| The term "quick fix" has come to have negative | | | | chances are HIGH that you'll never "see" them again. If |
| connotations but this bad rep is partially undeserved. It's | | | | you've gone to the trouble of having them make their |
| true that quick fixes that aren't thought through or don't | | | | way to your site, you'd better engineer your site in a |
| have solid "craftsmanship" behind them can actually | | | | way that captures as many of them as possible as |
| turn out to be more costly in the long run. However, | | | | subscribers to some kind of list. How? Offer them |
| very often when people tell you that things will be long | | | | great goodies for signing on and an e-zine (or |
| and arduous, they may be more interested in getting | | | | e-course) that is carefully targeted to them and their |
| your money that in giving you what you need.The fact | | | | needs. For concrete, real-world examples of how to |
| is that some things take a long time and some things | | | | make this work on your site, get my Websites That |
| don't. Marketing, despite everyone's attempt to | | | | Work report hereWhy do you want to "capture" |
| convince you to the contrary, is not rocket science. | | | | people as e-zine subscribers? Putting out a quality |
| There are a few "quick fixes" you can use to start | | | | e-zine is one of the best marketing techniques you can |
| seeing exponentially greater results. In this article, you'll | | | | employ. People get to trust you, understand what you |
| learn about the top ways to impact your bottom line | | | | do, pass around your information to others and are |
| with "quick fix marketing."Quick Fix # 1Help me get | | | | much more likely to buy from you once they know |
| what you do!As your prospect, I have a lot of things | | | | you.So concentrate not on building web traffic alone |
| vying for my attention. Besides the laundry and | | | | but on making sure that a high percentage of your |
| overflowing pot on the stove, I've got reality show | | | | web traffic gives you permission to contact them |
| commercials, ads about how fat I am and articles in | | | | again.Quick Fix # 4Do what you're good at doing.So |
| my new news magazine about the end of life as we | | | | many bright, talented, smart solo-preneurs are stuck in |
| know it on Earth. I'm busy. I'm not going to spend a lot | | | | "I'm working all the time but I'm not seeing results" limbo. |
| of my time figuring out your nuances... at least not at | | | | When questioned more closely, you'll find that about |
| first.When I tell clients to get very clear about who | | | | 70% of what they're doing either a) they're not good |
| they work with, what they sell and have this product | | | | at it or b) it depletes them. This 70% is taken up by |
| service helps people and to do it fast and pithy, a few | | | | things like web design, formatting documents into pdfs, |
| raise the objection that they don't want to "dumb | | | | making cold calls, figuring out scheduling, writing (bad) |
| things down."An important distinction needs to be | | | | sales copy, etc.What are you really good at? If you're |
| made here. There are several levels at which you'll | | | | like most solo professionals, you're good at the "art" of |
| interface with your prospects. "Fast and pithy" will | | | | what you do - accounting for accountants, coaching |
| mark your first level interaction, the "hook," the moment | | | | for coaches, "chiropracting" for chiropractors. The |
| when you catch their eye. After that you can move | | | | business and administrative stuff probably isn't your |
| on to the levels of impressing them with your | | | | strength. So while of course you're the one responsible |
| expertise, the importance of your programs, etc. At | | | | for making sure it gets handled, that doesn't mean |
| this point, remember they'll be asking themselves this | | | | YOU have to handle it.This is a business you're running. |
| question, "How is this going to help me?"Read more | | | | If you decided you were going to build a factory that |
| about how you can get big results in a short time in my | | | | builds widgets and you're a brilliant widget designer, you |
| Success Map Mentor Session page.Quick Fix # | | | | don't say, "Hmm, I know my strength is widget design, |
| 2Figure out where your prospects are | | | | but we need some people down on the manufacturing |
| congregating.Hunting down prospects one by one is | | | | floor so I'm going to put on a hardhat and work on the |
| exhausting and not the best use of your time. So | | | | assembly line for a few hours." No! The widgets need |
| where are they hanging out in droves? This is where | | | | to get built, but you hire people to do that. You stay in |
| you figure out whether you've defined your market | | | | the widget design area, dreaming up fabulous new |
| narrowly enough. If you can't figure out what | | | | ideas.Your first order of business is seeing you ARE in |
| association, conferences, publications, online | | | | business. While you're stuck in the rut of "I need to do |
| newsletters, discussion groups and other points of | | | | everything myself" you can't grow, can't be a visionary, |
| convergence your prospects are using, your market is | | | | can't get out there and be the champion for what you |
| not specifically targeted enough. It's not that you can't | | | | do. One of the strongest things you can do for your |
| help lots of people - you can - but each prospect | | | | marketing is to not deplete yourself with the stuff |
| needs to see herself in what you write or say. So it's | | | | you're not good at but instead do what you ARE good |
| important to narrow the field of who you work with for | | | | at - speak to people about your business, meet |
| clarity's sake (you can always expand laterally | | | | influential leaders, go on speaking engagements, write, |
| later).Quick Fix # 3Capture a high percentage of | | | | etc.There are "quick fixes" in life, and especially in |
| website visitors.One of the biggest wastes of time and | | | | marketing. Spend your time on what will leverage your |
| effort is sending prospects to a site that doesn't | | | | skills and give you the most return, and you'll see |
| capture them as mailing list subscribers. Most people | | | | greater results more quickly.©2005 Maria E. |
| will not buy on a first visit to a website, particularly if all | | | | Andreu. Service business owners, get the AMS Letter |
| you're selling is services (products may sometimes be | | | | and receive 10 great tips for marketing, as well as free |
| bought on a first time visit). Once they visit it and leave, | | | | audio of the popular Building Mktg Confidence. |