The One Thing You Must Have To Be Successful…

September 28, 2008

Hi All,

       I recently did two different speaker showcases in two different cities.  A speaker showcase is normally presented by a speaker’s bureau who assembles as many meeting planners as possible into a room and then several speakers do a short speech to “showcase” what they can do.  I spent quite a bit of money to be included in this particular showcase and the logistics were incredibly difficult.  The two different venues were back to back and literally 5 hours away from each other.  In other words, I had to sit through an eight-hour day then drive 5 hours, get a little sleep and then do another showcase.  On top of that I had another 6 1/2 hour drive after the second one to get home!

       Now, you may be wondering what the point is to all this?  Why would I put myself through all of this just to get more paid talks?  Why would I shell out a LOT of money in the hopes that MAYBE I might get some additional work out of it?  The answer is one word:  PASSION!  I truly love the speaking business and am PASSIONATE  about it!

       It’s not enough to just be good at what you do or even be great at what you do.  If you don’t have a passion for your business you’re never going to max out your potential.  All great business people, entertainers, athletes, etc. had a passion for what they were doing.  I’ve said for years that if I were rich, I’d still be doing what I’m doing. I truly love what I do and would literally shrivel up and die if I couldn’t do it.  Maybe that sounds extreme but that’s how passionate I am about my message.  Any greatness that was achieved by anyone was done with passion. 

       Are you passionate about what you do?  Or are you doing it because it’s a job or because you need to make a living?  You won’t attain the level of success you could ultimately achieve without passion for what your doing.  I’ve seen speakers who were mediocre but who moved the audience incredibly just because of their level of passion.  You could just tell they believed  in their message and “walked their talk”.

       If you’re not passionate about the business you’re in you have two choices:  either get into another business that you CAN be passionate about or change the way you think about your current business and how you can become passionate about it.   

        As Tony Robbins always says, “Live with passion!!!”

Until next time,

Tim

Customer Service is ALSO Marketing!

September 16, 2008

Hello All:

       As I write this, I’m currently on vacation in Virginia Beach, VA and am having a very relaxing and fun time.  I had an experience at a restaurant that bears out the above title.

       I was having breakfast with my wife at a small restaurant yesterday morning and what I thought was going to be a miserable experience turned out to be a great marketing lesson.  There were only two people working (aside from the cook) and one of the workers was either manning the cash register or delivering food.  The other waiter had to wait on at least 8 different tables while I was there.

       I must admit it took a considerably long time to get waited on when we first got there but from then on watching this guy “work the room” was sheer genius.  Even though he was overwhelmed with tables (they definitely were understaffed on this particular morning), he made everyone in that restaurant feel like they were the only one there.  He checked on all of us, made sure we had our drinks and apologized for making us wait.  He also brought our check in a timely manner as well.  Despite being obviously overworked he made sure ALL of us were taken care of—-and with a smile to boot!

       What’s the lesson here?  It’s not just enough to continually market your goods or services but treat the customer well when they do buy so that they will continue to come back and buy again.  Great customer service or, as some call it, the “wow factor” can be one of the greatest tools in your marketing arsenal.

       There are probably dozens upon dozens of restaurants in Virginia Beach.  I, personally, like to try different ones when I visit a city.  Do you know where I ate breakfast again this morning?  You guessed it, the same restaurant.  If you treat me right, I’ll keep comin’ back again and again!

Until next time,

Tim

The Magic Formula for ANY Marketing Campaign

September 13, 2008

Hello All,

       There truly is a “magic” formula for any marketing campaign and that is: the right message to the right market at the right time .  Huh?  I know. That’s what I said when I first heard it.  But let’s break it down.

       First the right message.  What do your prospects or clients want?   Forget what they need.  What do they want?  The old  business saying, “find a need and fill it” simply doesn’t work anymore.  People don’t just buy what they need.  They buy what they want. Most purchases are made based on emotion.  Your marketing message has to tie in with those emotional hot buttons to be effective.  That’s the best way to reach your target market.  A message that solves a problem or hurt.  You have to ask yourself what  problem keeps your prospects up at night?  Where does it hurt them?  Then you formulate your marketing message to solving that problem.

       Second, the right market.  Who are your ideal prospects?  What do they like?  What do they read?  What do they do either for a living or for recreation?  You have to know your prospects before you can sell to them.  I learned a long time ago that when doing a direct mail campaign that the most important thing is the mailing list.  I could even have  mediocre marketing materials if I had a tight niche that had a want for the product.  Knowing who your customer is is extremely important!

       Finally, the message should reach your prospects at the right time.  When I used to make my living as a magician selling my shows to elementary schools I learned the best time to mail my promotional materials was at the very beginning of the school year.  That was the time when most school principals and PTO moms were trying to fill their calendars with assembly programs.  Your marketing efforts will definitely pay extra dividends if you reach your prospects at the right time—-when they’re ready to buy.  Although some products and services sell well anytime.  It would be to your benefit to find out when the time is right for your marketing campaign to have maximum impact.

         Well, there you have it.  A solid formula for your next marketing campaign.  Use it and watch the dollars roll in….

Until next time,

Tim

Increase Your Marketing…

September 9, 2008

Hi All:

       I gave a presentation this morning to a group of business managers and told them that in a down economy you need to increase your marketing not decrease it.  Many folks argue that since times are tough that they need to tighten their belts and cut back on everything—-including marketing!  This is plain wrong! 

       I understand the need to cut back on expenses and even staff but in a bear market the one thing you need to increase is your marketing budget.  I oftentimes tell folks that you will stand out in the crowd even more if you increase your marketing since a lot of people back off this crucial (and most important) part of their business during the down times.

       Since business can be slow for some industries right now it doesn’t have to be slow for you!  Now is the time to get creative and push your marketing even further.  Don’t beleive the media and the naysayers who simply report gloom and doom on a daily basis as far as the economy is concerned.   I’m not burying my head in the sand but some of my friends report their businesses are booming and, at this point, I’m having a very strong year myself.  The common deniminator in all this is—-drum roll please…..you guessed it… MARKETING! 

       Continue to study and learn all you can about this topic.   Go to seminars, listen to CDs and read books on marketing.  It’s the most high-leverage activity in your business and definitely where the money is!

Until Next Time,

Tim

Everything is marketing..

September 7, 2008

Hi Friends:

     Welcome to my new blog.  In this little personal forum I’ll be discussing my thoughts on motivation, marketing and little tidbits that make me happy as well as make me wonder.  Feel free to post your comments as I will read everyone of them.  But let’s get to the first thing on my mind today , and that is:

Everything is Marketing!

       Today I went to a chicken barbeque sponsored by a local charitable organization.  You have to understand that I live in Mayberry R.F.D.(actually Ridgway, PA but it seems like Mayberry).  For those of you too young to remember, this is where Andy Griffith lived.  He was a sheriff in a small town who didn’t wear a gun and where the only excitement was when the townspeople got dressed up for a Saturday night dance once a month.  This is pretty much like Ridgway.  However, as an aside, the people here are the most genuine, down-to-earth, do-anything-for-you people in the world and I’m proud to call it my home!

       On this particular day I witnessed some marketing at it’s best.  There was quite a line waiting for the chicken dinners  when they suddenly ran out.  The folks in line had to wait until another batch was cooked.  This where the “smart marketing” comes in.  Usually, if this happens in a store situation, the clerk will tell the people directly in front of him/her that they ran out of something but the message doesn’t get filtered back to the people waiting in the back and they feel put out and abused.  Not today.  My friend Dixie hollered out so EVERYBODY could hear that “we have to wait for the next batch of chicken!”.  He then proceeded to engage everyone in the line in bright and fun conversation.  Believe me, nobody felf neglected!

       The lesson  here is simple:  If you want to serve your customers well and keep them coming back again and again, treat them right.  Be sensitive to their needs and treat them like they are important.  You know why?  Because they are!  And the lifeblood of your business is your customers!  Without them you don’t have a business.  And the way to keep an ever-constant flow of customers is through marketing.  And that’s not just acquiring new customers, that’s keeping the old ones coming back to buy from you again and again.

      Until next time,

Tim Piccirillo

www.timpic.com

« Older Posts