Soles 4 Souls Canada from Jerry Mason on Vimeo.

Have your clients and friends ever said, “If there’s anything I can do to help you, let me know”?

If you’re like most people, you aren’t prepared to accept help at the moment it’s offered. You let the opportunity slip by because you haven’t given thought to the help you might need.

When help is offered, it’s to your advantage to respond by stating a specific need. Your clients and friends want you to succeed. They truly like you and want to be associated with a winner.

Don’t let the next opportunity from others, to help, slip through your fingers!

Being prepared with some simple requests can make a real difference in the success of your business.

Here are a couple of ways your clients and friend can help you promote your business:

a)Referrals – The kind of support you’d like to get from your contacts is referrals—the names of specific individuals who need and want your products and services. They can also give prospects your name and number. Referrals should be asked for when you finish a project or sale. People who have been referred usually spend more money, they will buy more often, and they are loyal. They are also much easier to deal with, and because they were referred by a friend or a colleague, they are usually less demanding

b)Introduce you to prospects – Your contacts can help you build new relationships faster by introducing you in person to people they think need your products and services. They can provide you with key information about the prospect. They can also tell the prospect what they liked about your products and services. One lunch time meeting set up by a client, yielded two immediate new clients and over four referrals within the next year. All this accomplished with a simple introduction.

c)Testimonials – By providing a testimonial, clients can share with people what they’ve gained from using your products or services. Testimonials build trust. Whether your customers are raving about what your product has done for them or about the great service you gave they are telling your visitors first and foremost that they had a positive experience with your products and company. Testimonials carry more weight and are more believable! 78% of consumers today trust peer recommendations – only 14 % trust advertisements! So where are you spending your marketing dollars? Total cost to add testimonials to your marketing message – zero dollars!

d)Display your Literature – Clients and friends can display your products and services in their office and home. If these items are displayed well—such as, on a counter or bulletin board in a waiting room—visitors will ask questions or read the information. Some may even take your promotional materials and display them in other places, increasing your visibility.

e)Re-purpose Information – Your clients may be able to get information about you and your business published on their blog, in a newsletter, or mention you in Social Media like Twitter and Facebook. This strategy will also help with back-links to your website raising your profile with Google.

Knowing how to match your marketing needs with the right sources is key to obtaining the type of help you need. But remember — it’s a two-way street. Helping your clients and friends achieve their goals goes a long way and will help you Build Your Business.

When was the last time you did a Google search on you or your company?
Everybody does a search for information, and especially for relevant information about you and your services.

I publish volumes on the web, and I check to see if my name comes up readily in a Google search and it does. I also want to see if my information is relevant and if it’s been re-purposed (copied), on someone else’s site.
As business owners we should always be checking to see what people are saying about us or our business.

The web is a great place for businesses to expand their presence, but it a can also be a dark area for people to rant, rave and target businesses and individuals without any retribution. No different than the bully in school, the unsuspecting can be torn apart in forums with no way to add their own comments or defend themselves.

I have worked with a few clients who have been attacked on blogs and forums by people who hide behind the anonymity of bogus names. It’s been upsetting to my clients and the negativity can affect their business.

I recommend to my clients that they raise their profile on the web by being an active user of blogs and social media with a targeted message about their business or themselves. Positive information on the web can be a real bonus. If someone does take an unkindly swipe at you or your business, at least you’ll have information on the web that speaks and reflects well of your business and what you do.

This is where testimonials on a web site can pay major dividends. When you have lots of people stating how much they love your products and service, and one person on a forum putting you down, who are people most likely to believe?

I believe that in our instant access world, you really need to think out your internet marketing strategy and decide how to build up a wealth of positive information about you and your business.

Used effectively and skilfully, the web is a great marketing tool and a great way to ‘Build Your Business’.

Donald Robichaud is the President of FloodLight Consulting and can be reached at 250-768-9415

If your website is done correctly you can increase the calls and leads coming into your business.

Many businesses are not directing enough attention to their website and are leaving the major content development decision making to web designers, or even better family and friends.

These individuals though well meaning often have no practical knowledge of your business, industry or client issues.

As business owners we need to build our websites with a marketing strategy in mind as a first step, this will lead to a better strategically designed website. Leading to better content, website construction, design and Internet Implementation.

A website, built with a positive marketing strategy and message will speak to your clients, generate a response, and greatly assist with its appeal to search engines and visitors alike.

A website that speaks to your clients’ challenges, with content that offers solutions to their issues, including testimonials about your services, will engage them to contact or purchase your product and/or services.

The importance of your website cannot be overstated, as 80% of buyers visit a website before contacting a business this is due in part to the web’s influence in buying patterns.

Your potential clients make decisions quickly as to whether they will call you or ultimately buy from you.

Think of your website as the hub for your Marketing and Branding activities. No matter what marketing style you are using—direct mail, email, referral generation, PR, cold calling, etc.—this style is driving buyers to your website. Your website is the portal by which clients and prospects are using to learn more about you and your services.

They are searching for information to validate you as a professional in your field.

Your potential clients have a need for your service and your website must offer a solution to their problems. You must be able to speak to the challenges that your clients are facing.

If they find what they are looking for, they will take action. They go to your website to form an impression of you and interact with your brand and help you Build Your Business.

For more information contact FloodLight :

Donald Robichaud
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

Marketing for today’s Savvy Consumer!

Communication- Marketing – Social Media

Event: May 6^th 2010

Venue: Sandman Hotel Kelowna – 2130 Harvey Ave. Hwy 97

Time: 2-2:30 Networking

2:30 – 4:00 Presentations

4:00 -5:00 Wine & Appetizers

1-to-1 Marketing

An Introduction to Taking the Next Step in Communicating with your Clients – In a time where your competitors are working hard to get your clients, you need to make sure your message stands out! In this workshop you will learn how you can increase your sales and profits by utilizing 1-to-1 Marketing. You will learn about utilizing your client database to deliver personal marketing messages to them and how you can start building a client database if you are just starting out. You will also be introduced to the techniques used by the professionals to increase your ROI (Rate of Return) of your marketing efforts.

Presented by Alexandra Krieger – Owner of Print Three

Social Media – Is Your Business Ready? Are you marketing to the Right Audience?

Twitter! Facebook! What’s right for you?

Have you noticed that you’ve begun to search more and more for local goods and services online? Lots of people are doing so. This has been a growing trend for the past couple years and has reached a point where local small businesses absolutely need to be online and understand social media.

You will be guided through a marketing and social media journey that will open new avenues for your business.

Presented by Donald Robichaud – President of FloodLight Consulting

RSVP – TODAY

Limited Seating Available – Book Your Ticket Today – $29.00

For more information contact FloodLight :

Donald Robichaud
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com

http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

Your aim is to market yourself effectively.

The key to business marketing is a simple low cost strategy that makes people know, like and trust your product and your company.

You need to develop a marketing persona and strategy for your face-to-face sales presentations, your brochures, sales letters and your website.

I truly believe that the most important reason for you to have a marketing persona is that, it differentiates you from your competition and establishes your marketing brand.

The stories you tell about who you are make you unique. The results your clients achieve with your services or products will establish you as a unique player in your industry.

And that is what a marketing persona and strategy can help you do to create compelling story about your company that lets the world know who you are and what you do.

Excellent marketing strategies don’t scream, I WANT TO IMPRESS YOU.

They don’t scream, BUY MY SERVICES NOW.

Rather, the gifted marketing persona and strategy takes the reader or listener on a journey.

And, if the marketing strategy is well constructed, at the end of the journey, we are going to be impressed.

We are going to be interested.

We are going to want to take the next step in the sales process.

And that is why the most successful marketers have a persona.

So, what’s your marketing persona?

What is your marketing strategy?

What makes you unique?

Develop a great marketing strategy, create a marketing persona and Build your Business!!!!

For more information contact FloodLight :

Donald Robichaud
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com

http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

The Kelowna Rockets have put their support behind Jim Belshaw and the Soles4Souls campaign to raise 25,000 Pairs of Shoes in 25 days.

Jim Belshaw and Roy’s Shoes has entered in a partnership with the International Shoe Charity “Soles4Souls.”

Bring your gently worn shoes to the Kelowna Rockets vs Prince George Cougars Home Game at Prospera Place on March 13, 2010.

WE NEED YOU TO CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS

Estimates show that every person has 3 to 4 pairs of shoes in their closet that they are not wearing any more, but are still in good shape. We ask that you clean out your closets and convince your friends, neighbours and relatives to do the same.

We ask that the shoes be gently used. All footwear including sandals and boots are needed.
The drop off center will be setup close to the main gate on Game day!!!

Jim Belshaw
Roy’s Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC
V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

To donate call:
Jim Belshaw
Roy’s Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC
V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

February 24th to Saturday March 20th

Our goal is to collect 25,000 pairs of shoes in 25 days.

Local Okanagan social agencies as example; The Food Bank Store, Kelowna Gospel Mission, Now Canada, Kelowna’s Women’s Shelter etc. will all be offered footwear for their clients.

The remaining shoes will be shipped to the Soles4Souls distribution Center in Nevada where they will be sorted and shipped to where needed. Presently they have committed over 1 million pairs to Haiti.

Drop off locations

All Capri Insurance Locations: Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Pentiction
Roy’s Shoes
Ramada Hotel  Kelowna
Capital News
Astral Media - Sun Fm – 1150 Radio – Silk FM
Best Western Vernon Lodge
Penticton Lake Side Resort
OK Pizza
Wickerland Patio and Home
Spy vs Spy – The Spy Store

A $5.00 donation buys 2 pairs of NEW SANDALS

WE NEED YOU TO CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS
Estimates are that every person has 3 or 4 pairs at least in their closet that are not worn any more but still in good shape. We ask that you clean out your closets but convince your friends, neighbors and relatives to do the same. We ask that the shoes have no holes in the soles and in decent shape. All footwear including sandals and boots are accepted and needed.

It is also the GREEN thing to do. There are tons of discarded footwear in the landfills that when break down the toxic glue that holds our shoes together can leak into our water supply and atmosphere.

For more information call Jim Belshaw Roy’s Shoes
1627 Ellis St. Kelowna PBC 250-763-5696 cell 250-870-1191

Jim Belshaw
Roy’s Shoes Boots and Repair
1627 Ellis Street, Kelowna, V1Y2A8
250-763-5696
roysshoes@shaw.ca
http://www.roysshoes.com/
http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/

There are a number of methods that you can use to build your business. Many of these methods may already be in use but they are rarely used as part of a total marketing system so they are not used consistently.

Most businesses have methods of marketing; however, most do not pay close attention to the results and frequency of implementation. The key to remember is that when something is part of a system, then it is repetitive therefore multiplying the effectiveness and guaranteeing significantly better results.

The best way to implement your marketing strategy is to use this guide and make sure that you answer the questions that are part of each concept.

The goal of you answering the questions is simple. If you take the time to answer the question, even if it is just in your head, you will take yourself to a higher level of awareness of how you are working in your business.

MARKETING WEAPONS

1. Business Cards – Your business card should have key contact information and must be distributed to everyone you meet. The goal of giving your card to everyone is placing you in the subconscious mind of everyone you meet.
Q: Do you give your card to everyone you meet or just people that ask you about your business?

2. Ask For Referrals – Everyone you develop rapport with both inside and outside your business should know what you do and be able to refer someone to you. The best way to get a referral is to give one first. It will pay major dividends for you.
Q: How many people you know who are in business that would appreciate a referral? What goes around comes around!!!

3. Have a Clearly Defined Message – Make sure that everything you do has a message about who you are and/or what you do. Hone your Elevator Pitch!!
Q: What is your message? What do you specialise in? Who is your target market and what are your services? What problems do you solve?

4. Voice Mail Marketing – Make sure your voice mail has special marketing statements. It is very important to place some type of reminder for the listener to ask you about something specific about you or your products.  An example of a voice mail marketing system is at the end of your greeting, you add the statement “Don’t forget to ask me about….!”
Q: How do I get people to ask me about my competitive advantage?

5. E-mail Marketing – This is very similar to voice mail marketing. Every e-mail you send must have as part of your signature, a special offer or a marketing message!
Q: What does your e-mail signature look like?

6. Testimonials – It is a must for you to get testimonials from your clients and referral sources. Your website and marketing material should contain a customer quote. These quotes give customers sub-conscious references to your services and the quality of them.
Q: How many testimonials do you have and are they from different types of sources so you can attach them to the appropriate marketing piece?

7) Community Involvement – Get involved with your community and increase your exposure. Individuals that participate in community activities tend to be compelled to want to help other members of the activity because of the common bond that is shared.
Q: What organization could you join that would surround you with the type of people that either could use your services or refer you to people that could benefit from your services while simultaneously giving something valuable back to your community?

8). Accessibility – Make sure you are easily reachable. Make clear to your clients the best way to reach you along with the best times to reach you. Add on your voice mail message specific times that you will be returning phone calls so clients know when to expect to hear back from you. When you return clients messages when you say you will, your credibility grows and so do the quality of your referrals.
Q: How much time do you need to answer your messages and when would be the best time of the day to answer your messages and return client calls? Do this daily.

Implement each one of these simple marketing weapons and “Build Your Business” in 2010.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business – 250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/