. Aha!

Embrace the complaints. Don’t be so quick to brush off complaints as “hating” or anything less than concerns. Our beloved United States is built on freedom of speech, remember? Hear out the rants, because you’re likely to discover hidden necessities. Necessity is the mother of invention.

By giving them what they need, they can’t turn you away. Their doubts will be replaced with “how do I pay” while you will feel good knowing that you’re doing more than making an extra buck. Do you know what your customers, prospects or social media followers need? If not, what steps will you take to create their needs for them?

[photo credit: smallbiztrends.com]

Tyjuana Wilson

Tyjuana Wilson is a freelance writer, copywriter and consultant who provides to small business owners: articles, press releases, website/blog content, newsletter copy, and more. More importantly, she is also watching her 14-year-old diva, Tyra, grow before her eyes. Click here and check out her e-book, “What to blog about...” for free.

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How to Fearlessly Create Free Products to Give Away, Generate Leads and Build a Responsive Email List

How to Get in Front of The “Right” People for Less Than $100s

Tyjuana Wilson — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:55 +0000

I’ve only been freelancing, officially, since last year. For years I have been known as the go-to gal for writing, from bosses who’d let me edit a letter or design a newsletter — in which I could only work on “when I’m not working”, to family members who needed, shall we say, assistance with their college papers.

I had always wanted to be a writer, but always needed a “job”, so I focused on working. It was safe and secure. Are you laughing, too?

When I relocated to Charlotte in March 2011(which is a story in itself!) I gave my life a complete overhaul. Going natural was the second thing I did. For the first, sorry, but you’ll have to wait for my book, which will be released by year’s end. But I will say that the move prompted me to give freelance writing a try, whether I would have to return to working a regular job, or not. Now before I moved south, I knew that getting in front of the right person would be the key to landing a job. In between packing clothes, shoes and hair (I was the weave queen until I went natural) I’d spend hours online sending my resume and cover letter to everyone, to no avail. Still, I trusted God, filled my gas tank and bee-lined it through I-95 anyway.

Here I am today, with several few clients waiting for work.

How on earth am I now receiving pay, to write in a Starbucks, with house music oozing from my earphones, or in my bed with Lifetime movies playing in the background? Keep reading. And I did it without spending $100′s. (note: moving costs don’t count, since you shouldn’t have to move to do this, unless you live on Bouvet Island, the most remote island in the world!) Here’s how:

Get away from the wrong people. Price: free. It’s not enough to surround yourself among the positive of the positive. The most common form of negativity, hate, comes out of the mouths of the wrong people. Identify them and remove yourself. Do not pass go. If you cannot move permanently from under their clouds of gray, try this: I’m really swamped with (the kids/work/watching paint dry) right now. This statement should work to eliminate the nosy, gossiping, nay-saying gnats for a substantial amount of time.

Get a WordPress blog, and your own dot com. Price: varies, but definitely not $100s. WordPress has countless free templates which allows you to compete (read: hang out) with the giants. Additionally, the platform gets great exposure online with it’s ability to accept your keywords in a variety of ways. I’ve found that Google is in love with WordPress. Tamyka can explain why, much better than I will ever try.

Give something away, selectively. Price: free, unless you choose to pay someone to help with the gift creation. Before you invite every Tom, Dick and Leroy to grab your freebie, ask yourself how many friends or followers do they even have. You’ll want to selectively share your gifts with popular people, those who will spread the word throughout their network. Someone tweeted my free blogging e-book offer to over 50,000 followers. I’ve just been exposed to thousands, all over the globe.
* blushing *

When meeting, plan short, under 30-minute phone calls. Price: free, if using Skype or if you have a mobile to mobile plan. Reach more people, and eventually the “right” person, by cutting down your meet and greets. You’re not only reaching more prospects and saving money with a shortened phone conversation, but think about your precious time. Do you really need to email, so that you can text, pick up the phone, decide on a lunch date, find the restaurant, wait on someone, eat, and meet? Nope.

Quit looking for Oprah. Price: varies, depends on the event, opportunity, etc. Still doable on the cheap. Everyone is familiar with the Oprah effect. Even though the talk show no longer fills our late afternoons with raving reviews of authors and Spanx, the effect is still there if you can get to her. Sadly, most of us never will meet her, fact. Meanwhile, there are influential people in your own backyard or social network just waiting to hear your ideas. Again, someone with over 50,000 Twitter followers isn’t shabby to me at all. To me, she is a “right” person. You’re likely to already know several right people, like office executives, thriving business owners, and pastors. Think about it: Oprah didn’t have an Oprah to get in front of.

I promise, I don’t remember spending $100′s on seminars/coaching/books/conventions in order to get to the “right” people. It’s reached a point now where my work precedes me. I get “Oh, you’re Ty!” quite often these days. Just received another copy-writing job this morning, on LinkedIn. My first Aussie client, and my second job from him. G’day, mates!

Tyjuana Wilson

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Women Entrepreneurs: Is the Absence of Business Growth Becoming a Problem?

CEOMamma — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:52:09 +0000

image credit: madamenoire.com

As women entrepreneurs with high hopes and vision, we often start off with with an unstoppable drive and determination to make our new business work.

Many of us stay up for hours, day after day doing all we think we should do to get the business up and running and start bringing in money.

We spend time finding the best tools and services and get it in our heads that if we just work hard at getting all this online business stuff setup right, we can finally quit the day job or at last, bring home our kids who have grown accustomed to daycare.

Within us lies this deep desire to pursue our passion and live our dream!

We finally get everything together and then…

Wake-Up Call..Reality Sets In

And we ask ourselves the question, “Now What?”

After you’ve put together your blog and published your first few posts, attacked Social Media head on with a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube account, you wonder…“what’s suppose to happen next?”

Other than knowing you have to of course, get the word out about your business, many entrepreneurs and small business owners fail at putting together an effective marketing strategy and plan.

Most times it is because they are unclear about who their actual niche market is. If you are unsure about who you are actually targeting, it makes it harder for you to design a strong and compelling marketing message that will attract your ideal clients to you.

So, How Can You Begin to Experience Steady Growth in Your Business?

After determining your niche market, your next step must be to learn how to become a strategic marketer. Developing strong marketing skills is the way to build your brand awareness and ultimately, increase your online sales.

The idea of becoming a “marketer” may sound intimidating but be assured, it is an essential part of owning a profitable business online. The sooner you are able to embrace the role and learn how to apply strategic marketing to your business, the quicker you will begin to see results.

Recently, I wrote a post on this very topic sharing the value of learning and owning your market. If you have found your business growth to become stagnant or you are struggling with applying effective marketing techniques to your online business, click here to read my post.

CEOMamma

Tamyka Washington is a wife, mother to six, Founder/CEO of TheCEOMamma Network, marketing strategist, coach and mentor. Tamyka empowers new and seasoned women entrepreneurs to business breakthrough by blending powerful attraction marketing methods with effective social media strategies to establish a CREDIBLE brand and profitable freedom based business online. Visit here website below, to learn more:

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Business Need a Boost? 5 Steps to Impact in a Crowded Niche

Andrea Bolder — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:00:44 +0000

We all want our businesses to grow and to be profitable. I know I do. But when you are one among many and a newbie among vets, getting seen and heard is more than a notion.

It is getting more and more difficult to make an impact online, particularly in industries that are saturated with tons of quality content and top notch entrepreneurs.

But it never fails – a few online marketers bust onto the scene, claiming their spots amongst the greats while establishing themselves as an authority to be reckoned with.

How do they do it? How can a novice – with no special skills or super human powers – rise to the top so quickly?

There are a few key traits that all successful entrepreneurs possess that have given them that extra “secret sauce” to make an impact and build a large audience in no time flat.

1. No Holds Barred

You’ll find this holds true over and over again with successful people. They are not bound by restrictions or limitations. They play the game by their own rules and simply do more (much more) of what everyone else thinks that they should be doing to create a successful business.

You have to be relentless, you have to play harder and tougher than anyone else and you have to be committed to getting things done.

That means writing 2-3 blog posts a week, attending meetups for 3 nights straight, connecting with 25 influencers a month. If it means bringing in more clients they’ll find a way to do it. You might need to pull an all-nighter to get your project finished on time. You may have to give more of yourself without an immediate return because that is what is going to bring success.

2. Overpromise but always Overdeliver

There is an old adage – you get what you pay for. Well in a society where fluff and hype run rampant, people are surprisingly refreshed when they pay for something that not only lives up to their expectation, but exceeds it.

Before you put out a piece of content, create a new product or simply right a status update on Facebook, ask yourself…is what I’m putting out of value to someone else. If the answer is no, don’t write it, don’t make it, don’t post it.

As an industry leader you have to please your audience in a way that no one else can. You must find ways to establish yourself as the go-to expert in your industry and the only way that happens is if you know you stuff and you deliver it on a silver platter.

It’s your job to constantly raise the bar.

3. Be A Teacher First

When you can transition from being the student to the teacher, finding ways to articulate solutions in a way that your audience connects with, there is a great chance you’ll find success.

The ability to help others solve their problems in a way that is easy for them to understand is an undervalued gift.

You must be detailed and meticulous when you teach – put yourself in the shoes of your inexperienced students. How would you like someone to teach you?

Taking techniques, applications, practices and strategies, breaking them down in such a way that anyone can understand is the mark of a great teacher.

4. Don’t be a Jack of all Trades

Know what you’re good at and what you need to leave alone. A mark of a successful marketer is that are not known for being a master of many. Define your passion, find your purpose and aggressively pursue your niche without distraction.

I’ve talked about this over and over again to my students.

A “jack of all trades, is a master of none”.

Once I determined what I was passionate about – I was able to run my business with laser focus. No longer was I distracted by hype, the next “big opportunity” or the “shiny things” others had or where buying.

If it didn’t fit into my overall message or success map, I did not pursue it.

5. Engage, Inform, Entertain

The problem with many marketers and business owners is that they do not know how to draw an audience. It doesn’t matter how much you know if no one ever reads your content.

It’s important to understand how to attract people to you, how to pique the interest of your target audience in a way that will not only grab their attention but hold it until you are done sharing your message.

Take the time to craft hypnotic headlines. Spend an extra few minutes engaging your fans and followers on the social media networks. Do a little more than the norm –vanilla is great on a cone, but it doesn’t work when it comes to marketing your business and brand. Make a statement, be bold, stand out, go against the grain – but most importantly be you!

Understand that progress is on purpose and once you know how to relentlessly harness your strengths and share it with other people in a way that is beneficial you will be at the top of your niche in no time!

Andrea Bolder

Author and visionary of the popular blog Marketing.Mindset.Money, Andrea Bolder, a former professional athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist, shares insight and step-by-step strategies that show solo-entrepreneurs and small business owners exactly how to build a successful business leveraging the power of social media.

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How to Outsource Your Social Media Marketing

Andrea Bolder — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:00:40 +0000

One of the most common questions I get from busy entrepreneurs – who are not only trying to build a successful business but may be working a job, balancing baby, kids and a husband all at the same time – is how do I find someone to do my social media marketing for me?

Many will agree that there are just not enough hours in the days to get everything done and as an entrepreneur building what will hopefully be a thriving business – you will one day come to the realization that “I just can’t do this alone.”

So how do you outsource your social media marketing?

While I understand fully that you can hand off your social media marketing tasks to anyone who has a computer and an internet connection, I am going to take a stance that may be a little bit controversial here.

I do not suggest you outsource your social media marketing?

Why?

What makes social media so powerful for small business owners and solopreneurs is that you get to connect with potential customers, clients and partners in a way that showcases your authentic self.

People come to know, like and trust your business by way of knowing, liking and trusting you first!

Your voice, your message, how you articulate and communicate with others through social media is unique. It is not something that can be replaced or easily swapped out by some virtual assistant who may not know anything about your personality, your style your products or your services.

Easing the Burden With Automation Tools

There are a number of tools and strategies you can implement to streamline your social media activities – ensuring you are getting the most out of your online marketing time.

Use tools like Hootsuite, Socialoomph and Social Plum – many which are free by the way – to but your social media content on autopilot. Pre-schedule status updates to Facebook, tweets to Linkedin and posts to LinkedIn.

Take 30 minutes, one day a week, to map out your content distribution schedule.

You will find that you’ll be able to promote your products, services and content without ever logging in to your social media accounts.

While you will have to take time to engage on social media – you have to be present on social media to build a following – implementing these simple, easy to use automation tools can cut down the time you spend on your overall social media marketing routine by 20-30 minutes a day.

When outsourcing is the only option.

If you just can’t get around hiring someone to take care of your social media needs, here are a few things to consider.

Think, Who Can Be Me?

Or at least who knows me the best?

It definitely isn’t going to be some virtual assistant you’ve never met before, who is unfamiliar with your personal style or company culture.

If you have to outsource, consider hiring a member from your company who knows your products or services and what your business is all about.

Consider a family member or friend who has insight to your personality and is good at communicating.

Communication is key when it comes to social media and it’s important to outsource your tasks to someone who can communicate your overall message first, not necessarily trying to find someone who is “techie”.

The technical aspects of navigating social media can be taught, but remember no one can represent you and your company better than you!

While outsourcing can be great in saving you time, think about what you might lose by not allowing your clients and customers to connect with the true voice behind your brand.

Andrea Bolder

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Brand and Market Yourself NOT Your Direct Sales Business

CEOMamma — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:46:04 +0000

You did it! You have finally started your own business so you can work from home. You have received your start up materials, great tips to launch your new business from your sponsor and you are excited and ready to go!

You have a grand opening launch event and even made your first few sales…you are on a roll! You have big goals and an even bigger vision knowing you can expand your business by using the internet to market your business online.

So, you take all the training you’ve learned from your sponsor and company and use it online armed with your beautifully designed company replicated website. And then…

You Make the BIGGEST Direct Sales Mistake Most Representatives Make…

You start promoting the “H.E. double hockey sticks” out of your company products and business opportunity.

You post to your Facebook page (and every other social network you belong to) informing everyone you started a new business.

You also let everyone know you are in a “challenge” to do “( you fill in the blank) ” and have a goal to complete it by (date) and would like to know who wants to “help” you complete the challenge.

Or better yet, you want to share this month’s amazing ‘Special’ with all your friends and followers.

Does this sound like you? Are you wondering how in the world do I know all this? Well, it’s because that used to be me too. It took a rude awakening for me to finally realize what I was doing was not working at the capacity I had hoped. But, that’s a whole other story…(I share it in my free ebook here.)

Now, before you get all mad at me, I want you to understand that I’m not telling you NOT to promote your business online, what I want to share with you is that there is a much more effective way to go about it.

That way is to Brand & Market YOURSELF!

I want to give you a few tips to help you actually start to reap the reward of all your hard work and effort online. Before you apply these tips, I want you to grasp the fact that you are an INDEPENDENT business owners. You may promote someone else’s products but this business model requires you to build an independent business, aside from the company you represent.

With that being said, you have to learn how to brand yourself based on your skills and talents, to attract customers and clients who will in the end, benefit from the products you recommend. Trust me when I tell you, the harsh reality is…no one really cares that you are an XYZ Rep with such-and-such company.

Ask yourself a few questions: What makes YOU different than every other Representative of your company? Why should someone buy from YOU instead of another Representative? What will people learn about YOU when visiting your company website other than the products you sell?

If you are constantly offering the same promotions that everyone else is…what makes you unique? Nothing.

Tip # 1 – Consider your skills in relation to your business. More than likely you partnered with your company because you feel a connection to their mission and love the products and services they provide. So, if you are with a cosmetics company, what are you most passionate about that attracted you to the company? Do you value skin care? Have a love for color?

Take that passion and share it with others about skin care or color. Build Brand YOU.

Tip # 2 – Stop identifying yourself as a rep of your company. Shift your focus to marketing what you do for others instead of what you sell. Start introducing yourself to people as someone who can help them achieve a desired result. Whether that is to get clear skin, have a chemical free home, or lose weight naturally, you have to start letting people recognize you have the answers or solution to their problems.

Become a source of knowledge and information. Build Brand YOU.

Tip # 3 – Show prospects the benefit of working with you. If you are looking to build your team and leverage your earnings, help potential prospects see the value of partnering with you in business as opposed to starting a business with your company. Direct Sales is a people business and people do business with other people – ones they like, respect and trust.

Be willing to teach others how to do what you do. Build Brand YOU.

Tip #4 – Be consistent, passionate and committed. This is a big one. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your Direct Sales business. Work your business every day by setting attainable goals and building quality connections to start experiencing network marketing success. Be fully present by consistently building ONE business to the point you are making a steady and growing income…which is easily achievable by following tip # 3 – building a team and mentoring them along their journey.

Commit to your business growth and gain credibility online. Build Brand YOU.

Tip # 5 – Create your own platform to market yourself. Having a company website is great but before you send people there, build a relationship with them first. You can do this by building a blog for your business. As an independent business owner, you have to build a network of prospects on a regular basis, your blog is a way for you to 1) Build your brand 2) Share your expertise 3) Establish credibility in your industry, and 4) Create a network community of dedicated followers and loyal customers.

Set yourself apart to display your expertise. Build Brand YOU.

When you begin to learn how to brand and market yourself online by aligning your passion to serve others with the products and services you offer through your direct sales business, you will find this to be a more effective avenue of creating the kind of income you desire.

If by chance your company was ever to close up shop, you can rest assured you will still have the ability to sustain a thriving and solid business because you took the path to building Brand YOU.

Are you interested in learning more about how I empower the every day woman and women entrepreneurs to live to their greatest potential? Click Here to discover if partnering with me in my direct sales business, would be a good match for you!

CEOMamma

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How to Find Social Media Content to Share

CEOMamma — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:38 +0000

Are you trying to find a balance between building your brand while being seen as a thought leader in your industry?

Watch this video presented by Social Media Examiner TV. In this episode, Mari introduces you to the concept of curating content and how it can help your business. And Mari also reviews 8 content curation tools to help you find the best information for your business.

Can’t see the video? Click here to watch it.

CEOMamma

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How Regular Follow Up Can Increase Your Sales & Repeat Business

CEOMamma — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:30:18 +0000

When I first began marketing online, I had already heard the phrase, “The fortune is in the follow-up”, a billion times as a Network Marketer. I can admit, following up used to be a struggle for me, even in my direct sales business because I always felt like following up, meant I would be seen as a nuisance.

Since those early days, I’ve learned (the hard way), the value in staying in touch with prospects on a regular basis. I also realized that when my way of thinking changed toward the idea of reconnecting, my income began to grow.

The changing point for me came when a customer I finally called after months…boldly asked me, “why did it take so long for you to call me?” I had no answer other than I had been making excuses.

After I got off the phone, I really thought about what she said and made a decision right then and there, I would follow-up and follow-up until I was told outright – NO.

If following up has been a struggle for you OR something you’ve been avoiding in your business, here are a few reason WHY you need to adopt the habit immediately.

Understand, it’s not about you. Far to often as small business owners, we don’t always recognize that we have a fear of rejection. As if someone saying, no I’m not interested - means they are saying no to us personally, which is not the case.

We have to learn to take ourselves out of the situation and focus on meeting the needs of our prospect. No doesn’t necessarily mean Never, it simply means Not Right Now. Before you pick up the phone to call your prospect, take your personal feelings out of it…this is about business and having confidence that what you are offering is of value to them.

You show you care. No matter how you choose to reach out to your potential customers, it shows them you care enough to at the very least…check in with them. You never really know someone’s financial situation or what their circumstance may be.

When you look at it, as being all about timing, following up is just the logical thing to do. I’ve discovered that the more I follow-up with potential clients and business partners…the stronger the relationship becomes and the more trust is being built. When your prospects KNOW you are staying in touch because you genuinely care about making a difference in their life, when the time is right…they will buy.

You become trustworthy. I can’t count how many times my customers thanked me for “checking in” with them each month. In the world we live in today, people are always busy with their everyday life. No matter how many times your customer may say they will get back in touch with you, 9 times out of 10 they won’t.

More times than not, they aren’t being intentional when they don’t call you back. So, when you begin to follow-up with them regularly, they begin to expect it and eventually…they are ready to do business with you. Because you’ve demonstrated consistency in your efforts, your prospect sees you as a reliable business woman and be more likely to refer you to their friends!

The National Sales Association statics show:

2% of sales are made on the 1st contact
3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact
5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact
10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact

Just imagine, if you Follow-Up 5-12 times, you increase your chances of closing the sale goes up 40 times!

So the next time you are tempted to NOT follow-up with your prospects, consider how it could negatively affect your reputation as an independent or small business owner or even give the impression of being unprofessional and uncaring.

CEOMamma

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How to Position and Promote Yourself in 2012

CEOMamma — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:22:53 +0000

Many of us know the value of blogging for business and sharing quality content across social media networks to establish our brand, but a lot of business owners don’t know how to really do it effectively to make money.

Blogging and content marketing are two of the most highly effective, inexpensive ways for entrepreneurs to get started online, building their brand and business. Not only that, it allows you the ability to position, package and promote yourself to your ideal audience on a much larger scale.

Recently, I had the honor of being the guest of Pam Perry, PR Coach on her Synergy Energy Show – Time for Real Talk about Making Money Online. It was a great privilege to share with her listeners, as we discussed:

How valuable having a blog is for your business
How quality content can impact your brand
How to get set up and started blogging the right way
How to attract your ideal clients and business partners
How you can generate additional streams of income

To hear the tips Pam and I shared, click here to listen now!

CEOMamma

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Savvy Entrepreneurs Money and Marketing CloseOut Special

CEOMamma — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:21:48 +0000

LaShanda Henry, Creator of Black Business Women Online, was the first, successful web entrepreneur I found when I started my business online. I have learned a wealth of information from her over the years and truly value her knowledge.

She is best known for her comprehensive library of Money and Marketing eBooks, eCourses and training tools for women entrepreneurs. For the next 5 days, LaShanda is having her annual CloseOut Special and is offering her BEST products at a deep discount…PLUS, some freebies and bonuses!

To see what savvy money and marketing specials LaShanda has to help you make a smooth transition with your business into the New Year, Click Here Now!

CEOMamma

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