Be Somewhere, Be Somebody and Do Something. 

I have been cleaning out my garage, my office and going through old notes to finish my marketing strategy session for the year and I noticed a great note written after the Advanced Coaching and Consulting Workshop given by Dan Kennedy last year and he said, Be Somewhere, Be Somebody and Do Something.

At first when I realized that it cost over $11,800 to be there and it’s this simple, I started to say – Hey Wait a Minute…  but after Dan finished I was convinced.

Let me share some of his suggestions…

1.  Be Somewhere!

If you want to make 2009 your best year yet, you have to be somewhere.  You can’t sit in the office hoping and wishing your business to be better.  You must be out networking, speaking, donating time, making connections, helping other business or organizations and just being out in the thick of things, you will be able to notice more and more opportunities.

2.  Be Somebody!

Basically, its time that you stop hiding and become the Expert in your industry.  How to do that, by speaking, writing articles, writing books, being quoted by your industry journal, providing expert information for case studies.  But, you can’t be an expert in your office to just your employees.  The world needs to know that you are important.

3.  Do Something!

Well, Creating plans, journals, thinking, dreaming, hoping, waiting for the Secret to attract the right kinds of clients, just won’t cut it.  Implementation makes an ordinary business into an extraordinary business but it is up to you to do something.

If you are waiting until you are ready – Guess What???  Ready never comes.

If you are waiting for the project, the ad, the sales letter, the thank you note to be PERFECT?  Guess What???  Perfect never comes.  Just get it done!

If we have learned any lesson for 2008, it is USING WHAT YOU GOT.  Making the most out of every opportunity and never ever giving up!

Remember, Be somewhere, be somebody and do something!

Well, I am enjoying my Sunday afternoon of football and rooting for my new favorite team the New York Jets. I have always been a Southern California girl who went to UCLA but when it came to professional teams, I like to root for the underdog.

Just a little bit of background for those of you that are not football fans. Brett Favre is considered old in the NFL. He has won a couple of SuperBowls and played his entire career in Green Bay, Wisconsin where you could not buy a season ticket until 2030. Brett, decided to retire early in the off season, but later changed his mind when he realized that he is a man getting paid to play a boy’s game and if he still could throw the ball as good as he did, why not keep playing? He has also been through a lot in the last couple of year, his mother being lost during Hurricane Katrina, the death of his father before a playoff game (where he still played) and his wife fighting cancer. This man, deserves to play as long as wants.

The Green Bay Packers decided that they did not want him to return and decided to invest their time and money into their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. A good kid full of talent, and one who could use a few more “ice cream seasons” as my Dad would say. But they decided to let Brett go. So he did, and landed with the New York Jets.

Now I love Brett Favre. Always have but this year more than ever. I am writing this article after I watched him lead his team ( or rather the defense) to victory. But, as I was watching the scores scroll by, I secretly hoped that the Green Bay Packers lose. Why? For one simple reason. I think the Powers that be at the Green Bay Packers were following the Shiny Object Syndrome most business owners follow, and lost sight of the fact that last year Brett Favre had one of his best years in the NFL with a young team. His leadership helped take them to the playoffs. Now the Jets are leading their division with a 9-5 record. The Green Bay Packers have a 5-9 record. Ooops….

Here’s my take on the situation. Don’t act like the Green Bay Packers’ Management. Don’t get me wrong, I always want you to focus on What’s Next in your business but don’t lose sight of successful strategies right now in your business.

I watch as my coaching clients get all excited about blogging, using Twitter, how many friends that they have using social media but I ask, what other numbers are you watching? How often should a customer return? How quickly can you turn the tables in your restaurant? Did you beat last year’s numbers?

This economy requires that you look closely at what is going on right now in your business and implementing those things that are working, not scrap everything for a new quarterback when you old one was doing just fine.

Oh yeah, by the way, the Green Bay Packers lost today. After last week’s loss, they were no longer eligible for the playoffs. Today the Jets won with the old man, Brett Favre and are slated to go to the playoffs.

It can be the same with your business right now. Don’t switch strategies, just add on to the existing ones that work. The only reason why I was able to buy the telephone company in the year 2000, was because my boss thought long distance was dead. $20million dollars later, it still has life. Just like Brett Favre.

Will I see you this week at the chapter meeting? Our members only chapter meeting will be FRIDAY – December 19, at 11:30am Lots of Cake and goodies to celebrate the season and celebrating all of the great things that happened this year in your business with your old strategies.

Because of the holidays, we had to rearrange lots, especially my schedule so our next MEMBERS ONLY chapter meeting will be Friday, December 19th, 2008 from 11:30a - 1:00p.
Remember no food will be served, just cake and coffee for the holiday.

Here is the address:

Nevada Microenterprise Initiative
1600 E. Desert Inn Road, Suite 203
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 734-3555

MEMBERS Only - if you are not a member but have come to at least one chapter meeting, you will need to sign up for the Most Incredible Free Gift Ever by clicking here http://www.nobsfreegift.com/shaw
Once you do, your subsequent chapter meeting is FREE!
If you currently subscribe to the No B.S. Marketing Newsletter and you have not attended a chapter meeting before, you may come as my guest. Simply reply to this email, to let me know that you are coming.
For all other members, don’t wait to pay at the door, that sucks and there is a stiff $20 penalty! So click this link and pay now to reserve your spot.
https://freshstart.infusionsoft.com/saleform/nishnat

See you Friday at 11:30am
Happy Holidays!

Richelle

P.S. No need to RSVP if you have not paid for the chapter meeting. Click here to take care of this now
https://freshstart.infusionsoft.com/saleform/nishnat

P.P.S. If you want me to review your marketing pieces like I did last month for Gold Member Mac Sansone , you must bring 25 so that everyone can see and make notes.

P.P.P.S. Those of you on auto-pay, I have adjusted your rate to reflect the RECESSION Discount to $25 per month instead of $35!

P.P.P.P.S. Those of you that are subscribed to the Marketing to the Affluent Newsletter you may still attend free.

P.P.P.P.P.S. All Mastermind Members may attend the chapter meeting for free too!

P.P.P.P.P.P.S. All of your guests may attend their first meeting FREE too!

GKIC Las Vegas
P.O. Box 42832
Las Vegas, NV 89116
888-241-1410
fax 888-241-1410
richellegkic@gmail.com

The only thing about Sarah Palin that helped John McCain during this election was her celebrity - the same thing that he accused President Elect Barack Obama of using. But what the McCain campaign discovered is that the use of celebrity works very well.

This is why no matter if I voted RED or BLUE, I decided that attending a lunch with Bette Midler (Small Business for Obama) was the best use of my time and energy. See picture with me and Bette!

Clients, customers, patients, prospects are all tuning into Access Hollywood, Extra and Entertainment Tonight. Added in the last few years, E News Daily, The Daily 10 and TMZ. All of the shows feature celebrity news. Even CNN, has a nightly segment dedicated all to celebrity news. If you are not using that phenomenon in your business you are missing out.

Lesson: You should have a celebrity representing your business. It can be you or your partner. If you are too shy, get a cartoon made of yourself so that you can be another person. Create a mascot that can be the celebrity or “rent” a local newscaster to represent your company. People buy People not products or things.

For years, I stayed in the background at FreshStart Telephone, no one knew me. Then, I started our newsletter full of pictures, as well as making our customers celebrities. Showing pictures of them winning the prizes, paying their bills and happy to have our service. It changed our business. Use of celebrity, increased our referrals by 32%. Everyone wanted to come in and meet T.T. and Shameka from the radio commercials, plus see if their picture made the Winners Wall or newsletter.

Even better - my little celebrity, daughter Devyn, I get more questions about what is going on with her than anything. Using a celebrity works!

Everybody is trying to steal recession proof your business but they are not giving you concrete things to do right now.

Here is the list.

1. Don’t stop marketing!
2. When you do buy advertising, make sure that you are using direct response techniques.

A brief example:

My new coaching client Stephanie participated in a “combo” special marketing program. First, Stephanie’s company sells beautiful high end handbags, in multiple colors and textures. A women’s dream! Check out her website at http://www.micis-boutique.com/.

Stephanie is really excited about what can happen with this program. It includes, an email blast to over 80,000, a full page ad on a digital magazine and a full page ad in the print magazine. Sounds like lots of exposure and she is waiting for her website to start sending orders!

So here is the prescription to make sure that this is going to work for her. Breaking the questions into 2 different categories.

Maximizing Sales

1. Designing your site appropriately for fast loading.
2. Monitoring things – making sure that the website has your best deals ready for buyers
3. Adding a special urgency message to the website so that the people visiting will buy immediately
4. Capturing the data from those that are not ready to buy just yet, but want to come back and browse. Getting their information so that we can follow up with them.
5. Adding upsells to the check out and thank you pages to take advantage of the shoppers in a buying mode
6. Making sure the shipping package includes coupons and discounts for other services especially for the holidays

Knowing your numbers
7. Proper tracking codes on each media so that we know which media – the email, print magazine or the digital magazine worked the best
8. Knowing the numbers! How many bags do you need to sell to make your money back?

Advertising again? During these economic times, only proven strategies should be used. Only media that you have used before and experienced a high ROI – return on investment should be used. Most entrepreneurs are not using this method. They like to hear the phone ring, or they are looking at the increased traffic to their website. Look – you can not deposit the good feelings, the hunches or the traffic. Only money is allowed.

Well, Stephanie is a fast learner but had not considered the info above. Especially not how many bags you need to sell to make your investment back. This number is KEY.

When deciding advertising to purchase, run these numbers first. Advertising is only expensive when it does not work. As long as it works, it is the best way to get new lifelong customers. But if you don’t know the numbers, it is like running through the house with a butcher knife… very very dangerous.

Just when I think she is crazy - she was supposed to be potty training but look she decided to close the lid and use her imagination and call the potty a stage. She is warming up for the first 30 seconds but then the television kicks in and voila - a Star is Born!
P.S. Make sure you catch the high note at the end!
P.P.S. Hmm, we still can not get her to use the potty with the pull up on - only if she runs around naked… Great business lesson - Progress is good as long as it is moving in the right direction. Enjoy

I read the details, this last quarter the loss increased from $1.4million to $10.7 million. How does that happen in one year? Then, the headline read - A Mall Staple files for Bankruptcy and that’s when the ah ha moment came.

#1 - A Mall Staple??? Who goes to the mall anymore? Certainly not many folks who want to spend $12 on a dozen of cookies.

#2 - They sell cookies one by one… My favorite matrix details how to get to a million.
# of Customers Price
1 x 1,000,000
10 x 100,000
100 x 10,000
1000 x 1,000
10,000 x 100
100,000 x 10
1,000,000 x 1 The price of one cookie - you need to sell $1million (hard to do)

How many customers does it take to get to a million especially if you are selling cookies one by one

#3 - Franchise owners - that is a whole day of blogging to tell you what I feel about franchising. What works in Iowa does not work in Las Vegas - PERIOD

#4 - No special recognition for special clubs on their website. Get 10% off if you submit your email address. Why? Some people this means nothing. Assuming everyone is not buying because of price. Only having one reward for submitting my email address. Why not get full contact information and send a free basket?

What would Richelle Do? The first thing I would do is make sure that the Malls are working for me as a lead generator for larger priced products. I would implement a program to get all contact information from each one of my customers. Make sure that I can stay in contact with them frequently and by all means, make sure that I show up in their customers’ lives more than just to ask for money.

Since I filed bankrutpcy - I wish them GOOD LUCK!

It is kinda like - when should I begin a diet? On Monday? - when the week is just starting? Or Sunday - so that it is a full 7 days?

I get asked more often when should I start marketing? Then, I hear, I am just too busy to think about marketing my business. I like to do it in my down time.

That’s when I start to get nervous! So here’s my answer that I can put in print and not get blocked by SPAM filters.

Put the burger and fries down now - and start the diet right this moment! Why dig the well, after you are thirsty?

Biggest mistake business owners make - not having a concrete marketing plan. I know, I am a go after it kind of girl who runs before she walks however, it is important to map out month by month what should happen in your business. And there should NEVER I mean NEVER be a time where you say, SKIP this month.

The main reason - hello, your bills don’t take Summer Skips or Easter Skips (like my Aunt Dorie says) They come every month - just like your marketing campaigns should.

Need extra help? I have 2 programs that might work for you.

1. The Ultimate Marketing Plan Tele-Class, which is an 8 week tele-class where we break down your plan month by month and develop an implementation program for you. This is limited to 8 people and the next one is starting soon - well as soon as I can fit it in my schedule - looks like late August. Email me if you are interested.

2. I have teamed up with my friend Brenda Prinzavalli from Balanced Organizing Solutions and the featured Organizer on More - Fox’s Television Show to develop an incredible online/telephone coaching program to put everything together for you called Marketing Organized. We break down my fundamental strategies with her specialized organizing expertise for entrepreneurs and BINGO it’s a winner! It is an annual program with a 12 month in depth review of principles, a little nudging if you slow down, and down right, kick ass skills to lead your business into BIG MONEY. Send me a quick note if you think this program would be good for you. Check out Brenda in her latest segment for Fox5 Las Vegas
http://www.fox5vegas.com/video/15065049/index.html This program is a winner - see you there!

The Formula is a Equilateral triangle ( all 3 sides are equal length)

Side 1 - Market: figuring out the who first. Not deciding to market after the product is done. Figure out the who first and then how do you reach them. Most business owners do this backwards. They read traditional stuff that says - do what you love and the money will follow–but what I love to do is watch TV (as many of you know) and eat Mexican food. That job is taken by the Taco Bell Chihuahua and even he got fired.

Focus on who is going to buy your product or service. Think through this one. Even at the telephone company - everyone needs a telephone right? Well, I was crazy trying to reach everyone. I didn’t have enough money to fight with the existing telephone carrier, the 33 other small ones like me and then Cable entered the market and I was doomed. I have to find a niche a target.

Once I found a target, then, I could consistently talk directly to them for less money. I could effectively reach a certain group that made us famous!

Side 2 - Message: Getting your message right. It should be focused and laser sharp so that your target market after reading your ad, hearing your presentation, walking into your store, will say - this is for me. Hey, it seems like they are talking to me. Since my target market is credit challenged customers, they typically have other challenges. They tend to borrow money from relatives to get them out of a bind. My radio commercial was a girl calling her aunt asking to borrow money. My customers would come in and say - I did that last week. My mother hated the commercial said it was demeaning however, my customer did not have a problem. Even my offices, they were not fancy in a fancy building. They were in a strip mall, or one was inside of a pay day loan company for years.

Side 3 - Media: This should be the last decision you make. Choose the media after you have determined your market and message. My customers were not readers so I had to figure out another way to reach them. There weren’t any magazines or newspapers that they read. So I chose radio.

Now that you have the basics, next week, I will discuss the other steps keeping marketing from being easy, such when to implement your marketing campaign.

As a Certified NO B.S. Marketing Advisor for Dan Kennedy - I have secured a way to get his award winning No B.S. Marketing Newsletter for free for 2 months plus lots of other bonuses totalling over $613 click here for the Most Incredible Free Gift Ever!

In an attack ad, McCain is questioning if Obama can really run the country.

Whether you decide to participate this year, you have to admit politics are a lot of fun right now.

Have you seen McCain’s latest ad? He is comparing Obama’s Celebrity Status to Paris Hilton’s

Here is the link : http://www.tmz.com/2008/07/30/mccain-says-obama-famous-for-being-famous/
For the last couple of weeks, we have been talking about Celebrity Branding and how to become a celebrity in your business. Here is proof again, that celebrity may be enough to win the presidency of the United States. Ask John McCain - he seems to be scared that it is!!!

How are you using this lesson to build your business? You should take advantage of my favorite technique - Shameless Self Promotion! Become a celebrity in your own business to keep customers coming.

Last Sunday, Devyn asked can we go to the park, can we go bye-bye. All I can think about is the fact that it is 110 outside. SO I told her after her nap. As soon as she woke up, she said….Park…Park… I told her yes, or else I would have to hear park for the next 3 hours. Not that it gets any cooler after 5pm. It does not cool down this time of year until well, September! At midnight it is still over 100 degrees.

We dressed for the park and packed the car, put on her sandals, packed toys, lots of bottled water and headed for the park. I decided that we would have sandwiches instead of the normal McDonalds because it was just too hot for a hamburger. I went to a local Italian pasta and sandwich shop in a strip mall, that I have ordered sandwiches from before and every time I received bad service. The owner is behind the counter, mad that the business is not flourishing… and just plain grumpy.

Hannah Montana’s Wig
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that Devyn’s new favorite TV show is Hannah Montana. I know, she is only 2 but she loves when Miley puts on the wig and changes into Hannah. Well, Devyn puts a baby blanket on her head to be her wig.

I know we look crazy going into the sandwich shop. Me – with the George Forman t-shirt on that is 2 sizes too big and my favorite weekend jeans with a hole in the knee, and Devyn as cute as she is with the doggone blanket on her head. I certainly don’t look like a million dollar business owner. Or the leading authority on business building for women….

Standing ordering in the shop were a group of seniors out on a Sunday. They ordered pasta dishes that included salads. It was time for me and Devyn to order and the owner took my sandwich order and told me it would be 15 minutes. .. 15 minutes????? For a sandwich?

Who are you $7…. And your kid has a blanket on her head?
He basically said to me that he wanted to take care of his other orders first. Even though, he could have made their salads and then made my sandwich. They were there to socialize and enjoy each other’s company. It would have been ok to have them wait , but he figured. Who is this girl with the $7 sandwich? And the kid with the blanket on her head??

Turns out, as I was waiting…the group commented on how cute Devyn was and I asked do they go out each Sunday. They replied, yes, they try out different restaurants. I then asked how often do you return to a restaurant. They told me NEVER because Las Vegas has so many. After 10 minutes and he still had not started my sandwich, I decided to cancel my order and leave.

What was the owner really losing?

The lesson – Be careful taking right now money – it may not be the best for your business.

I have been to this shop with a client (bad service then too) , I returned for a consultation with the client and instead of making dinner that night, I ordered again. And this time was my third trip.

Here are his top 3 mistakes:

1. Not taking my information the first time I entered the store and encouraging my return visits by giving me a coupon, a rewards card, something to identify me as a repeat customer.
2. Being grumpy in the first place – if you can not handle every customer as if they are the POPE, hire someone who can
3. Assuming that the group’s money was more valuable than mine. Basically considering me as a little fish and throwing me back in the water. I had spent combined in the 3 times I visited more than the group spent on their one occasion.

A final lesson – remember there are only 3 ways to grow your business.

Add new customers
Get customers to return more often
Have customers spend more

I was number 2! But, it is his loss. We don’t plan to return with or without the blanket.