The Business Growth Blog by Rob Cuesta

Could this be a Vistaprint Killer? And could YOU be a category killer too?

For a long time now, Vistaprint.com has dominated the printing of short-run full colour business cards for small businesses. Indeed, I've been a devoted customer and champion of Vistaprint since I started my own company back in 2002.

I've just discovered a new company, however, that has taken the flexibility of digital printing and run with it way further than VP has.

Quick Growth Tip #7: Model Successful Marketing

Think of the times when you've bought something that you wanted but didn't necessarily need.

Your world is full of examples of successful marketing, so keep your eyes and ears open. Start reading those long sales letters in magazines and newspapers, and on the web. Read the sales letters you get in the post. Listen to radio ads and watch ads on TV.

Become aware of how you are sold things and more importantly, how you buy things.

If you see a marketing technique that works for you, it probably works for other people too!

Quick Growth Tip #6: Show Your Clients a LOT of Love

Your clients have certain expectations of you.

They expect you to turn up on time. They expect you to listen. They expect you to deliver on your promises. Yes, they even expect you to help them with the issue you told them in your marketing that you can help them with!

They consider all of these as "standard". Which means that when you deliver it, all you're doing is meeting their expectations.

Guess what, meeting expectations doesn't get you very far. In fact, all it really does is keep you in the game.

If you want your clients to refer you on, if you want them to give you a glowing testimonial, if you want them to LOVE you then you have to give them a reason to do all that.

Quick Growth Tip #5: Let Them Take The Puppy Home

Have you ever heard of the Puppy Dog Close?

Imagine you're the owner of a pet shop and you want to sell a litter of puppies. If you just let people come into the shop and look at the puppies, they may bond with them or they may not. It's all a bit hit and miss. So instead you let them take the puppy home for a week. When you call them a week later to arrange to take the dog back, 90% of people refuse to let it go. They're sold.

Giving some kind of free experience to people (whether of your time or a product) is a variation on the Puppy Dog Close.

I'm not a big fan of giving away your time. There are a lot of risks that go with it, which I discuss with my clients and workshop attendees, but as long as you're aware of the dangers, and learn to manage them properly, it can be a good way to build your business until you've mastered the art of marketing.

Quick Growth Tip #4: Have a Unique Promise of Value (UPV)

There are a LOT of other coaches, consultants and trainers out there. Your Unique Promise of Value (UPV) should be the core theme of your marketing. It answers the question "why should *I* (your prospective client) do business with *YOU* rather than the 9,999,999 other coaches, consultants and trainers I can find using a search engine? What can you do for me that no-one else can do?" 

Quick Growth Tip #3: Get Things Done

How do you create and maintain *visible* accountability for your projects? Here's one approach.

On the wall of my office there's a whiteboard divided into three sections labelled "Do" "Doing" and "Done".

When I plan a new project, I write the name in the "Do" area and an approximate deadline.

When I start to work on the project, I move it to the "Doing" area, and give it a definite deadline. Every week I review progress on the stuff on my "Doing" board.

Finally, when I complete the project, I move it to the "Done" area and keep it here for 4-12 weeks, so I can acknowledge what I've achieved, not just what I haven't done yet!

It's a great way to keep yourself on track

Quick Growth Tip #2: Manage Your Time

In recent weeks two of my clients - both partners in a major global consulting firm - have asked me for advice on making the most of their time.

Time management is one of the key skills for anyone running a business. Without it, time can slip away like sand running out of an egg timer, so I thought I'd share the technique I gave them.

I believe it's one of Stephen Covey's tips from The 7 Habits. Certainly I can't lay claim to it myself - 'though I have used it for many years now!

Flying On The Edge Of Darkness

It was an odd sensation.

I was flying home from a management training course at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, WA, a few weeks ago.

I've flown transatlantic many times over the years, but on this occasion a precise conjunction of dates, flight path, and in-flight entertainment put me, quite literally, in my own personal twilight zone.

Quick Growth Tip 1: Create a Marketing Plan.

Many years ago, when I was in the scouts (and I've just realised exactly HOW MANY years ago it was - yikes!) I took part in an overnight hike.

Right at the start, the team I was in argued about where we were heading. It wasn't a great start, and we continued arguing about it for several hours, until a passing police car stopped to pick up four very tired, hungry and above all LOST scouts. We never did make it to the end of the hike, in fact we never really worked out where we'd ended up.

As a business growth consultant, one of the questions I always ask new clients is "where do you want your business to be in 12 months' time?"

The scary thing is how many of them struggle to answer. To me, knowing where you're taking your business is fundamental (see http://bit.ly/b97N7y if you don't have a long term vision!).

If you don't know where you're heading, then you could end up pretty much anywhere. Just as I did all those years ago.

After all, you wouldn't set off on a long drive to a new destination without a road map.

Your marketing plan is the road map for your business. Take time every week to set and update goals, think, plan and strategize, and WRITE IT DOWN.

In fact, take out your diary right now and set aside 30 minutes every week: at the same time on the same day if you can, so that it becomes part of your business routine.

Once a year take a few days out to set the direction for the next 12-36 months. I've been known to rent an apartment for a week and hole myself up there while I plan (with perhaps a bit of pampering too!).

There's a lot to be said for getting OUT of the business while you do your "big" planning, but whether you decide to head off for a week, or you just close the office door and ask not to be disturbed for a day or two, set a defined space in your diary for it.

Remember: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Tomorrow: Manage Your Time