The world of entrepreneurship is filled with misleading information, outdated “sales tactics” . The traditional “salesman” persona is quickly becoming a bad tasting proverb on how not to turn out when you grow up. We have put together 5 concepts an entrepreneur can take to heart and almost immediately begin to operate on a higher level. Check them out below.

1. Learn when to walk away

Walking away from a sales opportunity can be difficult to learn and can take a lifetime to master, however, avoiding the perception of desperation can make a whole lot of difference. Why does this matter? Well, if you don’t sell, you go out of business. Wasting your time selling to unqualified and time-consuming prospects can assure your place on the average floor in the world of business.

2. What really matters?

Greg McKeown, wrote an entire book on the subject. He desired to answer the question of what separates success from the herd. Watch a short clip here.

To be able to walk away from the time-wasters, you must decide what really matters. Consider the following questions:

1. Do I share the same values with my prospect?
2. Does my prospect need my service/product?
3. Will my prospect’s life/business improve over short and long term with my product or service?

The answer to these basic criteria will help cut through the clutter and focus your efforts. Walk away from anything that does not meet those standards. However, we have only looked at your efforts. As any successful entrepreneur knows, he simply can’t ration his efforts effectively without delegating.

3. Outsourcing

Naturally, a logical next step is outsourcing.  According to Bruce Judson in Go It Alone, It’s far more advisable to harness the power of technology. Today, outsourcing is an absolute for your business. Learn what to spend time on. As a business owner, you simply do not have time to pore over the bookkeeping. Your time will be better spent developing relationships with customers. So outsource the bookkeeping. As an entrepreneur, never spend an unnecessary amount of time on the “skilled” parts of your business in which you are not skilled at.

4. Learn to see between the lines

“Creative marketing decisions” are not the same as your business-process decisions. You partner with a creative advertising company to do a job that you simply do not have the time to do well. Entrepreneurs build valuable partnerships not only with their customers, but with their outsourcing avenues as well. The proverb holds true, “You get what you pay for”.  And if you take care of your carefully-chosen, certified, dedicated vendors, they’ll return the favor – usually with additional dividends.

5. Authentic Leadership

A “person in authority” is not necessarily a leader.  (Increasingly, and sadly, this is rarely the case.)  In the Marines, the highest-ranking officer will always eat last and the lowest-ranking marines will eat first. Why? Because the Marines understand leadership. Why should the officers expect their men to die for them in battle if they do not first display a willingness to protect and take care of them? Check this video out here

Simon Sinek explains that the vast majority of “business leaders” in today’s world are CEO’s who take the Marine model and turn it upside down.  They would jeopardize the well-being of a frontline worker without a moment’s notice to ensure their own status and paycheck. A real leader on the other hand, would sacrifice his a bonus — and part of  a paycheck – to help corporate soldiers continue to hold a job or rise in status. A leader sacrifices, a leader serves, a leader provides.

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1. Is it based off of a template?

This is the sure-fire sign of an inexperienced web designer. While having an awkwardly designed, custom-made website is a bad sign, template websites can be just as bad if not handled correctly. Classic signs of a template website include

• generic looking layouts
• color schemes not matching the company identity properly
• pictures and text being juxtaposed arbitrarily, regardless of what they contain, and if they pertain to each other
• repeated information/pictures.
• Strange gaps in space; possibly because someone deleted a text box or removed a picture and had nothing to fill it with.

The last thing you want is for your company to be controlled by the website. It should always be the other way around.

2. How much body copy?

Brevity is the source of wit. And for good reason. People prefer websites that are clean and to the point. For obvious reasons, don’t have paragraph after paragraph demand to be read on page after page. Simplify your words. Type color selection and size are also major issues. If the background color clashes too much with the text or if the text is unreadable then there is a definite and obvious problem.

3. How many pictures?

Too many pictures are confusing, and pictures often clash with one another for attention, especially on bad websites. You want a logical progression of the eye from one block of information to the next without excess pictures getting in the way.

4. Is the content focused?

Remember what your site was originally designed for. Was it made for getting new internet-based business? Giving a face to the company? Giving people another platform to learn about your product? Selling merchandise? A website can be perfectly maintained and aesthetically pleasing, but if there is no purpose, no calls to action and no reason for the site, it will not get far. luxembourg . When you have a purpose, an end-goal, everything that is put onto the site will help achieve that goal.

5. Is it accessible by everyone?

Another thing that can harm your website is accessibility. If your site crashes or doesn’t run on all web browsers, it is cutting your potential site views exponentially. Being sure that it has at least minimal compatibility on mobile devices is a must. However, if at all possible, and if time and budget allow, having a simplified mobile version of the site is never a bad idea.

6. Can it be found?

Finding ways to optimize your site for search engines is a priority to having a successful website- which is a feat handled best by an agency. Your site needs to be found by the people looking for your product/service! Be sure that your site is the one that pops up when people search for your product/service on search engines because if it doesn’t, then you don’t even know how much business your company is losing.

7. Does it run well?

Even if your site is found, if it takes forever to load, then the attention span of your audience will run dry and they will search other options instead of waiting. Be sure to have pictures at a low enough dpi (data pixels per inch) and resolution to not interfere with page loading times. Having effective coding skill and a good platform on which to make your site is also important.

8. Does the interface feel comfortable?

And finally, duality is imperative to having a welcoming website. Having multiple ways to get to the same end result is a great way to allow users to feel comfortable. Things like having all pages accessible on every screen or having multiple ways back to the home screen sound simple, but they do wonders for having your clientele feel comfortable on your website.

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Some websites that can be used to research your business include spyfu.com, Google Trends, or Google Alerts but you could also use social media websites like Yelp and Facebook to see what customers are saying.

Once you’ve researched your competition, look at the areas that they are extremely successful in, for example, customer service, product, philanthropy, and see what areas your could improve on. Be original and customize to fit your customer’s needs rather than copying. Finding your differentiating benefits is key. There is always room for improvement.

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Learn How Your Brain Works

How do you effectively sift through all the information and ideas traveling about in your head? By learning practical ways of keeping up with your new product concepts and powerful slogans or taglines.

So, how do you organize that deep pool of ideas? The best way is by getting friendly with your brain and learning how it stores information. Everybody has a different method that helps their creative flow. Try writing ideas out on your computer. If your creativity starts to fade, get your ideas down in a notebook. Some of us just work better with a pen in paper in hand.

Doodling isn’t just something you do during long meetings. Drawing pictures or observing information in a visual way can open new doors for new innovations.

Tools for Your Toolbox

One great way to build ideas is to use a “Spark File,” which is repository for all your back-burner ideas. Basically, a Spark File is a document (or a notebook) where you list every single new idea that you come up with — without discarding any of these precious concepts. Every so often (every other week or so), go back and review your ideas, combine them with new ones, or start a project on an idea you had two months ago!

Sometimes it can be hard to branch out from your main ideas when you’re in the brainstorming process. One great way to get past a mind block is ask key, open-ended questions. “Who will use this product?” “What will make this service useful for my target market?” These kinds of questions can do a lot to split that writer’s block.

Work Together

Don’t forget all the cliches: “two heads are better than one,” and “strength in numbers.” Utilize your team’s creative powers to come up with brand new ideas. Organize a brainstorming session with the whole team or management to get everybody’s input. Don’t forget—It’s not just the young, millennials that are innovative, original, or relevant. Talking to the experienced veterans can be a source of some tremendous new material.

So, go out and come up with the next big idea for your business or clients by using the techniques or concepts in this article. Now, your hardest questions to tackle will be what kinds of sandwiches you want to get for the office lunch. Any ideas?

Need some help developing your next marketing strategy or advertising campaign? We can offer some insight.

Contact us and learn how we can put creative, strategic thinking to work for your business today.

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Even if it’s the same product, doesn’t mean it’s the same concept. If your product has a “copycat” in the other store, find a way to distinguish your product from the other. There are many options for making this work, whether it’s providing better store hours, tightening up customer service or tweaking your product for maximum efficiency. Seize the opportunity and be unique!

Checking out websites like Yelp, or even your businesses Facebook page, can help you get a better insight on how your customers are rating you. Take the suggestions and/or complaints and start improving on areas that could use some improvements. Believe it or not, these reviews could potentially make or break your business. Checking out competition on these sites can also be a way for you to see what they are doing well and what they are not doing well. As long as you keep it professional and clean this can definitely help you find your niche.

As previously mentioned, find your niche and hone in on it, but don’t neglect quality and customer service of your business. Both of these factors, in any business, circulate around what the customer truly wants. This detail is so important and something that is very easy to forget about, but can make a huge impact on your business. Even if you think your product is the best it can be, always remember to check up on the competition and see what their service offers in comparison to yours.

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Twitter:

When you start off a tweet by tagging someone in the beginning, make sure you add a period (.) in front of their name. Without the period, your tweet will just be targeted only to people who follow you and whoever is being tagged.

Facebook:

To give your Business Facebook page a little more edge, try customizing your Cover Photo. Whether it’s making it something eye-popping or having it match up and align with the Profile Picture, making it stand out is the main goal. You want to convert your visitors into “likes” so a first impression will do wonders.
Lunametrics.com offers a Social Media Size Cheat Sheet to give you exact measurements to apply to your favorite social media sites.
Social Media Size Cheat Sheet

YouTube:

This YouTube URL format allows people who check out your channel to automatically get a subscribe confirmation before looking at the videos. Viewers are able to opt out of the confirmation but it also is a quick reminder that that the viewers can subscribe to the channel.
www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=username
Just replace “username” with your own YouTube username

LinkedIn:

Who’s viewed your profile? Use this LinkedIn tool to see who may be interested in your company or yourself and use this to target in on potential customers.

The post How to use Social Media to Generate Leads for my Business appeared first on Ad Agency Tampa Florida | Faith-Based Marketing.

No doubt about it now: the digital age of business is upon us. Almost every potential customer will look to your website as the primary source of information on your company. That means your website gives you a chance to make a lasting impression on every person who views it. But what if there was a way you can make sure it looks its best and gets the information to viewers? Thankfully, putting your best foot forward is what we do at Shirley Hutchinson: finding what makes your company great and getting people to see it. It’s our jobs.

So trust us when we say your website needs video because….

1. Your customers need you.

Your customers need your passion! The passion that made you build this company from the ground up and the passion that keeps it running. With a simple video, you can convey your drive in person; a feat that gets difficult when your company gets larger. You can broadcast what it is that you do, and demonstrate the skill and attention you have in doing what you do; all while letting people see your company’s personality. And because its online they can see you any day, any time. Let them see you 24/7!

2. Your website matters.

Your website is important to show your customers who you are and the skills behind what you do. There is a huge difference between a good website and a great one. Sometimes the effort that goes into making a company isn’t present in the making of the website. This causes problems with your company’s site that can actually hurt business rather than help it.

A classic blunder is business owners making their websites too wordy. Paragraph after paragraph, the information is just thrown in people’s faces. While being professional and informed is good, it won’t help you any if it is not going to be received. By putting your information in a video, you can have a concise website that’s easy to understand and be able to include the details that show your clients what you do.

3. It shows your best customers to your future customers.

Give your satisfied customers a chance to speak back about the good service that you have done for them! Hearing happy customers will give your potential customers a positive feeling. It will show them how much you care, straight from the mouths of the people you’ve served.

Overall, the greatness of web video lies in its versatility. You can include anything in a web video, whatever you need. Previous clients, new products or developments, lists of services, motivational speeches, anything! Anything to get your client on board.

And we at Shirley Hutchinson are happy to help you do that.

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Recognizable even out of context, a positioning statement — a brand’s “signature” — is a line or slogan that is tied to a company that represents a culture, feel, style, or product.

That’s why you probably thought of burgers, shoes, or soft drinks when you read the first sentence.

A good positioning statement is key to getting a product or business not just in front of people’s eyes and ears, but into their heads. It’s really a persuasive tool that tells people why a brand is different, a better buy, or a smarter choice.

But down to the nitty-gritty. How does a creative agency like S/H come up with a winning positioning statement? We’ll show you.

The Process

First, we have to distil the creative strategy that we’ve planned out into a concise, condensed sentence. But it has to be memorable, even musical so it can remind consumers of the brand or company. We can use wordplay or alliteration with strategic words to make it all stick together.

Once we’ve gotten the point and purpose of the product, we start telling its story. This statement needs to tell a story, communicate content and tone, and give a snapshot of a brand or business all in one catch phrase.

So, maybe we can’t give a brand’s full story. Ok, but that means the positioning statement needs to be seen wherever the logo is seen. It becomes the name of the logo, and the logo becomes the face of the positioning statement. This just shows the importance of having not just an awesome positioning statement, but an effective logo, too.

Here’s a recap: we take the creative strategy, brainstorm, plan, think, edit, and plan some more—all to boil down a client’s company culture. We take these one-word or one-phrase ingredients together to make an easily communicable, totally memorable thought that gives customers a storyline of who our is and what their products can do.

Some Insights

Here are a few more thoughts about what goes into a successful positioning statement.

Remember: your positioning statement must be clear. It must communicate everything it can about your business—nothing more, nothing less. A surprising number of companies don’t have a clear-cut identity; a positioning statement is harder to “sell” if a business doesn’t know who they are in the first place. Or sometimes, a business doesn’t know how to sell their product. Think about all the funny ads you see around football season—you remember a joke or a punch line, but you can’t remember who paid for the ad! There’s a problem when an ad agency becomes an entertainment agency exclusively.

Our goal isn’t to be flashy or outrageous. Our goal is to creative winning, creative, and memorable branding. And that’s what we’ve done.

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• What topics interest you? This is extremely important when writing a spot-on blog, because if you are personally intrigued by the subject, your readers will recognize that passion and read on.

• Conversation. Try reading your draft aloud… does it flow naturally? Pretend like it’s just you and the reader. Would they understand your message? Illustrating your story with a personal tone will make your consumers feel comfortable talking with you. A customer relationship will build, and that’s exactly what you want.

• Informational. Don’t forget the professional message you are trying to send; the blog is still about your company’s values and capabilities. If your readers trust your advice on a common challenge such as “starting your own business”, they’re going to feel as if they can trust you with what your business actually specializes in.

• Consistency. In order to build trust with your readers, be a dependable resource for them. This reliability will build into customer loyalty.

• Be Responsive. Take notice in your readers comments. Whether their feedback is positive or negative, let them know you’re listening and appreciate their opinions. After all, they are the reason you started blogging in the first place. Remember: Feedback is the greatest gift you can receive from your customers; use it wisely!

We at Shirley/Hutchinson Creativeworks hope our suggestions work towards your business’ advantage. Don’t forget, building a reader following may take some time; believe us, we know. Try it out, keep us in mind, and let us know how it’s going.

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