I ask every audience I talk in front of, “What is the most important thing to measure to tell you how well your business is doing?”.
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Another quickie here.

The Question: “How can I tell if my advertising is giving me good value for money?”

Answer from me: “Test, measure, evaluate. Ask all your customers why they have come to you… put a code on the advert so you can see which sales relate to which advert.”

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At a recent workshop in Bristol I was asked the following question.

“I’ve done loads of adverts on the radio and in the local, and even national, papers but none of it seems to work for me and I don’t understand why. How can I get more customers?”

My simple answer was that for most of us advertising does not work.

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At a recent workshop in Bristol I was was asked the following question: “One of my key channels to market has dried up – it’s the internet. What should I do?”

Answer from me: “Get off your backside, get in your car and go and visit your current and past customers and find out what’s going on!”

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Everywhere we look we see our suppliers and customers screaming their green credentials at us. Everyone wants to jump on the green bandwagon. Green is more than the new black, green is more like a fundamentalist religion – you dare not be seen to challenge the ideology.

Well, maybe I am exaggerating to make a point, but do you remember the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes…?

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It’s time to spill the beans about what many MDs of growing businesses really think about the whole green thing.

So, hands up those of you who care about global warming!

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Once you always put ‘best-sellers’ on your limited shelves. The internet means, however, that you have unlimited shelf space in your digital shop so now you can increase the choice and selection of products available.

Think about the choice that Amazon or eBay can offer compared with a traditional retailer. Meanwhile, the cost of offering almost limitless selection to your clients can be almost nil.

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If you are the same as the rest then why should customers bother to buy from you? In a world where competition seems to be everywhere, you need to separate yourself from the rest.

Zebras that don’t ‘run with the pack’ get noticed first – all the members of the herd of zebras look the same… and safe… when they are running in the herd. If you want to get noticed, try running ‘outside the pack’. In the business world you are more likely to get noticed and this increases your chances of making a sale.

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It’s time to look at your business in a different way – don’t just think of yourself as a producer of your product or service.

Action Point One
Stop thinking of yourself as a producer

Thought bubble
You are selling a relationship

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You must set yourself apart; be seen as different (in the client’s eyes).

Trading on the old tag lines no longer works. If all your competitors are competing on the strength of the usual banners (faster, smarter, better value) then why should people bother to buy from you if you are all just the same?

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