Offline Marketing and Running Around Today
Published September 17, 2009 | 
By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-free Marketing”
Yesterday I told someone, I’ll be busy and mostly out of the house from 6:30 am until 9:00 pm on Thursday. It’s true. Every now and then I have a day that’s mostly about marketing my business and getting the word out to other women, home-based business owners here in Las Vegas. I’ll be sneaking online to post something every now and then – but I’m guessing I’ll put a few miles on my car driving around. Here’s what it’ll look like to be living my schedule today. *wink*
Gotta leave the house at 6:30 am to go to a networking breakfast meeting at 7:00 am at the Omelette House. What I like about this group is it seems to be filled with people who are dedicated business owners, they’ve given me referrals and the person in charge is very involved with feeding the homeless and giving back in wonderful ways. I’m going to take some flyers for my workshop coming up November 2nd (see Denise’s Events) with me.
Next I have a coffee meeting with a woman who’ll be at the breakfast. She’s in a network marketing organization and I want to talk with her about the possibility of having me speak to the women distributors in her group. I think she’ll probably want to talk with me about her business opportunity – but I have far too much on my plate to take on something totally different and removed from my brand. I’m very focused that way. (I’ll write about that in a future post.)
Next I have an 11:00 am meeting with a computer programmer. He’s building a website for a networking group. I offered to write the copy if I can get some recognition on the site and free advertising (sort of a business card size ad). Since I have a tendency to be a little verbose (you noticed! *wink*), I want to see what he’s created so my copy fits in the spaces he has in mind for the pages.
After that on my schedule, I have a 1:15 pm lunch with a woman whose Managing Editor of a magazine. She’s looking for writers with articles of interest to women over 50. I gave her a business card a few weeks ago and told her I have lots of articles and she contacted me inviting me to lunch. We’re going to “Brio,” a lovely Italian place. Since most magazine editors usually have a “don’t call us – we’ll call you” attitude, I’m thinking she’s got something more up her sleeve. We’ll see.
Looking at my calendar, I have a meeting (at home on Skype) with a client in New Zealand at 5:00 pm next. It’ll be noon on Friday for her in Auckland. I’ve helped her with several marketing projects over the last three years. She’s passionate about starting a school for economically disadvantaged girls and she’s asked me to help her in constructing a business plan to get capital from investors.
Last, Ernie and I are going to go to the Greek Festival that happens once a year here in Las Vegas. I love Greek food, culture and went to Greece quite a few years ago. A good Gyro, Saganaki or Moussakah when I’m hungry will always make me smile. It’ll be like sort of a date for us. Chances are I’ll toss a few copies of my book and business cards in my purse before we go. You never know who you might meet.
I’m sure by the time it’s all over with I’ll feel a little brain-dead and ready to hit the hay. My intention is that the day will move energy forward in a positive way. And when you do that – it eventually comes back around in positive ways. I’m not planning on perfection – but progress. Hope you are having a thrilling Thursday, too. *smile*
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Adventurous Women, business, Day-to-day Stuff, Denise Michaels, home-based, Las Vegas, marketing, networking, offline, owner, workshop | 
1 CommentDo You Believe You’re “Worth it”?
Published September 15, 2009 | By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”
Over the last decade I’ve mentored over 1,500 small and home-based business owners – mostly women. I’ve probably talked to, networked with and had in my workshops and teleclasses, thousands more. All wanting support and marketing knowledge.
On the surface, that’s what they THOUGHT they wanted.
One of the impressions I get from many, many women I’ve met over the years is that deep in your heart you’re somehow cheating customers if you make a profit for what you do. Somehow, if you’re scraping by financially – you’re a noble and a better person for making less.
Traditionally women always gave away the work we’ve done. We have a long history as volunteers at our kids’ school, the library, the Candy Striper at the hospital, the church volunteer and more. Even in 2009, the majority of volunteers are women. For centuries, women were at the bottom of the totem pole with jobs. After World War II, we left the factory jobs and went back home so men returning from the battlefields could take the jobs.
Let’s be honest. For many women asking for money in business feels icky. It makes them uncomfortable. Traditionally bringing home the bacon was a man’s job. Our job was making a nice home, raising our children and doing nice things in the community. So many women figure, if they ask for the lowest amount of money possible in their business they’re altruistic and mistakenly believe they won’t have to market. They say they do it because they want to “be nice.”
The challenge is that when it’s time to pay the bills – if you’ve shorted yourself on what you charge, you end up falling short when it comes to your lifestyle and paying your bills. You can’t exactly go to your mortgage company or the grocery store and say, “Um, I’m a really nice person. Would you give me a little extra discount?”
Of course we know that’s silly. Why? Because these real businesses don’t give extra discounts. So if you consider yourself a real business – why are you undercutting yourself?
Here’s where it comes back around: In the real business world people don’t say, “Gee, that’s so nice. She’s only charging me $$ instead of $$$.” Instead they silently think, “She’s charging so much less than market rates – she must not be as good.”
And so it goes.
My suggestion: go to EmpowerUAcademy.com and download my free audio, “Break Through Your Internal Glass Ceiling.” If you like it and want more I suggest you get my “Unstoppable Confidence” program available at the same website. Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for my free Marketing and Empowerment Tips.
Posted in A-has for Women | Adventurous Women, believe, business, Denise Michaels, giving, home-based, marketing, nice, pricing | 3 CommentsAsk Your Customers about Why they Buy
Published September 9, 2009 | “I’ve learned that you’ll never be disappointed if you always keep an eye on uncharted territory, where you’ll be challenged and growing and having fun.”
~ Kirstie Alley
By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”
As a home-based business owner you can learn so much by going back and talking with your current customers and people who haven’t bought from you yet. The information you gather from these people can be hugely helpful to you when you develop new marketing appeals. Here are a several thoughts to guide you:
- Have you surveyed your current and previous customers to find out who they are and how to reach more of them?
- Have you asked your current and past customers why they bought from you – from their point of view? You can use those buying reasons in future marketing efforts.
- Have you asked the people who didn’t buy from you to learn who they are? What they have in common? And, why they didn’t buy? Some simply may not be ideal customers – but with others you can eliminate those reasons in future marketing efforts.
- Feel a little bit queasy about asking someone why they didn’t buy? Don’t be. In 99.4 percent of cases it’s not personal. It’s usually because they didn’t understand something (which often can give you a chance to sell again) or because there’s something about what you offered which didn’t quite fit what they need.
- Simply say, “I just want to ask you a couple questions because I’m learning and I sincerely want to do better.” I’ve never had anyone say no when I’ve said it in a real spirit of wanting to improve myself and my business.
Want to learn step-by-step ways to convert more traffic and sell more online? Get your copy of my amazing e-book, “Secrets of Money-Marking Sales Letters” at http://www.SalesLetterEbook.com If you’re willing to do what it takes to sell more products and services with integrity discover the right business model to convert traffic that many advertising “experts,” web designers and marketing “experts” will never tell you.
To find out about my exciting workshop coming up Monday November 2nd click here. Also, make sure you sign up for my free marketing and empowerment tips by clicking here.
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Dedicated to every 40+ person still kickin' it. If you have dreams and adventures you refuse to abandon - follow me on the journey. Life is one big adventure! Make yours excellent.
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