The Marketing Mentress

marketingmentress@gmail.com

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No, Thank you!

Have you got some customers who are being a pain in the "patoot"?

You know what I mean. Those customers that you just can never please. They are always finding fault with everything you try to help them with. They return items for no legitimate reason it seems. Every time they buy something from you, it seems like you spend inordinate amounts of time helping them learn, assemble, or repair.

I owned an interior decorating business once, and specialized with window coverings. We were doing great in our first six months. Revenues were climbing. Sales were flowing. It was awesome!

Then we decided to run a special on sheers to increase our sales volume even more. The sales came rolling in and we were running like mad fiends to keep up with the demands.

Know what?

With the mistakes that were made on orders purchased during that special, we were better off to never have run the sale. We actually lost money because of that sale. It seemed like every bargain hunter in the district came for a deal on sheers.

Once things settled down after that sale, we decided never to do that again.

Do you wonder why you are not making more money with your business?

Let me keep this simple.

The less we charge for our products and services, the more we will be inundated with time-consuming customers. Low prices attract customers who have the "get something for nothing" mentality. They will suck up your time and if possible every ounce of life from you and your business.

Know how to get rid of these kinds of customers?

Raise your prices!

You will chase away all the "bargain hunters" never to be bothered again!

Know what else will happen when you do this? ... You will make more money!

That's the simple truth.

So the next time you catch yourself pondering running a special, remember you can always say, "No, Thank you!"

You will be happier and richer because you did.

Christine Till

The Marketing Mentress

1-780-904-9557

marketingmentress@gmail.com

FB Bus: /themarketingmentress

Twitter: @mktgmentress

Three Lessons from the "Old Iron Pot"!

Grandma told me stories from "the old iron pot", when I was little!

She would hold one arm up in a rounded circle and take the other arm and reach way down inside this invisible pot. The arm inside the pot would move around and around in a big circle as if it was stirring something. Then the hand would grab something special, pull it out and Grandma would read it.

She never told us what exactly it said, except the name of a familiar ... or not so familiar story.

Once dipped and stirred, the hand came out with an invisible note between the fingers. Grandma would say... "Little Red Riding Hood"... no, not today. Then she would dip her hand into the invisible pot and stir again to find an even more tantalizing tale.

After going through this process several times, she would finally come out with the perfect tale to tell! We children would all sit close and listen intently to this story that had never been told before. Grandma's stories were always different.

Interesting how later in life, when I was ...much older... "Rapunzel" and "Snow White" stories I read in books were captivating, but not the least bit like the way my Grandma told it.

Grandma was the most enchanting story-teller I have ever known!

Today, as an adult, I am reminded about my Grandma every time I sit with my own grandchildren and tell them "Stories from the old iron pot". They love those stories and squeal with delight at the surprise and suspense.

Grandma was the original Queen of marketing. Perhaps she did not know it, but she was the best of the best story-tellers. I might be just a tad prejudice.

The lessons I learned from my Grandmother have sustained me throughout my career in sales and marketing.

One thing I discovered is that no matter who we are, we are all in sales and doing marketing every waking minute of every day. The first people we are selling to is our families, spouses, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. -And the list goes on.

Imagine that!

Here are the three lessons I learned from "the old iron pot":

1. Be different.

My Grandma knew there were lots of Grandmas out there telling bedtime stories, and she worked diligently to make herself different from all the other storytelling Grandmas out there.

The same applies to business.

We all have competition, so if we fail to make ourselves different, we will die. Simple as that.

I suggest you read Roy Osing's book, "Be Different of Be Dead".

2. Be Enthusiastic.

Grandma was so enthusiastic every time she shared one of her stories with us that we couldn't wait to find out what story she would share with us that day! Her enthusiasm made us want to be around her, to listen to her every word. In fact, we would always hang around when Grandma visited, because we never knew when she would stir way deep down deep in "the old iron pot" for another great tale to tell.

Are you enthusiastic about your business? Do you attract prospective clients to you because you are full of enthusiasm for your business and what you have to share? Are you enthusiastic about meeting new people and take your eyes off yourself to make time to listen to their stories?

3. Listen.

We have been given two ears for a reason.

When Grandma spoke, we learned how important it was to listen intently for fear of missing something really important in the story.

When you attend your next networking meeting, try using your diaphragm and speaking up, enunciate your words and speak enthusiastically about your business telling your story like nobody else can. Be enthusiastic about listening to the new people you meet. Take your eyes off yourself and focus on those you meet. Find out ways you can collaborate and help each other.

I am so thankful for the lessons I have learned "from the old iron pot".

I would love to listen to your stories. Let's meet for coffee or have a Skype call to find ways we can collaborate.

Christine Till

The Marketing Mentress

1-780-904-9557

marketingmentress@gmail.com

FB Bus: /themarketingmentress

Twitter: @mktgmentress

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

LinkedIn Tip #9 - New Group Secrets!

One month since the big LinkedIn updates and we are still finding surprises!

Well, if you are not using it much, you may have just discovered them.

No worries! In the LinkedIn Book of Christine, it is all good!

The groups received a huge overhaul.

Now we only have to use the "Advanced" search tool to look for key people we want to know and do business with. It used to be that you could use this tool, or go directly into each group to perform a search of the members there. Then you could send them a message, follow them, or ask them to connect with you. You did not even have to know them in order to message them.

Here are the keys to the "Advanced" search tool:

You can select more specific search parameters. For example: You can choose which type of connections to search or which groups you wish to search. You can get your search nailed down to the postal code for the exact area in which you wish to search. So Cool!
You can set up a search and just leave it in place for a while. LinkedIn will continue to search for those parameters and send you the results, depending on how often you wish to receive these results. The frequency of emails can be set up through your settings menu.
You can search your first connections, or second connections, or groups, or 3rd plus connections. My suggestion would be to search one of these at a time. With each group that you search, for instance, you can change your search criteria as many times as you wish until you have exhausted all your options for that group. Once your search results stop bringing up results, it might be a good idea to leave the group and search another one.

Play with the "Advanced" search tool for a bit and discover how slick it really is. The "Advanced" search tool is not really that new. You could always perform these types of searches. Most of us did not use these to their max. However, the new updates have refined this type of searching, in my humble opinion.

The fact that LinkedIn will keep sending you results from your searches until you change them is phenomenal!

Once you find some key people you would like to build a relationship with, you can take it from there. Remember that the relationships are built online, and real business gets done offline, face-to-face.

People want to do business with people that they know, like and trust. It takes time to build those relationships. It may take as long as 3-6 months to start getting business through LinkedIn, but if you are building solid relationships with people, taking your eyes off yourself and finding ways you can help others first, you will be amazed how LinkedIn will work for you.

Christine Till

The Marketing Mentress

1-780-904-9557

marketingmentress@gmail.com

FB Bus: /themarketingmentress

Twitter: @mktgmentress

Wednesday, 18 November 2015

LinkedIn Tip #8 - LinkedIn Group Overwhelm

Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the changes that LinkedIn has just launched?

You are not alone!

It can be just a tad daunting when you are not that familiar with LinkedIn to suddenly be faced with the feeling that you have lost all your work. This has prompted me to share some tips to help you adjust to this new platform.

There are two types of groups:

a. Open Groups

b. Closed Groups

Open Groups

You can view the discussion thread before you join the group to see if it is a group you want to join. You are accepted into these groups immediately without having to be approved first. Once you are in an open group, you are free to mix and mingle with the members.

Closed Groups

You cannot view the discussion thread before you join the group. You have to join the group before you can view the discussion thread. Once you click to join a closed group, you then wait for someone in the group to approve you. You can wait weeks for this to happen sometimes, depending on how often the manager of the group checks it. Once you are accepted into the group, you are free to mix and mingle with its members.

LinkedIn will allow you to have up to 5 pending acceptances for the groups. It lets you know with a message when you have reached your limit for the day.

When you are wanting to start your own group on LinkedIn, there are also some things to consider very seriously.

1. If you set your new group up as an open group, you cannot change your mind and switch it to a closed group.

2. If you set your new group up as a closed group, you can always decide later to switch it to an "Open" group. However, remember that once you switch to an open group, you cannot switch it back to a "Closed" group.

As you join groups, remember that you do not need to stay in that group forever. You can join up to 100 groups. You are free to leave groups whenever you wish. Nobody knows when you leave the group, especially if there are more than 25 people in the group.

My suggestion would be to check out the new format for the groups. There is a tutorial that will walk you through some of the basics. I recommend that you take advantage of this short walk-through.

Remember LinkedIn is the most professional platform on the "net". There is none other like it. Everyone on this platform is there to do business.

Treat LinkedIn like you would a live networking group. The members are real people and it takes time to build trust with people. You build the relationships online, and real business gets done offline.

For answers to your LinkedIn questions, feel free to contact me.

Christine Till

The Marketing Mentress

1-780-904-9557

marketingmentress@gmail.com

https://li202groupsecrets2.eventbrite.ca

FB Bus: /themarketingmentress

Twitter: @mktgmentress

Wednesday, 11 November 2015

LinkedIn Tip # 7 - What Kind of An Impression Are YOU Leaving?

How do you feel about linking up with profiles that have NO headshot?

Every day I receive requests from LinkedIn members asking me to add them to my network. Many of those requests come from profiles with NO headshot. How do you think that makes me feel?

First I wonder what they are hiding from me. Second I wonder if they are fake profiles. Third I do not connect with them if I do not know them and understand that they are new and working on getting a professional headshot.

If you own a business and want all your staff members to be on LinkedIn to help maximize its use to promote your business, what kind of an impression are your employees leaving about your company?

Even if you put a "selfie" on your profile, do you think that will promote a positive impression about the company?

Here's the "shtick".

You have 3 seconds to make a great first impression on LinkedIn. Yes, you read correctly. Try an experiment. Go on your LinkedIn profile, and check out some of the profiles listed in one of your groups. Slowly scroll down the pages of the members in the group and make mental note of the profiles that catch your eye.

Right! The first thing you look at is the headshot. The second thing you look at is their name and the third is their "headline below their name"... 3 seconds flat!

Take time to check out the LinkedIn profiles of all your staff members. Better yet, what kind of example are you giving your staff. They will duplicate what you do, only be a little more slack than you are.

It takes effort to keep your standards high. As a business owner, it is imperative that our profile is in stellar shape and that you invest in a professional headshot.

If you are looking for a professional photographer in your area, please let me know. I can connect you to some highly recommended ones in my network.

To learn more about enhancing your entire LinkedIn marketing program and how the groups are the key to it all, join us Nov. 19th for LinkedIn 202 - The Secrets of the groups:

Christine Till

The Marketing Mentress

1-780-904-9557

marketingmentress@gmail.com

https://li202groupsecrets2.eventbrite.ca

FB Bus: /themarketingmentress

Twitter: @mktgmentress

Monday, 9 November 2015

Tip # 6 - Three Reasons Why the Groups are the Key.

Now that you have heard that the groups are the key to LinkedIn, are you wondering why that is?

It is easy to get caught up with the daily responding and commenting in the Home Feed, let alone responding to the group discussions we belong to. No wonder people feel just a tad overwhelmed with LinkedIn and how to maximize its' use.

Many people become disenchanted with the platform and leave it, never to return, because it just takes too much time to figure out all on our own. Here's a hint.

You need a coach to help you get started. I for one would never have managed to be this far along with my LinkedIn without the help of a coach to get me started.

LinkedIn is a business platform, not a social platform. Facebook is like the backyard bar-b-q; Twitter is like the coffee shop chatter. Business gets done on all three platforms, but if you want to get serious about business to business, LinkedIn is the platform for you.

One of the most confusing areas of LinkedIn is the groups. Now that we can join up to 100 groups, they can be more than a little daunting.

Tip #6 - Three Reasons Why the Groups

1. You can join groups that contain your target audience for prospective clients and if a specific group is not working for you, you can just leave it and go find another one that will suit your pipeline better.

2. You can search the groups with specifically targeted clients in mind and send them a message without being connected. Each group is like its own networking meeting where you can meet people and build the relationships you need and want for business.

3. You can set up your own group and invite other LinkedIn followers to join you in a discussion you have started there. You can attach a survey to this discussion that screens your potential target market even finer.

With the way we can use the advanced search tool now, it is easier than ever to target our specific market.

Join our next webinar: LinkedIn 202 - The secrets of the groups

Christine Till

The Marketing Mentress

1-780-904-9557

marketingmentress@gmail.com