Winston's e-Newsletter - 3 March 2009

How do you promote your expertise?
Pain free public speaking
Here's something you always wanted to know!
No more one-night stands
Service: a key to business success
Another commercial

 

How do you promote your expertise?

About 5 years ago I read a full page article in the Australian Financial Review. And what was this article about? One person! Her name? Arlene Normand and she was known as "Arlene, The Diet Queen".

Well, that's not bad positioning is it for somebody who is in the diet business, or rather the weight loss business? The whole article focused on Arlene, her business and what she had achieved.

And what about this for the opening to the story? "Look under a stone in Sydney's eastern suburbs and you will find someone who goes to Arlene Normand. In the past 10 years, she has become a legend among Sydney's' well-to-do. She's the dietician to the baby boomers, and when they talk about her, you often hear the trepidation in their voices. Some can't live without her, some are so afraid they've never been back. Many have heard the stories and are mustering the courage to go. Tell an Arlene anecdote at a dinner party and you'll be amazed at how many at the table are closet clients, says Norman Swan of Radio National's Health Report."

Lots more nice lines in the article like "She is the formidable dietician who gets the results. Her secret, scare the client."

There was even a box with Arlene's 10 commandments about weight loss in this full page article. Do you read me? A full page!

Now, what did that make Arlene? A legend in other people's minds… and for the right audience too. You see, the readers of the Financial Review are obviously the ideal client for her. They can afford her and they eat well so they need to lose weight.

So how did this happen? It just wasn't an accident but however it happened there was a great article published about her. Now, maybe that story got into the Australian Financial Review because one of the journalists was a client, or liked what she did or maybe it came through a PR company. Maybe Arlene did it herself, but however it happened, the story got printed.

But there's more to being a legend than that. And what are some of the things that this article demonstrates? Well, first of all, she's become known as "the Diet Queen" in her area. It nicely sums up what she does and positions her at the top of the pecking order. After all, you don't get a better ranking than "queen" do you?

So, in your business, are you known as "The King of …" or the expert or the authority or the specialist, and if you're not, who is? The position is probably vacant, why don't you take it?

Secondly, when people refer to her, they have a great phrase that goes with Diet Queen. She's "the formidable dietician who gets results". For your business, who is the formidable, or the special or the great widget maker who gets results? Are you the electrician who gets results, are you the dentist who gets results?

Then she has some "secrets", I just love that one. She scares the clients with her secrets. What are your secrets? Do you have secrets you share with clients that make them more of a fan? Or do you just do what the client wants and bend over backwards to help them. Do you share secrets with clients that show that you're an authority or have must-do's that clients have to accept to get you working for them?

The article also says that in the past 10 years, she's become a legend amongst Sydney's well-to-do. Now, isn't that great positioning to have? Who is the comparable legend in your line of business? If you want that positioning then you've got to know who your target market is and what they need, what they what, what they look for. Then position yourself as the answer to their prayers and you'll become the legend.

She is also referred to as "the dietician to the baby boomers" and that's a meaningful specific isn't it? Are you the gardener to the unit dwellers? Are you the financial advisor to the almost retired? Are you the doctor to the baby boomers? Get yourself a positioning statement, a handle and use it. You are the "this" to this group of people. You'll soon get known for it.

Now, another thing came out of the article was that all of her business came from referrals. Why does it come from referrals? Because people talk about her, in fact it's said that at every dinner party she's discussed. And it's not what you do the same that matters that gets you talked about, it's what you do differently. It's what you do that makes dealing with you memorable that gets talked about.

What Arlene does differently is give people instructions, not options. She tells them what she expects before she even agrees to see them. She has her instructions and demands that clients comply with them if they want to consult her. She's set herself apart from the competition. Hey, not a bad idea. What are your must-do's for your clients? And if your clients don't comply, are you like Arlene and say, "Go somewhere else."

Finally, and I love this, she has her 10 commandments. These are the things she expects, these are the non-negotiables you must observe if you're going to continue to do business with her. What a great idea. What are your 10 commandments for clients? What do they have to do? What do they have to understand if they're going to do business with you?

And you'll get people talking about you and you'll become a legend in other people's minds.

 

Pain free public speaking

I heard a colleague of mine give a fantastic speech the other day to an audience of around 700. He was cool, calm and confident and had the audience hanging off every word. After I congratulated him I was delighted when he told me that he owed a lot of his polished performance to listening to my audio program "How to Hold an Audience in the Palm of Your Hand". He said that, when he has to deliver a presentation, he starts his preparation by listening to it a couple of times then he just does it. If you're looking for help in making a speech or giving a presentation it might be worthwhile investing in it your self.

 

Here's something you always wanted to know!

According to the English Telegraph on line in what must be the ultimate exercise in navel-gazing, an Austrian scientist has solved the mystery of belly button fluff. You can find out all about it here.

 

No more one-night stands

Good communication with your clients, customers or patients is imperative in any successful business.

By regularly communicating with your clients, customers or patients you gradually build the relationship. At least every month send them an e-mail with something of interest to them; not something about you. Then every month or two write them a letter (snail mail gets through), mail them a postcard, send them a fax (now that's unusual!) or just pick up the phone and call them.

As a bonus, by frequently touching base with your clients and showing them that you care, you'll generate more referrals. And that means more clients and bigger profits.

We are all guilty of the curse of assumption. We think that our clients, customers or patients know what we know. If they did, they'd be working in our business. There are so many things that our clients want to know that we can give them the information as a way to stay in touch with them.

Here are some ways to do it.

• Invite them to a seminar, workshop or display.
• Send them an article, maybe one that you've written or one you've seen that may appeal to them.
• Send them a brochure on a new product.
• Invite them to an after-hours, closed-door sale.
• Invite them to an exhibition or trade day.
• Send them a gift certificate for a new product or service.
• Remember their birthdays and other special events.

Staying in touch with your clients should not be done with the intention of getting business. That happens automatically when you build the relationship with them for the long term. It means that you say goodbye to one-night stands and hello to fruitful long-term relationships.

 

Service: a key to business success

Service is all about exceeding customer, client and patient expectations. Service is about making people say 'Wow!' It's about making people feel great about the way you handle their enquiry, their complaint, their problem, their need, their demand or their order. Take the time to look at what service means to you and then start delivering it. The better you do it, the better the results you'll get.

So, here's the 64 dollar question for you to wrestle with and find an answer to… "What do we do to make dealing with us memorable, so memorable that people will tell others about it?"

When you can do that and make clients, customers or patients say 'Wow' from great service, they keep on coming back and they tell their friends about it. Good service is the lifeblood of great business.

 

Another Commercial

Every edition of this e-zine I include a television or cyberspace commercial that's caught my eye. Sometimes they are just great; sometimes they're just plain funny (whether they get a message across is another thing); sometimes they're in another language but the message is clear; sometimes they're just bold or over the top; sometimes they're ones you just wouldn't see on our screens; and sometimes I reckon they're ones where the client or the agency is having a lend of themselves. Here's another one for you to make up your mind about.

 

Business Growth Centre
ABN: 96 709 037 261
Postal: 903 High Street Road, Glen Waverley , Vic, 3150, Australia
Phone: +613 9803 7555   Fax: +613 9803 5755

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