Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!

 

I hope you had a wonderful 2012 and your business made the progress and growth that you were expecting.  I also hope that 2013 will be an even better year for you, your business and your family.

 

If there is anything that I can do to help you grow your business, please contact me at

647-287-0320, info@fitforbusiness.ca .

 

Have a safe and happy holidays!

 

Cheryl., Fit For Business

 

 

No Dollars Marketing Tips

No Dollars Marketing Tips

Would you like some ideas on how to market your business without spending any money or very little money?  Send me an email to register for my free newsletter and get a copy of "No Dollars Marketing" Tips - info@fitforbusiness.ca

step 1 - target market - knowing 3 or 4 things about your target market will not give you enough info to market effectively and appropriately.  List at least 20 things about your target market - now you know them well enough to figure out how to get their attention without spending huge amounts of money.

step 2 - read the tip sheet and pick two items that you can implement within the next week.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca
647-287-0320

Easy Phone Calls

Easy Phone Calls

What a crazy title - easy phone calls?  How can phone calls be easy when you are so nervous?

Whether you are making cold calls to introduce your business, calling to book an appointment or calling to close the sale - all calls can be tough to make.  Here are some tips to make them easier:

1 - prepare a script for any out-going calls
a) one for voicemail
b) one for a live person if the call goes well
c) one for a live person if the call is tough

2 - review your target market
a) what do you know about the person you are calling?
b) what do you know about similar people / businesses?

3 - is there a chance they could have some objections?
a) list the objections
b) prepare a positive response to the objection (your come-back)

4 - email or mail them something to introduce your business or your proposal

5 - schedule a timeslot to make calls so you are not rushed

6 - be dressed professionally

7 - take a big breathe

8 - dial the phone
a) identify yourself but be friendly  Good afternoon, This is Cheryl from Fit For Business.  How are you today?
b) ask if it is a good time to talk for a minute or two
c) follow your script
d) find out if they received your email

9 - listen!  listen! listen!  Even though you want to follow your script be very careful to listen to the person on the other end of the line and your call will go much better.

10 - track your results
a) what phrases seemed to work well
b) what objections did they have?
c) what follow-up is needed?

Remember that if you can talk to 100 people in your target market that you should be able to close at least one sale so just get busy and start the calls.

If you want some help preparing your scripts or practicing, then call Cheryl Rankin, Fit For Business at 647-287-0320.

Web-sites and SEO

Web-sites and SEO

Many people get very focused on SEO - search engine optimization.  Well if I send 1000 people to a store that is not ready to serve them then the store will not get any sales.  If I send 1000 people to your website - is it ready to help them or not?

Here is the check list that I use in my consultations when we review websites and decide whether or not they are ready for SEO.

1 - number of calls - does your website convert visitors into calls? (content related)

2 - will a stranger who visits your website ever call?  For some industries it is extremely rare for brand new contacts to follow through on calls.

3 - is there a safe next step for the website visitors?

            free review

            coffee
            sign up for newsletter
            articles or handouts
            templates (budget)
            workshop / seminar

4 - do the words and messages on your website match your target market?

5 - back links - the more back links the higher your ranking on search engines; backlinks that are on an all advertising type website are not as useful but still help a bit.  Use free business listings to help in this area.

6 - key words -- what do your prospects search?

7 - how many people are searching for you/your business?

 

To have your website reviewed and updates, call Cheryl Rankin, Fit For Business at 647-287-0320.

Social media - waste of time for marketing?

Social Media Marketing is a waste of time!

Social media can be a huge time out of your day and it could be just a big waste of your efforts. 

Based on my observations and marketing experience - many business owners make the following mistakes -

1 - way too many personal updates that your clients do not want to know

2 - over sell - just posting advertisements and messages to buy from you
3 - post the same thing in every spot that they can so people who happen to follow them in multiple spots or are in some of the same groups get the same email 3 or 4 times in a row.
4 - always posting at the same time of day so the exact same people see your message
5 - posting topics that have nothing to do with your business or your target market -- just posting because they are neat quotes or pictures.
6 - using industry jargon that none of your target market understands
7 - no contact info in the profile so that people can easily contact you if they want to buy from you
8 - only spending time and effort online and not marketing anywhere else
9 - target market is never online and all messages are worded specifically for them
10 - trying to run the company from behind your computer

If you would like to ensure that your time and effort on social media is not a waste but a productive and useful piece of your marketing then contact Cheryl Rankin at 647-287-0320 to arrange for a consultation.

1 hour business consultation - $100 plus tax

1 hour  social media / phone consultation - $50 plus tax

Cheryl Rankin

Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca
647-287-0320
info@fitforbusiness.ca

 

 

Google Ad Words

Google Ad Words

Trying to use pay per click can be like shooting darts in the dark if you do not do a bit of planning and track your results.

1 - confirm what services your business offers
2 - confirm what makes you better than the competition
3 - confirm who your target market is
4 - create a list of words / phrases that they would type into a search engine when they are looking for your type of service
5 - adding a defining word could decrease your cost for leads and make you stand out in a smaller list of suppliers
* fitness centre - large cost, large list of supplier and large list of leads
* women's fitness centre - lower cost, smaller list of supplier and more accurate list of leads
6 - create at least two different ads
7 - compare cost per click to the number of people offering that service -- it may be worth attracting a smaller list of leads but a much smaller list of suppliers
8 - try it

Track your results
1 - how many clicks did you pay for to get a phone call or email?
2 - what words / phrases got the best results for you?
3 - an ad with poor results should be shelved and not used
4 - an ad that gets results should be used again
5 - create a new ad

To work on your keywords for your website or google ad words, call Cheryl Rankin at 647-287-0320.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca
6472-87-0320
info@fitforbusiness.ca

Time To Grow

Now is the time to grow your business.  Here are some tips to get you focused and make better use of your time.

1 - put enough time into the business to have results --- one hour a week for 20 weeks does not produce the same results as 20 hours in one week.
2 - have a consistent schedule for certain parts of your business like phone calls, follow up and admin
3 - have a plan for your activities for the next week, month and year
4 - a written schedule for the week increases productivity
5 - have written goals
6 - know what you need to do to achieve your goals -- i fyou need to make 100 phone calls to get one sale then figure out how to make 100 phone calls
7 - get organized with your schedule but also get organzied with all of your business cards and paperwork -- do not waste time searching for stuff
8 - the tip that will make the biggest difference -- track everything
a) track what you do each day and how much time it takes
b) track your results for your efforts
c) track your costs
d) track your process so you know what works
9 - document your systems that work and use them
10 - get excited about your business activities and get them done

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca
647-287-0320
info@fitforbusiness.ca

Stressless Sales

Stressless Sales -

Sales calls and closing sales tend to be very stressful for most people.  Follow these guidelines and decrease your sales stress, while increasing your closing ratio.

1 - confirm that your price is appropriate based on your costs; competition and your experience
2 - be 100% confident that you have the correct price -- can you hold out your hand and ask for the price without hesitation?  If not then go back to step 1
3 - identify what your hot lead / absolutely perfect prospect looks like
4 - screen your prospects so that the only prospects that get large amounts of your time or the expensive marketing materials and the hot leads.  Prospects coule be sorted into hot leads, future leads, new contacts, possible referral sources and great resources.
5 - rank your hot leads by readiness to buy
* do they need your product or service within 45 days?
* do they have enough money to pay for your product or service?
* do they know they need your product or service?
* do they know about your company yet?
6 - Make a minimum of 15 outgoing calls / personal emails a day
* 5 calls are to people in the hot leads category
* 5 calls are to people in the future leads category
* 5 calls are to people in the new contacts, possible referral sources and great resources categories
7 - track all calls
8 - take notes for any and all conversations that you have
9 - make a note of when to call that person again
* 1 week / 1 month / 3 months / 6 months or even one year
* your conversation will give you the best guideance on when to call again

Calls
- identify what problem you can solve
- tell them about a success story that problably matches their story
- confirm their need
- confirm you can solve their problem
- give them timelines on when the problem will be solved

Meeting
- repeat the steps noted for calls but in more detail
- be sure to create a connection with your client (chit chat can be personal or business in order to create the connection and start the business relationship)

Ask for the sale

Get a signed agreement or send an email to confirm the agreement
Get a deposit if necessary

To improve your closing ratios for sales calls and to decrease your stress, call for a one on one meeting with Cheryl Rankin, Fit For Business or sign up for the next "Shape Up Your Sales" workshop.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca
647-287-0320
info@fitforbusiness.ca

No Dollars Marketing Workshop

Two great workshops to help small business owners grow their business.

Discover how you can use social media to LEARN new skills, SHARE ideas, and EXPAND your network to enhance your business, career, and social life!

9:00am - Social Media Made Simple - with Authorized Local Expert Trainer Jim Pagiamtzis
10:00am- No Dollars Marketing with Cheryl  Rankin Fit for Business for some great marketing tips and hints on how to attract your clients spending little or no money.
$27 at the door but no charge if you register through me - info@fitforbusiness.ca

For details - call Cheryl 647-287-0320.

Longbranch Coworking
3299 LakeShore Blvd W.
Toronto, Ontario

http://www.meetup.com/Entrepreneur-Speed-Networking/events/66356432/

Business Connection Exchange

Business Connection Exchange - BCX

BCX is my favourite networking group because
- one time fee of $100
- meeting fee reflects the meal that you are served
- I get some new clients.
- I get to meet some new contacts.
- I have found suppliers that I trust.
- I have helped connect other people to resources and clients.
- I get a listing on the website.
- People really try to help me even if they can not give me a client.
- I learn about great business books.
- I learn about some amazing events.
- They organize some events and I meet more new contacts.
- I can talk to other business owners about my challenges.
Thanks to BCX I have been in business just under 7 years and my business continues to grow.

www.businessconnectionexchange.ca

Create an event

Create an event - not sure how to generate some excitment for your business then consider creating an event. 
- have a sale for a day / week / month
- host a customer appreciation event
- have an open house
- create a larger event that other business owners come and invite their contacts (a fitness centre hosting a health fair)
- create a charity event that you are the main sponsor / organizer
It does not matter if you run your business from your home or an office; whether you sell products or services - you can create and event to generate some excitment for your business.

To get help creating your event, call Cheryl Rankin, Fit For Business at 647-287-0320.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
info@fitforbusiness.ca
www.fitforbusiness.ca
Twitter - fitforbusiness
Linked in - Cheryl Rankin
Facebook - Cheryl Rankin

Marketing That Works

Tired of wasting marketing money?

1 - Stop and redo your notes about who your target market is. Write down 20 details about your target market.
2 - Find at least 3 marketing samples from your competition - could be a printed ad, booth at an event or even radio ad
3 - Track all of your marketing - 100 phone calls turned into 3 meetings; one newsletter gave you 1 meeting; one networking event gave you a new referral source,etc
4 - Evaluate all opportunities - even the best marketing deal could be wrong for your business. You save money but it did not get to your target market so it was wasted.
5 - Can you team up with anyone who has the same target market and create a package to sell together?

Call Cheryl at Fit For Business for a free introductory session. 647-287-0320.

Business Sales

Business Sales tend to be the lifeline of your business. No sales then you have no business.

To boost your sales for your business (new or experienced):
1. Be pro-active - make 5 new calls out today
2. Send out a group email (blind copy) to at least 25 people
3. Attend an event this week that has business owners or your target market
4. Check up on one business that is competition - what are they doing sales / marketing-wise?
5. Write down your sales process - what steps do new clients have to take in order to buy from you? Do they have to try something on? Do they need to read statistics? Do they need a coffeee meeting? Do they need to receive 3 newsletters?
6. Be confident that at least 1 out of the next 5 sales pitches that you do will turn into a client so any rejections just get you closer to a sale.

Fit For Business is hosting a sales workshop on Feb 16th. Check out www.fitforbusinesssales.eventbrite.com for details.