More Than A Few Words

As you start working on the product portion of your overall business plan do not start with the features.  Go back to your customer research. What is most important to your customers?  Focus on the elements of your product or service that line up with those needs.   Demonstrate how the features that you are selecting for your product or service help you achieve something customers are going to buy because it solves their problem This can be everything from the physical product, to the warranty, to how you package it or deliver it. Focus on a few things that are unique to you because otherwise you are a commodity.  There's no reason for someone to pick you versus your competitor if your are a commodity. Outline how you think you will roll out enhancements and new products  features  to give investors and lenders an idea of where your business is going and how how your products may expand over time. Ready to work on your plan? START NOW 

When it comes down to closing, people buy from people.  So before you can make a sale, you almost always need a relationship.  In B2B sales one of the best places to build that relationship is on LinkedIn.    Relationship pro, Janice Porter shares some of her  favorite relationship building strategies.   She believes LinkedIn is underutilized by many sales professionals, who miss the opportunity to make quality connections by interacting authentically on the platform.  Janice is a returning guest to MTFW.  You can listen to our first conversation here:  https://morethanafewwords.com/518-janice-porter/

One of the things that I love and hate about marketing is the research which allows you to describe your ideal client in very quantitative terms like age, income and level of education. I love this because if gives you a starting point for your marketing. The thing I don't love is that it puts people in very narrow boxes.  Too often we lose sight of the fact that our target customers are more than just numbers. Beyond the demographic segments there is a psychological element.  It is these psychological components like interests, problems, values, philosophy and motivation that allow you to create effective marketing campaigns. What do your potential clients think about? Where do they spend their time? What's important to them? What problems do they have? What do they find annoying disturbing or and frustrating? What do they hold in high regard and where do they put their time and their money? What do you know about their politics, and their attitude about life and business.  How do they approach challenges an

We are living in a video world.  Our guest Chris Weiher thinks video should be in the tool kit of every small business.  The mistake he thinks many business owners make is thinking they need to commit to video forever, and forever is intimidating.  Instead, he says start small and learn as you go. 

I am sure you think this headline is a mistake, that I meant to say something else, but I really mean this. If you want to build a successful business in a vibrant marketplace, you will grow faster if you help your competitors. Before you decide I am completely crazy, consider the following: You don’t know everything. Hanging around with other business owners in the same industry gives you a chance to learn a few things in  exchange for sharing a few tips of your own. Improve the quality and perception of your industry. If a customer has a bad experience with a service provider in your industry, it’s easy for them to assume that all companies who do what you do are the same. Getting involved with trade associations which offer training, professional and business development will improve the overall industry in which you are a participant. Everyone is not your customer. Getting to know companies who provide similar services to yours in slightly different niches gives you an chance to set up a referral relation

Google wants you to succeed and in this conversation with Stormy Knight, we talk about what they're doing to help you do just that. Remember that Google's main product is great search results. While they have some of the most comprehensive data bases in the world, they may not have the detailed information about your business.  Your Google My Business Profile helps fill in some of the blanks that makes it easy for Google to present your company when people are looking for a business like yours.   .About Stormy Knight  Stormy is an internet marketing speaker and writer. She wrote the original “20 Reasons To Put Your Business On The World Wide Web”in 1995, one of the first articles that outlined how to successfully use the internet for marketing.

How do you decide which marketing tactics to try? Megan Prejzner says you should start with business goals in mind. Boil it all down to the ones which are going to move your business goals forward and forward the fastest. Don't be overwhelmed by choices and then wind up doing nothing because of analysis paralysis. Look at your business, get clear on what you are trying to achieve and select the one tactic which can be the most efficient in moving you toward your end goal

Even new, completely innovative products have competition. Long before your product comes into the market, customers have found ways to solve their problems. Understanding who your real competitors are is critical to your business success. As you analyze your competitors, it can be helpful to think about the three levels of competition. Level One. These companies solve the customer’s problem with products or services that are very similar to yours. While you may have enhanced features or slightly different offerings, it is likely an uninformed consumer will assume your products are interchangeable. Level Two. These companies offer an alternative solution to your customer’s problem. On the surface, they may not appear to be a direct competitor because the product or service is dramatically different. If, however, this alternative solution solves your customer’s problem, it is a competitor. Level Three. These companies or products do not solve the same problem at all, but compete for your customer’s limited res

While you don't want to change your brand frequently, guest Amanda Guerassio suggests there are signs you are ready for a refresh.   If you designed your logo yourself when you started your business, and the branding suite just isn't as professional as you would like Your business has changed direction or target and the design suite no longer reflects you company The brand relied on "trendy" colors, fonts or styles that were cool when the brand was launched but is somewhat dated now. 

I know you think you are a business owner not a salesperson but everybody really is a salesperson. In this conversation with Tracey Beavers we explored ways you can create sales without "selling" She suggests you start by being yourself.  The reason no one likes to think of themselves as a salesperson because there are so many bad salespeople out there. They're aggressive, spammy, weird. and annoying. They make us uncomfortable and we don't want to feel that way.  She says take the word sales out of the equation. Don't even think about it because that word is intimidating. 

Too often inventors and entrepreneurs fall in love with their idea. Just because it can be built, does not mean it should be.  Before you launch your business, you need to answer a really important questions.  Does anyone really want your product? That’s where research comes in helping you determine how many individuals or businesses have a need for your product or service and, more important, how many are likely to buy? History is full of well-designed, extremely innovative products that were commercially unsuccessful because customers did not believe they needed them. You can research to determine market size, competitive products, preliminary level of interest in your product and customers’ willingness to change. A good starting point for your research is data from the U.S. Census Bureau, your local chamber of commerce, library and online data bases. These broad studies can give you a feel for the overall size of a community. Surveys, focus groups, and informal conversations with potential customers, will

Many small business owners startup a business or launch a product with little or no budget. I asked successful founder, Jason Hubbard about some of  the mistakes businesses make when they jump into the game.  He told me the biggest mistake people make jumping in is underestimating how long it will take to get to a place where it is actually a sustainable business.  The underestimate how long that's going to take, how much runway they will need and the amount of blood sweat and tears that go into being successful.   About Jason  Jason has literally grown-up in startups, including helping to grow three top 100 Inc. Fastest Growing Private Companies. Jason is now running his own technology-enabled growth services agency, DemandMagic. DemandMagic helps companies build scalable demand generation engines that supercharge growth.

Small business owners, particularly solo entrepreneurs often forget that their personal and business on-line security are tightly intertwined.   Guest Josh Summers says that a focus on security begins by separating yourself from your business. For example many people will register their company with their home address. Unfortunately, that address becomes part of the public record, for years and years.    Changing it down the road can be costly and time consuming.  He advocates for separating the address right from the start. Using a virtual address or post office box just for your business. About Josh -  Josh Summers is small business owner who has experienced first-hand what happens when your identity is stolen, your accounts get hacked and you are digitally surveilled. He now runs All Things Secured, a brand that helps people make smart choices about their online security and privacy, whether that's individuals, freelancers or other small business owners.

If you're a smart traveler you know can't head out on a long road trip without some kind of map or directions.  Without that there's a chance you'll get lost, drive in the wrong direction, show up late or never actually arrive. When it comes to driving your business your map is your business plan. Now I know lots of business owners put off writing a formal plan because they think it's going to be difficult, time consuming and unproductive. Well none of that is true. Your plan can be a simple outline which answers basic questions about where you are, what your goals are and what actions you're going to take to get there. You don't have to do it all at once. You can work on it in little chunks updating it as your business grows. And your plan can help you anticipate when and where you're going to need help and resources. It will also give you a tool to share your plans with your employees, your investors and other stakeholders. If you're ready to get started on your plan, enroll in our new self-paced Business M

In this episode we talk about mentors, how to find one and how to be one. Why? Because even if we think that we're running our business' completely on our own it helps to have people to turn to for advice and information. Guest, and today my guest Kate Chernis Bradley, Founder & CEO of Lately shared some of the lessons learned from her mentors over the years. For example, when giving feedback, remember your goals isn't to ruin someone's day. So think about the outcome you want from the conversation and frame your comments accordingly.     

Before we roll in 2023, I thought it would be fun to go back and revisit some of my favorite podcast interviews from last year. With more than 125 to choose from, this was no small feat. But I think you're really going to like the episodes I've pulled together. There’s a conversation I had with Laura Templeton about networking conversations. As you know, I love a good networking event. I love a chance to get out and talk to people. But I know that not everybody loves that process or even knows where to start. And that's why I was so excited to talk to Laura, about the first 30 seconds of every networking conversation. Then there is a   conversation I had with frequent guest Patty farmer. This time we chatted about building personal relationships, because they are the real currency of your business Rounding out the collection is a conversation I had with Joe Matz about business Transformation and the need to start with an assessment, because if you don’t know where you are you can’t chart a path to your destin

“Welcome to More than a Few Words, a marketing conversation for business owners. This is your host Lorraine Ball. “ I have a version of that phrase hundreds of times over the last thirteen years. Yes, today is actually the thirteenth year anniversary of this podcast. As I get ready to embark on another year of podcasting,  I thought it would be fun to share a few things I’ve learned along the way that are relevant for podcasters, and really any marketing professional. Your name matters. Whether you’re naming a podcast, a product or a company the name is one of the few decisions you will live with for the life of that product. So as you think about your name, pick something that has meaning to you. Don’t get hung up on the domain name, look for something which has a story behind it that will bring the brand to life. My mother often said I had more words than any human being needed, I am pretty sure I was born talking. And so, as a nod to mother, I named the podcast more than a few words. Get comfortable experi

 What is the fastest least expensive way to get clients? Guest, Gall Doby suggests  there is one strategy that people often ignore, and it's right in front of them.  Looking for new sales? Start with your current clients. Almost every single client ( assuming you are doing a good job) will be willing to do business with you in a different way. Maybe it is an add-on to their project, a few more things and they hadn't originally considered or an entirely different project.  It's so much easier to go to your current clients and try to add something on to a project.  Then right behind that group are your past clients. Both of these groups know, like and trust you so it is one of the easiest, fastest and the cheapest ways to get more business.  

My favorite day on my most recent vacation was the day we got lost. We had an idea of what we wanted to do but we made a wrong turn. Instead of worrying about it we simply embraced the chaos. We stumbled upon a great art exhibit and a delicious restaurant. The lesson from that day came back to my business with me.  I have very specific goals and clear outline of what I want to do on a regular basis but I decided to embrace a little chaos.  I  spent some time exploring lots of new things I hadn't planned on including in my marketing.  Many of them were wastes of time but a few are actually starting to pan out . So I really want to encourage you to have your map for your business and then spend a little time getting lost.

In this episode, I chat with Sasha Willis about authenticity and why it is so important to be authentic in all of your content and branding.  Sasha advocates for  showing up as yourself because people really tune into that.  It is especially true  when it comes to business interactions.  People want to feel they know who they are working with and who they're paying their money to. Sasha Willis is the boss lady behind By Sasha, host of the Strategy for Creatives: Business Minus the Bullshit Podcast, co-host of the Swirl and Sip Podcast, and owner of the Boundless Audio Podcast Network. As a business strategist, podcaster, and multi-facet business owner, her goal is to empower all women business owners by strategizing and action planning to build and grow their brands without the stress. When she's not business doing business things, you can find her spending time with her husband and 5-year old son.​