how to grow your business Archives

If you are running a business, you should be spending most of your time focused on sales and marketing NOT on operational functions. We tend to get caught up in the operations making sure that everything is functioning like a machine. It is easy to feel exhausted by the end of the day and then realize that you did not put in the time into your sales and marketing efforts. You need to be doing one action step every day or else you can become irrelevant quickly.

Your marketing efforts do not have to take up every waking moment. It does need to be intentional and you need to create a strategy for execution. No matter what economy you are in, people are buying and selling products and services that meet their needs. It is up to you to share why they should choose you.

Sometimes you need to put a spin on an old marketing strategy and sometimes you need to stick with the tried and true. Constantly test to see what works and what doesn’t. Ensure that you are measuring your results. What gets measured, can be managed.

Facebook Live – Allows you to interact with your audience in real time. You can make your business come alive versus people just seeing a traditional advertisement. Don’t be afraid to showcase your business by offering tips, tricks, strategies and solutions to common problems. Share milestones and celebration by allowing people to be a part of the action. Better yet, the low-cost marketing phenomenon with boost your credibility and your presence in the marketplace.

Host a Charity Event – Giving Back to the Community is one way to build your reputation as a go-giver. There is no better PR than sharing what is happening the in the community and who is – doing good!

Collaborate with Others to Cross Promote – If you are selling candles, you may want to collaborate with someone who sells bath bombs and soaps to create that “spa” experience for your customers. Discover ways to create win-win solutions.

Sponsor a Local Event – Supporting your local business mixer gives you an opportunity to take step into the spotlight. Sponsors of events of usually receive public recognition and they are advertised in the marketing of the event.

Write An Article Or Blog For Your Website. Showcase yourself and position yourself as the expert in your field and the benefits people will gain by working with you. People are always asking themselves, “What is in it for me?” ask others to share your post with their audience.

Offer an Information Night. Find a sponsor or a low-cost space where you can share information to your audience on a pressing topic. By doing so you are giving people, a way to sample your work. You building rapport and the “know, like, trust” you factor before anyone will do business with you.

Volunteer at Conferences or Networking Events. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and learn about what your audience is involved in and doing. You can make some great connections by being a part of the team putting on the event. The community is already there for you to start connecting with people and building those relationships. It is also a great way for you to step out of your comfort zone and do something new.

Build Your Online Persona. Get known as the go to resource for information. Share your articles, blogs, and ideas. Share curated content that is relevant to audience. Don’t be afraid to comment and offer tips and valuable information when responding to comments, posts, or online forums.

Offer Testimonials or Give Provide Referrals to the People Your Do Business With. What a better way to promote your business than promoting the people you do business with. Building and nurturing relationships are important in business. There is nothing more powerful than social proof and getting results.

Thanks to creativity and innovation most of the unconventional ways to grow your business are low-cost and can make a big impact. The biggest obstacle is that you could be getting in your own way by thinking you need to follow traditional marketing and sales strategies. Sometimes all it takes is trying out something new and see where it takes you. Exposure is the way people get to know about you and your business.

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

I realize the topic of sowing seeds of success may seem like a gardener, farmer, or Johnny Appleseed to do but it is so revealing to one’s success. You may think, “How does sowing seeds actually apply to me?” In business, the more you build the relationships you have and create and the more people who learn or know of your business (your list), the greater your revenue stream eventually will be. Your networth is directly proportional to your network. People need to get to know, like, and trust you in order to do business with you. Sowing the “Seeds of Success” is not a overnight process. Have you ever planted a seed in a garden or watched a crop being put in the ground?Neither the gardener nor the farmer come out in the morning preparing for harvest. The seed requires the nutrients from the soil, water, and the glorious sunshine in order to grow and stretch to the sky. You, too, need to grow and nurture the relationships you build and during the process you also learn and grow into the person you were meant to be.

What is seeding and how does a person seed? The Free Online Dictionary defines a seed as a source or beginning. The same is true in your business, you are creating and nurturing new beginnings and relationships with others. Some relationships will develop and flourish and some with not grow at all and that’s okay. Some relationships need to be re-seeded as you may have had a misunderstanding or you may have lost touch with the other person. Seeding is about letting others know about your business and how you can help them. They want to know about the results you create. You, in turn, will also grow your business.

Here are several ways to sow the seeds of your success:

Take a genuine interest in people and learn about them. What makes the tick? What is their “why” for doing what they do? Look for the common thread between you and them. People appreciate that you take time to care about them as a person not as a commodity.
Follow-up with a phone call (preferred) or email to connect with people following a meeting within 24-48 hours of meeting.
Send a card of appreciation to your current client base.
Utilize direct mail marketing with postcards or brochures – not as common any more but it has greater impact due its novelty.
Create articles or blogs that provide content with tips, strategies, and techniques that would benefit your followers.
Speak at conferences, trade shows, or associations to get yourself out there. The more your name and brand are out there – people will start to learn about you.
Collaborate with others in cross promotion of each other’s businesses. Word of Mouth Marketing is continually one of the most powerful marketing methods.

You cannot sow just a few seeds, stop, and suddenly start to reap the rewards of growth. You must plant seeds regularly and consistently so you can grow connections and opportunities. Ensure you are sowing the seeds of success intentionally by connecting with people who are aligned with your values and you will start to see the seeds grow. The seed you plant today could be the treasure you reap tomorrow.

How do you seed the marketing in your business? How do people learn about you or your products or services? What have you discovered during the process of building connections?