More Than A Few Words

Many small business owners startup a business or launch a product with little or no budget. I asked successful founder, Jason Hubbard about some of  the mistakes businesses make when they jump into the game.  He told me the biggest mistake people make jumping in is underestimating how long it will take to get to a place where it is actually a sustainable business.  The underestimate how long that's going to take, how much runway they will need and the amount of blood sweat and tears that go into being successful.   About Jason  Jason has literally grown-up in startups, including helping to grow three top 100 Inc. Fastest Growing Private Companies. Jason is now running his own technology-enabled growth services agency, DemandMagic. DemandMagic helps companies build scalable demand generation engines that supercharge growth.

Small business owners, particularly solo entrepreneurs often forget that their personal and business on-line security are tightly intertwined.   Guest Josh Summers says that a focus on security begins by separating yourself from your business. For example many people will register their company with their home address. Unfortunately, that address becomes part of the public record, for years and years.    Changing it down the road can be costly and time consuming.  He advocates for separating the address right from the start. Using a virtual address or post office box just for your business. About Josh -  Josh Summers is small business owner who has experienced first-hand what happens when your identity is stolen, your accounts get hacked and you are digitally surveilled. He now runs All Things Secured, a brand that helps people make smart choices about their online security and privacy, whether that's individuals, freelancers or other small business owners.

If you're a smart traveler you know can't head out on a long road trip without some kind of map or directions.  Without that there's a chance you'll get lost, drive in the wrong direction, show up late or never actually arrive. When it comes to driving your business your map is your business plan. Now I know lots of business owners put off writing a formal plan because they think it's going to be difficult, time consuming and unproductive. Well none of that is true. Your plan can be a simple outline which answers basic questions about where you are, what your goals are and what actions you're going to take to get there. You don't have to do it all at once. You can work on it in little chunks updating it as your business grows. And your plan can help you anticipate when and where you're going to need help and resources. It will also give you a tool to share your plans with your employees, your investors and other stakeholders. If you're ready to get started on your plan, enroll in our new self-paced Business M

In this episode we talk about mentors, how to find one and how to be one. Why? Because even if we think that we're running our business' completely on our own it helps to have people to turn to for advice and information. Guest, and today my guest Kate Chernis Bradley, Founder & CEO of Lately shared some of the lessons learned from her mentors over the years. For example, when giving feedback, remember your goals isn't to ruin someone's day. So think about the outcome you want from the conversation and frame your comments accordingly.     

Before we roll in 2023, I thought it would be fun to go back and revisit some of my favorite podcast interviews from last year. With more than 125 to choose from, this was no small feat. But I think you're really going to like the episodes I've pulled together. There’s a conversation I had with Laura Templeton about networking conversations. As you know, I love a good networking event. I love a chance to get out and talk to people. But I know that not everybody loves that process or even knows where to start. And that's why I was so excited to talk to Laura, about the first 30 seconds of every networking conversation. Then there is a   conversation I had with frequent guest Patty farmer. This time we chatted about building personal relationships, because they are the real currency of your business Rounding out the collection is a conversation I had with Joe Matz about business Transformation and the need to start with an assessment, because if you don’t know where you are you can’t chart a path to your destin

“Welcome to More than a Few Words, a marketing conversation for business owners. This is your host Lorraine Ball. “ I have a version of that phrase hundreds of times over the last thirteen years. Yes, today is actually the thirteenth year anniversary of this podcast. As I get ready to embark on another year of podcasting,  I thought it would be fun to share a few things I’ve learned along the way that are relevant for podcasters, and really any marketing professional. Your name matters. Whether you’re naming a podcast, a product or a company the name is one of the few decisions you will live with for the life of that product. So as you think about your name, pick something that has meaning to you. Don’t get hung up on the domain name, look for something which has a story behind it that will bring the brand to life. My mother often said I had more words than any human being needed, I am pretty sure I was born talking. And so, as a nod to mother, I named the podcast more than a few words. Get comfortable experi

 What is the fastest least expensive way to get clients? Guest, Gall Doby suggests  there is one strategy that people often ignore, and it's right in front of them.  Looking for new sales? Start with your current clients. Almost every single client ( assuming you are doing a good job) will be willing to do business with you in a different way. Maybe it is an add-on to their project, a few more things and they hadn't originally considered or an entirely different project.  It's so much easier to go to your current clients and try to add something on to a project.  Then right behind that group are your past clients. Both of these groups know, like and trust you so it is one of the easiest, fastest and the cheapest ways to get more business.  

My favorite day on my most recent vacation was the day we got lost. We had an idea of what we wanted to do but we made a wrong turn. Instead of worrying about it we simply embraced the chaos. We stumbled upon a great art exhibit and a delicious restaurant. The lesson from that day came back to my business with me.  I have very specific goals and clear outline of what I want to do on a regular basis but I decided to embrace a little chaos.  I  spent some time exploring lots of new things I hadn't planned on including in my marketing.  Many of them were wastes of time but a few are actually starting to pan out . So I really want to encourage you to have your map for your business and then spend a little time getting lost.

In this episode, I chat with Sasha Willis about authenticity and why it is so important to be authentic in all of your content and branding.  Sasha advocates for  showing up as yourself because people really tune into that.  It is especially true  when it comes to business interactions.  People want to feel they know who they are working with and who they're paying their money to. Sasha Willis is the boss lady behind By Sasha, host of the Strategy for Creatives: Business Minus the Bullshit Podcast, co-host of the Swirl and Sip Podcast, and owner of the Boundless Audio Podcast Network. As a business strategist, podcaster, and multi-facet business owner, her goal is to empower all women business owners by strategizing and action planning to build and grow their brands without the stress. When she's not business doing business things, you can find her spending time with her husband and 5-year old son.​

You've Got Mail! Do you remember when those three little words used to make you smile?  It's hard to believe it's been more than 25 years since we first logged onto the internet via a very slow dial-up modem to hear those words. And, as in any long-term relationship our feelings about email have changed over time We have gone from early love as we looked forward to an update in our inbox to the dull routine of daily interactions. Regardless of the change in our feelings, we've hung in there, remaining loyal, opening our email every single day. With so many people carrying smartphones it is easier than ever to use email marketing to deliver timely and relevant messages to your customers. However, just because they have an email account and you have their email address, it doesn't mean you're going to make a sale with billions of messages sent every single day. You need to be sending attractive, interesting and engaging content in your emails if you want people to pay attention So take a  hard look at your camp

Why should you make a to do list before you go to sleep?  It is a way of training your brain . Guest Elizabeth Louis, says when you do that you're getting it into you unconscious brain so you wake up the next morning knowing exactly what you need to do and where you need to go.  You start the day in the flow.  Typically when you're when you're not able to sleep at night it is because you're struggling with the fear of the unknown. If you make a list of  three to five you need to do the next day, you will sleep better and you will start the off right. Many people waste about 30 minutes every day trying to figure out what do each day.  Then you must work to build that momentum throughout the rest of the day.  When you know exactly what you need to do you don't even have to look at the list because it's already in your brain.  You just start to move at a faster level. And  the speed pays off, because we can make more money but we can never make more time  

I am a serious coffee drinker. A typical morning starts with two full mugs of coffee, after which I'm ready to face the world. So when I was in Italy a few weeks ago I was worried that the little cup of cappuccino they put in front of me wouldn't be enough.  Funny thing, it was.  The rich full flavor satisfied my coffee taste requirement and that expresso packed a powerful punch.  So as I sipped my little cup of cappuccino it occurred to me there was an important lesson in that cup. It was a lesson that applied to life and business. It isn't about quantity. It's about quality. When it comes to delivering a service, instead of doing a lot of mediocre projects do fewer better projects and charge what you're worth.  For marketing spend your time crafting one memorable blog post or powerful podcast instead of one hundred silly social media updates to deliver the punch your marketing needs. As you think about your next business step go have a cup of cappuccino. Not that  tasteless vente they serve at Starbucks,  b

When it comes to finding your ideal client Jonny Cooper thinks of the process like a three legged stool.  You need all three pieces.  Without one of the three, the stool falls over.   The first one is to identify a type of person for whom we can solve a big expensive problem. This should be someone who's suffering with something really important to them, a life changing challenge we can solve for them. Next, your ideal client needs to be visible, with identifiable characteristics.  It's no use saying you help stressed out middle-aged women who are feeling a bit stuck because people don't wander around with a badge saying I'm feeling a bit stuck.  That's where demographic criteria can help.   The third criteria is the group you identify must be able to pay you.     

When it comes to content marketing you need to be playing the long game. It is unrealistic to think  you're going to throw a blog post out there today and get results tomorrow. But, if you invest in consistently creating good quality content it will pay off eventually. You're not going to double your traffic overnight but those blog posts will build value over time.  You will see content  you wrote a week or maybe even a month ago, start to be found in niches and continue to drive traffic for months and even years to come. Search engines may not notice the first article you write on a topic. But once you have a series of articles suddenly you begin to be perceived as an authority on that subject and and you will see your search traffic increase.  As that begins to occur, your inquiries will go up as well. And so my friends you need to be patient and play the long game.  If you'd like help building out your content be sure to check out all of the tools the Digital Toolbox

Your customers go through many steps and phases as you work with them, so your marketing needs to reflect where they are in their customer journey.   Guest, Ellen McDowell shares tips on how to segment your customers into three groups and create marketing messages for those looking to get to know you, those ready to take the next step and those who have completed their journey,    If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out other's with Ellen:  The One Philosophy - Part One and Part Two Authentic Automation 

When I was a kid and the doorbell rang I would jump up and fling the door open in the hopes of entertaining a neighbor, friend or unexpected guest. But things have changed. We're a lot more cautious these days about who we invite into our homes and into our businesses. This creates real challenges for companies, particularly in the home service industry. How do you overcome this reluctance? The trick is to look for ways to make customers feel like they know you.  To do this, you could add photographs and bios of your team members to your website, show a little personality on social media and encourage reviews. There's nothing that will reassure a prospective customer about inviting you into their home like seeing a friend or neighbor say they've worked with you and would do it again.  So the next time you provide a service for someone be sure to ask them to leave a review.  And if you've enjoyed this conversation you can leave one too!

Since we were in middle school there's always been someone who said something negative about us. You'd think after all this time we'd learn how to respond but the truth is when you get a negative review or a negative social media comment it still hurts.  This week, guest David Oates shares some tips on how to deal with negative reviews and comments.  It all begins with empathy and action.  It is important to acknowledge the person writing the review is unhappy and open a dialogue, offline, to resolve the issue so others see you are willing to take action.   

When the phone rings, there's always that moment of excitement. This could be a customer! I've been through enough sales training so I feel comfortable moving prospects through that conversation. But at some point, the phone call ends. So what do you do to continue that conversation? While it will depend on how the conversation went, it's always helpful to have some resources ready to send as a follow up. What should you send? Regardless of the business you're in, think about what people need to know to make a good decision.  Perhaps there are common questions that don't come up in that first phone conversation. If so, create a blog post entitled FAQs. Google will absolutely love that. It'll give you authority and search. But also at the end of the call, you can say to someone "Hey, I bet you're going to have a few more questions when we're done. So I'm gonna send you a link to FAQs" The fact that you're anticipating their needs, reassures them and makes them feel comfortable that they're not the only ones wh

This week we are talking about positioning. I know that sounds like some techie, marketing thing that you need an MBA to figure out but it really isn't. Your position is simply what you want people to think about you when you're not in the room and to have that conversation.  My guest, Reuben Swartz shared his simply acronym MEGA as a way to think about your position statement in four simple pieces M- Magnetic - The key thing to remember is a magnet has two poles of equal strength. People make the mistake of trying to attract everybody. You can't do that. Your position should be a really powerful magnet that attracts your ideal clients and repels people who aren't so you avoid wasting time on bad fits.  E - Easy -  The job of positioning is to make sales and marketing easier. G - Gorilla -  You want to select a market where you can be the 800 pound gorilla in the room.  So define your brand and you niche narrow enough so that you can dominate.  A - Authentic - Your position should reflect you. Don't try to co

A friend of mine who is an improvisational artist, and a marketer told me there were many things he learned when studying improvisational comedy that he could apply to marketing. The first is the rule of the Yes. And…. In an improvisational interaction, anytime someone says anything, you immediately say yes. This behavior allows you to build on the ideas of others. That’s actually how the internet works. If you’re looking for content ideas, find something someone else has written, and apply the rule of yes and.  Create your own blog post by talking about what they said and add your own information on top of it. The second rule in improvisational comedy is to tell the truth. When an artist speaks about things that are true to them it is easier to connect to the audience with these shared experiences. The same can work for your content marketing. So as you’re getting ready to work on your next blog, or piece of content,  watch an episode of Saturday Night Live to channel your inner improvisational spirit.