There’s nothing like a great testimonial from one of your clients or customers to make you feel like a million bucks. AND… there is nothing more powerful than third-party testimonials when it comes to converting mildly interested prospective clients into enthusiastic paying clients. Great testimonials build your credibility, trustworthiness and effectiveness in [...]]]>

There’s nothing like a great testimonial from one of your clients or customers to make you feel like a million bucks. AND… there is nothing more powerful than third-party testimonials when it comes to converting mildly interested prospective clients into enthusiastic paying clients. Great testimonials build your credibility, trustworthiness and effectiveness in the eyes of others who may not have already had the experience of working with you.

So, dang, you need to have a systematic way to gather testimonials from your present and past clients so you can collect a big, juicy pile of them!

Tip #1: Don’t wait too long before asking your clients for that testimonial. The best time is either when you are still working with that person or immediately after. Determine the best time for you, based on the kind of work you do, and make that request at that time!

Tip #2: Don’t ask your clients to write you a testimonial. Write it for them. This video tells you how to do that!

Do you have an effective way to gather testimonials from your clients and customers? If you do, or if you’re looking to create a systematic way to do so, leave a comment here. Let’s talk about it!

I’ve always been amused and impressed by Kathleen Watson‘s writing on her own blog, Stepping Into Big, so I asked her if she’d be willing to write a special article for the Firecracker blog. When she accepted, I was thrilled! Then, when I read her [...]]]>

by guest blogger, Kathleen Watson

I’ve always been amused and impressed by Kathleen Watson‘s writing on her own blog, Stepping Into Big, so I asked her if she’d be willing to write a special article for the Firecracker blog. When she accepted, I was thrilled! Then, when I read her final draft, I was in stitches! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

As you well know, there’s a ton of competition out there these days. Not for business, but for the title of Most Ineffectual Marketing Message Ever.  If you’re in the running for this title, these ten tips will help you create such lame marketing messages that people will be ignoring you in droves.

1.         Make it all about “I”, “me”, and “mine”.  You know how completely cool you and your company are—so why should you be shy about tooting your own horn?  Forget about addressing the concerns of your customers.  It’s your website, your marketing materials, so you get to be the star.  (Hot Tip: You’ll know you’re doing a good job following this guideline if your use of “I”, “me” and “my” overpowers your use of “you” and “your” in your marketing messages.)

2.         Focus on what you like to do instead of worrying about what your prospects want.  You got into business to do what you like on your own terms. Why should you let customers dictate what you offer and how you offer it? If they don’t like it, there’s the door. (Just leave your money behind before you leave….)

3.         Talk talk talk talk talk talk talk.  It’s such fun, isn’t it, to take charge of an in-person or virtual conversation? Who wants to turn over the reins by asking questions and—Gasp!—listening to the answers?  Listening is for wimps.  Strong business owners talk and tell—every chance they get.

4.         Make assumptions whenever possible.  You’ve been in this field for a while now, so you know what’s important to your prospective clients—obviously. Why waste time asking about problems they’re willing to pay you to solve? Like that’s going to do you any good.

5.         Go into minute detail about what your products and processes look like.  You’ve spent a lot of time developing your processes, products, and services, and you damn well deserve to pat yourself on the back by describing them in loving detail. If a prospect can’t figure out how those products and services benefit them, it’s their tough luck.

6.         Don’t worry about having a goal for your marketing.  Really, now. Why would you waste your valuable time figuring out what outcome you want your marketing to produce for you?  Get creative! Go crazy!  All marketing is good marketing, right?  And surely some of the messages will get through to people and pry money from their tight fists.

7.         Use as many acronyms and industry buzz words as possible to show how knowledgeable you are.  If a prospect is so clueless as to not know what your favorite buzz words mean, do you really want to work with them?  One of the joys of owning your own business is exercising your ego in public, and you can’t do that if you avoid jargon and speak to the lowest common denominator. Get real!

8.         Make sure your prospects have to crawl through virtual glass to connect with you.  There’s so much talk of search engine optimization, making it easy for your ideal clients to find you online, being careful to follow-up promptly, answering the telephone, for heaven’s sake…It’s enough to make your head explode. Just print up a few business cards and slap a static website up there; that’s good enough for anyone.

9.         Have lots of core messages to keep from getting pigeon-holed.  Is there anything more boring than focusing on a “core competency”? Isn’t that just another way of saying you only do one or two things really well and suck at everything else? Don’t be a “Johnny/Jenny One-Note”!  It’s important that your marketing conveys your desire to be all things to all people.

10.         Use dry, factual, emotionless language.  Business is all about the numbers, the bottom line, the nuts and bolts, right?  Please don’t fall prey to those bleeding-heart marketing consultants that encourage you to appeal first to your prospects’ emotions, then to their intellect. They’ll try to tell you that people decide emotionally, then justify those decisions rationally; they’ll argue that your marketing messages need to speak to both heart and head. But what do they know?

Follow these guidelines closely, and I guarantee that you’ll be able to successfully camouflage your very expensive hobby so it looks like a real business.  The disguise will be so effective, you’ll even fool yourself.

Kathleen Watson is a hand-holding, butt-kicking implementation specialist who shows her clients how to move from big ideas to big actions to big results. You can get a free copy of her 15-page workbook, the Take Action Now System™, by going to www.SteppingIntoBig.com.

Note from Nancy: Kathleen is my accountability partner, colleague and friend, and I know, from personal experience, that she’s a never-ending source of insight, quick-witted wisdom and feisty energy. If you like this post, you’ll love her own blog at SteppingIntoBig.com. (Oh, and if you’re ever struggling to take action and implement your own great ideas, she’s always up for kick-your-butt phone call.)

Sometimes, when you find yourself surrounded by a lot of smart, high-energy, impassioned entrepreneurs, all of whom are saying “Yes!” to their dreams and goals, you become painfully aware of how you are saying “No!” to your own dreams and goals.

This happened to me recently at a 3-day marketing intensive. [...]]]>

Sometimes, when you find yourself surrounded by a lot of smart, high-energy, impassioned entrepreneurs, all of whom are saying “Yes!” to their dreams and goals, you become painfully aware of how you are saying “No!” to your own dreams and goals.

This happened to me recently at a 3-day marketing intensive. I hadn’t realized how I’d been repeatedly saying No to a certain dream I’ve had for my business until I spent 3 days surrounded by a lot of on-fire women who were living their Yes! It had a dramatic, catalystic effect on me, to say the least, and I’ve made some pretty radical decisions as a result.

But enough about me.

Where are you saying No to yourself?

Where do you keep stalling or stopping yourself from taking action out of fear or doubt? It could be around something as simple as making a phone call or as involved as writing that book you’ve got inside of you.

If I could, I would drop you into a swarm of 300-400 impassioned, committed entrepreneurs for 3 days and then ask you, Where are you saying No to yourself? But since I can’t, I’ll just ask you to start being aware of all the places where you say No to yourself, to your impulses, ideas, dreams and goals. Where do you limit your possibilities before you even act on them.

And can you start to say Yes to those dreams and possibilities… even in some small way? What would you need to start saying Yes to yourself and what matters to you? How can you start to give yourself what you need?

Let me know. I want to hear from you and what’s bubbling up inside of you when you think about where you might be saying No to yourself. Share your thoughts here, in the comment section below, and let’s get you saying Yes, Yes, Yes!

My reason for [...]]]>

Two weeks ago, we left Neal sitting pretty in his local hardware store, Neal’s Hardware, with a great free offer, a lot of new customers and a great strategy for distinguishing his neighborhood store from those superstores like Lowes and Home Depot. (If you missed that story, here it is.)

My reason for telling you this story (and for continuing to do so now) was to show you how Internet marketing and social media are no more complicated to owning a local hardware store. A really cool hardware store. Like Neal’s Hardware.

So, as I said, we left Neal in a pretty good place! His basic marketing was off to a strong start, but… Neal stills needs more business!

See, he has big plans to expand, add a garden center and specialize in non-toxic paints. Plus, he’s had his eye on the new pickup truck. So even though his free offer and regular mailings are keeping the cash moving in, he needs to increase that flow!

Neal realizes that in order to fund his future dreams, he can’t stay stuck in his hardware store and wait for people to come to him. He has to get out and go where the action is, where his potential customers are. He has to rub elbows with a variety of folks who either need his goods or can refer others to his store.

So he joins the local Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary. He shows up at meetings and mixers, joins in the conversations, and plays it smart by spending most of his time asking questions and listening to others talk about their businesses and their lives.

When people ask him what he does, he tells them about the store and his services, and, if it feels right, he hands them a card for the free digital tape measure. “Come on by the store and I’ll give you one of these great digital tape measures,” he says.

But Neal doesn’t stop there.

He knows that if he’s going to compete with the superstores, he has to position himself as the friendly expert who can help people solve their home repair problems. That’s when he gets a great idea!

He calls the local newspaper and asks for their ad rates for a long column ad to run once a week, every week. The price feels right so he kicks off an ad campaign. But instead of placing one of those “come on in!” ads, he uses the ad space to publish his own fix-it column! Every week, he tells readers how to fix another common repair or redesign problem. And, of course, each ad ends with an invitation to drop by and get a free digital tape measure.

Between his column and his networking, Neal’s driving a lot more people into the store, giving away a lot of tape measures and building a pretty massive email list… all while making new friends and strengthening his relationships with both his potential and tried-and-true customers. (Oh, and he bought that new truck!)

How Does This Relate To Your Own Internet Marketing?

Once you have your basic Internet marketing system in place, which consists of your website, free offer and email marketing, you need to go out and be where the action is! You need to meet people where they’re hanging out and find ways to get your expertise out there.

In Internet marketing, one of the ways to do this is through Social Networking or Social Media. You know, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. These platforms allow you to find, follow and befriend your ideal customers and referral sources. And like Neal, if you’re smart, you will show up consistently, join the conversation, be interested in what others have to say, be helpful and always lead people back to your website.

Plus, you want to find ways to not only meet people and make connections but share your expertise. Like Neal did with his ad campaign. You can do this through article marketing and blogging. Or creating helpful YouTube videos. Again, all of these activities lead people back to your website and your free offer so you can continue to build your email list and thereby build your relationship with your customers.

Back to Neal…

Now, Neal’s biz is taking off! People are stopping by for their free gift, giving him a chance to demonstrate his unique selection of nuts and bolts and exceptional customer service. Plus, the folks on his mailing list are starting to know and love him. His regular newsletters are fun and helpful, and they give his customers ideas on how to create more beauty and functionality in their home.

Plus, they much prefer to stop by Neal’s store and talk to someone they know and love than feel lost and overwhelmed in some big superstore.

To further serve his clients, attract more traffic into the store and increase his income, Neal decides to offer a free do-it-yourself workshop every Saturday morning. During these 2-hour workshops, either he or one of his suppliers teaches his customers how to do something cool, like choose the right paint colors or build their own outdoor fountain. These workshops not only provide a service to his customers and give his suppliers a chance to shine in the spotlight, they feature one or more of the products he sells in the store.

As an added bonus, Neal is now often asked by his suppliers to come talk to their staff and customers so he can share his expertise… and bring more recognition to Neal’s Hardware!

Now Neal is making plans to launch a “Neal’s Deals” membership program where members get deeper discounts, members-only educational programs, early access to the store on sale days and an invitation to the Neal’s Hardware Holiday Party. All for the annual fee of $77! Knowing Neal, it’s sure to be a bit hit!

Back to YOU!

 Another way you can grow your own business online is by offering your own free workshops in the form of teleseminars or webinars! And like Neal, you can offer your own great content or invite colleagues to be guest speakers. Either way, it’s a great way to build your tribe (and your email list) and get known for offering great, valuable content. And, as Neal did with his Saturday workshops, you can offer your audience the products or services you have “in stock” that will help them get the results they want!

Teleseminars and webinars also give you the chance to form strategic alliances with colleagues and other experts. You invite certain experts to talk to your audience, thereby giving them the chance to reach a wider audience, and they can return the favor. It’s a win-win-win! Your clients get a lot of valuable content and access to expertise they may not otherwise have. Your strategic alliance partners get to introduce their services to your clients, and you get to introduce your services to their audience. Lovely!

Are you beginning to see how the possibilities are endless when it comes to Internet marketing? Can you see how it’s not any more complicated or mysterious as having a really cool, local hardware store?

Hey, who knows? Maybe you’ll soon be offering your own membership program… just like Neal!

The trick is to start with the basics (what I call the Strong Start triangle) and build from there. Don’t try to do it all at once! You’ll go nuts and it won’t work! Take it step by step, evaluating what is working and what’s not.

And remember, you get to do this in a way that works for you! If you hate to write, article marketing and blogging are not good strategies for you. But maybe video marketing is! Or pay-per-click ads.

If social media scares you and Twitter makes your stomach clench, don’t do it! There are so many more options for you!

Let’s create an Internet marketing plan that is perfect for you, one that is easy to understand and put into action! I’m ready to help you every step of the way.

Watch out!

In this Tough Love Tuesday, I’m letting myself rant about something that really, really gets under my skin!

It’s about stealing.

It’s about using someone’s best work in order to glorify your own and never giving credit where credit is due.

Just watch the video and then… stop stealing [...]]]>

Watch out!

In this Tough Love Tuesday, I’m letting myself rant about something that really, really gets under my skin!

It’s about stealing.

It’s about using someone’s best work in order to glorify your own and never giving credit where credit is due.

Just watch the video and then… stop stealing stuff!

Lift your head up and look around! I know you’re focused on what’s right in front of you, and good for you! Being focused is a very good thing.

But sometimes, as entrepreneurs, we get so focused on what’s right in front of us (that deadline we need to meet, [...]]]>

Hey! You!

Lift your head up and look around! I know you’re focused on what’s right in front of you, and good for you! Being focused is a very good thing.

But sometimes, as entrepreneurs, we get so focused on what’s right in front of us (that deadline we need to meet, the client we have to call, that fire we need to put out) that we lose our connection to the people hanging out on the periphery of our awareness. Those clients, friends, family members and colleagues who are important to us but aren’t demanding our most immediate attention.

Take the time to reach out and consciously connect with these folks. It will make such a huge difference in your life and your business.

Just the other day, I emailed a prospective client with whom I’d had a conversation almost three weeks before. I hadn’t heard from her since. So, I sent her a very brief email, acknowledging that I hadn’t heard from her and that I figured she’d found someone else to help her with her email marketing. I wished her well and told her I hoped to hear from her in the future.

Well, I got an email back from her, and it turns out she does want my help. She’d been really sick and a lot of things got pushed to the side while she’s been recovering. I’d never have known if I hadn’t emailed her!

So, here’s your assignment. Pick a time every week, or at least every other week, when you will reach out to those who are hanging out on the periphery of your awareness. Those prospective clients, old friends and colleagues you haven’t heard from in a while. It will be good for your business and good for your soul!

My day to reach out is Friday. Every Friday. What day of the week will you be reaching out to your peripheral tribe? Tell me by leaving a comment below! Let’s support each other in this.

“Did I lose [...]]]>

I got concerned when Sarah’s eyes started to glaze over and her head began to tilt at a funny angle. We’d been talking about how she could use Internet marketing to grow her new coaching practice when I noticed that she seemed to slip into some kind of semi-conscious coma.

“Did I lose you?” I asked.

She jerked her head up slightly, let out a giggle and said, “I’m so sorry. It’s just that this whole Internet marketing thing is so overwhelming for me. I’m doing my best to understand, but honestly, it all feels like… too much!”

I get it.

Anytime you try to understand something new and strange, it can feel overwhelming. Or like it’s simply too much to take in. And if you’re not in love with Internet marketing (like I am), if you’re trying to make sense of it all (because you know the Internet is the place to be these days!), then you can get stuck in that uncomfortable, confusing mire of “too much to know and too much to figure out.”

So, today, my mission is to show you how Internet marketing and even social media is no more complicated than owning a local hardware store. A really cool hardware store.

Meet Neal

Neal has always had an unexplainable love for screwdrivers, nails, hammers, saws and copper tubing. He also has a strong affection for and understanding of people who tend to need screwdrivers, nails, hammers, saws and copper tubing.

So, he decided to open a hardware store.

Everyone told him not to. “Are you crazy? What about all the competition? How are you going to compete with those superstores, like Lowes and Home Depot?”

But Neal knew he could offer people more than those superstores. He had better stuff and a strong desire to share what he knew. So, he leased a little space at the corner of Twisted and Vine, spiffed it up, filled it full of top-notch hardware and put out a sign: Neal’s Hardware. He was in business!

Next, he had to get people in the door. How could folks find out how much better his store was if they never came in?

Ah! He had a brilliant idea. He would entice people into his new store by giving away those cool, digital tape measures! Who could resist a free tape measure! So, he put a small ad in the local paper and a sign outside of his store that said, “Free Digital Tape Measure at Neal’s Hardware. Come in and get yours today.”

That night, he woke up around 2:00 am in a cold sweat.

What if a ton of people come by his store, grabbed that cool tape measure, and then left… forever! He realized that his free giveaway may get people in the store initially, but he had to create a way to get them back again and again. He needed to keep the spark of that initial impression alive.

So, he did something really smart.

He sprinted over to the local photocopy store and printed up a bunch of 3×5 postcards. One side of the card promoted his free giveaway and the other side was a form requesting the name and address of the person receiving that giveaway. He added the phrase “Fill out this card and trade it in for your free digital tape measure.”

Each person who came into the store for their free tape measure got a card, which they gladly filled out and exchanged for Neal’s gift.

Now, Neal had a way to stay connected with those folks who’d come to his store to check it out. Now he could follow up, stay in touch and build upon that first-time interaction with his new customers.

What the heck does any of this have to do with
your Internet marketing?

Like Neal, it all starts with you, your passion for “something” and your desire to share it with those who could really use or appreciate your “something.” So, you establish a place, a space, where people can find you and your “something.” Online, this is obviously your website. Your website is your virtual storefront. Your office. Your stage. It’s where you invite people in and show them what you have to offer.

So, step one: get a website! A website that is inviting, engaging and logically organized so that people can easily find what they’re looking for. A website that speaks straight to the needs and desires of your ideal clients and effectively communicates your value, brilliance and uniqueness.

Ah, but how are you going to get people to come to your website? How are you going to lure them in?

Like Neal, you’re going to tempt them with something cool that they really want and give it to them for free… as a way of thanking them for stopping by. This “free and fabulous” thing is… your Fabulous Free Offer. And, like Neal’s gift, it’s only available on your website. If people want it, they gotta come get it!

But you want to be sure they don’t just come, take their gift and leave… never to be heard from again. You want to create a way to capture their name and email address so you can continue to connect with these folks who now know a little more about you and have had a taste of what you can offer. So, you create an opt-in form that requires your visitors give you their name and email in order to get their free and groovy gift (you can learn all about creating your Fabulous Free Offer and your opt-in form in my free 5-Step Trainig “Transform Your Website Into A Client Connection Machine.)

Meanwhile… Back at Neal’s Hardware

Now, Neal has an advantage over the superstores. He has a way to stay in touch with the people who’ve been to his store. And unlike those superstores, he’s not going to send them advertisements and annoying junk mail. Oh, no! He’s going to send them tips on how they can easily weatherproof their house in the winter, or how to inexpensively turn a postage stamp-sized yard into a high producing vegetable garden, or how to easily fix that leaky faucet in bathroom. He’s going to send them great stuff so they will come to know, like and trust him.

Sure, he’ll also let them know that his store has the materials they need to fix that leak or weatherproof that door, but only as an extension of his service and expertise in hardware.

Then Back to You…

If you follow Neal’s example in your Internet marketing plan, you’ve got a website, a fabulous free offer and a way to capture people’s names and addresses in exchange for that offer. Which means, you’re building an email list! Well, what are you going to do with that list?

The same as Neal.

You’re going to regularly send people great information. Something helpful… or at least interesting or entertaining. Like Neal, you’re not going to abuse that list by sending a bunch of ads or promotions. You’re going to offer communications and information that will allow you to build and strengthen your relationship with the people on your list. You’re going to show them, time and time again, how you can be of service to them. Via email.

And yes, every now and then, you are going to invite them to buy something from you! Something that provides them with a solution or service that will make it easier for them to get more of what they need or want.

Now What?

Now that Neal has a great little system in place, he needs more business. He wants to expand his store and increase his income. How’s he going to get more people interested in what he has to offer?

I’m going to tell you next week. Next Thursday, we continue the saga of Neal’s thriving business and how simple Internet marketing can be for you.

And honest to Pete, you can get a lot of easy-to-crock information in my 5-Step Video Training, “Transform Your Website Into a Client Connection Machine.” It’s free. If you put your name and email into the form in the right column of this website, click “Gimme,” you’ll have it all in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

If you have questions about any of this, please leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to give you the best possible answer.

I just got done listening to a very fine (and free) 5-part series on Building Your Business With Content Marketing” with Brian Clark from Copyblogger and Michael Port. These guys are super-pros when it comes to building a tribe, marketing online and using social media to meet new friends and keep the [...]]]>

I just got done listening to a very fine (and free) 5-part series on Building Your Business With Content Marketing” with Brian Clark from Copyblogger and Michael Port. These guys are super-pros when it comes to building a tribe, marketing online and using social media to meet new friends and keep the old.

And it made me realize that ever since I fell in love Internet marketing, so long ago, that so much of the advice from experts is about creating high-value content. How many times have I heard “Content is king!”

And I get it. Offering high value via your blog, your social media platforms and marketing streams is critically important. But I do believe that content is no longer king. I believe content has been overthrown by something even more likely to build your business and create a enthusiastic tribe of fans and clients.

Content is being overthrown by connection… the ability to authentically connect with another human being (or group of human beings).  Because let’s face it. There is so much great content out there right now! Everyone is churning it out left and right (because we’ve been told to!) and there’s a lot of incredibly valuable content available… for free.

The truth is, no one needs more information. We all have enough information. Too much information. What we are really craving now is connection, interaction and the assurance. We want to know there’s someone listening as well as speaking, someone who is paying attention and wants to be of service.

No wonder social media is so red hot! No wonder Facebook is now one of the most populated virtual countries in the world! People are hungry to connect with other people! They don’t want to download and ingest more content. They want to party! They want to be part of the conversation. They want to be heard.

So, how can you offer an authentic connection rather than just more content?

It starts with a genuine desire to know and listen to your tribe — those people out there in Internet land who are circling your website, your Facebook Page, your LinkedIn profile, etc. It starts by thinking of how you can create more conversations rather than more content. It starts by showing up as a real person (not just an expert) and listening. And offering support.

Quite honestly, the key is in HOW you show up and how you communicate. Are you lecturing from on high, or are you sparking a discussion? Are you inviting conversation, questions and opportunities to get support, or are you just telling people what to do?

I often quote my old blogging mentor Andy Wibbels. He used to say, “Show up and be helpful.” I’ve taken that advice to heart.

But I would add, “Show up and be interested. Show up and be available. Show up and listen… and then listen some more.” Connection is created by being receptive as well as by giving away great stuff, by “letting in” as well as “giving out, by listening and understanding as well as offering help and valuable content.

So, yes, keep paying homage to content, but start thinking about how you can devote even more of your energy, creativity and attention on creating connection, via your blog, your social media, your online marketing and all your communications.

And if you’re feeling like you could use some guidance on how to become generate more of a connection with your tribe, or if you’ve found some effective ways to get the party started, leave a comment here and let’s talk!

Internet marketing gurus keep harping away about how to “build your list.” “It’s all in your list.” “You gotta keep building your list.”"You want a huge list.”

But what good is a huge list if only a teeny-tiny percentage of the people on [...]]]>

Oh, let’s stop all this talk about list building!

Internet marketing gurus keep harping away about how to “build your list.” “It’s all in your list.” “You gotta keep building your list.”"You want a huge list.”

But what good is a huge list if only a teeny-tiny percentage of the people on that list give a rip about what you have to offer? What’s the point of having a big fat list if that list is unresponsive?

I say, stop building a list. Start building a tribe… your online community. Stop thinking about “a list,” and start thinking about PEOPLE… the people you are meant to serve, the people who are looking for someone like you to help them, to move them to the next level.

In this Tough Love Tuesday tip, I remind you that it’s not a list your building. It’s a tribe of people.

But it