Stone Creek Consulting Blog June 2011 Archives » Stone Creek Consulting Blog

Archive for June 29, 2011

29 Jun 2011

Social Marketing Taught By My 15-Year-Old

Social marketing – it’s the water I swim in these days. I spend my work week (plus many evening and weekend hours right now) thinking, developing and talking about how social marketing can change a business.

Sometimes it is easy to see the big picture of just how beneficial it can be to utilize the web (blogs, landing pages, calls to action, Facebook, etc) to bring in qualified leads right to your business “doorstep.” But every once in awhile, we get bogged down with the specifics. That first step can be hard to see – how, exactly, do I as a business owner let those around me know that I am putting out some great and helpful content through my blog, etc. Sometimes, even we at Stone Creek Consulting hesitate on that first step for a moment.

My 15-year-old daughter taught me a valuable lesson this past weekend on getting over that hurdle. And yes, it pains me some to realize that this is just the beginning of being taught by this next generation of kids who are growing up in a Web 2.0 world. My daughter is musically inclined. She lives, breathes and dreams music. She is constantly writing – both words and music – and is very, very talented (and no, I don’t think so just because she is my daughter – she really is!). She has decided to create her own fan page on Facebook as a place to showcase her new songs and get feedback from those around her. Great plan . . . sounds suspiciously like social marketing! But the question for her was, how do I go about getting “fans” to my page?

Before I knew it, she had gathered a following and is increasing it on a regular basis. Her big secret to getting the word out? She simply asked people to join her fan page. Pretty much without exception, everyone she has informed has become her fan (even a family friend that we ran into at a restaurant over the weekend that we don’t see that often!).

Sometimes the answers are so easy we overlook them. Are you starting a blog? What about creating a way for people on Facebook to keep informed? All you have to do is ask – and ask every one you come in contact with. From your current clients, to past clients, to those who know you in a business relationship, just ask. Let them know they can follow you on Twitter. Give them the link to follow your blog. Spread the word far and wide that there is a reason for people to be looking at you.

You’ll be surprised at how many people say yes. And before you know it, like my surprisingly savvy 15-year-old, you’ll have a following that wants to know what you are up to and what you know. It’s that easy!

Melanie Bowman | No comments

28 Jun 2011

Great Businesses

Don’t Leave This Earth Before Eating at The BBQ Shack!

The BBQ Shack is SO GOOD that they were featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. They have the tastiest, most tender BBQ, without a question, and the fact that they have sides you won’t find anywhere else makes this a don’t miss destination. A short drive from anywhere in Kansas City, they are located in Paola, Kansas. Check ‘em out at: www.thebbqshack.com

Stone Creek Consulting is proud to provide marketing consulting and services to The BBQ Shack. If you are looking for a special offer or discount at The BBQ Shack, let us know – we might be able to swing you a deal!

Preston Bowman | No comments

27 Jun 2011

Marketing Perspectives

Religious Expression in the Marketing Arena – Does God Have a place?

I recently answered a question in a LinkedIn group regarding the appropriateness of mixing religion and business. Of course, such a topic elicits strong emotions on both sides of the debate, but I think the answer is fairly simple.

In my opinion the answer is rooted in sincerity and authenticity. We’re all turned off by religion put on for show or to elevate the one who is religious. We are equally turned off by the person who puts on their religious hat when talking to a prospect they find out is religious. Religion for the purpose of making a sale has a certain stench to it.

On the other hand, most of us know someone who is passionate about the impact their beliefs have had on their own life. Someone who has a desire to do everything in a way that honors God and to treat others with kindness and respect are typically a joy to be around. The difference is that their beliefs are inseparable from the person and thus are exhibited as a natural outflow of that person’s interaction with others. Few people are offended by such a genuine, authentic person.

When someone is at the helm of an organization, their desire to USE religion will be amplified and so will the repulsive nature of their hypocrisy. On the contrary, someone who is genuine and authentic will also find their beliefs influencing the mission and objectives of a company, but often with a positive impact that is well received.

2-Minute Action Tip
Whether you are religious, or someone turned off by religion in the workplace, ask yourself this question: When religion enters a business situation, what is motivating the introduction?

If getting “the sale” is driving an attempt by someone else to appeal to (or impress) you by using religion to “make a connection” or prop up a position of trustworthiness, the stink-factor is high. This probably isn’t a relationship that is going to end well. Look elsewhere. If you are the one putting on the show, drop the act – people can smell it a mile away!
If you are someone for whom God is a very real part of your life, don’t hide it and don’t force it! Speak freely and naturally about your life, your values, and your beliefs. Never use God or religious language to impress someone or get you further in business.
If you are put off by any form of religious display in the context of business, and you know someone who speaks freely about their faith and you can sense that they are genuine, consider this: there is great value in mutual respect and each party giving the other room to be who they are. Your relationship will be better for it.

Reading a blog-post won’t help you. Only action can do that.

Preston Bowman | No comments

24 Jun 2011

Marketing Kansas City

Oh Those Difficult Clients! Do You Have One?

Difficult Clients in Marketing I’ve been thinking back through our clients over the past few years. And while most of them have been wonderful to work with, we have had our share of “doozies.” And in talking to other business people, I know that we are all in the same boat when it comes to the “less desirable” client.

So, with a bit of a tongue-in-cheek attitude, let me describe some of these clients. I imagine you will recognize them right away.

1. The Sample Snatcher Client

This type of client always asks for a “sample of your work” up front. And while this is usually not a problem because we all have portfolios, the issue comes when they ask for an original sample that pertains to the problem. You do the work as you would for a paying client, but they aren’t quite convinced. Unfortunately, you just did a job pro-bono!

2. The Magically Disappearing Client

This client looks great in the initial meetings. They like you, and you like them. Your quote was right up their alley, and the project is a great fit for you. But something magical happens a couple of weeks into this project – your contact disappears. They can’t be reached by phone, and your emails and texts go unanswered. You struggle along, doing the best you can without having any of your questions answered. Suddenly, out of the blue, they contact you and want to know why they haven’t seen more progress. They are suddenly unhappy with the timing of your work. With this type of client, you had better be in their head, because that is the only way you will really know what they want!

3. The Sticky Tack Client

This client is the polar opposite of the Magically Disappearing Client. In fact, you find yourself wishing that this client would actually disappear for awhile! This client is needy, insecure and consuming. Every thought that they have is sent your way in an almost real-time stream. They want to share their thoughts as well as get your thoughts on their thoughts. If you aren’t careful with this client, they can quickly suck up your entire day – leaving you unavailable for any of your other clients. And heaven help you if you don’t answer an email or return a call within 10 minutes! They might be bringing in good money to your firm, but you will certainly earn it the hard way!

4. The Slow Bloat Client

This client has a relatively small project. It seems easy and well-defined, so you quote them a low price. Usually somewhere after you have both signed the contract, the project begins to grow and bloat. It’s slow, but you can easily spot it. The client is continually coming back asking for changes (sometimes even changes to the previous changes they had asked for!). And since this all somehow falls within the original quote, you have suddenly moved from a small project to an enormous one – all without being compensated. With this client, even when you are done, you are never really done!

5. The Bargain Basement Client

Unfortunately, we all know this client. No matter what your price, they can always find someone who does it for less. The thing is, usually those who do “it” for less really aren’t doing “it.” They are doing some small version of what you offer, and there is no quality, experience or expertise. But all your client can see is their price vs. your price. This client does not value what you offer, nor do they understand what you bring to their business. On occasion, your client may find a better deal out there than yours. Should you lower your prices to match the competition to gain/keep your client? No. As Jon Jantsch (author of Duct Tape Marketing) says, “Someone out there will always be willing to go out of business faster than you.”

This list could go on and on, but I’ll draw this to a close. And while this brings a smile to our day as we recognize each of these types of clients, they do pose a very real threat to our business. What can we do to avoid these problems?

In a word, EDUCATE. Each of these types of clients can be avoided if we are careful to educate our clients from the very beginning. We outline pricing, communication, scope and commitment. And most of all, we learn upfront their expectations of us, all the while educating them on our expectations of them. It takes time, and unfortunately, a few hard knocks along the way. But with focus and commitment to our education of clients, we can avoid each one of these stereotypes.

Melanie Bowman | 4 comments

22 Jun 2011

Customer Experience Marketing

A Marketing Lesson from the World of BBQ

A Marketing Lesson from the World of BBQ I grew up in North Carolina (the Piedmont is considered the “Birthplace of Barbecue”), and now live in Kansas City, a name almost synonymous with barbecue. Since I absolutely LOVE BBQ from just about anywhere, and my other passion is marketing, it only makes sense that these topics would inevitably come together in a blog post! So here what’s the lesson?

Be Consistently & Definably Different

North Carolina BBQ is vinegar based, while Kansas City (and just about everywhere else) has a tomato-based sauce. NC BBQ is by definition chopped or shredded pork, while KC BBQ is whatever meat you want to smoke and put some sauce on. The reason people are loyal to one kind or another is rooted in consistency. I know when I go to NC that I will get the BBQ I grew up with. I know when I order BBQ in Kansas City, there is not a single restaurant that serves anything close to what you find in NC (though some try), but I’m going to get some amazing ribs, brisket or pork done the awesome KC way. The consistent difference breeds strong loyalty. (My wife and I spent the first year of our marriage arguing about what “real” BBQ is!)

Be sure that the service & product you offer your customers is CONSISTENTLY and DEFINABLY DIFFERENT than the competition and you will build a fanatical following of loyalists.

2-Minute Action Tip

Pop open a text editor.
Pretend you are one of your customers.
Write (in full conversation-style sentences) three things that are definably different about your business.
If you cannot easily come up with at least one, write what you would LIKE your customer to say about you – and then go make the needed changes!

Reading a blog-post won’t help you. Only action can do that.

Preston Bowman | One comment

21 Jun 2011

Business Marketing Consultant • Marketing Strategy Consulting

Marketing to Your Ideal Clients

One of the most useful tools in your marketing tool kit should be an Ideal Client Description. You could spend all of your marketing time, effort and dollars in trying to tell the almost 7 billion people worldwide about your services or products (or if you want to narrow that down a bit – the 311 million people just in the United States)!

But don’t you think that your time and dollars would be better spent sending your message out to those few companies (or clients or customers) who have a specific interest in your organization or product? Or better yet, what about those who have a specific market problem that you know your product or service solves?

This is a major problem that I have seen with most small business owners. They apply the “shotgun” approach to their marketing – hoping that if they shoot wide enough, tell their story loud enough, someone is bound to get it. Most small businesses, however, only need ten or twenty really good clients. Clients that know, like and trust you. Clients that constitute a healthy business relationship – where both parties have responsibilities, needs and goals, and help each other get what they need.

You should have at least one of those clients already. So study them. Put together an Ideal Client Description based on that client or customer. The top three questions you need to be asking are:

1. What are the Basic Characteristics of your Ideal Client?

Start with the name of the firm or individual, their industry, their size, the service or product they purchase and the revenue they have generated for you over the past 3 years.

2. What Problem does your Ideal Client have?

Every business has a problem or a pain point. And to be truly successful, you need to pinpoint that problem and provide specific relief to your client. You will never have a firm foothold until you can solve your client’s problem. And this is a great time to really evaluate what problems you are solving for them. Unfortunately, no matter what you THINK you are selling or providing, it is ultimately the customer who determines what you are selling or providing. You don’t sell goods or services – you sell solutions to problems!

3. How does your Ideal Client Make Decisions?

Do you know what is hard for most small business owners to accept? It really doesn’t matter what you like or dislike. What truly matters is what your target market likes or dislikes. And they will be making their decisions based on that very principal. Talk to your current Ideal Clients – ask them how they came to choose you, and ask them to describe what it is you do for them. I guarantee, it will be eye-opening!

The more information you can compile into this Ideal Client Description, the easier it is to begin to create content on your website, your blogs, and your promotional material that is specifically targeted to this group. One additional benefit to focusing this narrowly is that you will often encounter much less competition. You will have a huge edge over all the other businesses out there who claim to do it all. Your potential clients aren’t fooled by that claim anymore. Once they see that you know and understand their specific problem – and have a great game plan to solve that problem, you are already far ahead of the pack.

And the icing on the cake? Your well-crafted and organized content (especially on the web) can lead qualified visitors right through the sales cycle. They will easily move from Ideal Potential Clients to Ideal Current Clients.

You know, the kind you got into this business to serve?

Melanie Bowman | 2 comments

15 Jun 2011

Customer Experience Marketing • Marketing Perspectives

Remarkable Marketing and the Customer Experience

What do you do that is truly remarkable?

In other words, if I walked into your business and asked you to tell me why I should choose you over your competitor, what would you say?

We have found this to be an extremely interesting question that we ask our marketing consulting clients. We get all sorts of “gray” answers. Anything from “We truly care about our customers” (do you think that your competition truly doesn’t care about their customers?) to “We have a good price” (someone out there will always be willing to undersell themselves faster) to “Um, I really don’t know” (at least they are honest!).

And frankly, if you can’t give me a remarkable reason for doing business with you, chances are, I won’t.

Sometimes I find that business owners get so wrapped up in the day-to-day running of their business that they lose sight of what they do best. And when they lose sight of that one thing that sets them apart from their competition, they lose their ability to show to the world what they have to offer. Every business owner MUST discover and commit to something that allows them to differentiate themselves in the minds of their prospects. To put it simply, you need a Purpose Statement.

A Purpose Statement can also be called a Core Message. This is the one thing that helps drive your business in every aspect. It should not become just a goal – or a saying that goes on your letterhead – but the overriding purpose for everything about your business. It is meant to be the basis for all of your marketing and customer service activity. It is not necessarily your “tag line,” in fact, it is better if it is never communicated to your customers or clients. But it is the driving force behind all decisions that you make.

We are currently working with a restaurant that serves some of the best barbecue in the Midwest (and, as you can imagine, Kansas City has some pretty stiff competition in that area). We have helped this business owner begin to think through what sets him apart from his competition – and what he is truly passionate about. It takes time to drill down to a Core Message. We weren’t content to stop at “I make great BBQ” – that actually is very subjective. One person may think it is the best, and another person may favor the competition. We kept asking him for more: “What makes you different than your competition? What do your customers say they like about your restaurant? Why should I choose you over the BBQ joint that is down the street from my house?” What did we land on? His consistency. This restaurant is consistent in every aspect of the dining experience. From the great BBQ, to the awesome sides, to the friendly staff – every time someone steps foot in that restaurant, they know what their experience is going to be like. Now that he knows his Core Message, it drives every decision he makes. This helps him decide on the type of pork he is going to purchase, the kind of server he is going to hire, even the style of music that will be played in the restaurant.

So now it’s up to you. You’ve got to decide – and then communicate – what you do better than every other business that does what you do. You’ve got to find a way to stand out in the mind of your current and prospective customers and clients. Get that Core Message down, and don’t stray from it!

Melanie Bowman | No comments

07 Jun 2011

Internet Marketing

Do not hire an Internet Marketing Expert

Sheesh. Everyone’s an expert these days. Just finding a web design or marketing company who’s website does not claim they are “experts” in online marketing is nearly impossible.

Why should you NOT hire an Internet Marketing expert? Because there are very few “experts” in such a new field.

Marketing online is still in it’s infancy. The rules are still being written.

So you need help? How do you pick someone who truly understands what has the most likelihood of succeeding today?

Here are five tips:

1. Everyone claims to be an expert. Ask them point-blank, “What makes you an expert?” and listen carefully. Don’t take the claim at face value. An expert will be able to demonstrate their expertise through knowledge and track-record.

2. Successful Internet Marketing takes time. Lots of time. Anyone who claims to be able to get you results in a short amount of time or without significant time investment every week over a long period of time (6-12 months) is disillusioned or lying. Believe me, you will be frustrated in short order, both with your results and with your wasted dollars.

3. Even the best “expert” at SEO, or Social Media engagement will have limited results if their focus is on one element of online marketing. Successful online campaigns must be comprehensive, encompassing SEO, extensive content creation, offer creation, lead nurturing, measuring of results, and proof of ROI. Settle for nothing less and you are likely to see success.

4. Don’t hire someone who spends most of their sales meeting time with you talking about what they are going to do (task-focused). Hire the company that listens to your goals, demonstrates for you that they understand them, and explains how their efforts can contribute strongly toward reaching those goals. If your potential marketing company does not show you how they will measure results and how they will bring a return on your investment, don’t hire.

5. Ask them what makes them different from all of the other companies claiming to be experts. If they cannot demonstrate for you that their track record, or their methodology, or their guarantee, or their staff, or SOMETHING is something few other companies have, keep looking.

Finding a company that are true experts can be difficult. While they can be found, do your homework and ask the right questions. It will save you a lot of wasted time and money if you find the right company the first time around.