"Secrets of Master Networkers" Seminar + Speed Networking

Start Your New Year Off With a Bang... The Long Island Way!

Long Island is all about networking and The Long Island Way is proud to present an event that all LI businesses and not-for-profit organizations should attend.

First our presenter, Dean Mercado of Online Marketing Muscle will provide an awesome seminar to sharpen the attendees’ networking skills and then second we will facilitate a speed networking event to give attendees a chance to use their newly found networking skills.

Be sure to prepare your 1 minute elevator speech and bring plenty of business cards and we will do the rest!

• Cost $37 (Members) and $52(Non-Members)

Space is limited. First come First served as only One Person Per Profession is eligible to attend so go here now to reserve your spot: http://thelongislandway.com/

Dean Mercado - Online Marketing Muscle

A well-respected marketing coach, strategist, author, and speaker with expertise on helping small businesses and independent professionals leverage the power of the internet to increase their visibility, credibility, and reach within their target market.

"Secrets of Master Networkers" Seminar Summary

In business it’s quite simple, networking makes the world go around! Dean would even dare to say that one’s ability to network effectively is in direct proportion to their success in business. In this seminar, attendees will learn 11 secrets that make the great networkers, truly great!

For more information
Email: info@thelongislandway.com OR Call 631.386.6902 TODAY!

Surefire Way To Never Have To Compete On Price Again!

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” – Roger Staubach

With an 18 month old daughter... who is now very mobile... and a second child on the way, my wife and I decided it was time to fence in our yard for both their safety and our sanity. So we started to solicit estimates from a few vendors. Much to our dismay the prices for what appeared to be comparable fences varied by over $2000. Unfortunately for the vendors, there was little if any differentiation between them. They asked too few questions and made too few recommendations. They essentially positioned themselves to compete on price... in my opinion, the worst positioning a small business can take!

So as responsible and mindful consumers what did we do? While we didn't hire the lowest price vendor, we did however ask the one that gave us the best warm and fuzzy feeling to at least come close to the lowest price. We don't mind paying a few extra dollars for that warm and fuzzy feeling, even amongst the current state of the economy. And my guess is that many other consumers feel the same.

My suggestion... avoid this scenario for your business at all costs! Don't position yourself for a price war. Stand out!

How? It's simple... Be willing to do the little things that your competition is either unwilling or too lazy to do.

Why? Because it's the little things that make all the difference! It's the little things that show you actually care! It's the little things that justify your existence and your fees! It's the little things that get you hired!

We're not talking about breaking the bank here. If you put just a little creative thought into this, there are literally dozens of little things you could do to out-class the competition.  For example:

• Provide your prospect with a tips sheet on selecting the best vendor and/or solution.
• Educate your prospect on any unforeseeable hiccups they may experience in the buying process (e.g. special permits and variances they may need to move forward, other expenses, etc.).
• Provide price quotes from and/or public information about a few of your competitors to show how you clearly are the best choice. I don’t mean bad mouth your competition. Just stick to the facts and point out the differences between the companies that seem to matter to your target market most.

And to keep your existing clients happily paying your fees, you can model...

• The chiropractor who buys balloons and sings Happy Birthday to his patients.
• The cleaning company who leaves mints on your pillows and fun animal shapes out of a towel at the foot of your bed when their done cleaning your home.
• The landscaper that provides you with great time-saving and beautification tips for your yard.

Sounds so simple right? Yet so few small businesses do these little over and above gestures. These little gems are examples of great marketing!

I'd be willing to bet that most customers of these vendors won't be so concerned if their prices were a few dollars more.

The bottom line... Be remarkable amongst an unremarkable world! Do that and you most certainly won't be competing on price any longer.

© 2009 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, compete on price, remarkable marketing, target market, small businesses, small business marketing

3 Keys to Getting More Referrals from Your Network

I hate to be the one to break it to you however I’d estimate that more than 90% of business networking is a waste of time. It’s non-strategic, poorly executed, and bears little fruit… there I said it!

Now, now, wait a minute! It doesn’t have to be a waste of time. It’s just my opinion that most business professionals are either, whether they know it or not, not very good at it or are simply lazy. That’s unfortunate considering the large volumes of time and money that small businesses throw at this marketing strategy.

For the networking rock stars of the world, networking tends to be very fruitful. They get qualified referrals from their network on a regular basis. They constantly are connecting with a steady stream of targeted prospects. Why? – Because their networking is typically very strategic and very well executed.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”, he introduces the concept of “connectors” as people with a special gift to bring the world together. Now combine that concept and attribute with author Seth Godin’s concept of “sneezers” from his book “Unleashing the Ideavirus” and now you’re talking! You’re networking with people your target market both already knows, likes and trusts and that will actively and willingly help you get your word out. Network well with these people and let the referrals roll – that is of course assuming that you, your product, and your service are worth referring.

Let’s be clear here though, you’ve got to earn referrals. Just because you believe you deserve referrals doesn’t mean you’re going to get them. You need encourage them. You need to ask for them. You need to make it easy, lucrative and fun to refer business to you. Networking rock stars understand this… they don’t leave this to chance… they create their ideal reality. How do they do this? Well here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Make it EASY for your network to refer business to you! How?

• Make sure you regularly nurture relationships with those who either are in your target market or have access to it… especially networking rock stars!
• Make sure they clearly understand who you serve and what you serve them with… remember this is your responsibility not theirs.
• Be clear and specific in asking for what you want.

2. Make it LUCRATIVE for your network to refer business to you! How?

• Paint a clear picture of what’s in it for them.
• Always reward the behavior you want to see repeated.
• Recognize them for their generosity and referral savvy publicly in front of their peers… people never seem to tire of this type of positive PR.

3. Make it FUN for your network to refer business to you! How?

• Hold a referral contest where the person who refers the most business to you wins something they deem valuable.
• When you’re “THE MAN”, you become magnetic and people will always want to be around you and please you. So become “THE MAN” or if applicable, “THE WOMAN”.
• Everyone loves free stuff! Free is fun so if at all possible, let them sample your goods and services. This will give them first-hand experience and most likely will encourage them to speak more favorably of you, more often.

So in closing, some key questions to ask yourself are… point blank, are you referable? Are you making it easy, lucrative, and fun to refer business to you? Are you continually developing your networking skills to increase your refer-ability factor? Are you consciously and continually making an effort to identify and nurture the networking rock stars in your network? If so… GREAT… keep it up! If not, then as one of my mentors James Arthur Ray says “When would now be a good time to start?”

© 2009 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' (www.MotivationalMarketer.com). Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' (www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com/marketingminute), -- a multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing artcles, referral marketing, referrals, refer, referrable, refer-ability factor, qualified referrals, connectors, sneezers, networking rock stars, networking, network, target market, small businesses, Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin, James Arthur Ray

One Simple Guiding Principle to Explode Your Business in Any Economy

“All you need is love”.  -- John Lennon

What I’m about to share with you is one of the most simple yet profound ways to really make a difference with your business. And yes we all do have that innate desire to make a difference in the world… don’t we? The question is… are we really willing to do what it takes to accomplish that?

So what am I talking about here? I’m talking about instilling love as a guiding principle for your business. Let love permeate every aspect of your being! Love is highly magnetic… it attracts like no other. Love can be a very strategic weapon… should you choose to wield it!

Love yourself… love your team… love your work… and most of all… and this is what I’d like to chat about here… love your prospects and clients!

So why write an article on loving your prospects and clients? Well from my perspective, there are countless reasons however here’s a handful to whet your whistle:

• REASON: People prefer to do business with people they like.
• REASON: When your clients feel the love, they tend to stick around longer.
• REASON: The longer they stick around, the more likely they are to do further business with you.
• REASON: To simply enjoy what you do and who you do it with!

Now that we got that out of the way, how exactly can you go about showing your prospects and clients the love?  Well here are three simple yet very effective techniques: 

1. Really Listen!
I’m not talking about the passive-type of listening many of us have succumbed to in this over-stimulating world we live in. Yes our attention is being pulled in 50 different directions but that’s no excuse. Learn to quiet the noise and focus. Practice giving your undivided attention to that prospect or client. Show them the respect they deserve… show them the love!

Take this a step further by creating channels of communication that make it easier to interact and listen. Some examples might be to network with them regularly, invite them to comment on your blog, survey them, or leverage the power of social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to stay in conversation with them. 

2. Consistency is Key
I see it all the time. Businesses spend countless resources wooing their prospects.  Making them think that maybe, just maybe, this could be a match made in heaven.

When all of a sudden… the honeymoon is over. The client gets thrown on top of the heap with all the other one-time conquests. Destined to suffer an existence of marginal attention at best… That is of course until the next prince charming comes along to woo them away from you.

Don’t stand for this behavior, period! As a matter of fact, woo your clients even more than you did when they were just prospects. Doesn’t this make sense? They’re the ones who pay your bills and allow you to create a better life. Keep them happy and most likely they will keep you happy as well. 

3. Do the Unexpected!
I can best explain this one with an example.

Recently I had the fortunate pleasure of witnessing the owner of the Wellness Center I frequent showing the love (that’s Dr. Gregg Baron of D.R.E.A.M. Wellness for those of you who are curious). Right before a client of the practice was about to leave, Dr. Baron came up from behind her and presented her with birthday balloons, a warm hug, and a heartfelt Happy Birthday wish. This act literally brought her to tears of joy. Now that’s remarkable! He literally made her day, her week, and based on the sincerity of the tears, he may have even made her year! Now do you think that client will be back… without a doubt, YES!

So in closing, what am I saying is be remarkable amongst an unremarkable world. Be willing to and constantly look for ways to show your prospects and clients the love. It really doesn’t take that much effort… too many businesses just miss the mark. They don’t seem to put a priority on relationships... I’m talking about relationships that flourish, not conquests. Too bad for them! However major opportunity for you! Trust me. Just a little focus in the area of loving your prospects and clients can be the major differentiator you need to not only stand out from the competition, but thrive in this volatile economy! So how can you show your prospects and clients the love?

© 2009 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' (www.MotivationalMarketer.com). Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' (www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com/marketingminute), -- a multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, love your prospects, love your clients, Dr. Gregg Baron, DREAM Wellness

Top 3 Business and Marketing Lessons Learned in 2008

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” -- Vince Lombardi

Well yes another year has seemingly breezed by but 2008 was a very different kind of year for so many reasons. The biggest one that comes to mind was all the doom and gloom surrounding conversations about a failing economy. It seemed like so many people were using the supposed failing economy as an excuse to crawl under a rock and die. “Oh no one is spending money right now so they won’t buy my services… it’s that damn economy.  Oh no one is giving me leads anymore… it’s that damn economy. This damn economy is killing me!”

I’m saddened to say that I’ve heard it all this past year!

That venomous message seemed to permeate every orifice of our being – as scary as that sounds!

So as usual as each year passes by there are so many lessons we can learn and grow from each year. And for me there were 3 core ones that I’ll share with you here: 

#1 – Don’t Buy Into the Bull
Yes while it’s true that the economy had been in quite a state of flux in 2008, that didn’t mean that I had to sit idly by and suffer. That was completely against all I stand for as I firmly believe that we create our own reality. So my mantra quickly became “if it is to be, then it’s up to me!” It’s up to me to as Ghandi once said “to be the change I wanted to see in the world”. I knew it was time to step up my game in a big way… and I did!

Let someone else do the worrying… Let someone else do the blaming… Let someone else become the ‘victim’… not me… I refused. My credo for 2008 quickly became “When the going gets tough, the tough get marketing”. I decided to live or die by what I do best… marketing! Hey guess what? I’m still here so I guess it worked. 

#2 – Focus on My Fastest Path to Cash
No matter what, money does make the world go around; therefore it was critical that I earn my share.

Now you must have heard the saying that ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’. Well my experiences over the past year confirmed for me that this doesn’t have to be the case! The grass can be plenty green right here! I just had to learn how to nurture it better. So this past year I focused diligently on nurturing and growing my most promising and lucrative profit centers. The few that I did choose to do were to be done great. My focus became razor-sharp at marketing, selling and delivering those specific services and those only. Everything else went into what I call the ‘parking lot’ -- a repository for items worth consideration at some time in the future -- just not now. 

#3 – Greater Health Leads to Greater Wealth
I honestly can say that taking the time out of my already hectic schedule to focus on my physical health was the single-most smartest move I made all year!

As my physical health improved so did so many other critical areas of my life. My brain felt sharper… I became more focused… I had more energy… my self esteem climbed through the roof… heck even the air smelled fresher, need I go on?

What did I do differently? Well 3 main things: weekly chiropractic care, regular massage therapy, and I became much more conscious of what I was eating. Hey I lost 23 pounds in 2008… that’s no small feat! However with the right regimen, the right coaching, and a strong desire… it really did happen easily. Big thanks to both my wife Andrea and the team over at DREAM Wellness for all their guidance, support, and care.

So in closing, I’ll tell you that sitting around blaming stuff outside your control will not get you the things you want in life. Tough times will certainly test your will! How bad do you want it? Because I’ll tell you this challenging economy will weed out the weak – that’s for sure! And you know what; maybe that’s not such a bad thing. That’ll just leave more for those who are willing to play a bigger and better game. I intend to continue to raise my game… how about you?

© 2009 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' (www.MotivationalMarketer.com). Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' (www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com/marketingminute), -- a multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, success articles, lessons learned, failing economy, health, wealth, DREAM Wellness

The Core Secret of Superstar Entrepreneurs

"Be the change you want to see in the world." -- Mahatma Gandhi

Now I’ve been at this entrepreneur thing for the better part of this decade and have studied with and modeled a wide variety of superstar entrepreneurs.

One thing that permeates all of my most successful mentors as well as all of the most successful entrepreneurs I’ve come across in my travels is simply that they understand and practice this one thing…

They give!

They give their time. They give their money. They give their wisdom. They give their love. They give their compassion. They simply give of themselves first and regularly. Not because they have to, but because they genuinely want to.

They don’t give with the expectation that they will get something in return. To them, that’s not really giving.

They give because they understand it’s not about them.

They give because they genuinely want to add value to others.

They give because it’s simply the right thing to do.

Need I say more?

So in closing, it’s all about giving.

Want more money… give more money!
Want more love… give more love!
Want more power… give more power!
Want more referrals… give more referrals!
Want more testimonials… give more testimonials!

The point here is that who you’re being has everything to do with what you’re doing each day which ultimately defines what you will have in your business and in your life!

Become the conduit that supports the natural flow of the universe and see the things you want flow to and through you regularly.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, success articles, entrepreneurs, giving, give, referrals, testimonials

Networking 101: 11 Tips to 1-on-1 Meeting Success (Part II: The Final Six)

Well I certainly hope you enjoyed part I of this article where I shared with you the first five tips of my “11 Tips to 1‑on‑1 Meeting Success”. To quickly summarize, they were:

1. Come Prepared To Play

2. Confirm the Appointment at least 24 hours in Advance

3. Dress for Success

4. Make It Easy For Them to Find You

5. Be Respectful of Their Time

If you’d like to review them in detail, you’ll find part I of this conversation on my blog the Motivational Marketer’s Journal at www.MotivationalMarketer.com.

In the meantime, as promised, here are the remainder: 

6. Shut-off Your Cell Phone
Unless in dire emergency, nothing screams disrespect more than your cell phone ringing in the middle of a conversation… and you answer it. You say to the person you’re meeting with: “Hold that thought for a second, I’ve got to get this.” Translation to the person you’re meeting with… you’re not important, this call is. 

7. Be Clear About Your Intentions
Why do you want to meet with them? Don’t mislead them with false intentions. Is this just a meeting to get to know one another better? Or is this a sales meeting where you’ll be introducing your products and services? They’re likely to be upset if they’re expecting good conversation and it ends up being one long sales pitch. 

8. Maintain Proper Eye Contact
Don’t look over their shoulder as if you’re waiting for someone better to enter the room. Don’t check them out as if you were looking for a cheap thrill. This is business networking. You’re not hanging out at some singles club. Give them the respect they deserve. 

9. Listen Twice, Speak Once
Translation… let them do most of the talking and really tune in to what they are saying. Lending a true ear is one of the biggest signs of respect. 

10. Take Notes
Before proceeding with this one, be sure to ask for permission. For example you might say: “You’re sharing some very important stuff here. Would you mind if I took a few notes to make sure I don’t forget any of it?” This just oozes respect as well as lets the other person know that you believe what they’re saying is important… a major compliment. 

11. Identify Next Steps
The meeting’s just about over. What now? Where do you go from here? Does it make sense to take this relationship to the next level? How so? Whatever the outcome of the meeting, communicate whatever next steps you feel makes sense… even if it’s nothing.

So in closing, remember it’s all about respect… it’s all about courtesy… it’s all about making them feel important… it’s all about going deep enough to develop a strong rapport. Why? Because people do business with people they know, like, and trust. And in order to create that possibility, you’ve got to be willing to do whatever it takes to earn it.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, networking 101, networking, meeting success, business professionals, surface networkers

Networking 101: 11 Tips to 1-on-1 Meeting Success (Part I: The First Five)

It’s scary out there! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve encountered so-called business professionals who simply didn’t get it. They simply didn’t get the fact that business is all about people. They simply didn’t get the fact that people do business with people they know, like, and trust. They simply weren’t willing to invest the time and effort needed to develop strong, mutually beneficial, and enduring relationships. Yet they wonder why this marketing strategy called networking doesn’t seem to be working for them.

These types of business professionals are what I call “surface networkers” and there are literally tons of them out there just cluttering up the networking avenues. The good thing about it though, is the vast opportunity it presents to those who really do know how to play the networking game… “players” so to speak…they tend to stand out like a beacon of light.

So you’re out their networking your tail off at a local networking event and you’ve met what you believe to be a “player”. They’re magnetic. They’re charismatic. They just seem to emanate this vibe that makes them irresistible. You reach out to them after the networking event and schedule a 1-on-1 “get-to-know-you-better” type of meeting. Now what?

You want to impress this person. You want to go deep. You want to explore how you may be able to help each other going forward. How can you make sure you give yourself the best chance of accomplishing that? Well here in part 1 of this 2 part series are the first 5 of the 11 tips that can help you do just that. So here goes: 

1. Come Prepared To Play
For starters, Google them. Check out their web site. Read their current news letter. Do they have any current press releases? If so, read them. In other words find out a little something about them as well as their industry prior to the meeting. This is a sure sign of diligence and respect. 

2. Confirm the Appointment at least 24 hours in Advance
Face it, we’re not perfect. And as busy professionals we can sometimes fall victim to our own busyness. That said… a little courtesy reminder can go a long way.

3. Dress for Success
One rule here; Dress as best you can without making the person you’re meeting with feel uncomfortable. 

4. Make It Easy For Them to Find You
If needed, provide directions to the meeting location. Exchange cell phone numbers. And just in case they may not remember what you look like… and yes don’t flatter yourself, this is a possibility… wear something distinctive and let them know about it (e.g. I’ll be wearing a green tie).

5. Be Respectful of Their Time
Arrive early and wrap it up on time. If for some reason you’re going to be late, give them a quick courtesy call. If the conversation is going so well that it’s about to go into overtime, make them aware of the time and either continue with the meeting (if it’s acceptable to both parties of course) or, break out your calendar and set a follow-up meeting to pick up where you left off.

That about wraps up the first five tips of “11 Tips to 1‑on‑1 Meeting Success”. In part II I’ll share 6 more whoppers that can make or break any meeting. Stay tuned.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, networking 101, networking, meeting success, business professionals, surface networkers

Keep a Keen Eye on These to Not Only Survive but Thrive in This Downturn Economy

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." -- Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

Now that could either be a great thing or the scariest possibility for any small business owner or independent professional. Especially with a bit of an economic downturn on our hands… let alone the doom and gloom people seem to be perpetuating around it.

So tell me… where are you heading and how do you know for sure? Is the marketing you’re currently doing working? Is it bringing you a steady flow of new qualified prospects? Is it strengthening your brand? Is it making you money or just draining your precious resources at a time where you simply can’t afford for that to be the case?

Now on the surface you may believe you know the answer to questions like these however, are you 100% positive?

Well one of the most important and tangible parts in determining whether or not anything in your business is working is by maintaining sound metrics.  Yes, I do believe that certain aspects of your marketing are not practical to track and measure.  However, there are plenty of key metrics that are easily gathered.  For example you might keep metrics on things like:

• Number of projected versus actual new Clients each month
• Number of projected versus actual repeat Clients each month
• Number of projected versus actual new prospects each month
• Return on investment for specific advertising or marketing campaigns
• Return on investment for each marketing strategy in general
• Number of web site visits per month and where the visitors are coming from
• A monthly “Profit and Loss Statement” which shows your monthly income, monthly expenses, and whether or not you were profitable during that period. The key here is to analyze and know what the numbers mean and how you can alter your marketing to improve them.

And we could go on and on and on here however I hope you get the point… the numbers simply never lie! And if you know how to read them, they can empower you to make better decisions.

For example, one such way is to look for trends. Compare the most recent month, quarter, and year to the one previous (e.g. August 2007 to July 2007, Quarter 3 2007 to Quarter 2 2007, and the year 2007 to the year 2006). Compare specific months from different years (e.g. August 2006 versus August 2007). Compare specific quarters from different years (e.g. Quarter 3 2006 to Quarter 3 2007).

Additionally look for trends dictating the effectiveness of specific marketing campaigns. And to risk stating the obvious, do more of what’s working and less of what’s not… yes it’s that simple. However, you’ll never know whether a marketing campaign is working or not if you are not collecting and analyzing metrics.

So in closing, remember the numbers never lie. And for small businesses and independent professionals, it’s times like these that separate the “men from the boys” so to speak. So the big question remains, where are you heading and how do you know for sure?

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, metrics, small businesses, small business owners, independent professionals, economic downturn, economic turmoil

Can Your Web Site Pass the "Triple-I" Test?

Let’s just assume for a moment that you’re able to convince your target market to stop by your web site.

Would they find it cozy and inviting… cozy and inviting enough to want to stay for a moment? Would they find it valuable… valuable enough to stick around… valuable enough to take your desired action… valuable enough to come back periodically for more?

These are all very important questions that anyone who has a web site that expects any kind of positive result needs to regularly think about and continuously ensure. That’s why I put together a simple system that I call the “Triple-I” test to assist web site owners in giving their web site a regular “check-up” so to speak. Let’s begin…

The 1^st "I"… Inviting
It starts with the basics. First off, your web site needs to be welcoming and approachable. How? It needs to be clean, neat and organized. Ace the clutter. It needs to be easy for your target market to find their way around to get what they want. It has to use an inviting color palette that sits well with your target market. It has to load quickly and use a comfortable combination of text, imagery, and multimedia. And most importantly, it has to be consistent in look and feel with your overall brand.

Now this might seem like a lot of ducks to have in a row however, your web site visitor passes judgment on you in a split second. If they feel comfortable, they’ll stay a moment. If they’re not comfortable… gone! They’re gone as quickly as they can click their mouse.

The 2^nd "I"… Interesting
If your target market is comfortable enough to stay beyond that first split-second, you’ve got a matter of about 3 to 7 seconds to grab their interest. How? An attention-grabbing headline would be a great start. And now that you’ve piqued their interest, you have to give them reason to stick around. How? Stretch their comfort zone. Make your web site experiential. Make it interactive. Create a sense of community. Tap into multiple senses by using multimedia such as audio and video. Use your web site to educate. Use it to position yourself the way you want to be seen by your target market. The key components here are to establish credibility and value.

And lastly the 3^rd "I"… Initiative
Bottom line… your web site must cause your target market to do something. It must be able to capitalize on that comfort zone you’ve established. It must get them into the habit of doing the things you ask them to do. How? Tell them what action you want to take. Make it a simple, non-threatening action such as signing up for your complimentary electronic newsletter. Be specific though, don’t leave it to chance. Just make sure you under-promise and over-deliver this way they feel good about the experience they are having with you and will look to deepen their relationship with you.

So in closing… please note that you really want to get some outside, unbiased, honest feedback to really know how your web site stacks up. Yes, some solid web site statistics such as conversion ratios would be effective here also. However, be conscious of the softer-side of proof… the more intangible stuff that tends to play on the emotions of your target market. This in my opinion is where the real power of effectiveness lies.

So… does your current web site pass muster? Be honest now. The only person you would be fooling is yourself. If it did pass muster, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back… you deserve it. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel though. Keep on doing what you’re doing and more.

Now if it didn’t pass muster or you’re just not sure, get some help. If you’re serious about your business, do yourself a favor and empower your web site to get you the results you need to succeed.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, web site, target market, comfort zone

Who Else Wants World Class Business Advice From Top Experts For Little or No Cost?

Well I’ll tell you, I certainly do! And why not? There’s plenty of it out there for the taking. As a matter of fact there’s more available these days than ever before in history. Why? Mainly because of the ease of access to both the material as well as those who have authored them… thanks mainly to the maturing of the Internet that is. There are educational and content rich web sites, blogs, podcasts, videos, seminars, teleseminars, and we can go on and on and on here. However, for all of that new technology that exists today, in my opinion, there’s still one medium that stands head and shoulders above the rest… especially when we consider getting the most bang-for-the-buck!

So what am I talking about here? I’m talking about books!

Books are one of the most effective and inexpensive ways of allowing you to climb inside the mind of someone who has been there and done that. Besides providing tremendous insight, they can save you years of struggle.

Personally on average I read about a book a week from either the “self-help”, “business” or “marketing” categories. I share this with you not to impress you in any way but to impress upon you the importance of reading. Does this mean you need to be as voracious a reader as I am? Absolutely not! I read as much as I do for a variety of reasons, one of which is just the fact that it’s one of my favorite hobbies… I do it for fun. It just so happens that my hobby brings with it a whole host of residual benefits for me and my business as well.

Now I am a firm believer that if you were to study maybe just a couple of great books from each of the categories I just mentioned to you a moment ago, and diligently practiced applying the wisdom they so generously shared, you would probably see a significant increase in your success.

Often when I’m working with a client I’ll recommend a book or two that would significantly further their success… some clients willingly take on the challenge by running out, buying the book and devouring it immediately. These are typically the clients that seem to move along their path to success the fastest. Then there are the other clients who kick and scream the whole way… making every excuse in the world why they can’t read what I recommended. Some of the excuses I hear the most are:

“I don’t have time to read.” Come on… isn’t your future worth a measly 15 minutes a day? At that pace, you could still finish about 26 books over the next year.

“But I don’t like to read.” Well then try an audio book and listen instead.

“I can’t afford to buy the books I want.” Well than fortunately for you, in America we have a place called a Library where you can borrow them for free.

Now I have to say my responses here were quite gentle… more gentle than I’d like to be because if you’re serious about taking your business and your life up a notch, there is simply no excuse for not reading.

So in closing, when was the last time you read a book on marketing? How about any business book for that matter? Or better yet how about a book in the self-help genre because if you’re anything like most people, it’s always best to get you out of your own way first; This way, the business and marketing strategies and tactics that you’ve picked up in the other books can stand a chance at succeeding. Ooh… that’s a bit harsh, however it’s said with only the best intentions for you!

Anyhow, let me leave you with a powerful quote from someone that many consider a guru to the stars in business and that’s Jim Rohn… and he once said, “Most homes valued at over $1,000,000 have a library. That should tell us something.”

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing coach and consultant, Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, success articles, business advice, books, reading, web sites, blogs, podcasts, videos, seminars, teleseminars, self-help, marketing

5 Tips to Empower Your Web Site to Sell for You

Hey small businesses can use all the sales and marketing help they can get… am I right or am I right?!

The typical small business just doesn’t seem to have the means to hire the team they need to bring in the business. This is a big problem that typically forces the small business owner to try to go it alone… becoming the so-called “Chief Cook & Bottle-Washer”.

Now where there’s a will, there’s a way and there are ways around this dilemma. One way which we’ll discuss here is to empower your web site to become a virtual sales person. How? Well here are 5 tips to help make that happen:

1. Provide Lead Generation
It’s simple… Everyone loves free stuff. So the idea here is to offer something for free on your web site that your ideal prospect would love to get their hands on. In exchange, all you ask for is their contact information and the right to market to them going forward. Essentially you are dangling a carrot in front of them… a carrot in the form of a free special report, a free newsletter, a free eBook, free tips and tricks, free discount coupon, or a free whatever.

Chances are if they’re interested enough to sign up at your web site, they may be interested in what you offer at some point.

Keep in mind, you should be trying to build or solidify a relationship here with your prospects, not sell them; so this free giveaway must be value driven not sales pitch driven.

2. Establish or Further Your Credibility and Brand
Since people most often buy from people they know, like, and trust, your web site can be a great tool in helping build the comfort level needed to influence your prospects to buy from you.

Some great ways of doing this are by providing references, case studies, and testimonials of satisfied customers. These forms of unbiased third-party justifications are powerful at removing the fears out of doing business with you!

3. Provide Pre-sales and Post-sales Support
The possibilities here are endless. Tactics can go from as simple as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on your web site to more interactive methods such as blogs, forums, online chatting, and more. These tactics are great to help convert those prospects who are either “sitting on the fence” or just can’t seem to get enough information to make a decision.

4. Allow Prospects to Buy Your Products and Services Directly From Your Web Site
Hey if your prospect is ready to buy, they’re ready to buy. Why stand in their way? Give them the ability to buy whichever products or services that you see fit right from your web site using either their credit card or some other immediate means such as PayPal.

The bottom line here is that people buy first with emotion and then justify their purchase afterwards with logic. So capitalize on that emotion… Get them while they’re hot so to speak and help them justify their purchase afterwards with your stellar post-sales support.

5. Provide Full Contact Information
This final tip is one that may seem like common sense but I guess it’s not because I come across web sites all the time that either do not provide full contact information or hide it so well that it’s almost impossible to find.

The idea here is to make it real easy for prospects to find you both online and offline. Provide full contact information that at a minimum includes a phone number, a fax number, an email address, and a physical mailing address because the lack of providing one can make a prospect question whether or not you are a real business.

Best case scenario is to provide this information on every page of your web site this way you prospect has it at their fingertips if they want it.

So in closing, the key lesson here is leverage. If you got a web site, make it work overtime for you. Give it a chance to earn its keep. Why not? It cost you money to create it and even more to maintain it. Milk it for all its worth!

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Small Business Marketing Strategy: A Labor Day Approach to Finishing Your Year with a Bang!

Unbelievable! Labor Day is here again... how the years seem to fly by. This time of year always seems to tune me back into marketing. Why? First off because of all the big Labor Day promotions and sales that local retailers tend to bombard us with. Secondly because of what Labor Day stands for. For us Americans it’s a day to reflect on all the work and workers who made America the great country it is today! And thirdly because the year is two-thirds over already and that leaves me with the last third of the year to meet, or better yet exceed my business goals for the year.

So what I like to do is (for my business anyway) is to use the days surrounding Labor Day to do some reflecting on what’s working and what’s not working with my marketing as well as make any necessary adjustments to my marketing plan. So here’s my 3 step approach to doing just that:

Step 1 - Revisit and Refresh Goals As Needed

This goes for both personal as well as business goals. Ask yourself... Have my needs and wants changed at all? Do I still have the same passion for those things that I wanted at beginning of the year? Why or why not? Contemplating these types of questions will both tune you back into what you’re doing and why.

Step 2 - Reflect on Past Marketing Efforts

Take a look at the marketing you’ve done so far this year. Has it worked? How do you know? Well you can start by looking at the numbers because they don’t lie. How many qualified prospects did each marketing campaign bring forth? How many clients? What types of marketing strategies and tactics did you enjoy doing the most? Learning from your efforts here will significantly increase your marketing success going forward.

Step 3 - Reevaluate the Remainder of Your Marketing Plan

Now that you have a grip on what marketing worked or didn’t work and why so far this year, take a look at the marketing you have on deck. Does it still seem appropriate? What will your marketing budget support going forward? Can you step up your marketing to play a bigger and better game? The criteria here are quite simple. Do more of what’s working and less of (or eliminate) what’s not.

So in closing, I’d like to leave you with a quote from unfortunately I don’t know who to attribute this variation to. Anyway it goes like this: "Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it". So do yourself a huge favor and take the time to learn from your past marketing efforts. Something tells me you’ll be glad you did.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

marketing articles, Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, small business, marketing strategy, Labor Day

What Could Your Small Business Learn from a 16 Year Old?

I have to say, although I’ve always been a fan of the Olympics, I’ve never quite seen them the way I’m seeing them now. No I’m not talking about some new high-definition television equipment… although that would be nice too… I’m talking about seeing them with new eyes… seeing the athletes in the light of the pure-perfection that they are.

What they do is amazing! Their ability to perform seemingly incredible feats under pressure is quite impressive. However, for me it’s the person they’ve had to be and are currently being in order to position themselves for this level of greatness that just astounds me. It’s hard to believe that some of these Olympic athletes are only 16 years old. So what’s the secret to their success? How is it that a 16 year old can literally become the best in the world at anything? And what can we all stand to learn from them?

Well here are 7 core characteristics that jump out at me:

1. They Have a Dream -- They know exactly what they want… they’ve got their eye on the prize and they pursue it with unwavering determination.

2. They Set Big, Audacious Goals -- They take that vision and chunk it down into milestones that constantly push the limits of what they know to be possible.

3. They Have a Plan -- I heard one announcer say that some of the Chinese athletes have been being groomed since Kindergarten to be where they are today some 11 or 12 years later… talk about having a plan and sticking to it.

4. They Have a Winning Mentality -- In their minds, there’s simply no room for second best. They practice and practice and practice some more until they can perform their routines without blinking. They master the fundamentals knowing they lie at the core of greatness as well as identify, nurture, and capitalize on their unique talents that separate them from everyone else. They are willing to do whatever it takes to win.

5. They Have a Strong Support Structure -- This level of excellence can not be achieved alone. It’s all about team! A supportive family, great coaches, inspiring mentors, generous sponsors, like-minded peers, as well as so many others play a significant role in making it all possible.

6. They Keep Metrics -- Everything is measured to ensure proper progress is happening at all times. There is nothing left to guesswork. This becomes the measuring stick for greatness.

Lastly and most importantly…

7. They Believe in Themselves -- They honestly and wholeheartedly believe that the only limitations they face are the ones they set for themselves. This makes them powerful and unstoppable. It provides that final bit of edge needed to win.

Wow… just imagine if you as a small business owner could harness just a glimmer of all of these characteristics of greatness. How effective and successful would you and your small business be?

So why settle for mediocrity? Why live day-to-day wondering and worrying where your next meal is coming from? Is this stuff easy? No! If it was every small business would perform like an Olympic athlete. However, the lessons for success do lie all around us… even in a 16 year old… we just have to be willing enough to see it, seize it, and care enough about ourselves and those we touch to go for the gold.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Facebook: Gold Mine or Waste of Time?

Social networking is all the rage right now and comes in a multitude of flavors... guaranteed to be something for everyone. There is one however that appears to be on fire right now… and that’s Facebook.

Millions are using it and thousands upon thousands are joining into the craze every day.

So the big question becomes… how about for business… does it make sense to use Facebook as a means to promote your business?

In one word… absolutely! And here are 10 great reasons of why you need to be on Facebook now:

1. Use It to Promote Your Brand
Dunkin Donuts has Facebook users passing out virtual treats from their menu… creating massive top-of-mind and brand awareness. Why not do something similar?

2. Use It to Do Highly Targeted Prospecting
Facebook makes it real easy to both locate and open up conversation with people with specific interests and commonalities.

3. Use It to Connect On a Deeper Level with Your Prospects and Clients
People buy from people, not businesses. Leverage Facebook to become more personable, human, and reachable. Write on your “friends” walls… add some photos of yourself… use Facebook’s “Groups” feature to build your own community within Facebook… the possibilities are endless.

4. Use It to Promote Your Specials and Events
Facebook provides a number of ways to automatically notify your “friends” on Facebook of any time sensitive special or event. For starters try a combination of Facebook’s “Events”, “Status”, and “Wall” features to let others know what you’ve got going on.

5. Use It to Drive Traffic to Your Web Site
Provide some links throughout your personal profile as well as create a page for your business that contains links that drive prospects back to specific areas of your business’s web site.

6. Use It to Improve Your Search Engine Rankings
As far as improving your overall search engine rankings, there is nothing like one-way incoming links from highly popular and trafficked web sites such as Facebook. According to Alexa.com, at the time of this writing, Facebook is ranked as the 8^th most popular site on the web… that means out of all the web sites that exist on the Internet today… and there’s a lot of them… there are only 7 web sites that are more popular than Facebook.

7. Use It to Do Highly Targeted Advertising
Yes this one does cost money however because of the amount of information that Facebook knows about its members, it has the power to pinpoint where your ads are placed... thus giving your ads a greater chance at success than most advertising mediums.

8. Use It to Increase Your Credibility
Position yourself as an expert in your field by sharing some tidbits of wisdom on a regular basis and soon prospects will being seeking you out. Again leveraging features such as “Events” and “Groups” will set you well on your way to accomplishing this.

9. Use It to Obtain Easier, More Direct Access to Mentors
Outside of the Facebook world, what I’ve found is that it has become more and more difficult to reach mentors directly. Typically there is an assistant of some sort playing traffic cop. While in Facebook, at least at the time of this writing, I’ve found it much easier to reach the actual person I wanted to reach. They were actually managing much of the Facebook interaction themselves. Now what you do with that access is up to you.

10. Use It to Aggregate Feeds from Your Other Sources
Whenever I update my blog, a notification gets posted on my “Wall” for all my Facebook friends to see. Whenever I “tweet” using another Social Networking application called Twitter, again my Facebook profile is automatically updated. This stuff is powerful! Talk about working smarter not harder. Facebook, especially with the large assortment of add-in applications, has the capability to integrate some of your key online marketing tactics with your Facebook profile and pages.

So in closing, the name of the game is changing, and that game for right now at least is Facebook. In my opinion, Facebook is the epitome of where the Internet is headed. It provides an environment that fosters community, is experiential, interactive, immediate, unique, and completely addictive. And take it from me… these are all really good things for your business and Facebook.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

3 Tips to Getting Sizzling Referrals Every Time

I don’t know about you but if done right, getting referrals from satisfied customers in my book is the #1 way of connecting with new and qualified prospects… period!

Why? Well think about it… Whose advice would you take about buying something? Someone you may not know trying to sell you something or someone you know, like, and trust who just had an amazing buying experience and feels strongly that you’d be crazy not to purchase as well.

This kind of referral is powerful! And as a matter of fact, it should be a goal of yours to get at least three of these from every customer you serve.

I have to warn you though… these types of referrals don’t come easy. You have to earn them. How? Well here are three tips to help you do just that.

1. Set the Expectation Up Front
Make it a condition of doing business together that if you do what you said you would do and they are thrilled with your work… not just happy… but thrilled with it… that in exchange they will refer you to at least three people that you may be able to serve in this manner as well.

Another possibility could be to provide separate prices for your product or service. The first one is the full price for your product or service. And the second one is a discounted price based on their agreement to provide at least three qualified referrals by project’s end.

Either way it may help you to help them understand that this is how you get your customers and that this approach allows you to keep your marketing costs down… and that savings can get passed onto them.

2. Always Under-promise and Over-deliver
Yes, you may have heard this one before, however since I run into small businesses all the time not adhering to it I felt it should be addressed.

You want the referrals… you’ve got to blow your customers away. Don’t make the mistake that many inexperienced salespeople make of giving up the farm in initial negotiations just to get the deal. Make sure you hold some gold back that you can unexpectedly throw them as a bonus. Here are a few ideas for this:

• Refund them the difference if you were able to save them a few dollars on any product purchases you made on their behalf. For example, “Hey I was able to negotiate a better price for you on the widgets we will be using on this project, so here’s a refund check for the difference… enjoy”… How cool would that be!
• Throw in some training to help them use the solution you delivered more effectively.
• Or how about making a follow-up phone call a week or so after the transaction is complete to ensure they are still thrilled with the purchase.

3. Hold Them Accountable
Hey if you did what you said you would do and more, then it’s their turn to do what they said they would… refer you some business. Now do yourself a favor here and don’t let them off the hook so easily… work with them to collect your referrals. If they’re unwilling to refer, find out why. Maybe they’re not as happy with you as you thought. You can’t fix it if you don’t know what it is.

For projects that are more than just a simple one-time transaction, it may make sense to prod them periodically along the way to ensure they focus on not only referring you, but referring you perfect prospects.

So in closing, remember if you don’t ask, you don’t get. So ask because it simply is the easiest and most lucrative way to grow your business.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

For A Small Business, Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

In light of that independent, entrepreneurial, American spirit that the 4th of July seems to spur up in all of us, here’s a great quote from Brooks Atkinson:

"This nation was built by men who took risks - pioneers who were not afraid of the wilderness, business men who were not afraid of failure, scientists who were not afraid of the truth, thinkers who were not afraid of progress, dreamers who were not afraid of action."

Now that’s powerful stuff!

Or… How about these?

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." –Robert F. Kennedy

"If you don't risk anything, you risk even more." –Erica Jong

And… these?

"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take." –Wayne Gretzky

"Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." –Frederick B. Wilcox

So what are we talking about here? We’re talking about RISK! We’re talking about your willingness to do whatever it takes to get what you want.

Know this… Your tolerance for risk is in direct proportion to the amount of success you achieve. If you’re not achieving the results you want in your business, my guess is you’re not risking enough. For example:

• Spending money you may or may not have to get some help marketing your business.
• Investing the time needed to learn and leverage a new marketing strategy or tactic.
• Doing a bit of introspection or self-examination to learn more about you, what you want, or what may be holding you back.

And we can go on and on and on here however, let me ask you… Do you truly believe that what you offer can add value to someone else’s life? If not, you may want to rethink what you’re doing. But if so, what are you waiting for? I highly suggest that you try on an approach of doing whatever it takes to get your message out to your target market… anything less is just you being plain stingy. I encourage you to be unstoppable… moving all excuses to the side… step out of your comfort zone and tap into your creativity to choose the best risks to take to consistently and effectively market your business.

These are the kinds of risks that can snap you out of the doldrums small businesses often experience. Heck, in my opinion, I’m willing to bet that the failure rate of small businesses would decrease significantly in proportion to the increase in educated risk that they took.

So in closing, I’ll leave you with a question to think about and I highly recommend that you spend a few minutes with this one as your success does depend on it…. Here goes: What risk will you take today, different from yesterday that can possibly move you at least one step closer to where you want to be with your business?

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

7 Tips to Become a “Rock Star” in Your Own Backyard without Breaking the Bank on Advertising

Let’s clear the air here. Advertising is not evil. In many cases it’s not even expensive… that is of course so long as it’s done right. However one thing I’ve learned by working with small businesses like you over the years is that you typically don’t have unlimited marketing budgets. Therefore wherever you spend your hard-earned marketing money must provide a sufficient return on investment (ROI). That being said, here are 7 tips that if leveraged properly, can save you a fortune in marketing dollars while still allowing you to become a “rock star” in your own backyard:

1. Be In the Know and Get Involved
Know what’s going on and rub elbows regularly with the who’s who of your local area. I’m a firm believer that wherever you choose to play... play hard.

2. Be a Connector
Now that you’re tuned into the local people, businesses, and events, always look for ways to connect them in ways that add value... people to people… people to businesses… businesses to people… people to events… and businesses to events. Trust me; your thoughtfulness will go a long way.

3. Educate, Educate, Educate
If you like to speak… regularly conduct local seminars and teleseminars. If you like to write… publish a blog or a newsletter. The key idea here is that regardless of the marketing medium you choose for delivery, position yourself as the local authority on your subject matter.

4. Become a Local Media Darling
Get to know, and regularly find ways to contribute to your local media. This goes for both online sources such as local web sites and Internet radio as well as offline sources such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and more. Remember, it’s one thing if you tell me you’re great. Maybe I’ll believe you, maybe I won’t. It’s quite another if an unbiased and respected third party such as the local media tells me your great.

5. Local Search Engine Optimization & Submissions
One of the first places people look… yes, even locally… for a business that provides what you do is online. They simply conduct a search in one of the many search engines like Google or Yahoo. Many of these search engines realizing the vast amount of local searches going on, as well as the potential revenue stream it brings, now offer local search engine counterparts (e.g. Google Local and Yahoo Local). In most cases this is a separate submittal process from the main search engine. Get listed in both!

6. Have a Content-rich and Useful Web Site
Face it, online color brochures just don’t cut it any longer. To be considered a viable solution for most consumers, you have to go the extra mile and provide them with clear-cut incentives to pay attention to and ultimately buy from you. Fortunately for small businesses, the Internet makes this very possible for a very reasonable cost. Think of your web site as an extension of your office or storefront… dress it up and nurture it the same way you would your physical space. Leverage it to magnetically attract your local target market by regularly providing resources to make their lives better.

7. Share the Wealth
Give back to the community… period! Regardless of how you give of yourself, at the end of the day, find ways to leave your community a little better than when you got there.

So in closing, just think about it for a minute… with gas prices continuing to rise… the costs of many products and services we use every day are as a result going up as well. We’ve got companies adding fuel surcharges to your tab now… costs of travel have skyrocketed… and quite honestly there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight… we’ll get there, it’s just going to take some extreme creativity and some time. In the meantime, as a small business it’s even more reason to step up your game locally. Customers are already incentivized by these rising costs to look for better deals. If they can save money by grouping together trips to several local businesses as opposed to spending the money traveling afar to get what they want, there’s a good chance they’ll look to fill their needs locally first. Be ready for this trend! Take immediate action on any or all of the 7 tips shared here to position yourself for success as the “rock star” in your backyard.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

10 Ways to "WOW" Your Clients Every Time

By Dean Mercado

Early on in my career I was fortunate to have come across a concept that has served me well in both my professional as well as my personal life. That concept was one I picked up from business visionary and author Tom Peters. It was about delivering "WOW" results… every time.

And in today’s fiercely competitive global economy, now more than ever, it’s critical to "WOW" your clients. Because I can assure you that if you don’t, someone else will!

So here are 10 ways to "WOW" your clients every time:

1. Refund the Difference
Got a better deal than you expected from your vendors for a particular product or service you quoted to your client? Refund them the difference.

2. Throw in Some Training
Teach your clients how to get the most value out of your products and services by offering some complimentary training.

3. Recommend Experts to Solve Other Problems
Have you become aware of other challenges or desires outside of your expertise that your client wants to solve? Refer other experts that can solve or satisfy them.

4. Follow-up to Ensure Satisfaction
You’ve made the sale… delivered the goods… now what? Whatever you do, don’t cut and run. I’m not saying overstay your welcome. What I’m saying is simply to touch base every so often to ensure they are still satisfied with what they purchased from you.

5. Refer Business to Them
We all want more and/ or better clients don’t we? Well the highest compliment we can pay our clients is to drive business their way. So if you trust that your client can deliver the goods, refer them.

6. Provide Detailed Documentation of Your Solution
Want to build your clients loyalty and trust in you? Then take the time to document what you did for them and why. For example, if you installed new computer network equipment, provide your client with a copy of the new network diagram as well as a copy of the configuration files of the equipment you installed; just in case someone else has to step in and pick up where you left off.

7. Invest Your Time in Really Getting To Know Them before You Sell Them Something
Simply put… the better you know your clients, the more they trust you. The more they trust you… the more they buy. A nice psychology side-effect of this is that when clients know, like, and trust you, they tend to be happier with what you sold them.

8. If the Shoe Doesn’t Fit, Don’t Sell It to Them In The First Place
Talking your client out of making a purchase from you is not typically natural to many of us. However your client will love you in the end for preventing them from making a mistake they may have regretted. The better solution… help them buy something more appropriate for them… and yes, that also means selling them a less expensive item if it’s a better fit for them.

9. Share Random Acts of Kindness
Every so often send them something of value… no strings attached! For example a complimentary special report, an article that you feel may interest them, free samples, etc.

10. Make Them Feel Special
Most everyone deep down has an innate desire to feel wanted, to feel needed, to feel special. Don’t wait for something life changing to make them feel special… it’s the little things that count most. For example, always greet them with a genuine smile, a firm handshake, and eye contact so captivating that they feel as if they are the only person in the room with you. Another example, send them a handwritten birthday card; Most of us never get too old for that.

So in closing, the key in implementing these is to under promise and over deliver. In other words, if possible refrain from promising these as part of the original deal. Instead, deliver any one, or combination of these, when your client isn’t expecting it and you’ll be well on your way to delivering a "WOW" experience for them. And just know that "WOW" experiences tend to get you more testimonials. WOW experiences tend to get you more referrals. And "WOW" experiences tend to get you more sales.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

7 Team Members Any Successful Entrepreneur Cannot Live Without

Being mentored by quite a few great business minds over the years, there was one concept that they all seemed to go on and on about over and over again with me – and that was the concept and power of “TEAM”.

For several years, I have to admit, I just didn’t get it. I thought I was being smart and properly frugal… seemingly saving thousands of dollars in hard-earned cash by doing it all myself.

Sound familiar at all?

Starting out as many entrepreneurs do with a Lone Ranger mentality, I was constantly pulling myself up by my bootstraps… in an endless struggle to make ends meet... always wondering what’s going on here. I’m smart… I’m talented… I’m a good person… so why the struggle? This shouldn’t be this difficult. What’s the problem?

Well in my case… and I know I’m not alone here… I was the problem! I was unknowingly standing in my own way to success. I had been essentially keeping my business in its infancy stage by holding onto behaviors that no longer served me. Just like a child who wants to do it themselves or, the stingy child who holds their toys close and doesn’t want to share.

Sound familiar at all?

Now there are some powerful child-like behaviors that bode really well in business. Take imagination for instance. Just imagine what’s possible for your business if you properly employ the concept of TEAM. Now there are so many possibilities for team members that can help move you closer to your vision for your business, however these 7 seem to be a staple amongst many of the successful entrepreneurs I know:

1. A Virtual Assistant to handle a variety of tasks that simply are not the best use of your time any longer. These tasks can range anywhere from doing research for you to sending out your newsletter each week.

2. A Business Coach to lend overall business guidance and a non-biased, unemotional opinion. It is best if this team member is someone who has been where you want to be with your business.

3. A Marketing Expert to help put together and potentially execute an overall marketing strategy for your business. It is best if this team member has an understanding of your industry as well as has an arsenal of marketing knowledge to provide you with an array of marketing strategies to choose from.

4. A Webmaster to help you professionally take your business’ vision online. No, your 12 year old nephew won’t suffice here… that is of course if you’d like to stay in business for long. So take care to choose a Webmaster who can effectively create and maintain your online presence.

5. A Bookkeeper to keep your financial house in order. They will crunch your numbers, organize your paperwork needed to do your taxes, and produce reports for you to use in decision making.

6. An Accountant to pick up where your bookkeeper leaves off. This team member should provide more specific guidance on how to keep more of and maximize your hard-earned dollars as well as handling your taxes for you.

7. A Lawyer to help you protect your interests as your business grows. I know it’s sad, but protecting ourselves is a necessary evil.

So in closing, I hate to be the one to break it to you but business is a team sport. Go it alone at your own peril! It’s just not smart to think that it’s best to do it yourself… I don’t care what your financial situation is. If there is someone you can add to your team that can do it better, faster, or cheaper than you, do yourself a huge favor and please consider them. That is of course so long as you use that time you’ve saved by hiring them to do something revenue generating.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

How to Determine Where to Network Yourself and Your Business

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” -- Jim Rohn

As the author of an information product on networking aptly titled “Pumped Up Networking”, I’m often asked a question that goes something like this… How do I decide where to network and which networking groups should I join?

I hate to do this to you however I can only answer that question with another question. What do you want to accomplish by networking?

Don’t worry… I won’t totally leave you hanging here. In lieu of waiting for a response from you, first let me start you off with some of the basics to consider.

• Your budget… Networking events and memberships can get expensive so determine how much of your marketing budget you can afford to invest on it.
• Your time… Networking can become very time consuming as it takes time to establish and nurture fruitful relationships so determine how much of your time each month you can afford to invest here.
• Your comfort zone… Networking can be intimidating and quite frankly a waste of money and time if you are not ready to network in certain situations or circles. Yes, the coach in me will always try to get you to stretch your comfort zone a bit however, going from zero to sixty in six seconds flat is typically not the wisest choice to stretch you and position you for success. Patience is a virtue here.
• Your gut… Learn to trust it. Does a particular networking event or group feel good to you? Do you like the other attendees or members? Is there good chemistry amongst the group? This is critical because if you’re not excited about where you’re networking or who you will be networking with, your heart won’t be in it. And if your hearts not in it, fruitful relationships won’t happen.
• The logistics… Times, dates, and locations are critical; wherever you choose to network must make sense from a logistical standpoint.

With the basics now factored in, let me present you with a few of the more common reasons for networking and where you can look to network to meet that need… hopefully one of these fits your scenario.

• If it’s to acquire new prospect to sell to… if possible, your best bet is to network directly where your target market hangs out, wherever that may be. Some possibilities may include events for charity or awards dinners if you’re marketing to the affluent; or Chambers of Commerce if you’re marketing to small businesses. If getting in front of your target market presents a challenge for you, you can approach it indirectly by networking with others who can ultimately connect you with your target market. For example, participate in lead exchange groups such as BNI, LeTip, or smaller but effective local groups such as in my neck of the woods, the LI Rainmakers.
• If it’s to establish your presence locally in your community or as I call it, become a ‘rock star’ in your own backyard, then maybe try your local Chamber of Commerce, Civic Association, or maybe even your local Church.
• If it’s to connect with your peers in your industry… maybe attend industry specific seminars and trade shows; or join a trade organization related to your specialty or industry (e.g. if you’re a professional speaker maybe try the National Speakers Association or if you’re a Chiropractor consider joining The American Chiropractic Association (ACA)).

So in closing, I have to say that I’m a firm believer that a person’s success can be determined by their ability to network effectively. And yes Jim Rohn is right... You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with… so choose your networking wisely.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Marketing Conversion Strategy Series: A Common Sense Approach to Turning Prospects into Paying Customers

By Dean Mercado

"I have learned to imagine an invisible sign around each person's neck that says, 'Make me feel important!'" -- Mary Kay Ash (1918-2001) American businessperson, founder of Mary Kay Inc.

It’s one thing to attract an abundance of leads or prospects to your business, it’s quite another to be able to convert those prospects into paying customers. It takes some trial and error… it takes patience… it takes persistence… it takes practice… lots of it to really get good at it.

Fortunately for us, many of the core skills required for successful conversions can be classified as what some may deem as common sense. One such core skill is nurturing. Nurture your vegetable garden and it will grow. Nurture your children and they will flourish. Nurture your target market and they will buy. Your ability to nurture effectively starts with your clarity in understanding exactly what it is your target market both wants and needs to not only survive but thrive. One such want that we’ll discuss in this conversation is to feel important… to feel needed… to feel wanted… to feel special… to feel that they matter.

So let me ask you a point blank question. Does your marketing make your target market feel important? Try asking some of your existing customers whether or not your marketing had this effect on them. You just may be surprised with what you hear.

So how exactly do you go about making your target market feel important? Well here are three steps to doing just that:

First… in order to do this, you must clearly understand who you target market really is. Who are you really serving? Continue to drill down on the specifics of who your target market really is until you get a very clear picture in your head of someone who best represents the perfect customer… your perfect customer. This is who you target.

Second… you must know a bit about what makes them tick… study them… get to know them… hang around them… what’s important to them? What are their emotional triggers that you can pull to get them to buy? This will give you the ammunition you need to be able to connect with your target market on a deeper more genuine level.

Third… consistently communicate your clear understanding of what’s important to them in your marketing messages; Showing them that you’ve taken the time to really understand what’s important to them will go a long way. In their eyes, this puts you in a different class than much of the competition vying for their attention. And it’s that respect that will make them pay attention to YOU.

So in closing, understand your target market and pay them proper attention and they will respond. Don’t be afraid to show signs of kindness, compassion, and empathy as they will help fill that void in your target market to feel important. You know why? You know why you should do this? Because they deserve it! Don’t we all? We all deserve to feel important because we are! Practice that and I guarantee you will see results!

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Marketing

Hear ye hear ye… The recession is coming, the recession is coming. Well let me ask you, is a recession coming? Is a recession really coming? How do you know? I tell you what, if you believe it’s coming for you, you’re right, it is coming for you. Alternatively, if you believe it’s not coming for you, you’re right again, it’s not. How could that be? Well I firmly believe that your beliefs, one way or the other, act as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your beliefs will guide your thoughts; which in turn will dictate your actions; which ultimately will shape your reality.

Now as a marketing guy I love the media however I have to caution you, be wary of them perpetuating your fears with the belief in a recession because where attention goes, energy flows. The more people that listen and buy into this fear, the more likely it is to become reality – at least for some. And for the media, doom and gloom gets ratings and sells papers so why wouldn’t they perpetuate it.

Now I’m not saying be uniformed or ignorant, or that the media is evil or something. Just be careful what you feed your mind. Keep looking for a recession, and you’ll find it.

In my opinion there is a right way and a wrong way to circumvent or if needed, navigate through a possible recession.

First, the wrong way... The word starts spreading of a recession looming in the near future. Panic starts to spread like wildfire with the majority of small businesses tightening their belts in anticipation of the tough times to come – for the most part, they will unjustifiably go from business building mode to survival mode. And one of the first things they’ll do is cut spending. Now unfortunately for most small businesses the first line item they seem to cut is the one that provides their sustenance and momentum – the marketing. As a result, the pipeline of prospects quickly starts to dry up and their fear of a recession becomes a reality – for them at least anyway.

Now the right way… The word starts spreading of a recession looming in the near future. Panic starts to spread like wildfire with the majority of your competition cutting their marketing efforts to try and save money. In turn realizing it or not, they’ve just cleared a path for you. They’ve uncluttered the airwaves making it easier for you to stand out from the pack and get noticed by, you guessed it… your target market. So while your competition’s sales pipeline quickly dries up, yours explodes with an abundance of new prospects. Hey, your target market will listen to whoever is doing the talking. And if you’re not doing the talking, someone else will… and that someone will most likely be one of your competitors.

So in closing, trust that opportunity and abundance surrounds all of us all of the time… even amidst the possibility of a looming recession. Let your competition bow to fear. Be bold… be unstoppable… don’t let anyone or anything other than you dictate your reality.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing, recession, small business, competition

"Dare to be Different" Series – 3 Tips to Pump Up Your Intro at Networking Events

So I just came from a networking event at a local Chamber of Commerce and as is customary in many types of events like these is at the onset, we went around the room and gave everyone an opportunity to introduce themselves to the group.

The first person, while remaining seated, with a low-key voice, starts off the introductions with “Hi, I’m John… an accountant”... that’s it! The next person obviously following the poor example of the first person says, “Hi, I’m Beth and I work for XYZ Bank”… again that’s it! The 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 9^th, 10^th, 11^th person introduces themselves and all I could hear, that is of course if I could hear them at all from across the room, was “Hi I’m blah, blah, blah, and I work for blah, blah, blah”… nothing interesting… nothing memorable… no one giving anyone any reason to make a bee-line across the room to connect with them.

At this point I’m cringing with disgust at their own lack of enthusiasm and confidence in who they are and what they bring to the table… while at the same time, selfishly elated with the potential of all these prospects that could definitely benefit from purchasing my “Pumped Up Networking” information product.

So finally a star arises at around number 15. This guy took the time to eloquently state who he was, what he did, who he did it for, and a small bit on why everyone in his target market would be crazy to do business with anyone but him.

Then unfortunately the 16^th, 17^th, 25^th, 26^th all went back to the original boring formula. Then boom… finally another rising star! Long story short, not including me, there were a measly 3 out of maybe 50 people who at least did a half-way decent job of creating interest in them for the group. This was not good! Hence my inspiration for what follows in this article… 3 tips to pump up the delivery of your introduction at networking events.

#1 – Be Seen
Stand up and look the part… This is not the time to be lazy! Be dressed for success and get off your tail and make yourself visible to everyone in the room! Additionally, unless it’s absolutely unavoidable, try not to speak with your back to anyone… that’s just plain rude. Speak to everyone, making eye contact with others in the group... not just the event facilitator at the head of the table or front of the room.

#2 – Be Heard
Speak up and speak clearly… This isn’t the time to be shy! If it helps, look at the body language of the people furthest from you. If they look like they’re struggling to hear you, step up the volume. If you’re unsure on how you project, arrange in advance for a networking buddy to stand on the opposite side of the room during introductions to flag you if they can’t hear you properly.

#3 – Be Magnetic
Sound off… This isn’t the time to be humble! Be thorough, yet concise as you choose your words wisely. Do like our rising star (#15) did when he took the time to eloquently state who he was, what he did, who he did it for, and a small bit on why everyone in his target market would be crazy to do business with anyone but him.

Inject your personality. If you’re a funny guy, use humor. If not, don’t. I firmly believe that people are most magnetic when they’re being themselves. This exudes a natural charisma, confidence and poise that are hard to fake.

Now there are literally a ton of other tips we could add here however, those will have to wait for another time… for our purposes here, this is plenty to get you started.

So in closing remember, people do business with people they know, like, and trust… all the more reason to make positive and memorable impressions whenever possible. I mean isn’t this why we attend networking events in the first place, to connect with others in hopes of improving our situation in some way. So why not make the most of it by giving yourself the best chance to succeed with you networking efforts. And yes, first impressions at a networking event mean a lot so never, and I mean never ever, blow a golden opportunity to effectively introduce yourself.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, networking, chamber of commerce

Social Networking: 10 Keys to Increase Your Networking Success Online (Part II)

In Part I of this two-part article series, I shared five keys to increase your networking success online using Social Networking. To quickly summarize, they were:

1. Personalize Your Invitations to Connect
2. You’ve Got to Give In Order to Get
3. Think Quality, Not Quantity
4. Be Authentic
5. Open the Door and Let Them In

Now there are tons of additional keys that we could talk about, however here are five more great ones that if you apply them diligently, only good things will happen.

6. Know Your “Why”
There’s that dreaded question again... you know… the one you know you need to ask yourself but you often hate to… what’s your “why”… What’s your “why” or your reason for social networking in the first place? And what results are you seeking for your efforts? Knowing your “why” is not only critical for your success in Social Networking, but for any marketing activity you engage in.

7. Wherever You Choose To Play, Play Hard
As much as you may like to, you just can’t market yourself effectively on every Social Networking site out there… there are just too many them. I’m not saying not to have a profile in a bunch of them… I’m all for free marketing. What I am saying is choose a select few to play hard in. These should be the ones that strategically give you the best chance at connecting with your target market. Go deeper than just creating a profile. Use these to connect with others regularly and build strong relationships… the kind of relationships that may eventually bear fruit.

8. The Power Is In the Follow Up
Just like in the offline world, it’s not enough to meet someone once, exchange business cards, and do nothing. If your objective was to do nothing, why waste your time, and theirs, in the first place… time is money. Have a plan for follow-up! Know “who” you’re going to follow-up with… by “when”. And know “how” you’re going to follow-up with them… and “why”. As you mine your contacts deeper by continually following-up, the real gold starts to surface. Remember it’s not only who they are that counts, but who they know as well. And people generally are more likely to introduce you to their network once they know, like, and trust you… so continue nurturing those relationships and watch new doorways open!

9. Be a Connector
Want to improve the quality of both your current and future contacts? Then make it a primary objective to continually find ways to add value to them. The Law of Attraction tends to kick in here as like attracts like. The more value you give, the more value you get as others tend to flock to and mirror those they respect and appreciate. The best way to add value to relationships, help others get what they want. Regardless of what it is they want, just about anything is possible through relationships. So who do you know that may add value to someone else you know? Connect them and they’ll both be grateful that you were thinking of them. And because of the “Law of Reciprocity”… as author Robert Cialdini shares in his great book “Influence”… those now happy contacts quite possibly will feel a sense of obligation to reciprocate and help you back.

10. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For What You Want
It’s this simple… you don’t ask… you don’t get. In my observations, people are generally very willing to help others… they’re just not sure how they can… so tell them how… give them a little nudging. Be willing to ask for help and get others in the habit of helping you. No one should be above asking for help once in a while. Just don’t become a “taker”… you know… someone who’s apparently only concerned with their own well-being.

So in closing, Social Networking can be a tremendously valuable marketing strategy for both you and your business. I highly recommend that if you haven’t already, make the effort to test the waters a bit and see whether or not it makes sense for you. But remember, you’re likely to get out of it what you put into it, so if you’re going to play here, play hard. In order to really benefit from Social Networking or any type of networking activity for that matter, continually work at establishing mutually meaningful and lucrative relationships.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: articles, Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, social networking, networking

Social Networking: 10 Keys to Increase Your Networking Success Online (Part I)

Social Networking is all the rage! Web sites like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ryze, and more are popping up every day and working their way not only into our personal lives, but our professional lives as well. As a business professional, Social Networking can be your biggest boon… leading to new connections you may have not been able to make any other way – without great difficulty that is; Or, it can be your biggest bane… enticing you to continuously waste your most precious commodity, your time. The choice is yours. Social Networking can become whatever you want it to become for both you and your business. Now anticipating that you want value for your efforts, in this 2-part series, I’m going to share with you 10 keys that can help make your online Social Networking efforts a success.

1. Personalize Your Invitations to Connect
Just because you can hide behind your computer doesn’t give you an excuse to be lazy. Give people a reason to want to connect and network with you. Don’t send dry and impersonal invites to connect … ever! I don’t care who you’re looking to connect with. In my opinion, because of its already built-in cold nature, social networking requires even more personality and vitality injected into it, than traditional offline networking.

2. You’ve Got to Give In Order to Get
Nobody likes to hang out around the proverbial “taker”. You know… the type of person you don’t pick up the phone for when they call… thank you Caller ID! So to make sure you don’t end up like our friend “taker”, always be on the lookout for, as Dr. Stephen Covey says in his much heralded book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, opportunities to make deposits into the personal bank accounts of others.

3. Think Quality, Not Quantity
Social Networking shouldn’t be a popularity contest to see who has the most connections. You’re better off having fewer mutually lucrative and beneficial relationships than having tons of connections that bear no fruit.

4. Be Authentic
Nobody likes a liar… a cheater … a fake… a phony… or whatever you call someone who presents themselves as something they’re not. Be true to yourself and others and your natural magnetism will shine through. And it’s that magnetism that brings stronger more genuine connections that can really bring results. Yes we can all improve our game a bit here or there but, trust that you’ll bring more to the table when you’re being yourself.

5. Open the Door and Let Them In
The more you’re willing to share about yourself, the more parallels others can draw between you. These parallels can serve as a great stimulus for conversations to begin. Having things in common certainly helps break down comfort-level barriers. People tend to be more willing to connect and engage in conversations with others who share similar backgrounds, experiences, tastes, hobbies, et cetera. So be willing to share a bit about you. Just be careful not to share anything you wouldn’t want everyone in the world to know because once it’s posted online, it’s available to all to see.

So in closing, remember that these keys only work if you diligently and consistently apply them. And I firmly believe that much like the offline world, strong relationships lie at the core of any and all business success.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, social networking, networking, web sites, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ryze

3 Simple Steps to Create the Business of Your Dreams – A Business that’s On Purpose

Imagine for a moment that at this same time next year, you have accomplished everything you’ve ever wanted… and more… for both yourself, and for your business.

Is that possible? Why of course! In order to accomplish that though, there are three very important components that you’ll need to put into practice:

First, be crystal clear on what it is you want.

As crazy as this may seem, in my many years of experience as a marketing coach and consultant, this is the number one breakdown I see entrepreneurs and small business owners make time and time again. They simply don’t know what they want! And believe me, it’s very difficult to get what you want if you don’t know what it is.

Essentially they’re like a dingy floating aimlessly in the ocean… instead of rowing towards a specific destination… a destination they choose… they let the tide push them around at will… all the while hoping the tide will push them somewhere good… not really knowing where that somewhere good is until they get there… and the sad truth is, is that since they’ve not chosen their destination, there’s a strong chance that they will never get what they want.

I don’t know about you, but that scenario scares me a bit. It scares me enough to dedicate ample time on a regular basis to get crystal clear on what it is I want. And the interesting part about this is that what we want, will and does change in one way, shape, or form over time… and that’s okay… that’s a good thing. There’s nothing worse than blindly continuing on a path to something we once wanted, only to find out that when we’ve gotten it, it wasn’t what we wanted any longer… as a matter of fact, we’ve wanted something different for quite a while… we’ve just negligently avoided revisiting our desires. Implementing regular checkpoints along the way should prevent this from happening.

Second, put a solid plan in place to achieve it.

I don’t care if you only take 5 minutes and jot it down on the back of a napkin… I’m a firm believer that every business needs a plan... for me, that’s both a business plan and a marketing plan. The business plan at a minimum should dictate the “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, and “why” your business exists and your marketing plan should spell out the “how” you will get it done. The marketing plan must directly support and tie into your business plan… there’s no place for autonomy here.

As far as I’m concerned, a plan is not a plan unless it’s written down… just having it in your head doesn’t work effectively... I’m sorry to break it to you. Additionally, it’s not a viable plan unless it is shared with and supported by your team. Just like sports, business simply happens better with a team approach. Accountants, Coaches, shipping companies, your staff… these are all members of your team… get them involved... give them a chance to help you further your cause.

Third, diligently work your plan.

It’s not enough to create a plan and then file it away somewhere to collect dust. You need to diligently work that plan… making adjustments as needed along the way… all the while keeping your eye on the prize… that is, what it is you want.

So in closing, please know that there are no shortcuts here… you need all three of these components to purposely manifest what you want for your small business. If you’re unclear on how to approach these three steps, don’t be shy, get some help… bring in a coach or a consultant to help you make it happen. Bottom line is don’t be a victim of circumstance… create your business on purpose!

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' (www.MotivationalMarketer.com). Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' (www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com/marketingminute), -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing, marketing plan, marketing coach, marketing consultant, business plan, small business

What Are You Grateful For Today?

By Dean Mercado

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." – John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) 35th president of the United States

I always treat Thanksgiving Day here in America as a day to reflect. A day to reflect on everything in my life, both personally and professionally… No matter how big or small that I am grateful for. I count my blessings for not only the more obvious things such as gaining a new client, but the things I typically take for granted such as simply being alive.

As a matter of fact, I’ve found that since I began using the power of gratitude and made it a daily habit, I began attracting a better quality of everything into my life. I’ve become more magnetic to the things I desire. I’ve gained more clarity and focus on what’s really important to me. My life has become more purposeful and enjoyable!

My wish is that everyone, and that includes you, would be able to experience the pure bliss that I’m experiencing right now… today.

So how can you get started on this journey? Here’s a quick little exercise for you… grab a pen and paper, go to a quiet place, spend a few minutes and jot down at least 10 things that you are grateful for today… right now. Consider people, places, and things from both your personal and professional life. Also jot down why you’re grateful for them. This will certainly bring forth a renewed appreciation… at least it always does for me when I do this exercise.

Want more love in your life? Be truly grateful for the love that shows up in your life now regardless of the source and I firmly believe that you will attract more love.

Want more clients for your business? Be truly grateful for the clients you have now and clearly understand why you’re grateful for them and I firmly believe that you will attract more and better clients.

Want to earn more money? Be truly grateful for the money you’re receiving now… treat it with the respect it deserves and spend it wisely and I firmly believe that you will attract more of it into your life.

The key here is to not be attached to how you believe that something’s supposed to show up for you or any specific result. Just have faith and trust that what you focus on expands. A little patience here also helps.

So in closing please remember that “practice makes perfect”. In other words, having an “attitude of gratitude”, everyday, is the surest way to attract more of the things you want in your life, into your life. And also remember that the thrill is in the journey not the destination, so take the wheel and enjoy the ride!

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' (www.MotivationalMarketer.com). Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' (www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com/marketingminute), -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, gratitude, grateful, Thanksgiving

Case Study: Where Was My Contingency Plan For This One?

By Dean Mercado

Last week I experienced an unexpected yet fantastic event. One that as a small business owner would change my way of going about conducting my business forever… One that as a small business owner could potentially devastate my business… That is of course if I allowed it to by not planning for it well enough.

The event I’m speaking of was the birth of my daughter – the contingency was that she was born 2 months early… 2 months early with no advanced notice. Although personally and professionally I was prepared for and extremely excited about her coming, being a first-time Dad, there were some unknowns… unknowns that I did not foresee.

Unknowns such as:

• The emotional wear and tear on my wife and I of having to leave our daughter behind at the hospital’s Neonatal ICU for an unknown length of time. This level of personal strain most likely would seep into anyone’s professional life.
• Or, the time needed to run back and forth to the hospital every day, sometimes several times a day to be with our daughter for hours at a clip. For me, this has definitely presented several challenges including time management, scheduling, availability, client satisfaction and others as well.

And I can go on and on and on here. My point is not to sound like I’m whining or looking for sympathy or something like that but, to share some of my experience in order to help you better plan for unforeseen contingencies.

Now don’t get me wrong here, I don’t mean to speak coldly about something so glorious as the birth of my child, or the birth of any child for that matter. It’s just that contingencies such as this one do present challenges for the small business owner and need to be thought through both objectively and thoroughly and planned for carefully to minimize any potential negative impact on your business.

It’s important to note that contingencies for the small business owner come in all shapes and sizes: There are personal-related contingencies like I’ve shared with you here; there are business-related contingencies such as too many orders coming in an once – so many that you are not equipped to handle them all; and there are natural contingencies such as inclement weather that causes flooding or power outages.

So in closing, the bottom line is there will always be contingencies. And your ability to objectively think through and carefully plan for the various possibilities they may present your business will determine the depth of their negative impact on you. So do yourself and your business a major favor and don’t wait until you’re in the middle of a contingency to begin preparing for it as decisions made under duress typically are expensive ones and can hurt you. A little contingency planning goes a long way.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' (www.MotivationalMarketer.com). Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' (www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com/marketingminute), -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, contingency plan, contingency planning, contingencies, small business

A 4-Phase Approach for Ongoing Web Site Success

If I could help the business world understand just one thing about Internet Marketing and more specifically web sites, it would be that web sites have to be continuously nurtured in order to continually thrive on the Internet.

Your web site is not a set it and forget it type of thing. Well, I guess it could be, however it probably wouldn’t serve you very well for long -- if at all.

Now regardless of the type of web site you have, once it’s live, to ensure it’s continual value to both you and your target market, I highly recommend that you put it on a steady diet of what I call the “Web Site Success Cycle”.

Here’s how it works. In a nutshell the “Web Site Success Cycle” consists of 4-phases, “Drive”, “Convert”, “Analyze”, and “Tweak”. And essentially they get performed in a continuous loop throughout the entire life of your web site. Let’s take a look at each phase.

Phase 1: Drive

Regardless of how much money or effort you put into your web site, no traffic equals no value… for anybody. I mean how valuable can your web site be if no one sees it? And since the whole point of having a web site in the first place should be in one way, shape, or form to create value for both you and your target market, it’s critical that you leverage whatever marketing strategies and tactics that are at your disposal to drive traffic there.

Phase 2: Convert

So now you have all this traffic coming to your web site… now what? Well you need a conversion strategy that leads those visitors down the path you want them to take -- whatever that path may be.

For example, I recommend your conversion strategy at a minimum addresses first, turning each visitor into a qualified prospect… second, turning each prospect into a paying customer... and then third, turning each customer into a raving fan.

Phase 3: Analyze

As with any other of your marketing materials and campaigns, if your web site’s not pulling its weight so to speak, change it -- Time is money here. How do you know whether or not it’s pulling its weight? Well it all starts with having clear objectives of what you want your web site to do for you; Then establishing metrics that you can regularly analyze to determine if your objectives are being met.

Phase 4: Tweak

Based on your findings in the previous phase, this phase is all about making the changes necessary to meet or exceed your objectives for your web site. Whether those changes are ones to your web site or what you do in any of the other phases, it’s all about improving your bottom line.

You always want to ask yourself here, what else can I do to take my web site to the next level?

So that’s the 4-phases in a nutshell. And in closing I’d like to leave you with this last little tidbit of advice if I may… the better you work the “Web Site Success Cycle”, the better your bottom line!

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, internet marketing, web sites

Marketing Case Study: "So Sarah, What Do You Do?"

Recently I was at a business networking event and as I usually do, I was going about my business and working my plan of what I wanted to accomplish while there. For me, my goal was to connect with at least 10 prospects for my coaching program. And then it happened… again.

We make eye contact and I walk over to introduce myself. Hi I’m Dean Mercado a marketing coach with Online Marketing Muscle… blah, blah, blah.

She goes ahead and tells me her name… and for our purposes here I’ll just call her Sarah. A bit a small talk ensues. And then we get to the often asked and much dreaded question, “So Sarah, what do you do?”

Sarah’s face begins to turn red as I can see the nervousness start to come on. Then she broke out into this whole what seemed like a dissertation that spoke of everything except answer my question... Sarah, what do you do?

As she trudged on and on about what she does... the hole she was digging kept getting deeper and deeper... it was clear that she wasn’t sure what she did or wanted to do as her business. And in her unsureness, she made it very difficult for me to understand what she did. So instead of cutting and running, which is probably what most people would have done, I decided to play along and began asking some probing and clarifying questions.

As her long-winded answers finally started to take form, not only was Sarah involved in businesses in two totally unrelated fields, but she couldn’t clearly communicate to me what she did in either of them, or why I should care.

So being a marketing coach, like a reflex, my “coaching hat” turned on and I gently asked if she was open to some coaching… she eagerly said yes… and we spent the next several minutes helping her get clear on what she did as a business and why someone should care.

The good news is that feedback from Sarah at the end of the networking event was very positive as she felt she made some solid connections that could pan out for her -- she was genuinely grateful.

The bad news here though, is as an avid networker, regardless of the networking event, I run into people like Sarah all the time. I recognize it so clearly because I used to be just like her -- completely confused about what I did or who I did it for. All the while trying to get several business opportunities off the ground at the same time -- none of which I might add did very well. It wasn’t until I chose one to run with and got real clear on what I did and who I did it for that it began to take off.

So in closing, the moral of this story is if you’re not crystal clear on what you do and who you do it for, there is no way I’m going to be -- and a confused mind certainly doesn’t buy.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, networking, marketing coach, coaching

A Simple Way to Convert Prospects to Clients and Clients to Raving Fans

Would you like a way to add more value to your existing client base and in the meantime make more money from them? -- Or, how about a way to shrink your sales cycle by enticing them to start buying from you in the first place?

Well doing so may not be as difficult as it may seem as there are many ways do it. However, I’d like to share with you here one of my favorites -- and it is “Affiliate Marketing”!

Now for those of you who may be new to this concept, let me just briefly explain what it is. Essentially it is where a third party markets the products and/or services on behalf of a retailer in exchange for a commission on any sales they initiate.

So besides the obvious benefit of earning more money in your business, offering great affiliate products can do a number of things for you. For example:

• Offering great affiliate products can make you more valuable to your target market by giving you more products and services to offer at a variety of different price points. So if you want to convert your prospects to clients, entice them to buy now by offering them some lower-priced entry-level affiliate products. If you want to convert your clients to raving fans, offer them a solid back-end of affiliate products that will enhance their experience with you even further.

• Offering great affiliate products can strengthen your positioning with your target market by becoming “great by association”. In other words, if you represent another company or product that your target market already knows, likes, and/or trusts, then those positive feelings stand a good chance of transferring onto you.

• Offering great affiliate products can help increase your brand awareness with your target market by giving you more real reasons to connect and share what you’re about and how you can add value.

And we can go on and on and on here -- as the benefits are endless.

The whole idea is to find quality products and services that make sense for you to represent -- Try to stick with ones that have something to do with what you offer. For example, if you’re a Business Coach, offering baseball equipment is probably not a wise choice for you. However, offering a few books, written by others, that support your methodologies thus improving what’s possible for your clients is a fantastic idea.

One quick and easy way to get started is to become an affiliate of Amazon.com. Register as an Amazon Associate (their affiliate marketing program), drive traffic to their web site using specially formatted links that they provide, and get paid when the person you refer buys -- it’s that simple!

When you’re comfortable working as an affiliate marketer with Amazon, then I recommend stepping up your game and registering with a large retailer of digital products such as ClickBank.com. There is something for every affiliate marketer there. Much like Amazon.com, most of the tools you will need to market the products effectively are available to you from their web site.

As you continue to develop your skills in affiliate marketing, another more advanced approach you may want to consider is to reach out to the companies that have products or services that you would like to represent and ask if they have an affiliate program in place that you can participate in. And if they do, get involved. If they don’t, and they’re open to it, try to hammer out a deal to help them set one up in exchange for a more lucrative arrangement.

So in closing, affiliate marketing is a very powerful business builder that can be, and is, leveraged effectively by businesses of all types and sizes. Always remember though to choose which retailers, products, and services you want to represent very carefully as they will reflect in so many ways upon you. Used intelligently, they can certainly help convert your prospects to clients and your clients to raving fans.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, affiliate marketing, affiliate products, affiliate programs, affiliate services, target market, amazon.com, clickbank.com

The Core Skill That Drives Effective Marketing

"Communication is the most important skill in life." -- Stephen R. Covey

Well in my opinion, communication is the most important skill in business as well --especially when it comes to the one aspect of business that I’ll speak of here, marketing.

Effective communication will not only bridge the gap between you and your target market, but it will also magnetically draw them across that bridge toward you and then captivate them.

Effective communication should never be a one-way street where only one party is doing all the speaking -- then it’s not really a conversation is it? Which as marketers, we should always be looking to create and maintain conversations. Otherwise it’s more like a lecture where someone is speaking at you rather than with you.

Effective communication should ebb and flow like the tide -- with a sort of naturally magnetic push and pull to balance it. Too much push or pull and you risk creating repellent effects such as overwhelm from information overload, or making you appear too pushy. Too little push or pull and you risk appearing lifeless and dull or worse yet, non-existent. So a careful balance is critical.

Effective communication should flow gracefully like a dance. As the marketer you may choose to lead and make it real easy, lucrative, and fun for those you’re communicating with to follow.

Effective communication should establish a connection between both parties by first creating a clearing for it to happen and then continuously building rapport.

And we can go on and on and on here however the point I want to get to is that communication is marketing and marketing is communication. Every time you open your mouth, you are marketing. Every time you write an email, you are marketing. Every time you stop talking and start listening to someone in your target market, you are marketing. Your clothes, your posture, your grooming, you body language all communicate a lot about you -- they’re all forms of marketing. Are you starting to see both the correlation and importance here?

Now as I’ve started to allude to, communication can be broken down into 2 forms, verbal and non-verbal. Allow me to explain:

Verbal Communication

By verbal communication, I’m referring to any variation of either speaking or listening. Let’s briefly explore the two.

Speaking

Whether writing an email, delivering a live speech, recording a podcast, posting on your blog, writing an advertisement, or using some other vehicle to communicate, when speaking, keep it direct and easy to understand. And most of all don’t ever be embarrassed or afraid to ask for what you want. Don’t try to impress your target market with industry jargon and fancy words. Simply speak in a tongue that will resonate positively with them.

Listening

Truly in my book the most underrated form of marketing available today. Quite simply people love the sound of their own voice and are usually pretty generous in sharing privileged information if given the proper space and prodding. Let alone if they feel that you are genuinely interested. Wow, what’s possible then?!

Non-verbal Communication

By non-verbal communication, I’m referring to the other, more intangible and often overlooked form of communication such as your appearance, your body language, your choice of fonts, the look and feel of your web site, even as far as the vibration and energy you convey. You may be surprised how often times your non-verbal communication speaks louder than your verbal communication. This is the kind of stuff that can boggle the mind with poor results from your marketing if you’re not paying attention to it.

Effective communication is making sure that both the verbal and non-verbal portions are in sync -- mixed messages tend to cause confusion and distrust -- two qualities that repel rather than attract.

And yes, whether you’re using verbal or non-verbal communication, you are marketing.

So in closing, your ability to communicate effectively will be in direct proportion to your success and happiness in all areas of your life. Now I’ve just scratched the surface and drew some correlations for you here. So if I could impart just one thought unto you, let it be to make one of your life’s endeavors to continually practice, nurture, and enhance your communication skills.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing, communication, verbal communication, non-verbal communication, target market

6 Ways To Help Turn New Contacts Into Sales

You attend local networking events meeting people and exchanging business cards; you participate in lead exchange groups like BNI in hopes of getting referrals; you create profiles on popular social networking sites like Ryze, LinkedIn, and MySpace; yet you’re still wondering why all this networking isn’t translating into increased sales.

Well while many business professionals work very hard to gather new contacts, the area where I see so many of them break down is in their ability to nurture those new contacts into long-term relationships. Relationships that can eventually turn into the increased sales that most of them are looking for.

So how do you go about nurturing those new contacts?

Well here are 6 ways that can help you take your professional relationships to a deeper, more prosperous level for all:

1. As humans, we’re never too old to enjoy positive attention. So if you stumble upon someone you know being quoted, discussed, or acknowledged publicly either in the media or by other professionals in their absence, give them a call or send them an email to let them know and congratulate them.
2. Acknowledge them on holidays, birthdays, and other cultural or religious special days. For example, in Greece, a person’s name day is highly celebrated -- so familiarizing yourself with what’s important to your contacts, and reaching out to them on those special days can go a long way in building a solid bond.
3. If you witness them doing something great or selfless, let them know how their actions touched, moved, or inspired you.
4. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to connect people. Someone’s looking for an electrician, refer one. Someone’s target market is Dentist’s and you know a few, introduce them. Someone’s looking to join a networking group, connect them with someone who runs one. Two people that you’ve met separately at the same networking event share a common interest, become the conduit and introduce them. My point is, helping others connect typically doesn’t go unnoticed, and is a win-win for all.
5. Forward along timely, useful, and/or entertaining information. Stumble across a great article on golf, send a copy to those you know who are golf enthusiasts. Read a great book on sales that has helped your business grow, recommend it to others who may also benefit from its wisdom. Don’t be stingy here, share the gift of knowledge whenever possible.
6. Inform them of events that may be of interest. Now when I say events, I mean any professional networking, entertainment, or educational events. Some examples might be, if you have a contact who is struggling with their finances and you know of a financial guru giving a free teleseminar, let your contact know about it. If you’re attending an event that you expect to be excellent for networking with real estate experts, and you happen to have a contact that serves that target market, invite them along. In other words, always be in the know of what events are happening around you and always ask yourself who else do I know that may be interested in this event?

Now in order to successfully carry-out these 6 ways I’ve shared with you here, there’s one key skill that you’ll need to employ and continually develop, and that is to be a great listener. No I’m not talking about the type of passive listening that many of us engage in most of the time. I’m talking about active listening -- The type of listening where you are actually paying attention well enough to learn what’s really important to the person you’re speaking with. It’s through the skill of effective listening where you’ll harvest the seeds necessary to ensure healthy relationships down the road.

So in closing, always remember that people buy from people they know, like, and trust. So it behooves you to continuously look for ways to nurture your professional relationships. Do that effectively and watch their value, and your success, soar.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, networking, target market, BNI, referrals, social networking, Ryze, LinkedIn, MySpace

A Simple Metric to Gauge Your Web Site’s Popularity

So tell me… how exactly do you know whether or not your web site is working for you? Is it making you money? Is it increasing your visibility with your target market? Is it broadening your reach within your target market? And what about your credibility, is it establishing and continually reaffirming it with your target market?

For most types of businesses, unless your web site serves as an e-commerce site directly selling your products and services to your customers, it is very difficult to establish and track whether or not your web site is actually making you money.

However with minimal effort, you can easily track and measure whether your web site is increasing your visibility, broadening your reach, and establishing your credibility with your target market… three very important reasons for marketing… with one simple metric. Here’s how it works.

From your Internet browser go to the popular search engine Google’s web site www.google.com and type in the search box the word “links”, a colon, a space, and then your web site’s domain name minus the typical “http://www.” part. So for example, for my web site, I would type: “links: OnlineMarketingMuscle.com” and hit either the “Enter” key or click the “Google Search” button.

The result that Google will return is any and all Internet URLs that it knows about that have linked to my web site. And in the eyes of the search engines, typically the more links the better. Yes, the quality of who’s linking to you does factor in to how you’re perceived by the search engines as well, but that’s a conversation for another day. So unless a large majority of your inbound links are coming from offensive, less than desirable sites, it’s hard to argue with the power of sheer volume -- it speaks volumes about your popularity across the web.

Now to take the usefulness of that data up a notch, run this metric once a month and record the results in a spreadsheet. Then from the spreadsheet you can easily produce a graph showing your increasing web popularity over time.

That’s it… it’s that simple.

So in closing, it’s nearly impossible to know whether or not your web site is working for you if you don’t maintain and analyze some sort of metrics. The one we’ve discussed here is just one in a series of simple, yet critical ones that everyone using the web as a marketing medium should have in their arsenal. The key here though, is not just collecting the data but how you leverage that data to enable you to make better marketing and business decisions.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercdo, Online Marketing Muscle, metrics, web site, target market, marketing, search engines, Google

How To Push Past Common Marketing Demons And Become Unstoppable

Regardless of what your thoughts and feelings are about marketing, let me assure you, it is not a bad thing. It’s not evil… it doesn’t bite. On the contrary, marketing happens to be a critical cog in the wheel of business success. And in my opinion for small businesses, it’s the most important cog because if your target market doesn’t know you exist, you most definitely won’t make any sales… and no sales equal no business!

And let me suggest that if you’re not screaming your marketing message from the rooftops, there may be more going on here than meets the eye. I repeatedly hear two common excuses from small businesses all the time… those being either a lack of money or a lack of know-how to support their marketing efforts.

Now I’m a firm believer that where there’s a will there’s a way, so let’s go ahead and diffuse those two excuses right now.

For those of you who claim poverty…

Yes, there’s no doubt that money can expedite the effectiveness of your marketing however there are dozens of marketing strategies and tactics available to you for little or no cost… just a little sweat equity so to speak. Take networking for instance. It doesn’t cost you a dime to tell someone what it is you do and how you can add value to their business. Or how about starting an e-newsletter or blog? Both can be done for little or no cost.

For those of you who claim ignorance…

There are simply way too many free or inexpensive marketing resources out there to use that excuse and be able to look yourself in the eye. Take this article for instance… it cost you nothing but your time and some energy to pull value from it. Sign up for some free e-newsletters or read the blogs of marketing experts. Tap into free resources from organizations such as SCORE (www.score.org) or the SBA (www.sba.gov). The resources available to you are unlimited.

How about this? Here’s one simple answer that addresses both the money and know-how excuses. Go to the library, borrow some books from Jay Conrad Levinson’s “Guerrilla Marketing” series, skim through them, pull out 2 or 3 ideas out of the dozens available that you would feel comfortable doing, and do them.

Or how about this idea? Barter. Trade your products or services for some marketing help. Not sure how to go about doing this, then join a bartering network. For a small fee these networks can connect you with others looking to trade.

Yes, it can be that simple. Marketing can be as simple or as difficult as you want it to be… you choose. If you say it’s difficult, you’re right, it’s difficult. If you say it’s easy, guess what… you’re right, it’s easy. Bottom line is yes, it is a choice… your choice. So why choose to be stoppable? If you are really passionate about what you do, choose to be unstoppable.

Now remember earlier when I mentioned that if you’re not screaming your marketing message from the rooftops, there may be more going on here than meets the eye? Well typically there is. My experience tells me that in many cases, a person’s unwillingness to do whatever it takes to market their business usually stems from beyond the two excuses we’ve just explored… it tends to border on the psychology-side. So if by clearing up the previous two excuses doesn’t do it for you, use the following revealing questions to dig a bit deeper and get to the root cause:

• What excuses or stories are you making up to let yourself off the hook for not marketing enough?
• Is there a confidence issue here? If so, what are you really afraid of?
• Is there an underlying fear of not looking good?
• Do you honestly and truly believe in the value of what you do? How about in your ability to deliver it?
• Is there a fear of failure at play here?
• How about a fear of success? Are you consciously or unconsciously sabotaging yourself so that you will not have to step into bigger shoes?

And we can go on and on and on here with the questions however my point is for you to dig a little bit… figure out what’s really going on. If you’re having difficulty, bring in a professional like a coach to facilitate this process.

So in closing, be willing to shine the light on yourself to see what’s really going on. The clarity that this exercise can bring as well as the possibilities you can discover can be life changing for you and your business. Just remember, it all starts with you, your desire to succeed, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to make it so.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, blog, e-newsletter, small businesses, marketing

15 Creative Ways to Make Your Business Card Sizzle

In my opinion, probably the most important and misused marketing collateral that small businesses have is their business card. Now I network an awful lot and tend to gather my fair share of business cards and I have to say, I’m often at a loss how people put such little thought and effort into constructing what very likely will become the lasting image that they leave me with. That being said, if you’re willing, with a little effort, you can use your expertly-crafted business card to easily stand out from the pack.

Let’s try a little exercise. Grab a handful of business cards that you’ve received from people you’ve met and spread them out on a table, face-up so that you can easily see all of them. Now take your eyes off the business cards for a minute and then look back at them. Select the top 5 business cards that for whatever reason just seem to catch your eye. Then analyze those business cards. What about them grabbed your attention and why? The idea here is to learn what works and what doesn’t work in terms of having an immediate WOW impact.

Now once you’ve grabbed their attention, at a bare minimum, I highly recommend that your business card contain the following staples: your name, business name, business address, phone number, email address, and web site address.

Now in my book, these should be a no-brainer. However, I can’t tell you how many times I get a business card from someone without one or more of them.

Another possibility for the above list of staples could be your “title”. However, I’m not crazy about titles and often they are more limiting than anything else. So unless they serve a dual purpose of maybe say communicating what you do, such as “Business Coach” or “Certified Financial Planner”, I’d leave it out and use the real estate for something more valuable.

Now are you ready to step up your game? Well alright -- here are 15 of my favorite tips that can make your business card really sizzle:

1. Use Both Sides of Your Business Card

I don’t know about you but the majority of the business cards I see very rarely take advantage of this precious real estate. Why? I couldn’t tell you. Just remember to leave a little white space if possible for the receiver of your business card in case they want to jot down a few notes about you.

2. Add Your Photo

Take it from a guy who networks a lot; don’t waste any opportunity to be remembered. A photo on a business card definitely makes your marketing work overtime for you and in my book should become a staple. Three of the most important benefits of doing this are one, that it’s personal, two, it establishes a comfort level with you, and three, it makes you easily recognizable.

3. State What You Do

Don’t make me guess. This is typically the kind of note someone will jot down on the back of you business card unless of course you make it easy for them and include it.

4. State Who You Do It For

Again make it easy for me to either hire or refer you.

5. State a Key Competitive Advantage -- Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Why buy from you? Give me a reason. What makes your product or service special? Include this little tidbit on your business card so your target market won’t soon forget.

6. Have a Call to Action

Clearly spell out for me what action you’d like me to take next (e.g. sign up for your newsletter, visit your blog, etc.)

7. Use an Odd Size or Shape for Your Business Card

Some possibilities may be a larger business card size, rounded edges, a specific and relevant shape like a flower if you’re a florist, etc.

8. Magnetize the Back of Your Business Card

People seem to have a hard time throwing away business cards if they are magnetized. As a matter of fact it’s pretty common that they’ll stick them on something like a file cabinet or a refrigerator.

9. Include Tips Related To Your Business

How about a list of 5 things to look for when hiring someone who does what you do? And obviously you can slant this towards your competitive advantages.

10. Include a Calendar on the Back-side of Your Business Card

This technique is one that can keep people referring back to your business card as often as possible.

11. Include Important Dates Hinting When Someone Should Think of You

If you’re an accountant serving small businesses, maybe you include important tax dates that they need to remember. If you’re a landscaper maybe you provide dates on when they should call you for specific services like mulching in the spring, pruning in the fall and so on.

12. Make It Serve Double-Time As A Frequent Rewards Card

Stamp it every time they buy something from you and after a certain number of purchases, give them something of value for free.

13. Make It Serve Double-Time As A Coupon to Use during Their Next Visit

Just leave a spot where you can handwrite an expiration date to cause some sort of urgency to purchase again soon.

14. Make It Serve Double-Time As an Appointment Scheduler

Just leave spots where you can handwrite the time and date of your next appointment.

15. Include Other Web Site URLs Where They Can Connect with You Further

For example your blog; your pages on Social Networking web sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, or Ryze; Squidoo pages; etc.

So in closing, don’t miss this golden opportunity to have your business card work overtime for you. Implement one, two, or all of these techniques if they make sense of course and watch your business connections bear bigger and better fruits.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, business cards, target market, blog, social networking, web sites, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ryze, Squidoo

5 Ways to Leverage Your Voice to Market Yourself and Your Small Business

Have the gift of gab? Well lucky you because in the world of marketing, the gift of gab can be a huge asset for your small business -- that is so long as you leverage it properly.

To plant some seeds on how you can do this, here are 5 of my favorite ways to leverage your voice to market yourself and your small business:

1. Public Speaking

There are not many ways that will unequivocally set you apart from the pack as well as public speaking does. It immediately lends credibility and positions you in the mind of your target market as the obvious expert in your field.

2. Teleseminars and Webinars

If either the face-to-face of public speaking is too uncomfortable for you, or if you just want to supplement you public speaking efforts, conducting teleseminars and webinars may be the way the go. These are best used in marketing to inexpensively leverage your voice talents to both educate and allow prospects to test drive what you bring to the table for them.

3. Podcasting

Using audio to educate your target market on a regular basis via podcasts is a fantastic way to build credibility and top-of-mind awareness with your target market. Podcasting holds a certain attraction for its rather large community of enthusiasts -- almost cult-like in terms of their passion for it. And that passion can potentially be leveraged into major success for you.

4. Radio

Becoming a guest expert on business radio talk shows both on traditional radio stations as well as Internet-based ones can have a huge impact on exploding your business quickly. If you are finding it difficult getting on radio shows as an expert, start building relationships with the show hosts by calling in regularly as a listener in an attempt to add value to the show.

5. Networking

This is the forum for flexing you gab muscles. Whether it’s in person at networking events, seminars, or trade shows, or online in forums or social networking sites such as MySpace, Ryze, or LinkedIn, your ability to chat it up with your target market will definitely set you apart from the competition.

So in closing, if you happen to have the gift of gab, go with it. Continually nurture and leverage it so it can serve as a means to get you where you want to go. Typically, the marketing strategies and tactics that are based on this gift are inexpensive yet extremely effective.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, small business, public speaking, target market, teleseminars, webinars, podcasting, podcasts, business radio talk shows, radio, networking, networking events, seminars, trade shows, online forums, social networking, MySpace, Ryze, LinkedIn, marketing strategies, marketing tactics

9 Characteristics of a "Sticky" Web Site That Keeps Your Visitors Coming Back For More

It’s one thing to drive traffic to your web site once, it’s quite another to get those visitors to come back… let alone come back often.

Think about it, you get invited to a friend’s house for a little get together. How would you feel if all they did was talk about themselves all night? Probably pretty bored and maybe even a tad bit annoyed… right? Let alone be motivated enough to attend their next gathering. So why is it then that so many web sites out there do precisely that? They focus on me, me, me and not enough on the people who really matter… their target market.

And here’s a little secret for you. Your target market doesn’t care that much about you to sit their and listen to you go on and on about yourself. Their main concern is themselves and what you can do for them.

So let me ask you, is your web site all about you or is it all about adding value to your target market? Does your web site pass the “stickiness” test? In other words, do your visitors keep coming back? If so why? These are all serious questions that any small business with a web site needs to answer.

In order to answer questions like these, it’s important for us to discover what exactly makes a web site sticky in the first place. Well a great way to explore this concept is with an ad-hoc case study. So for me, I sat down with a pen and paper and just brainstormed a few different web sites that I frequented often. Who were they? And why did I keep going back? Let’s take a look at one of those web sites, Amazon.com. First off, I realized that I visit that site quite often, usually several times a week. Now the big question was why. So here’s what I came up with… 9 characteristics that made their web site sticky for me and kept me, the visitor, coming back for more:

1. They feed my insatiable appetite for what they offer… books… and they’ve got a phenomenal selection
2. They fuel my desire to consume more books by emailing me occasionally new recommendations based on my purchasing history
3. They make it easy for me to find out what’s new in the subjects as well as authors I’m interested in
4. I can express my opinions by both rating and reviewing books on their web site
5. They peak my curiosity by making me wonder what books they’re going to recommend for me each time I visit their web site
6. They personalize my experience by using my name on their web site and customizing the home page I see based on my preferences
7. They create a sense of community by allowing me to connect with other like-minded people as “friends”
8. They feed my ego by allowing me to position myself as an expert in any subject matter I choose by creating “Listmania!” lists and “So you’d like to…” guides
9. And lastly, they allow me to help others make great decisions by rating and reviewing books, creating “Listmania!” lists and writing those “So you’d like to…” guides

Now just to place some perspective on this exercise, I do understand that Amazon.com has a bit more money to spend on their web site than your typical small business; however there is still a lot we can learn from great web sites such as theirs. And not all of the greatness that their web site brings to the table cost big bucks. So take a closer look and see if there are any concepts you can learn from and model on your web site.

Also it’s important to consider what your target market would want from your web site. Maybe it’s all 9 of the characteristics I’ve shared… maybe it’s additional characteristics that didn’t show up in my ad-hoc Amazon.com case study. The best way to find out is to just ask your target market. Additionally, find out what web sites they frequent and why. You may be surprised at what you find out.

So in closing, I sincerely believe you will find that the more you continually look for ways to make your visitor’s experience a dynamic one, the more likely they will come back… over and over again. And the more they come back, the more likely they are to buy.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, web sites, target market, amazon.com, amazon, books

2 Types of Marketing Strategies Every Small Business Must Have To Not Only Survive but Thrive

Let’s face it. There are an endless number of marketing strategies and tactics that a small business can employ. And when you factor in all the different combinations of these, the task at hand of choosing which ones to use can be both daunting and overwhelming. Do I join a networking group? Should we advertise in the local newspaper? Should we participate in a trade show? Do we need a web site? All these choices can confuse you if you let them and simply put, a confused mind typically does nothing, it tends to lock up, and worse yet it typically doesn’t take the actions necessary to grow -- actions such as marketing your small business.

So what I’ve done for you here is identify 2 types of marketing strategies that every small business must have to not only survive but thrive. So here goes:

1. A “Lead Generation” Type of Strategy

This type of marketing strategy at a minimum brings awareness to your target market of who you are, what you do, and why they should listen to you. It should help you generate interest amongst your target market in what you bring to the table -- enough interest where they inquire about your products and services -- they become a prospect for you.

Some examples of “Lead Generation” strategies and tactics are:

• Advertising in trade magazines
• Submitting articles to online article directories
• Joint venture arrangements with others who serve your target market
• Endorsements from others who have an influence over your target market
• Referrals from others who have an influence over your target market
• Ethical bribes -- in other words offering something of value for free in exchange for contact information
• Public speaking to position yourself as an authority in your field
• Trade shows
• Networking events to meet and greet your target market

And we can go on an on and on here. However as you are probably starting to see your choices are endless so where do you start? Well how about choosing one or two that resonate immediately with you and work those for a while. If they seem to be working, continue, if not try a different one. In other words do more of what’s working and less of what’s not. The point is get into action!

2. A “Keep-In-Touch” Type of Strategy

Once you’ve acquired leads using any combination of “Lead Generation” strategies and tactics, it’s critical that you find ways to stay in front of them -- stay in front of them long and effectively enough to persuade them to respond positively to your call to action -- eventually becoming paying clients.

Some examples of “Keep-In-Touch” strategies and tactics are:

• Sending out a weekly newsletter
• Participating in online forums and social networks
• Making phone calls to share something your prospects may deem valuable
• Attending regular networking events to reconnect with prospects
• Emailing prospects an article that they may find useful
• Send holiday and birthday greeting cards
• Refer business to your prospects
• Invite prospects to events
• Be a connector by introducing one prospect to another that you feel they should know

And once again, we can go on an on and on here.

So in closing, keep it simple. Choose one or two from each type of marketing strategy and work them diligently. Yes you will definitely find that some are better than others for you however, I firmly believe that any one of them, if diligently applied, will bear fruit -- you just need to take massive action.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing, marketing strategy, marketing strategies, small business marketing strategies, small business marketing strategy, target market, lead generation, advertising, joint venture partnerships, endorsements, referrals, public speaking, trade shows, networking, newsletter, social networks, greeting cards

Want to Play A Bigger and Better Game With Your Business? It’s Simple… Step Up Your Marketing!

"The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day." -- Gloria Steinem (American journalist, founder of Ms. Magazine)

You want to earn more money in your business? Step up your marketing!

You want to attract not only more, but better clients? Step up your marketing!

You want to be the person your target market calls when they need what you do? Step up your marketing!

My point is whatever your motivation is for success in your business, stepping up your marketing is critical to making it happen!

So let me ask you. Are you bringing you’re “A” game every day? If so, awesome! Just continue to do more of what’s working and less of what’s not.

If you’re not bringing you’re “A” game every day, why aren’t you? What’s holding you back? Is whatever holding you back real or perceived? I firmly believe that where there’s a will there’s a way -- so do you have the will to succeed? Or, does the notion of success scare the pants off you? As crazy as that sounds, the fear of success is quite common.

I don’t want you to beat yourself up though if you haven’t been bringing your “A” game in the past -- that’s not my point. It’s what you do right now, today that counts. Remember what you do today, dictates your results tomorrow.

Author Robert Ringer says it well in the title of one of his books, “Action!: Nothing Happens Until Something Moves.” -- That kind of sums it all up.

You could have the greatest marketing plan in the world however unless you implement it, it’s useless!

The secret here is simply that you have to want success… want it so badly that you can taste it! And, be willing to do whatever it takes each day to make it happen. Marketing is never a set it and forget it type of activity. You may have heard the saying that what you focus on expands. Well that goes for growing your business as well. When you market your business, you’re providing the necessary focus to expand what’s possible for it.

Here’s another secret. Successful entrepreneurs are either typically great marketers themselves or, have great marketers on their team.

Reason why… Whether you realize it or not, you’re in 2 businesses… The business of PROVIDING your products and services AND the business of MARKETING them!

And here’s yet another secret. You're better off being a great marketer and being just good at what you do than being great at what you do and being just a good marketer.

So in closing, I’d like to leave you with a very simple yet powerful concept. The fitness of your business depends highly upon your commitment, willingness, and diligence in marketing it… period!

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing, small business success, success, target market

Secrets of the Internet Marketing Experts Series: 2 Keys to Higher Organic Search Engine Rankings

By Dean Mercado

I believe it’s safe to say that regardless of the type of web site you own, drawing the continual attention and favor of the major search engines is very important to your effectiveness on the Internet.

And since it’s never wise for a businessperson to leave their fate in someone else’s hands, it’s imperative that you continually take strides to improve yours.

Think of the Internet as a treadmill running at high speed, stand still and you will actually move backwards as your competitors who are willing to run, pass you by. To play the search engine marketing game, you need to keep your feet moving forward… not just enough to stay in the same place, but fast enough to keep you competitive by propelling you forward ahead of the pack.

That being said, it’s important to understand the motivation behind how the search engines work. Essentially, search engines are judged by you, the user, by their ability to bring you the best matches to whatever it is you’re searching for online -- their inability to do this effectively not only hurts their bottom line but also hurts the usability of the Internet in general.

So it makes a lot of sense that the search engines would take great care in ensuring they are doing the best job they possibly can to help you find what you’re looking for.

I have to say, they certainly have their work cut out for them though. There are tons of very smart people out there continually looking for and exploiting any and all loopholes in an attempt to slant the playing field in their favor. The search engines have essentially assumed the role of policing this activity in order to give all web sites an equal chance at achieving higher rankings. This is why top search engines like Google change their algorithms constantly -- if someone does manage to find and exploit a loophole, it won’t be available for very long. So unless you’ve got nothing better to do, trying to cheat the system is just not cost effective -- I highly recommend that you stick to the tried and true tactics.

What I’m about to share with you, are what I and many other Internet marketing experts consider the 2 most important keys to organically improving your search engine raking. Now are these the only things that the search engines take into consideration when ranking your site? -- Absolutely not! However, these two appear to be the main ones whose importance hasn’t waned over time. So here goes:

1. Fresh, Unique, Relevant Content

Ahh… how the search engines love this… that’s one reason they are so enamored with blogs… because blog content tends to be unique, focused on a specific topic, and updated frequently.

So whether though the posting of your e-zine issues to your web site, posting one-of-a-kind relevant articles, or hosting a discussion forum, just to name a few different things you can do, get into the rhythm and habit of adding in-demand content regularly – I’d recommend at least weekly.

2. Lots of One-Way, Incoming Links from Other High Ranked Sites

This is essentially social proof to the search engines that your web site is important -- and as we stated earlier, this is exactly what the search engines want -- they want to bring their target market the best matches available on the Internet.

Now for the most part, the more web sites that are linked to you, the better! Want to take it up a notch? Don’t just go for quantity, go for quality as well -- Get linked to by other relevant web sites. Want to take it up another notch? Get linked to by web sites that are ranked higher than you. Want to take it even further, have those web sites linking to you use keywords from your destination page as anchor text to represent your link… cool stuff here!

It also important to note that while one-way inbound links appear to be the best kind… this doesn’t mean not to do reciprocal links with other relevant sites… those are good too… they just may not be weighed as heavily as the one-way inbound ones.

So in closing, I’d like to leave you with the notion that if you want to get the most value out of your web site, it’s imperative that you put into place, and take consistent action on, both content and linking tactics for your web site immediately.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, web sites, blogs, search engines, target market

The 3 Things Needed To Turn a Good Web Site, into a Great Web Site

Alright so you have what you think is a good web site. Now what? What do you need to do to not only get it to earn its keep, but turn it from good to great?

Well, in order to have an effective web site of any sort, there are essentially 3 things that have to happen:

1. Your target market needs to know that both you and your web site exist in the first place. So let me ask you, do the people, who you need to know, that you exist, know that you exist? Additionally, what actions are you taking to build awareness?
2. Knowing is not enough, you need to persuade them to visit and in most cases, visit often. So what actions are you taking to do that? What’s in it for them?
3. So now they see the value your web site offers them and they finally do stop by, now what? Well you need to convince them to carry out your intended call to action… whether that is to sign up for your newsletter, comment on your blog, or to buy whatever it is you’re selling. Your ability to get your target market to take your desired action is the bottom-line determining factor of a great web site.

So in closing, you need to be aware that owning a web site is not a set-it and forget-it sort of activity. Without continually implementing the 3 things I just mentioned, your web site, any web site will simply become a money drain.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.


Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my
blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including
links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter, the 'Marketing Minute' -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, target market, web site, blog, newsletter, call to action

In Regards to Marketing… let Freedom Ring!

“Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed -- else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” -- Dwight D. Eisenhower (34^th President of the United States from 1953-1961)

Every 4^th of July, with barbeques blazing and skyrockets soaring, here in the states, we sure know how to celebrate our freedom. And fortunately for us, the extent of our freedom goes way beyond that very special day. As Americans, our civil liberties grant us the right to be, do, or have whatever we want, so long as we abide by our laws and no one gets hurt in the process.

Our limits become only the ones we set upon ourselves -- both personally and professionally. So in essence, freedom is not enough; it’s how we exercise our freedoms that make us truly free.

Let me explain.

Whether you are either an independent professional or a small business owner, your freedoms of speech and self-expression allow you to promote and “brand” yourself and your business pretty much however and whenever you choose.

Essentially, you’re the artist. You paint the picture you want your target market to see. Then you show it to them whenever you want.

Now unless you’re playing out a specific game, withholding that picture from those who could clearly benefit from it is simply negligence -- that is, once again, so long as you don’t have a specific reason for doing so.

As a marketing coach and consultant, it amazes me how often I see businesses for whatever reason being stingy with their marketing, yet complaining that business is slow. I’ve heard 1001 excuses why they couldn’t market themselves… “I have no money”… “No time”… “I don’t know how”… etc. etc. etc. I’m sorry but with today’s resources available, especially with the availability of the Internet, there just is no excuse.

I firmly believe that it’s our duty as businesspeople to consistently educate our target market on what we make possible for them through our products and services -- our marketing is simply a vehicle for communicating that.

As a free market society, it’s sometimes easy to forget just how good we’ve got it. Imagine a world where you weren’t free to market your business. How would your target market find you? How would they know to even look for you in the first place? How long do you honestly think your business would last? -- Probably not very long.

Well lack of marketing will most certainly bring the very same result. But what’s worse is you having a choice of either success or failure and choosing failure by opting to not market yourself effectively.

In our free market society, your marketing becomes the sustenance needed to make your business not only survive, but thrive. Stop nurturing your business by not marketing, and it will most certainly wither and die.

In a nutshell, effective marketing builds strong roots, and strong roots bear healthy fruits.

So in closing, I’d like to leave you with some questions to ponder. Are you fully leveraging the freedoms available to you and effectively marketing your business? If so, how and how often? Do you have a marketing plan? If so, does it position you to fully leverage the freedoms bestowed upon you?

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter, the 'Marketing Minute' -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: marketing articles, Dean Mercado, target market, marketing plans, marketing planning, marketing coach, marketing consultant, small business marketing

5 Factors To Look For When Choosing The Perfect Target Market

As a marketing coach and consultant, one of the biggest and costliest mistakes that I see small businesses make time and time again is that they’re neck deep in their business and they still haven’t clearly defined their target market. They continue to try to be everything to everyone -- that’s just not realistic -- and unfortunately, that usually ends in them being nothing to no one.

As one of my marketing mentors, Dan Kennedy says it, it’s critical that you “find your herd”. Your “herd”, or your “who” as I call it, being your ideal target market -- your perfect prospects and clients so to speak.

It’s critical that you understand that that your “who” is more important than your “what”. In other words, it’s more important to be clear on who you’re serving than what you’re serving them with. The “what” will most definitely change in one way, shape, or form over time as you target market’s wants and needs change.

So how does one go about choosing the ideal target market for their business?

Well here are my 5 factors to look for when choosing the perfect target market.

1. They’re Hungry!
Your target market should already want or need what you offer and the more insatiable the appetite, the better!

The key word here is “already”. If they don’t already want nor need what you offer, it will ultimately cost you much more in marketing dollars to educate them on what it is you do offer and why they should buy it now.

2. They’ve Got Cash!
Simply put, it doesn’t matter how hungry your target market is. If they can’t afford to buy what you’re selling, they may not be a good target market for you – you simply can’t draw blood from a stone.

However, there’s always the possibility of finding someone else who can afford you on their behalf. In other words, look for others who have the cash that would stand to benefit from your shared target market having access to what you offer and market your idea to them.

3. They’re Easily Reachable!
The harder it is to get in front of your target market, the more expensive it gets -- and for small businesses, that typically spells disaster. Unfortunately or fortunately, small businesses just don’t have that bottomless pocket full of cash to spend on marketing themselves -- this forces them to be smarter and more creative marketers.

Bottom line here is you don’t want to make your job any harder, or more expensive, than it has to be, so pick a target market that you can get to easily.

4. There Are Enough of Them Around!
A proper target market has to be large enough for you to not only survive, but thrive. Chances are that if there are only a handful of prospects interested in what you offer, unless your product is extremely consumable, it may be difficult to sustain your business -- let alone grow it.

Bottom line; pick a target market that’s sizable enough for you to serve and relentlessly go after its sweet spot.

5. You Like Them!
You know, some people may think this one is silly, however I’m a firm believer that if you generally like those you serve, you’ll serve them better. And the better you serve them, the better you chances of increasing your market share.

Bottom line here is that life is too short to spend your most precious commodity, your time, with people you don’t like. So why do it? Even if the money is good, chances are that eventually you’ll feel unfulfilled -- so play with people you want to play with.

So in closing, don’t make your job any harder than it needs to be. Clearly choose and define your target market, right from the get go. Take the time to find out everything you can about them -- know their demographic and psychographic profiles -- Be able to answer such questions as: What are their interests? Where do they hang out? And what makes them tick? An understanding of the answers to these very simple yet profound questions can make or break your business.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter, the 'Marketing Minute' -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, target market, marketing plans, marketing planning, marketing coach, marketing consultant, small business marketing