Business Tips Blog
Enjoy Evan’s easy-to-use advice for your business.
How to Not Be a Spammer
Conscientious business owners often tell me, “I don’t want to be one of those companies who’s spamming everyone!” You know who “those” companies are…we all have at least a few horror stories where we cringed every time Company X sent something…and then we hit “Unsubscribe”! How do we avoid that trap in our own marketing? A lot of people think the answer is “Don’t bug them too often.” While that’s true, it misses a key fact: there are some companies you like hearing from often. What’s the difference? It’s whether you like what you’re hearing. It comes down to the content. [two_third][minimal_table] Spammer Talking Friend Talking It’s about them It’s about me Selling themselves Teaching me Selling themselves Entertaining me Selling themselves Engaging me [/minimal_table][/two_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last] Great social marketing doesn’t feel like marketing–it feels like you’re sharing valuable information with me. And consequently, I like getting it! You’ll build stronger …
Generate Leads from your Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch isn’t just for people who are starting a new business. It’s important for all business owners to have a potent 30 seconds at their fingertips. You’ll find it a powerful way to attract new customers, partners, or whomever you want to meet. The elevator pitch isn’t just for the elevator, or just for business networking events. You can use it at a party when someone says, “So what do you do?” You can use it at Uncle Bill’s birthday — Cousin Steph never did understand what you do. And maybe she has a friend who would be a perfect customer. There’s a science to this. People have short attention spans. Can you excite them AND ask for specific help — all before their eyes glaze over? Here’s how. Follow the structure. Write it out. Practice & MEMORIZE it. How to structure your 30 seconds for maximum impact …
Increasing Impact with Features and Benefits
Do you feel like potential clients don’t always understand how great your offering is? Then this article will be a quick win for you! Having helped hundreds of companies significantly increase their growth, I’ve found that some simple tweaks to how you talk about your product makes a huge difference in how it resonantes with customers. Here’s the simplest way to get started on this easy change: by understanding “features” vs “benefits.” “Features” describe the product or service and what it does. For example: Diet Coke has 0 calories The new iPad has a retina display Our movers pack your belongings carefully “Benefits” show which of the customer’s needs will be met. For example: You won’t gain weight when you drink Diet Coke Movies look more lifelike on the new iPad Your stuff won’t break during the move! Benefits are much more powerful, because they tell the customer exactly why …
Applying the 80/20 Rule to Be More Efficient
Most of us have heard of the “80/20 Rule,” but how many of us have taken time to apply its lessons to our business? The 80/20 Rule, in its most general form, says that 80% of you outcomes come from 20% of your inputs. It was invented by the 19th century Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of Italy’s land was owned by 20% of its people. In business, this has many applications. Which might be true for your business? 80% of your profit comes from 20% of your customers. 80% of your sales come from 20% of your product assortment. 80% of your complaints come from 20% of your customers. 80% of failures come from 20% of defects. …. OK so what? Here’s how you use this knowledge to improve your business results.