Guerrilla Marketing – When Conventional Thinking Is Just Not Sufficient

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BUSINESS COACH WARNING!

Please consult your business advisors, board, attorney, stakeholders, industry regulators or trade association prior to attempting any of these tactics as they may cause harm to you, your business, employees, partners, vendors and more importantly, your reputation.

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QUESTION: As a business owner, what are some of the more creative, inexpensive activities you have resorted to, in order to market you and your business in this economic climate?

August of this year will mark the second year that we’ve been in this economic decline.  The news has been mixed in the small business ranks with many newly minted entrepreneurs joining the army of the self employed or independent contractor, while still many more have decided to call it a day and give up their dreams of owning their destiny.

This article is intended to heighten our awareness of what creative marketing/sales tactics business owners and professionals are currently employing, as well as to provide some old, maybe new, ideas for the survivors.

What is Guerrilla Marketing?

Guerrilla marketing has been around for the past 20 years and has received the attention from the business community most notably due to Jay Conrad Levinson series of books on the subject.  Given the current perspective on our economy it seems a perfect time to open the dialogue to learn about and even employ some new attitudes and perspective on marketing and selling.

Guerrilla marketing is defined as unconventional marketing intended to gain maximum results from minimal resources, thereby creating maximum awareness for a product/service with little time and money invested.  Sort of like marketing on a shoestring budget while reaching wide spread attention (e.g., viral videos).

It emphasizes collaboration and creativity over spending, which makes it ideal for all those new entrepreneurs or struggling businesses.  “Guerrilla marketing is as far-reaching and all-inclusive as you want it to be.  It doesn’t have to be “wild” or   inconsistent with your business or industry.  It just has to be different. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, the worst sin one can commit is to be dull.  So start to think outside the box. And inside, and alongside, and near side and far side…”

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Ask clients, network connects, vendors what you can do the help them or their business
2. Find out who your customers do work with and ask for the referral.
3. Start every day with two cold calls.
4. Establish a MasterMind group– your own board of advisory, composed of your business partners, colleagues and/or neighboring business owners.  You could share ideas and referrals and discuss community issues. Meet frequently at the out set to develop deep relationships then monthly.  I would strongly advise individuals could meet one on one outside of the regular meetings to really get to know each other.
5. Create your own events and invite your target market to the event.  You can suggest that they bring a friend or colleague.  Don’t make the event a sales event but an event that you are delivering something of value (e.g., information, technology, networking, etc.)  You can utilize Meetup.com, or simply create your own workshop or participate in someone else’s workshop.
6. Ask your network for speaking engagements where you can present information that is relevant and valuable to that audience
7. Conduct your own election “campaign.”  Get dressed up and go down to your local train station and buy the first 100 people a cup of coffee while handing out your flyers to local commuters.  I would suggest getting balloons and decent sized signage so people will have your company information, your name, phone, email and website.  The local coffee vendor will love you if you cut a deal with them to purchase the cups from them…another resource
8. “Hand to Hand.”—Get flyers made up, get dressed and go door to door introducing yourself and your business to the local residents or business owners
9. Hold a monthly marketing meeting with employees or associates to discuss strategy and status and solicit marketing ideas.
10. Hold an “open house” or similar client event just to say Thank You to those who have supported you or done business with you.  To help pay for the event, get sponsors who would love to have access to you clientele
11. Build “ambassador” relationships.  One of my favorites but requires time to develop.  These are people you would offer your services at minimal cost so that they can speak from direct experience when they refer your service
12. Create an electronic signature to be used for all your e-mail messages. It should contain contact details, your blog and web site addresses and key information about your company that will make the reader want to contact you.
13. Use other people’s  answering machine or voice mail system to advertise your website or company’s location
14. Record a memorable message or tip of the day on your outgoing answering machine or voice mail message.
15. Collaborate with your business partners to conduct marketing/sales activities to attract attention to your business and spread awareness of you to a wider audience of prospects (e.g., advertising, workshops, events, etc., etc.)
16. Create seminars and workshops for your target audience that occurs on a regular basis—say monthly.  This can be a great way to build awareness of you and your services. If you can’t teach the class yourself, look for people who love to teach or are looking for experience.
17. Teach a class or seminar at a local college or adult education center.
18. Participate in Q&A groups that may contain prospective clients or referral partners (e.g., yahoo answers, linkedin, etc.) in areas that show your expertise and your willingness to give without expectation of a return.
19. Write a blog, a column for the local newspaper, internet new site local business journal, or trade publication.
20. Create an area on your web site specifically for your customers.
21. Use your network to create your own program or appear on a radio or TV talk show.
22. Follow up a networking connection with a face to face meeting.  It’s amazing that so many people don’t do this
23. Follow up on your direct mailings, email messages, and broadcast faxes with a friendly telephone call.
24. Use broadcast fax or email to notify your customers of product service updates.
25. Marketing by walking around: For example, you might have a couple of your friends walking around a mall, a seminar, a convention in an eye-catching t-shirt with a simple question about your business or a need on one side and your website as the answer on the other side
26. (I read this idea somewhere and loved it)  Design coupons that grab attention, are easy to read, and provide value to your customer.  One store offered a free pizza pie for every competitor’s advertisement they ripped out of the yellow pages and brought in.  Talk about eliminating the competition all together!

CONCLUSION:
Your success in business is impacted by the overall economic climate but is also greatly influenced by your attitude, creativity and more importantly, your action!  Have your “CEO Moment” each and every week and commit to taking at least, one action that leads you closer to fulfilling your purpose each and every day.

READERS:  Please provide your comments, thoughts and ideas so we can all learn new tactics, to strive in this environment.

RJ Lennon,

“The Professional’s Business Coach”

MasterMind Coaching & Consulting

Cell:                  973.519.0042

WEBSITE:         http://www.mastermindconsulting.biz/

e-mail:              Rj@MasterMindConsulting.biz

“STEP FORWARD INTO GROWTH
OR  STEP BACK INTO SAFETY
THE CHOICE IS YOURS”

STRATEGIC NETWORKING – Networking ROI

Why are some people “luckier” than others? Well folks, I’m here to tell you that “luck” has nothing to do with it. One reason it seems as if one person is more successful than another, is that they’ve managed to build a network of people who KNOW, LIKE and TRUST them.

Having a good network will greatly improve your chance of success in business. But getting a good network requires thought, desire and action. Here are some simple guidelines to increase your return on your investment in networking:

1. Networking in Your Business Plan:
Networking is one of the most cost effective ways of business development when done in a consistent, disciplined fashion. By networking, you are able to build awareness of you, your products and services, you are better able to determine high priority prospects and you are able to build value relationships. Within your business plan, you should identify who are your best prospects, so you know who—groups, associations, individuals, to network with (see part 1 on Target Marketing). Finally, you should view networking as a critical business activity, just as you view working on existing clients. Creating a pipeline of prospects is the lifeblood of your business.
2. Set Networking Goals:
You should target two to four of the same networking groups to meet with each and every month. Don’t make a habit of being a “guest networker” because it’s not effective. There is an old advertising rule that says, a prospect has to see an ad seven times before it takes hold in their consciousness. Your objective is to build value relationships not transactional ones. By attending the same meetings consistently, you will achieve one of your primary business objectives—to be KNOWN. In addition, you should set a goal to meet with a specific number of networking contacts each and every week. So your SMART networking goal could read like this: Attend four [4] networking meetings this month (e.g., BNI, Chamber of Commerce, Professional Association, Meet-up, etc.) and conduct eight [8] face to face prospecting conversations and two [2] closing conversations.
3. Be Intentional Prior to Attending:
• Practice your “rap”—that is, your 30 second elevator pitch. Your elevator pitch should be clear, concise and create curiosity about you and your business. A simple script could read as follows: I am (insert your profession here), for (insert the name of your company here). I do (insert what you do here), for (state who you serve here), so that they can (insert the benefit/value your product of service provides them here).
• For each networking meeting, you should have a clear objective—your ROI. For example, you could set a goal for yourself of identifying four [4] connections—prospects, resource or center of influence, and schedule two [2] face to face meetings for the following week. That way, you have a clear, objective way of judging your networking effectiveness. Overtime, you will be able to see the results of your efforting on your bottomline.
• Check your “attitude” prior to entering the meeting. Put on your positive, happy and confident armor. Make sure you are ready to listen twice as much as you speak. And lastly, make sure you are ready to be a resource for others—become a “go giver.”

4. Creating “RAIN”–Conducting the networking conversation:
Most people approach networking with the objective of talking about themselves or attempting to sell their product or services at the point of contact. The reality is though, people don’t want to be sold. Nor do they care about you or your product unless it fills a need of theirs. So how do you find this out…by using the following conversation technique:  Building Rapport with them (e.g., How are you?); asking about their Aspirations and Afflictions (e.g., What gets you excited? What keeps you up at night?); inquiring about the Impact of these conditions or circumstances (e.g., How does that affect ____?); then creating a New reality for them—by listening or by being a resource or by providing something that addresses their need. This is how you become liked…when you show that you care.

5. How to Become Trusted–Have a Follow up Plan:
Networking is absolutely essential to the survival of your business. Networking without follow up is a waste of your time. If you never schedule one on one–face time, with those that you’ve met, you’ve simply wasted your time. A follow up plan could include, but is not limited to the following: Allocate a portion of your week to making contact with those whom you’ve networked in the past; Conduct one on one meetings with those you recently met; Connect online with those who have a Facebook or LinkedIn account; Touch everyone in your database, at least, quarterly; Send a thank you note or an email or interesting article; Go meet your connects in THEIR office; Become a resource to your contact—mentor, mastermind, be an ear for them, business partner; Invite them to an event, etc., etc.

CONCLUSION:
To network effectively, you need to make a plan to fish with your fishing net instead of a fishing pole. Once you’ve identified who your audience is, you need to go fishing where they are. Next, you need to set clear and simple objectives for your networking activities, such as: Goals for each networking meeting; An effective 30 second pitch; Conducting the conversation; Maintaining a positive, “can do” mentality. And finally you need goals for following up with your new found connections. By following these tried and true suggestions, you will achieve a basic business objective. That is to be known, liked and trusted by the marketplace. In so doing, you will exponentially increase your networking effectiveness and build your long term revenue stream.

RJ Lennon,
“The Professional’s Business Coach”
973.519.0042
MasterMind Coaching & Consulting
WEBSITE: http://www.mastermindconsulting.biz/
e-mail: Rj@MasterMindConsulting.biz

“STEP FORWARD INTO GROWTH
OR STEP BACK INTO SAFETY
THE CHOICE IS YOURS”

What They Didn’t Teach You In Law School: Finding Clients Online

Are you interested in growing your practice? Are you challenged by the time and efforting it takes for developing business?

If your answer is yes, consider attending one of the sessions of this four part lecture series. The workshops are geared toward attorneys and others in the professional services sector, focusing on increasing awareness of various business development strategies and tactics and to help them market themselves and grow their practice.

Part 2 of this results driven approach to business development will answer some of the following concerns:
• What’s my competition doing online.
• Your clients moved to the internet, did you follow?
• How can I maximize revenue from existing clients.
• How can I increase my effectiveness from networking.

Generating more revenue may come down to making a few simple changes. Are you ready?

Topics & Presenters
• “RAINmaking Strategies and Tactics”
– RJ Lennon, CEO, MasterMind Coaching
• “Online Marketing: Finding New Clients”
– Jay Butchko, Internet Marketing Specialist, Lexis Nexis
• “Secrets to Running a Successful Law Practice”
- Anthony P. Ambrosio, Esq.

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Part 2 takes place July 8th. For more information please contact RJ Lennon at www.MasterMindconsulting.biz or via email at focusrj@yahoo.com OR rj@mastermindconsulting.biz

Increasing the Success of Your Business Through Target Marketing

Who is your target market? How have you identified them? Where can you find them in sizeable numbers to make an impression and create an opportunity to provide value?

Following this process, will give your efforts more purpose and laser like focus so that you can become more effective and more profitable.

CREATING A PURPOSEFUL AND PROSPEROUS LIFE

Get out of the way of your own success! Challenge yourself to think differently, to feel a different emotion, to take a different action than what you’ve done in your past. We can choose a different path by becoming aware of our ability to create from within…our thoughts.

The Power of Thought

THOUGHTS ARE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS ARE EFFECTS. You have the ability to think your reality into physical form through purpose and faith.

Your CEO Moment

Create the day you desire from your thoughts

“Knowledge is what we already know, IMAGINATION takes us to where we’ve never been”

Where do you want to go this morning? Take the lid off your conventional thoughts and let your imagination fly!

“Knowledge is what we already know, IMAGINATION takes us to where we’ve never been”

God gave us five physical senses, but more importantly, God endowed us with six Intellectual Faculties:

1. INTUITION–your inspired thoughts
2. IMAGINATION–your vision of those thoughts…It’s the workshop of your mind
3. REASON–allows us to look at all different sides of what it is we really want…our ability to choose—FOCUS on the REASONS why it CAN BE done
4. MEMORY–experiences you recall…can be applied positively or negatively…FOCUS on the POSITIVES
5. PERCEPTION–how our paradigms, conditions and circumstances shape our views…be OPEN and TOLERANT
6. WILL–our ability to concentrate, to stay focused on one thing, to the exclusion of all outside influences/distractions. It’s the holding on/or focusing on what it is we really want in our lives that enables us to—BE, DO & HAVE

“IMAGINATION REALLY IS THE WORKSHOP OF THE MIND”

Everything in our awareness never actually existed, as some point, other than in the realm of the spiritual or intellectual component of the personality; every “thing” essentially begins in the “workshop of the mind” and the imagination of a person.

Many people have actually had thoughts of doing the same things. However, things cannot be created based solely on thought:
o It is imperative that thought be combined with action for creation to occur.

As I engage my clients in putting together their PURPOSE DRIVEN BUSINESS PLAN, I encourage and guide them to FOCUS ON and DEFINING THEIR PURPOSE…I assist them in CLARIFYING THEIR VISION, then help them WRITE A DEFINITE PLAN—THEIR GOALS, THAT ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR PURPOSE.

It is important that your purpose and vision be backed by your actions. It is important to imagine how things CAN be done instead of the opposite. Don’t allow your current results to control your purpose. When the faculty of the imagination is used properly, we can transform the picture of what we want in our lives into something bigger by adding color, movement and emotion to it.

BLENDING IMAGINATION WITH INTUITION
Inspiration is derived from the Latin word “inspire” which means, in spirit or in a direct communion with God. “In spirit” is what it means to be inspired. When one is inspired, they are in communion with God through their intuition. Dr. Wayne Dyer says, “If prayer is when we talk to God, intuition is when God speaks to us.” It’s through the intellectual faculty of imagination that we have the ability to create the life we want and the material things we desire.

HOW TO TAP INTO YOUR IMAGINATION BY WAY OF YOUR INTUITION
1. We first become intuitively aware of what we desire
2. We receive a “hunch” through our “intuition” that there must be something better, for example
3. This really translates to inspiration
4. The inspiration triggers our imagination
5. Our imagination then inspires us to be creative

MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN LEVERAGING OUR IMAGINATION
1. Rationalizing our Imagination: As soon as we receive an intuitive idea and begin to build a positive picture with our imagination, we then tap into the intellectual faculty of reason and allow our current results to erase that intuitive message we received right along with the images we’ve built from it
2. Lack of clear Purpose causes doubt and fear: We begin to question whether the idea is right or wrong; good or bad; should I or shouldn’t I; creating ambivalence
You see the quality of the answers—YOUR SUCCESS, is contingent on the quality of the questions we ask. The pertinent question to ask yourself is the following: “If I act on this – regardless of what my circumstances are right now in my life – will it move me in the direction of my dream?” If it will, then MOVE! We would not be inspired by our creative source to do something if we could not actually do it. Remember, THOUGHTS ARE THINGS!

One final thought for you to think about and discuss with your fellow MasterMinders:
What does your PURPOSE, VISION AND GOALS look like? Is it defined enough, is there color, movement and “emotion” in your picture?

If not, you should contact me!

“Step Forward into Growth
Or Step Back into Safety,
The CHOICE is Yours”

RJ Lennon,
MasterMind Coach

EDGE: Extraordinary Decisions and faith in Great Expectations

The difference between 1st and 2nd place in the 2008 Kentucky Derby horse race was measured in fractions of a second, however the payoff–measured in dollars, was $1,451,800 vs. $400,000. Are you willing to develop the EDGE to achieve the success you want personally and professionally? Are you willing to go from good to GREAT? What is it that you want?

If you aren’t happy with the results you are currently getting in your business attend one of these two workshops. Come MasterMind with us and uncover the “secrets” of the “500” most successful people as you apply Napoleon Hill’s principals in putting together your Purpose Driven Business plan.

Upcoming Workshops:
1.  “THINK & GROW RICH: CREATING A PURPOSE DRIVEN PLAN” [10 sessions]

2.  “THE GOAL ACHIEVERS” [8 sessions]

Step forward into growth, or
Step back into safety,
The CHOICE is yours.

RJ Lennon
MasterMind Coach
focusrj@yahoo.com

MAINTAINING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

I am so thankful and grateful for…

1. The prosperity that the universe has provided
2. The beautiful home that I enjoy with my kids and life partner
3. The great partnership that I have with my soul mate
4. The connectedness we share on a spiritual, emotional, physical, financial and vocational level
5. The great business we operate so successfully, profitably, efficiently. We do such a great job in building it that it provides us with time and money freedom
6. Being successful at everything that I do
7. The creativity, the strength, the faith and the persistence that God has endowed me with to be, to do and to have everything my heart desires
8. My health and that of my children and loved ones
9. Being the money/profit magnet that I am
10. Delivering 10 times more value than I receive from EVERYONE I interact with

In creating the life you want for yourself and your loved ones…give thanks for all that is and all that you desire

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Step forward into growth,
or step backward into safety.
The choice is yours.

RJ Lennon,

MasterMind Coach

focusrj@yahoo.com