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Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru 
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Posts Tagged ‘entrepreneurs’Reverse the Risk and Explode Your ProfitsOctober 23rd, 2011 Jim Palmer: The Newsletter Guru Hi All! The following guest blog post is courtesy of Jim Palmer who is internationally known as The Newsletter Guru. Jim is the premier go-to resource for maximizing the profitability of customer relationships. So without further delay, let’s jump into his informative article, “Reverse the Risk and Explode Profits”: I have a question for you. Why don’t more of your customers or prospects buy from you? If your answer is “because of price,” you’re probably wrong. I coach a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and when our discussion turns to reasons for not buying, invariably the excuse is price. “My customers don’t say ‘yes’ more often because of price.” In reality, customers don’t say “yes” more often because of skepticism, or lack of trust or perceived value. It’s what Zig Ziglar emphasizes as one of the five obstacles to a sale: no trust. Lack of trust is probably the biggest obstacle between your company and a sale. It’s rarely price. The reason more of your customers or prospects don’t buy from you is that you haven’t done enough to build your customers’ trust in your products or services. Why the 30- or 60- or 90-Day Warranty Is Not Enough! You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, usually at the worst possible moment. Well, there’s another variation of that, and it goes like this: The product will cease working exactly one day after the warranty expires. Enough of us have had that exact experience that it lends credence to the veracity of the law. We all take those 30- or 60- or 90-day warranties with a grain of salt. It makes us skeptical consumers. Your customers are no different. They’re wondering, “What if it doesn’t work? What happens when it fails? What if I don’t get the result I was expecting?” They may be on the fence about buying from you. You’ve done a lot to move them to consider buying from you, but they’re thinking, “Yeah, I kind of like it. It sounds like it will solve my problem. I think the price is fair, but what if . . . ?” Get rid of the “what if,” and you can close the deal. It’s easy to do. Easy? Yup. All you have to do is reverse the risk. Risk reversal means that you, the business owner, assume all the risks associated with purchasing the product (or service), so it’s going to work to your customers’ satisfaction. If they’re on the decision fence and have nothing to lose, they’re going to buy. Let’s be clear—square one is that you must offer a high-quality product or service. That’s a given. It’s a no-brainer. Some of my coaching clients assure me that they do (and I believe them), and then they go on to tell me about their 30- or 60- or 90-day guarantee. That sort of offer simply makes people skeptical because we’ve all been burned by that warranty version of Murphy’s Law. What happens after 30 days? What happens after 60 or 90 days? When prospects wonder about that, they’re going to be hesitant to buy. You haven’t gotten them over the trust hurdle. The L.L. Bean Approach: “Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory.” As the story goes, a woman returned a pair of boots after fifteen years because the sole had worn out. She thought they should have lasted longer. They were replaced, no questions asked. That’s a rocksolid, stand-behind-your-product guarantee. A super strong guarantee shows that you are supremely confident in your belief that your products and services do what you say they are going to do. It should be paramount in whatever you sell in the first place. So if that’s true, and if you are supremely confident, then give an ironclad guarantee. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain—sales and higher profits. Your ironclad guarantee is just what your customers need to increase their trust and lose their fear of risk. When they have nothing to fear and nothing to lose, they have no reason not to buy. Your super strong guarantee needs a few things to really make it work. First, it has to have a specific name, and when possible, the name of your guarantee should be associated with the benefit of your product and the degree to which you back it up. Second, it needs a specific logo. A lot of entrepreneurs use a seal in conjunction with their guarantees, and that image resonates with customers. It’s like the Good Housekeeping “Seal of Approval.” That seal, and the guarantee behind it, have been around for more than one hundred years. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tests products and only offers the seal on those that pass its strict standards. It’s an ironclad, rock-solid guarantee. Consumers know they can rely on the product if it has the seal. They can trust it! Jim Palmer is internationally known as The Newsletter Guru, the go-to resource for maximizing the profitability of customer relationships. Jim is also the acclaimed author of The Magic of Newsletter Marketing – The Secret to More Profits and Customers for Life and also Stick Like Glue – How to Create an Everlasting Bond with Your Customers So They Stay Longer, Spend More, and Refer More, and The Fastest Way to Higher Profits – 19 Immediate Profit-Enhancing Strategies You Can Use Today. Learn more about Jim and all his programs at: www.NewsletterGuru.TV.
 Ways to Improve, and Generate Income From, Your BlogSeptember 04th, 2010 Order This Great e-Book for Only $9.99! Hi All! Are you a small business owner or entrepreneur struggling with how to make your blog better for business building? Or, do you want to start a blog but a bit overwhelmed about how to do it…and how to do it effectively? Or, are you trying to figure out ways to generate income online with your blog? Many new clients who come to me fall into one of those categories. So if that describes you, I recommend picking up this terrific e-book (it’s only $9.99!): “A Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Blog” by Kiesha Easley, founder of WeBlogBetter.com. In this info-packed guide, she covers strategies and tips for people who already have a blog but want to improve their content, traffic, and features (like what powerful plug-ins you should add). But there is also great info for beginners who don’t have a blog and are seeking guidance about how to start one–easily and effectively. I picked-up a copy of the guide and found it to be very helpful. Heck, for only $10 bucks, why not??? Also, for those of you who have a blog already, or when you get one started, be sure to read this article: 5 Sensible Ways to Monetize Your Blog by Evelyn Parham. I’ve tweeted this link and shared it on my Fan Page. It is a GREAT article with quick and easy tips about how you can actually make some extra money from your blog. Read it!!! If you pick-up a copy of the e-book, and read the article I mentioned, you will definitely benefit from the tips you’ll learn. We bloggers, newbies or experienced, spend quite a bit of time on our blogs, so personally I find it worthwhile to learn as much as I can to improve mine. It’s an on-going process and there’s always new strategies to check out…good luck! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Queen of Twitter Shares Social Media Tips for Small Business OwnersAugust 01st, 2010Hi All! Are you curious to know what it takes to get 70,000 (yes, I wrote 70,000) followers on Twitter? Are you interested in knowing basic tips that can potentially generate an increase in traffic to your website of over 5000%? Then you need to know about the fabulous Jessica Northey! She is pushing 70k followers and she has helped some of her clients see an increase in their web traffic by that gigantic percentage using Twitter as the driver. Jessica recently wrote a quick-hit list of around 30 tips that can help small business owners, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs (such as: coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers and authors) have more success using Social Media in their overall Marketing Plan. And she gave me the thumbs-up to share 15 of those tips here…and, sure, you may already know some of them. But, you may not. And unless you’re totally content with the amount of followers you have, and you’re totally happy with your web traffic numbers, keep reading! But before we jump into the tips, just who IS this Queen of Twitter on the verge of hitting a mega amount of 70k followers? Well, aside from being a Social Media Expert who is contributing a chapter to my new book due out this fall, “The Promote U Guru Guide to Branding and Marketing”, Jessica has 20 years of experience in the Media industry, including Television, Radio, Internet and Print sales, as well as being an on-air personality. Now, as The SocialMediologist, she is known for being able to create complete successful marketing campaigns and bridge partnerships. Plus, she is the Associate Editor and Social Media Expert for the popular entertainment industry blog, FullThrottleCountry.com. In her weekly column, Finger Candy Friday, she offers advice and opinions on social media trends and topics. So what are 15 of the 30’ish quick tips she advises? Here you go: 1. Set a strategy for Social Media optimization and be consistent. Nothing looks worse than months without activity! 2. Take advantage of the free applications like ping.fm to streamline your Social Media efforts. 3. Don’t forget the blog! It is such a great way to control your own content & establish yourself as an authority in your industry! 4. Think of Social Media like you were scheduling radio commercials. When is your target audience listening? 5. Don’t spray and pray. Narrow your message to your target audience. 6. Connecting with other people should be your number one goal. 7. Educate yourself and understand how your target audience uses Social Media. 8. Don’t put all your “eggs” in one basket. Diversify your Social Media efforts and use multiple platforms. 9. Add Social Media Platform Participation links to Business cards, letterhead, vehicle wrap, Broadcast and Print Media. 10. On Twitter, register with wefollow.com & twellow.com and use to find people w/similar interests to get social with. 11. Define your goals and manage your own expectations. 12. Don’t get caught up in the Social Media drama & try to stay connected to positive people. 13. Budget at least half an hour a day to Social Media efforts. 14. Download Tweetdeck, Seismic or Twitterific for a better understanding of how to use Social Media platforms to their full potential. 15. Use Social Media to have discussions w/followers. Ask them for feedback and see what they want! CLICK HERE TO READ THE FINAL 15! And don’t miss the last 15 tips…she shares names and links to tools to support and improve your social media marketing efforts. Want even MORE great tips to build your personal brand or business brand awareness, increase traffic to your website, and drive your target audience to your social media communities? Then also be sure to CLICK HERE to access my YouTube Channel! View short “how to” videos loaded with marketing, PR, social media, book marketing, and branding tips. Thanks for the great info, Jessica 🙂 And to all of you… Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa I’m Conducting a Teleseminar Series in June: Branding, PR/Publicity and Social MediaMay 08th, 2010Hi All! This is a blog post for a bit of self-promotion. Hey! I gotta spread the word, right?? Here’s info about the really cool teleseminar series I’m doing in June…pulled from a Press Release I’m sending out to promote them: Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru, is conducting three teleseminars in June for small business owners, entrepreneurs, speakers, industry experts, and authors who want to build their brand awareness and increase sales. The three teleseminar topics are: Brand Building, PR & Publicity, and Social Media. Each one will provide attendees with tips, strategies and advice they can implement immediately, even on a tight budget. The Promote U Business Building Teleseminar Series will be conducted in June 2010, and the dates are: Promote U Through Brand Building, June 8th; Promote U Thru PR & Publicity, June 11th; and Promote U Thru Social Media, June 16th. Each teleseminar is from 10:00 am to 11:00 am PST. And, because these are teleseminars, attendees can attend from anywhere from their phone. Internet and computer access are not required. The event website with details of each teleseminar: PromoteUGuru.com/teleseminars “Lisa knows her stuff and so much fun to work with! I can’t believe how much she has improved my brand positioning, sales, marketing and social media strategies, and PR efforts,” shares one Orrell client, Karin Piper, Author of Charter Schools: The Ultimate Handbook for Parents. “So I can tell you the content she’ll offer in these teleseminars is going to be very helpful…no fluff!” The upcoming teleseminar series is being sponsored by: PersonalBrandingBlog.com, WeMeUs.com and 428Designs.com. And the cost to attend individual teleseminars is $29, or people can choose to attend all 3 for a special package price of $69. “Prior to launching my Promote U Guru business, I ran an award-winning ad agency in Silicon Valley for 20 years. So I have been helping larger companies with branding, marketing, PR and social media for a long time. But now I focus on working with small business owners and individuals, and my vast experience benefits them immensely,” explains Lisa Orrell, a Branding Expert, Marketing Consultant and Business Coach. “Plus, aside from being a business owner for over 20 years, I’m the author of 2 books and a professional speaker myself. So I understand the challenges of those individuals who are trying to promote their books, build a brand platform for speaking, and/or who are trying to grow their small business (in any industry).” Based on her 2 decades of business and marketing experience, Orrell has been interviewed by, or written articles for, a wide variety of media, including: ABC, MSNBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, WomenEntrepreneur.com, U.S. News & World Report, The Silicon Valley Business Journal, China’s Her World magazine (for professional business women), PersonalBrandingBlog.com, BNET.com, and countless others. I hope to see you in my “virtual” classroom for 1, 2 or all 3 of my teleseminars! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa 2010 Social Media Marketing Report Answers How Companies Are Using Social Media to Increase BusinessApril 21st, 2010Hi All, An in-depth (free!) Special Report was just released by Michael A. Stelzner, Executive Editor of Social Media Examiner. It’s entitled: “2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses”. But don’t let the word “marketers” deter you! In this context it simply means ANYONE responsible for the branding and marketing of their business. So whether you’re a speaker, author, small business owner with ANY type of company, or entrepreneur, you will benefit from the info in this Special Report. AGAIN…this is NOT a document just for marketing experts seeking recent statistics and strategies! Here is a brief overview about it and why you should check out this FREE Special Report: Have any of these questions crossed your mind? “How much time do my peers invest in social media marketing? What benefits are they achieving? Where will they focus their efforts in the future?” If you’ve pondered any of these thoughts, look no further. All the answers are right here in this free report. To understand how marketers are using social media, Social Media Examiner commissioned the 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. We set out to uncover the “who, what, where, when and why” of social media marketing with this report. A significant 1900 of your peers provided the type of valuable insight you won’t find elsewhere. In this free report you’ll discover:
If you’re in charge of marketing for your business, you’ll want to closely analyze the pages of this report and use it to persuade others. This is FREE and filled with 33-pages of great info! Enjoy! Lisa PART TWO: Your A-Z Guide of Social Media and Business CommunicationMarch 22nd, 2010Hi All!  Susan Young, President of Get in Front Communications, Inc. The following post is a Part Two of a Guest Article courtesy of the wonderful Susan Young! Here’s a reminder about “who” she is: Susan works with professionals who want to supercharge their communication skills, self-confidence and success. She’s the President of Get in Front Communications, Inc., a public relations and communications training company. Susan provides presentations and coaching on sales, Reading Body Language, Emotional Intelligence, public speaking, Social media and news. Visit www.getinfrontblogging.com andwww.getinfrontcommunications.com. Follow Susan on Twitter @sueyoungmedia. Here is PART TWO of her Guest Post which explains her tips N-Z… The way you communicate in your business relationships is directly tied to your revenues, reputation and success. Of course Social Media and technology are forcing us to set new rules, boundaries and etiquette. Here are the ABC’s of Outstanding Social Media and Business Communication: N is for notice the little things. Someone may Tweet or post a message about their birthday, the flu or their upcoming presentation. A few quick words wishing them good luck, or asking about the topic of their workshop helps build relationships. People appreciate being recognized. O is for own it. Be passionate about what you do. Your enthusiasm will leak into all of your spoken and written words. Friends, Followers and Connections will pick up on this immediately. If you don’t own it and love it, it’s time to re-asssess what you’re doing, and why. P is for professional. Use your profiles, posts and messages in professional ways. Present yourself online to prospects, clients and the world as a top-notch pro who walks the walk and talks the talk. This should be evident in all of your Social Media communication. It must be congruent with your traditional marketing materials, website, articles, and press releases. Q is for quit trying to sell. If you post a link that offers tips, make sure it leads to a page with the information you promised, not a sales pitch to buy your book or register for a webinar to get the tips. R is for rapport. Connect with people through your blog, posts, links, articles, e-zines and videos. Give them an opportunity to get acquainted with you. Developing friendships online is similar to real-life friendships. You connect with some people immediately and others take more time. There are a few you will never click with. That’s ok. Go for quality not quantity. S is for sharing. Share your expertise, insights, wisdom and assistance. That’s what the community of Social Media is all about. Be willing to donate the seeds of your intellectual capital, knowing you are building a brand and reputation that will eventually take root. In other words, share your smarts but don’t expect an instant Return-On-Investment. T is for thank you. Express your gratitude and thanks to others who provide helpful information, share your messages, posts and Tweets with their circles, and comment on your blog or Linked In questions. U is for use everything that’s available. Don’t get nervous. You don’t have to use all of the applications, gadgets, downloads and software at the same time and right now. Commit to learning a new technology or program and build from that. Use these tools to your advantage as you grow your business and online presence. V is for visuals. Social Media is interactive. There are different ways that people learn and communicate. Use a broad approach to include various styles and age groups. You can post an E-brochure on your site which allows people to see and hear your style and approach. You can record a video blog or podcast. Get creative! W is for write with clarity. Whether you are writing a white paper, a short blog post or a question on Linked In, use language that is clear, concise and compelling. X is for the “X-Ray Approach.” In order to effectively communicate and relate to people, you’ll need to get inside their heads and emotions. Read their materials, listen to their seminars and ask good questions. You’ll soon be able to diagnose their pain (challenge) and determine if your products and services will be the cure. Y is for yell if you need any help. People love to help. Periodically toss out your questions or challenges to the crowd and allow them to connect with you. Tap into their experiences, ideas and resources to help with your learning curve. Z is for zany. Sure I talk about being professional and sharing your personality, but you can let your hair down in a zany and fun way. For example, on Christmas, my blog post was titled “Santa’s Communication Pitfalls.” On Halloween, I blogged about “Scary Customer Service.” Maybe it’s not totally zany, put you get the picture. It’s ok to have fun! Communicating online requires us to write the line, walk the line, read between the lines and often tow the line. Are you up for it? It can be as easy as A-B-C. Thank you, Susan! Loved your Two Part article and I appreciate your support! Lisa Do You Know How to Pitch the Media Your Ideas? These Tips Can Help!March 09th, 2010Hi All! I work with my clients (small business owners, entrepreneurs, speaker and authors) a lot on formulating “story” ideas to pitch the media (radio, tv, magazines, newspaper, blogs) as part of our PR and brand building strategies. Prior to working with me, many of them have either never done media pitching, OR they have sent general info out like: “I’m a small business owner who owns a flower shop, interview me!” (and they wonder why they never get call backs). The key to pitching the media for publicity is giving them easy-to-digest “nuggets” that will benefit their target audience. GIVE THEM the article/segment idea, don’t give them “general” info and hope they’ll think of a reason to interview you. Even on a tight marketing budget, here are 3 solid tips that can get you publicity: TIP ONE: Make sure the media you pitch actually reaches the target audience YOU want to reach! Sounds like common sense, but…I have one client who spent tons of time issuing press releases and ideas to media contacts and when I looked at his list, only about 50% were even worthwhile. If you’re a corporate Executive Coach, don’t waste your time pitching ideas to the “morning zoo” Top 40 radio stations that primarily reach young people between 14-21 years old! TIP TWO: Create a compelling segment/story idea. Let’s say you’re a divorce attorney who wants to get media coverage for yourself and your practice. An angle could be: Is your wife cheating on you? 4 ways to tell. Or if you’re a financial advisor, an angle could be: Is your current retirement strategy really working? 3 ways to tell. The media loves “quick hit tips” segments and articles, so approach them with this type of strategy. And the “posing a question” will grab a producer’s or guest booker’s attention. TIP THREE: FOLLOW UP! Sure, if you have a media contact’s email, you can start by sending your idea that way. But you’ll typically have to follow up with a phone call because producer’s or (editor’s of mags and newspapers) get swamped with media pitches. HOWEVER, if you have a decent (or great!) idea, the squeaky wheel approach helps. Don’t just send one email or make on phone call and let it go. Sometimes 3-4 follow ups are required to get the yes/no answer you are seeking. Okay! Start thinking of your media pitch ideas and start pitching!! These tips have gotten me interviews on ABC, MSNBC, TIME, WSJ, NPR and many others! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Why Doing Your Own Small Biz PR Can Hurt Your CompanyFebruary 17th, 2010Hi All! I know that budget is an issue for most small business owners, so it forces them to assume the role of Director of Marketing for their own companies. But, and I can say this with authority after having worked with hundreds of companies, their results are normally dismal. Why? Because! Unless you have a strong marketing background, you won’t do it well. And ultimately the time, effort and money you spend will be more than if you had hired a seasoned professional to help you. The speakers, authors, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who come to me, have typically spent endless amounts of their valuable time and money trying to market themselves effectively…and they are totally frustrated by the time I hear from them. It’s at that point that they “get it”, and see the value in what a 20-year professional like me (and others) offers. To that point, I came across this great article today on American Express’s OpenForum.com website, entitled “Think Twice Before Doing Your Own Small Biz PR”, written by Steve Viuker. Here’s an excerpt: Should you be your own PR person? Many small businesses might think that doing their own PR is a good cost-cutting decision; however, the real cost might be to your business’s success. To a degree, you can do it yourself — but amidst all the demands of running your own company, hiring someone else with real experience to take care of your publicity might be the better option. While saving money by doing it yourself is appealing, Linda Alexander of Alexander Marketing. says, “Most people are too busy running their companies to spend the hours required for research, pitching and follow up.” “When you’re sick do you go on the Internet to cure yourself, or do you see a doctor?” asks David Grant of LVM group. “PR is not as simple as it looks, and we know journalists and their deadlines. That is vital in promoting a client.” (Grant was a former journalist, as are many people in the PR business). Click here to read the whole article! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Blog for Entrepreneurs Seeking Branding, Marketing, and PR TipsJanuary 26th, 2010Hi All! Welcome to my blog. For 20 years I owned an award-winning marketing agency in Silicon Valley where I developed brand platforms and marketing strategies for some of the biggest names in technology (Sony, SanDisk, HP and many others). Now, as the Promote U Guru, I offer all my knowledge and expertise to small business owners, entrepreneurs, authors and speakers. As a Publicist, Marketing Consultant, and Business Coach, I offer a unique blend of real-world experience to my clients. Have I written books? yes, I’ve written 2. Have I owned a business? Yes, I have been self employed for over 20 years. Have I had to launch and create a brand platform for myself? Yes, on several ocassions. So, I know what it takes. I’ve been in the trenches. And my clients benefit because of it. I encourage you to follow my blog…I’ll post guest blogs from other marketing experts, as well as offer helpful info about book writing, brand building, social media and much more. You can also follow me on Twitter for great tips and resources: @PromoteUGuru. I look forward to meeting you online or in-person…and helping you achieve the success you want. No hype. Just results. Cheers! Lisa |
