How Year-End Planning Can Help You Year-Round

For the last two days, I've shared ideas from speaker and author Mark LeBlanc, on how to grow your service business with a "defining statement" and by using his "Target 25" concept.

Today, here's part three of my three-part interview with LeBlanc, on year-end planning that can help you year-round ...

Kevin Donlin: Final question. We’re nearing the end of one year and heading into another. In your experience, how do effective business owners plan for the year ahead?

Mark LeBlanc: Overall I come at planning a little bit differently. I think we are best to throw away the concept of the calendar year and the annual goal.

I operate on a rolling 12-month period so December just happens to be the 12th month of a rolling 12-month period, but I’m always looking at my numbers for the last 30 days and the last 12 month rolling period. Then I compare the rolling 12-month period, not simply the calendar year.

Accountants and bookkeepers are notorious for giving you year-to-date numbers. That makes sense now in December, but if you’re looking at year-to-date numbers after January and then two months, January and February, the year-to-date numbers really don’t mean anything until you get to December.

So if you’re comparing 12-month rolling periods every 30 days you have a better set of numbers in which to make better decisions with, and I believe the secret to your success lies in the phrase “every 30 days.”

A lot of people are spending December getting ready to get ready for next year. Meanwhile, I’m out making sales.

We fall into the trap of, “If I’m off track for the calendar year, I’m going to get ready to get ready for 2011," when I believe that I can market and sell to hit my target number every 30 days.

Kevin: Mark, thanks. That gives people new insights -- they’re not going to slack off and spend December getting ready to get ready, as you said. Excellent advice.

Mark: You’re very welcome. I think, especially at this time of the year, we look forward to January 1st, of course, but why have one New Year’s celebration a year when you can have 12!

How to Grow Your Sales: The Target 25

Yesterday, I interviewed speaker and author Mark LeBlanc, on how to grow your service business with a "defining statement."

Today, here's part two of my three-part interview ...

Kevin Donlin: Let's look at your Target 25 concept -- talking on a regular basis to 25 people who can make a difference in your business. Could you expand on that idea?

Mark LeBlanc: It is my advocate strategy, and every one of us has a group of people who believe in us and our work. I call them our advocates. A couple of other terms are cheerleaders and champions. Who believes in you and your work?

I call it the Target 25 Strategy and it’s really very simple. You just identify the 25 advocates in your life and work who are in a position to impact your business, and then you create an every 30-day connection with them simply to maintain “top of mind presence.” Not to ask them for referrals but just simply to create “top of mind presence.”

If these are the people who believe in you and your work and are most likely to go out of their way, or make a positive connection, or open a door on your behalf, they're more likely to do it with “top of mind presence.”

Time goes by so fast that all of a sudden 10 months or three years goes by and you think, “Where are those people who used to give me referrals?”

Kevin: That's a tremendous idea because repeated contacts are what increase sales. It may not be today that I can refer someone to you but in six months, Bam! I may hit you on the right day. It can’t happen if you’re just spinning your Rolodex and picking out names at random. It has to be systematic.

You mentioned that 25 is a good number of contacts. Well, 50 might be better, 100 would be best. Why do you limit it to 25?

Mark: I think once you start going beyond 25 it gets harder to manage these people on a regular basis, and then it just becomes diluted with what I call “supporters.”

I’m very blessed to have hundreds of supporters in my work but that group of advocates is a little bit smaller, and I would rather stay connected with them every 30 days.

Now, the sort of graduate school level of the advocate strategy is that you begin to put together a different advocate group if you have different profit centers.

For example, I have a coaching Target 25 group, and I also have a speaking Target 25 group of advocates. They’re two different groups of advocates that refer me or believe in me for different ways in which I deliver my work.

Kevin: Good, that gives people an "out" if they are just compelled to get in touch with more than 25. Breaking them down by profit centers is an excellent way to keep everything straight in your mind.


Come back tomorrow for LeBlanc’s tips on year-end planning that can help you year-round ...

Grow Your Service Business with Mark LeBlanc

I interviewed speaker and author Mark LeBlanc, on the topic of growing your business.

Mark is an authority on small business success and his book Growing Your Business, should be in your library.

Today’s posting is part one of three ...

Kevin Donlin: My audience is mainly service business owners. What one bit of advice would you give to people who are selling a service and want to grow their business?

Mark LeBlanc: I would suggest that they step back and really think differently about how they position themselves in the marketplace. Service providers or service professionals are usually very good at their area of expertise but often shoot themselves in the foot by positioning themselves by their particular title or their service.

For example, an accountant on accounting, or financial planner on investing. Pick any service and when a professional articulates their service first versus positioning themselves by the outcomes of their work.

I certainly am a speaker and author and coach on business planning and business development, but at the end of the day what I really do is help people grow their business or their practice.

The more that I can connect with the outcome of growing your business, the more likely I am to get the ear of a prospect and then move on to having some kind of a meaningful conversation.

Kevin: I think you call it a “defining statement” in your book.

Mark: I do. I refer to it as having a one-sentence answer to the question, “What do you do?” and creating a single or dual outcome defining statement.

My defining statement is, “I work with people who want to start a business and small business owners who want to grow their business.”

Kevin: That’s excellent. So if I’m an accountant I wouldn’t say … I’m an accountant, or that I provide accounting services. I might say, “I take away the hassle of bookkeeping so you can focus on doing what you love and growing your revenue,” or something like that.

Mark: You’re right on the money. Another example for an accountant might be, “I work with small business owners who want to grow their revenues and put more money in their pocket.”

Kevin: My unofficial defining statement from my accountant, by the way, is “She takes away the soul crushing labor that makes me want to hang myself in a closet so that I can talk to people that I can help.” She doesn’t know it but that’s what she does for me.

Come back tomorrow to learn how LeBlanc’s “Target 25” concept can grow your business.

How to Market a Service Business? Get Real

Here's a real marketing tip for you if you own or operate a service business.

By real, I mean tangible. And by tangible, I mean you can hold it in your hand.

What is it? A humble thank-you note.

You know, I’m a huge fan of handwriting and mailing thank you notes after every important business transaction, whether it’s a referral you’ve been given, a new prospect you’ve met, or a sale you’ve just made.

And, actually, a thank-you note just helped me close a sale today -- a copywriting project I’ll be doing for a local business.

You see, I spoke by phone with a prospective client on Friday and after I hung up, while the conversation was still fresh in my mind, I wrote him a thank-you note and mailed it … with a stamp. He got it yesterday and today, Tuesday, when I called to follow up, he said, “Thanks for the note in the mail Kevin. I’m really impressed. You sure are a smart marketer.”

Now, ask any teacher I had in high school or college. They will tell you -- I am not smart.

But I do try to be thorough, I do try to treat other people the way I’d like to be treated. And I do try to do something real, something tangible, for people at every opportunity, because I sell a service -- copywriting -- which is intangible.

As a result of this tangible thank-you note, I’ll be getting a nice tangible check in a few days.

You see, it works like this: The more tangible things you do for prospects, clients, and people in your network, the more tangible, the more likable, and the more trustworthy you make yourself and your service business.

And, as we all learned in Sales 101, people prefer to buy from people they like and trust.

Simply by doing tangible things for your prospects and clients, you will stand out from the hordes of other businesses who try to get by using only email and the phone to sell their intangible services.

So, if you own or manage a service business, try getting real. 

After every intangible activity, whether it’s an introduction to a prospective client, an online sale, or an important phone call, try doing something tangible -- something real -- for the people who matter. It can be as simple as meeting them for coffee or mailing them a thank-you note.

Jeffrey Gitomer in Minneapolis -- Tweeted, Then Blogged

Speaker, author, and sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer was in the Twin Cities on December 1-3 to give three seminars.

Not only is he an outstanding speaker, but this tips on selling, branding, and achievement work right out of the box.

Example: I made a sale using one of his networking ideas less than two hours after getting back to my office and trying it.

How's that for shovel ready?

I attended two of his seminars last week, at a cost of $50 and six hours. But you’re in luck ...

Because you get the best of his ideas here, in the form of my collected Tweets from the events.

Pick one sales idea. Try it today. Thank Gitomer (and me) tomorrow ...

• Discover why people buy & you never have to sell 
• Your PowerPoint sucks. Too much text, too small. Gitomer uses Impact font, 36-46 pt size, 300+ slides in 2 hours. Try it
• Jeffrey Gitomer's corporate mission statement: "Sell Jeffrey. Kiss ass." Seems to work for him
  1 testimonial = 100 sales pitches. Best: video client testimonials
• Best cold call voicemail: "This is NAME, PHONE #. I was talking to 3 of your competitors today. They said ..." CLICK 
• If a prospect stalls and says, "Come back next month," ask: "What's going to be different then?" 
• Secret to better listening: Take notes. It forces you to listen, flatters prospect, avoids blown promises 
• I don't want to talk about business until I first see the other person smile 
• Sell more to existing clients. Increase wallet-share before you worry about market-share 
• To serve is to rule. Serve your customers 
• Earn referrals from existing clients. Referrals are a report card -- if you get them, good; if not, bad 
• Don't add value. Give value first
• Keep clients loyal. Forget client satisfaction. Do you want your spouse to be satisfied or loyal? 
• Love what you sell! (I love to sell assets for pennies on the dollar. That's what a good sales letter is -- an asset).

Jeffrey Gitomer at The MainStreetChamber

Best-selling author and legendary speaker Jeffrey Gitomer spoke last night at a mixer hosted by The MainStreetChamber - Minnesota.

I wasn't quick enough on the draw to get a photo with Jeffrey, but I did get one next to him ...

Jeffrey delivered a flood lot of provocative ideas on marketing, selling, and success in the 30 or so minutes he spoke. Here's a sampling ...

• Work from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Spend every breakfast and lunch with a prospect or client.
  
• He created his own breaks in business by networking 50 hours a week after he moved to Charlotte, NC in 1988. He followed his own "50-Butt Rule" -- if there was a room with 50 or more butts in it, he put his butt there, too.
  
• He did not network the standard, schmoozing way. Instead, he served as a valuable resource to others, connecting sellers and buyers in the business community. By becoming known as a "connector" he was sought out and able to sell more of his own products/services.
  
• Take on a leadership position in your local Chamber of Commerce. Do an outstanding job. Demonstrate your expertise. You will get business without even trying.
  
• Above all else, be memorable. Take a look at your business card right now. It's probably a piece of crap. Not memorable. (Kevin's tip: Here are some creative business cards for ideas.)
  
• Your most valuable asset in business is your list -- the names and addresses (email and postal) of prospects and clients. Build it and guard it with your life.

Great stuff. I've already scheduled two coffee meetings for next week, to name just one good tip from above.

If you were there and I missed something Jeffrey said, please comment below!

For more ideas like these, download Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.

Marketing Secret for Speakers -- Free Research That Rocks

On November 16, I gave a talk on copywriting to the National Speakers Association - Minnesota Chapter. The title: "5 Ways to Transform Your Sales Letters and Emails -- Even if You Hate to Write!"

Photo by Wendy Blomseth - www.inbeautephoto.com

Judging from the comments afterwards, folks found the information very helpful.

While I don't have a video from the event to upload, I can share one of the most valuable tips here ...

It's this: In any sales letter, print ad, or web page you write, always speak the language of your ideal client.

In other words, every market has words and phrases all its own. It's your job to find and use them.

Example: Professional speakers use the term "one-sheet" to describe the one-page promotional piece they send to meeting planners. A "bureau" is short for "speaker's bureau." And so on.

Now.  

How can you find out what language your market is speaking, so you can improve your sales copy?

A simple, effective way is to read the blogs your prospects read, and pay attention to the comments sections. That's where people let their guard down and talk naturally.

Below is an example of what prospects in the public speaking world are saying. I found them on a high-traffic blog devoted to ... public speaking. (This is not rocket surgery.)

Comments like these are rich in the language of this particular market.

In about 30 minutes of research, I could uncover a dozen or so problems facing my prospects. And I could define those problems in the language those people are using. Free.

It's a sure-fire way to improve any sales letter, print ad, or web page. Did I mention it costs $0?

When you do this, your prospects will say, "You're speaking my language." And your sales will surge.

For more ideas like these, download Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.