Archive for the ‘Kellie D'Andrea’ Category

Many small business owners find planning their marketing activities a daunting task often creating a feeling of being overwhelmed. There are so many things to consider and so many options to choose from, how will you know what decisions to make? Marketing is an overreaching term used in business everyday to describe a variety of different things, actions and materials that a company uses to attract new customers. It could mean the type of materials you use – logos, business cards, letterhead, brochures, websites etc… or can be interchangeable with the sales team’s activities – tradeshows, networking, conferences, events & cold calling or perhaps it could mean your interaction with your customers – customer services, counter service, distribution service, call center activity etc…

Marketing is about all of those things. It is about the science of making an emotional connection with your customer. One that is strong enough to compel them to take action to purchase your product or service and to develop an ongoing relationship with them so they continue to come back again and again. It is a complex process that once mastered, yields significant results.

A marketing plan is the tool to those results. It helps the business owner build the roadmap to success and with the right approach, winning attitude, and these 9 tips, you will have a winning formula to a successful marketing plan.

1. Understand Your Buyer
Analyze your market and really understand what your audience wants and needs. The foundation for all marketing is being able to connect on an emotional level with your buyers so take the time to understand and predict what your ideal clients are looking for.

2. Make an Emotional Connection
Emotionally engage your audience and keep them coming back for more. People connect and build relationships on emotional connections. Figure out how to create an emotional connection in every component of your marketing. People like to do business with people. Make your marketing interactive and allow customers to get to know you on a personal level. Write about yourself in your newsletters, add photos and invite them into your world.

3. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Take a look at the marketing of other successful businesses and mimic it. Use the same method but change it up to fit your product and your audience. For example, Bill Glazer of GKIC uses a technique called swipe & deploy. Swipe a direct marketing piece for one industry and change it to fit yours.

4. Be Unique
Really dig deep to determine how you are different. The simplest of differences can mean big profits. Finding your uniqueness and creating messages to demonstrate those differences will help you attract more customers to your business.

5. Stop Selling and Start Story Telling
Weave a story in to your marketing messages. One that is compelling and that your customers can relate with. People tend to connect with people they feel they have something in common with. Remember your reasons for getting into business and use that in your marketing to attract new customers.

6. Plan Your Tactics Strategically
Marketing is about being visible and getting your message and your brand into the marketplace. Remember people are busy so make sure you thinking strategically about when and how you are engaging your audience with your material. Your objective is to make an emotional connection and compel your prospect to take action so take the time to plan our your strategy, your delivery and your materials.

Sales letters are a very effective way to get your message out. Whether you are sending out a direct letter or using email as your distribution strategy, to make your sales letter fabulous, you need to get your creative juices flowing and write something powerful that people will want to read. You must be compelling, conversational, and creative. Here are five tried and true methods for writing fabulous sales letters. Give them a try and watch your results soar.

1. The Big Question
The big question sets the stage for an answer. In your headline or in your opening paragraph, you should open up with a big and (sometimes) provocative question that gets the reader thinking and searching for those same answers. This will compel the reader to continue on in search of the answer. For example, “Have you ever wondered if there was something more to life? If I told you I had a program guaranteed to show you how to reach your goals, would you be interested?” Basic psychology tells us that when you ask a question, people will immediately try to find the answer. This creates an immediate connection with your reader and leads them to your answer – your product or service.

2. Storytelling
One of the best sales secrets out there is storytelling. When writing your sales letters, try to lead with a story that your reader can relate to. For example, when I started my business, I had no idea how to attract new clients. I was not a marketing person and wanted nothing to do with it, but I knew it was a critical element to my business. Then I purchased “Marketing 101” and instantly, my fears disappeared. I gained instant peace of mind, attracted new clients and watched my profits soar. The goal is to write a story that the readers want to hear- one that relates to their situation and creates empathy.

3. Free Offer
People love certain words and free is one of them. Offer your readers something free right up front and they will feel compelled to continue reading out of obligation. Although your offer is free, it is understood that you are offering it in exchange for them reading your letter. For example, on my own website, “Would you like a free 5 part miniseries on entrepreneurism? Then just go to www.kelliedandrea.com.”

4. Personal Testimonial
Another good technique is to connect right away with a personal testimonial from somebody your reader knows. For example, your friend James recommended we contact you because he thought our product would be helpful to you to reach your goals. If you operate a referral program, this is extremely easy. Just be sure to capture the names and the connections and once the reader sees the name of someone they know, the letter makes a strong personal connection.

5. Problem Identifier
Fear is a powerful emotion and the advertising industry has been using this as a powerful marketing tool for years. By creating a sales message that produces a fear in your readers, they will be more compelled to continue reading in hopes of finding a solution to that fear. For example, “Did you know that home values have dropped by 72%? Where is your security?” If you are in the financial services business, this may be an effective way to create fear and motivate your reader to purchase your products.

The overall objective to a sales letter is to “hook” your reader to take action. You have less than 3 seconds to grab their attention and less than 30 seconds after that for them to decide whether they will read, skim or dispose of your letter. You must take every action possible in order to keep your readers interested and these 5 methods are excellent was to do so.

©Kellie D’Andrea & Associates

The word “integrity” is the most overused and misunderstood word in business. Many claim to have the upmost highest level of integrity when it comes to serving their customers, respecting their service partners and treatment of their employees but very few really know what the word means. By definition, integrity means “a steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code” so the question that comes to mind is whose moral or ethical code? Yours? Your parents? Society? Your religion? Your friends? The list could go on and on.

Having integrity is doing what you believe to be true and moral based upon the ethical code you have chosen to adopt in your life. All of the experiences you have had and all of the influences you have met, how you were raised and the religion you follow are all part of the composition of your ethical code. Integrity is the developed by making the right choices that support your ethical code consistently and without waiver. Integrity is something you have even when others are not looking.

Many successful people are successful because they have integrity. It is through integrity that you develop trusting relationships. And it is because of trusting relationships that good business is formed. Integrity is one of the easiest qualities to detect, or to detect the lack of in people you meet. Once you become familiar with a person’s actions and the choices they make, you will begin to anticipate their integrity level. When you act with integrity on a consistent basis, your actions become more predictable and your behaviors can be anticipated by others.

Integrity is one of the most sought after qualities by customers, business partners and employers so what can you do to ensure your actions are communicating a high level of integrity?

1.   Know Your Beliefs
Understand what makes you tick. What beliefs do you hold as true and as right? Before you can act with integrity, you must first understand your limits and your beliefs and the actions that you would take when those beliefs are challenged.

2.  Be Consistent to Your Beliefs
Integrity is about consistency and holding true to you not matter what the risk. It is about creating predictable behavior that not only you but others will begin to rely upon and depend. Don’t waiver in your actions and hold true to your beliefs each and every time.

3.  Don’t Lie or Exaggerate
Integrity is about creating trust and lying is always associated with lack of integrity, even if you feel the lie is justified. When you are honest and true, your integrity will shine and draw others to you.

4.  Stay True to Your Values
Sometimes we are easily influenced by others and our beliefs are challenged. We often find ourselves on the edge with a choice to go right or go left. To have integrity means to stay true to your values and your beliefs.

In order to succeed, you must not only have drive and ambition, but you must also act with integrity at all times. In the words of President Eisenhower “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionable integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army on in an office”.

Kellie D’Andrea & Associates helps motivated entrepreneurs, professionals and businesses transform to new levels of performance and results by mastering the “emotional” side of business – communication, marketing, & team performance. Kellie D’Andrea, owner and C.E.O (Chief Emotions Officer) provides simple and practical ways to attract more prosperity with techniques designed to master communication, achieve goals and create a culture of accountability and results.

An example is a client that I helped to reposition the business as a leading industry expert.  Like most business owners, the company failed to have its’ own identity and connection in the marketplace.  The entire business brand was centered around the personal involvement of the owners who were looking to start removing themselves from the day to day operations of the business. We successfully launched a complete communication and branding strategy that not only repositioned the company as a market leader, resulted in the company increasing its revenues by 32% that year and being invited to bid on opportunities that it never would have in the past. That company still uses my services and now we are working on developing high performance teams and a professional development program that enhances employee retention. We were able to work together to create and execute a branding strategy and develop a human resource plan that will continue to support the brand message and build the business. Now they are on their way towards increasing their market share even more!

Additionally since I am passionate about development, I have created a mentor program that teams like-minded individuals together to create mini mastermind groups.  This personalized coaching has helped not only these business owners, but all of their employees begin the journey to reaching their personal and professional goals.