Spinning Gold Coaching » marketing

3 Key Ingredients to the Secret Sauce of Marketing

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:59:52 +0000

1. Refine and Narrow Your Niche

Narrowing down your ideal clients and understanding what their specific needs and challenges are will allow you to consistently put out a focused and clear message. If your attempt is to market to too wide of an audience, your message gets lost because it is vague and without focus and direction. You want your ideal client to say “Yes that is me, I need that!” when they see or hear your message.

Every successful business knows the answer to these questions: Who are my customers? How will they know I am here? Why do they want to buy from me? How can I reach more people like them? Clearly and concisely answer these questions, and you have the first key ingredient for success.

The answer to these questions should influence every the design of each of your products and services. The answer to these questions will influence your pricing, where you put your message out (distribution) and will be the catalyst to crafting the right communication that speaks directly to your perfect niche.

- “She who chases two rabbits catches none.” – Chinese proverb

2. Construct a Clear Message

Networking events are a great place to build relationships and attract new clients. Do not make the mistake of investing your time and money without having a clear and powerful message to share.

Have you ever been to a networking event where someone asks you what you do, and you feel a slight sense of panic arise within you? Suddenly you find yourself rambling on trying to explain what it is that you do and you realize that the other person’s eyes have glazed over and in your mind, you know they are now probably more confused than anything?

Here’s a tip to crafting your message; go back to Number 1 above. Your message starts with your “niche.” Chances are, if people are not fully getting your message, your ideal clients aren’t hearing you either.

3. Get Out of Your Own Head

Most entrepreneurs work on their own. When you are trying to do everything and be everything for your business, frustration and overwhelm tend to build up. Do you love your business, but sometimes feel the heartache every business owner feels from time to time? Have you felt that sense of doubt and fear move through you?

When this happens, is it your tendency to just work harder? That’s okay, it’s what most people do, work harder, put in longer hours which builds up more stress. The problem is, that if that’s all you do is work harder doing the very same things, you probably won’t get any better results. When you feel like you are always busy, but your business has hit a frustrating plateau – or worse, if your sales are sliding downhill, you don’t need to work harder, you need to work right!

I know that you know that your best, most creative thinking do not come from being tired and frustrated. It’s important to get out of your own head and learn the right steps to rev up your business and jumpstart your marketing program.

When this frustration and exhaustion begin to overwhelm you, it can be disheartening. But it doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you, or that you can’t do this! The truth is that you CAN do it, and you can do it really well when you know the right steps to take. Taking the right steps will add the fuel to your business and quickly get you back on track attracting plenty of your ideal clients.

Golden Tip

When things begin to feel like they are closing in on you, I am here to tell you that you are overdue to take some time for yourself. This is something that should be done regularly so you can maintain that deep inner connection that you know is your source of inspiration and guidance.

To your joyful and inspired success~

Namaste,

~Laurie

Spinning Gold Marketing

Setting Yourself Apart in a Crowded Business Market

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:34:14 +0000

The Importance of Being Unique In Business

In last week’s article “What is the Marketing Hook in your Business?” I talked about the importance of having that attention-grabbing message in your website or sales copy that makes someone stop in their tracks and notice you.

Did you implement that concept in your business? If so, then congratulations! You a are obviously a person who takes action.

So what’s next? You’ve got their attention, now what?

Once you have attracted the attention of your ideal client, you need to keep their interest. What you don’t want them to say is “Oh, another coach or another web designer, nutrition expert, another……”

What you do want them to say is, “This person is interesting, different from the others. I’ll take a closer look!”

Let’s face it, you can look at most crowded fields of expertise and the basics for each business are the same. So, what makes you and your business different? In other words, what is unique about you and/or the process of your business that others don’t have? This may be some past experience, some certifications, some prominent associations you may have that others cannot claim for themselves.

How Do I Find the Unique Business Angle?

There are several ways of doing this and I will cover two of them here:

1) Ask Your Clients and Customers

An easy way of doing this is by doing a survey. You must be specific with your questions. Remember, you want to elicit responses that set you apart, what do they perceive about you that is unique and special?

2) Ask them directly after you have worked with them or served them.

Golden Tip:

Testimonials are vital in growing your business and establishing credibility. Remember to get written testimonials as well as video testimonials from those whom you have served.

Everyone has a uniqueness that they bring to the table. Do the work of digging deep, and maybe even you don’t have to go very deep before you find that one golden nugget of inspiration, and unearth your own greatness!

Laurie Polinski

Spinning Gold Marketing

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Is Your Business a Wallflower or a Rock Star?

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:36:19 +0000

3 Things to ask yourself to make sure you are delivering a compelling message so that you can attract your ideal clients and accelerate your business success!

Think of your business as a person. What if your business had a face, a personality, a particular look, a feel; what if when potential clients thought of your business, they got a sense of how it thinks and what it believes in, just like a person? Guess what!?! Your business is just like a person and does have all of these things. Your business has its own personality.

Some people are considered wallflowers. They hang back, are quiet and do not draw attention. In fact, others barely know they’re there!

If your business is like a wallflower, it probably isn’t drawing much attention, either. In fact, as the business owner, you may feel like your working just as hard as all the other businesses, maybe even harder, but you still aren’t drawing the clients and income you’d like.

On the other hand, some people have the personality of a rock star! These people have no problem letting others know who they are, what they do and why they exist! If your business is like a rock star, you probably have all the clients you can possibly handle, and are busy creating more programs and products just to keep up with the demand! Lucky you!

If your business feels more like the wallflower right now, and you’d like to have more of what the rock star has, ask yourself these 3 three key questions:

1) Have I articulated and written down my brand promise?

The most important thing to remember about a brand is: A brand is a promise–a promise of consistency. A client chooses one person or company to do business with because they know what to expect from that company every time. That company has done a good job of defining who they are and what they can do for their clients, and it has done a good job of repeating that message over and over so that people understand what they are promising and trust it!

Clients have a certain set of expectations of people or companies they do business with. They want to know they can trust that the product or service will be very much the same as it was the last time they used it. That’s the brand promise.

Some promises a company, or brand, can make to its clients are:

Consistency (Most important)

Quality

Price

Convenience

Customer Service

Better than the competition in some way

Your brand promise should come through in all of your marketing and advertising efforts.

2) What do I want my clients to remember about me and/or my business?

When clients, or potential clients, think about you or your product or service, what is the core message they get? Your core message is a precise description of what you do, who you work with and why you are different (better) than your competition.

Your core message should be based on:

The nature of your services or products–what you are selling–and the benefits or features of your service or product.

Your unique selling proposition, or what sets you apart from the competition.

The promise you make to your clients–what’s in it for them?

It’s important that you understand and clearly articulate the core message you want to send for your business. You need to keep your core message in mind when developing all of your advertising materials such as your website, brochures, business card, etc. Your core message is what you want your clients to remember about you. This is how you create a deeply meaningful connection with your clients and prospective clients.

3) Does my company name and/or tagline explain the nature of my business or what I do?

When people see your company name they should be able to understand what you do. If that isn’t clearly articulated in your company name, it should be clear in your tagline.

For example, my company name is Spinning Gold Marketing. Now, people may, or may not, understand exactly what I do. My tagline is: “The Entrepreneurs’ Business Growth Coach for Focused, Fast Results.”

My tagline tells 3 things:
1) Who I work with – “Entrepreneurs”
2) What I do – “Business Growth Coach”
3) What I promise – “Focused, Fast Results.”

Taglines don’t have to be catchy to be memorable (although it certainly doesn’t hurt!). Your company name and your tagline do need to tell potential clients, or remind current clients, that you specialize in exactly what they need.

Your brand identity is the power and force behind your business success. Your brand message is what clearly tells clients and potential clients who you work with, what you do for them and why they should choose to work with you. And, remember, once you are clear on your brand promise–your core message–and have an effective company name and tagline, be sure it is consistent in everything you do.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Keys To Awaken Your Potential Through Effective, Authentic Branding

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:34:57 +0000

How to gain clients, grow your business and make more money with your message.

When entrepreneurs launch, or are getting ready to launch, their business, there is a gold mine of knowledge, passion and courage that backs their visions of success and the goals that they have for their clients. Unfortunately, many business-owners, at some point, find their progress stalled because they cannot seem to draw the right clients and don’t understand why. What is helpful to know is that, often times, a good brand is a key piece that is missing for so many entrepreneurs in their business, and many don’t realize that lacking a brand message keeps them from easily attracting their ideal clients and growing their business the way that they would like.

What Is Your Business Brand?

Your brand is the message that you create around your business from the inside out. Its primary function is to let your audience know who you are, what you do how you help people and what they can expect from you. An authentic branding message will also express how you’re different from others in the field of your expertise; it’s developing your positioning and staying true and in perfect alignment with the core of who you are and what you promise to deliver.

What Will An Authentic Business Brand Do For You?

In addition to letting people know about your business with a single glance, a brand message is one of the most important tools that a business has in marketing itself and letting people know that the business exists to serve their needs. Most entrepreneurs are passionate about helping others by doing what they do best, but if people don’t know that you’re out there, or don’t quite understand how you can help them, then you won’t be doing much of what you love or making the money that you need to make in your business.

To be successful, a business must have a magnetic, positive and authentic branding message that connects with their audience on a deep and emotional level. And, remember, your brand is who you are and what you stand for, so not only will the right brand message attract more of the right clients, but it will also strongly symbolize your vision and allow you to be more confident when asked, “what is your business, and what do you do?” And it will provide the guiding light to where your business can go.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

The Importance of Knowing Yourself in Business

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:24:45 +0000

Knowing Yourself Creates Clarity for Your Business and to Your Ideal Client

Last week’s article: “7 Key Steps to Taking Control of Your Business This Year,” gave you some important steps to follow to have greater clarity and focus in your business so you can have your best year yet. In the upcoming articles we will be expanding on each one of these steps in greater detail so you will have a clear picture of each of these steps and their importance to your success.

Your business starts with a foundation, and the strength to any foundation is it’s cornerstone. The cornerstone of a foundation provides stability and strength to support a structure and without it, the foundation will fail and the structure collapse. You are the cornerstone of your business structure and in being solid in your goals, vision and self awareness, you will allow for the support needed to build a strong successful business.

Knowing Yourself Allows You to Effectively Brand Yourself

As an Entrepreneur, being very clear on who you are at your core, allows you to build a solid relationship with your ideal clients. Promoting and operating a business that is a reflection of who you are will attract clients through authenticity, promoting a sense of deep trust. Operating your business with a self-awareness will nurture self confidence, and exhibiting self-confidence will assure your clients on a deep subconscious level that they are in the best of care.

Self Awareness Business Tools for the Entrepreneur

There are various tools and methods a person can use to be become clear on who they are and what is truly important to them. Here are two:

Daily journaling. Taking the time to journal every day as well as reviewing previous entries will allow you to realize the things that are important to you today, and how things are changing for you and your business and your vision. This is a very effective tool to staying true to the parts of your business which are important to you at the core.

Personality and archetype assessments. These types of assessments have been proven to be very important in uncovering the true essence of ourselves. Many times we are too close to our situation to make an accurate conclusion to what really is our driving force. Through series of questions, many people are often surprised at what they find out about themselves and then with this new information they can begin branding themselves in a more powerful way, a way that is truly them.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Are You Paralyzed With Information Overload?

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:11:56 +0000

Help! I Don’t Know Where to Start

Have you spent 2009 and previous years gathering knowledge and information through books, seminars, ebooks, teleseminars, online courses and…did I miss anything? Are you on so many email lists that you know there is no possible way you could read all of them and put them to use? Is your head spinning because you have learned so much and yet you fear there might be something you are missing?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions you might want to sit down and brace yourself, for the news I am going to tell you might be a little frightening. My friend I believe you have it and it looks bad…..I believe you have Information Overload Syndrome!

What is Information Overload Syndrome?

Many entrepreneurs, especially when new in the game spend much time on training and gathering information on the business they are pursuing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with research and education, the challenge is, there is so much information available and it is so easily accessible in this electronic age that before you know it, you have so much material, you don’t know where to start because you are overwhelmed. Usually what follows is not starting at all or paralysis.

3 Steps to Overcome Information Overload

Chances are you have plenty of training, knowledge and information already and more might not necessarily help you, in fact it might just make things worse. What you need to do at this point is channel all the information and training you already have and move forward. Here are three steps that will guide you from paralyzed to productive:

Time to focus or refocus - Once overwhelmed it is easy to lose track of what you set out to accomplish in the first place. Take time to reevaluate your goals and determine if they need to be adjusted. Be clear on your niche and your ideal client. What can you offer them to serve their needs?
Develop a plan and strategy – Now is the time to go over the materials you have learned so far, all the knowledge you have amassed and pull it together into an organized system that will move you in the direction of your goals. Doing so will start you on your way to answering your ideal clients’ needs and making you money.
Get into action - One of the things I have learned through experience is, always move towards completion – not perfection, and make adjustments along the way. It is important as entrepreneurs to always be learning, the key is to learn while the wheels of your business are in motion.

So let’s summarize: To overcome information overload: 1. Get yourself focused; 2. Develop your plan; and 3. Get into action and 2010 will be your best year yet!

~Laurie Polinski

Spinning Gold Marketing

4 Steps To An Orginized Office

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:54:53 +0000

An Organized Office Means Freedom For You

When it comes to productivity, creativity and inspiration, having an organized workspace to complete your daily tasks efficiently and without distractions is crucial to your success. Unbury yourself today by following these easy yet effective organizational tips.

Keep Office Supplies Nearby

Keeping the supplies that you use most frequently—such as pens, staplers and your stress management tools(stress balls)—close-at-hand and storing the ones that you don’t in designate spaces will play a big role in keeping your desk and your office clutter-free, and will make finding items all the easier which will save you precious time.

Create a Comprehensive Filing System

Make documents easy to find by creating a well-organized filing system. A great way to do this is by creating categories for your paperwork, and storing them appropriately. It will also be helpful for you to review your filing cabinet regularly so that you may discard of papers no longer needed. Keeping paperwork scattered on your desk. his is a distraction as well as a thief in that it robs you of your time, energy and creativity.

Organize and Prioritize Your Snail Mail

Just like your e-mail service, equip your office with an inbox for hard-copy mail that you have yet to read. As you immediately open your mail each day, prioritize and discard! Separate your bills, payments on invoices and letters that need responses and shred the rest. This little tool will keep your workspace clear of mountains of unopened envelopes, and will make it much more difficult to lose important mail pieces.

Start Tomorrow off With a Clean Slate

We all know how important it is to start each day off right and in order to build the needed momentum first thing in the morning, you have to be without distraction. It will be helpful for you to clear your office of its clutter at the end of each work day. Filing the papers that you will need, throwing away the ones that you will not and storing supplies in their designated areas will allow you to begin the next day dynamically; instead of spending your morning sorting through the mess you made yesterday. Don’t procrastinate on organizing; you’ll thank yourself in the morning.

Organization Leads to a Happy Life

As you can see, these four steps are very simple for anyone to accomplish and can make a huge impact on the productivity of your day. It amazes me how many offices I walk into that are in total chaos and surprisingly the people who own these offices can’t understand why they cannot complete their tasks in a timely manner.

Get yourself in a routine of keeping your office space clean and organized and you’ll surprise yourself at how much you can accomplish in a day with increased creativity and still have time for yourself.

3 Essentials To Your Best Year In Business Yet!

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:07:05 +0000

Back To Business Basics

With the beginning of a new year only weeks away, now is the perfect time to start laying a solid foundation for a successful 2010 in your business. As this year is coming to a close, this is a perfect time to take a step back and take a close look at where you can make adjustments to make 2010 your most profitable year yet! Here are 3 ways to put your business on the right track for the coming year.

Research Your Niche

Take some time to examine your niche market and area of expertise. Observing how other professionals in your field do business may be an inspiration to try a new approach to your own business that may open some profitable doors for you. Also, research potential clients for ideas on how to win over new business opportunities and how you can continue to serve the needs of your current clients.

Invest In Business Education

When applied properly, the axiom “you have to invest money to make money” really pays off. For you, the entrepreneur, investing time and money to further your education in your business niche through college courses, training and certification and coaching will expand your knowledge and skills and strengthen your position as an authority in your field, helping you to better recognize and respond to the needs of your clients while pulling you ahead of the competition.

Create a Clear Business Plan

Having a comprehensible business plan is vital to the success of your business. Begin constructing your 2010 business plan now by determining and recording your goals and strategies for the year. In other words: where would you like your business to be by the end of 2010, and what is the best course for you to get it there? One of the biggest mistakes many entrepreneurs make is not mapping out a clear and precise plan. If you don’t have a clear vision of where you want to be, how do you expect to get there? By creating a clear business plan now, you’ll be able to bring in the New Year hitting the ground running.

Researching your niche, investing in continuing business education and creating a business plan are some key ways to ensure that 2010 will be the best for your business, and for you, so far. Here’s to a profitable New Year—here’s to your success.

Laurie Gracie Polinski

Spinning Gold

What I learned from James Malinchak & Mari Smith~

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:48:48 +0000

I cannot believe how much I took away from the James Malinchak Millionaire Speaker Bootcamp over this past 4 days! I’ve never taken so many notes in one sitting in my life! AND, for those of you know know I used to be a court-and-conference stenographer, know that’s a lot of notes!

I took SO much away from the info-packed content-rich 4-day seminar that I used up an entire notepad and had to start writing on the back sides of my pages! There is obviously way too much to share in one post, but one thing that I came home and implimented immediately was / okay 2 things / (1) from James: Get Things Done Fast! (2) from Mari
Smith – The importance of having your Twitter background custom-created to match your branding! Mari says this is the most valuable REAL ESTATE on the web!

So what I did, was take James’ advice, and quickly called my VP of Visibility, Christy Taylor, and my Twitter background is being created as I write this!

Can’t wait to debut it!

~LaurieP.
The Entrepreneurs’ Marketing & Business Growth Coach who gets Results!
Spinning Gold

Meet me on Twitter: LauriePolinski

Chat with me on Facebook: LaurieGraciePolinski

Are You Stuck in Your Business?

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:37:43 +0000

Entrepreneurs, Stop The Insanity!

“Insanity ~ Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein

I was thinking of a storyline this morning which is quite common and often seen in movies or read in books. The story involves one or more people, usually trying to find their way out of the forest and after and after much effort and heartache the find themselves right back to where they started. Many times the characters in the story will head off again and after much effort and determination, they again find themselves at the beginning once more. This of course emotionally and physically drains the characters in the story and as an observer of the story one cannot help but feel their hopelessness of the situation.

Is Your Business Off Track?

Just as the characters in the story went off track without realizing it, as entrepreneurs and business owners it is also easy to get off track from our goals. Chances are when you decided to go into business, you had a clear vision in mind along with whole bunch energy and determination to see your dream come true. Am I right? Now lets fast forward six months, a year, maybe even longer, and you realize even though you are busy everyday, you are no closer to your vision than you were the day you started. You drifted off track from your business plan, but how?

This is very common situation for entrepreneurs to get themselves into because many either work alone or in small teams so they are not getting the feedback they need in a timely manner and there isn’t anyone holding them accountable and letting them know when they are getting off track and side tracked.

Get Your Business Back On The Fast Track

Some entrepreneurs, when realizing they are not getting anywhere in their business, just work harder doing exactly the same thing they were doing before. These entrepreneurs somehow feel that by just working harder, the end result will be different. This is called desperation and insanity and by now we know where that path will lead. Getting back on track with your business is easier than most would think.

If I dropped you in the middle of the forest without a map and told you to find your way out, how long would it take you, hours, days, weeks, never? Now if I dropped you in the same forest with a map showing you where you are now and where you need to get to, it would make things much easier, wouldn’t it. Having guidance made the difference, didn’t it.

The same applies with your business! When things are not moving the way you need them to, and you are moving father from your goals, you need someone to get you back on track and find your way again. The proper business coach will help in discovering where things started going wrong in your business and guide you onto a solid path to your vision.

Laurie Polinski

Spinning Gold