Spring Cleaning - Businesswoman hand pressing button on touch screen interface. Business, technology, internet concept.

3 Areas to Refresh Your Business This Spring for Greater Productivity

by BlogEdmiston Group
Spring Cleaning - Businesswoman hand pressing button on touch screen interface. Business, technology, internet concept.

The first quarter is just about over and Spring is quickly approaching! Establishing an effective spring cleaning tradition just doesn’t mean tidying up the office. For a business, spring cleaning goes a lot deeper than that. By refreshing your business, it is a time to clean house, get rid of the clutter, and make room for new opportunities. Spring cleaning your business can show you what processes need improvement, help you streamline everyday operations, and give your company a renewed outlook, which is like a breath of fresh air.

Are you ready to spring clean your small business? Here are three areas where you can freshen things up at your company.

Update Your Website & Conduct a Digital Audit

Your website needs to be a reliable source of information about your business, so make sure it’s up-to-date. Are all of your links working properly? If not, it can send people to page-not-found messages or 404 errors. Spring is a good time to fix all the little details that can make a big impact. You want to find these errors before your customer does. You want your target audience to stay engaged on your website and reinforce your company’s reputation as the go-to source for information.  Bonus Website Exercise: Custom brand your 404 error page so that if a reader is sent there, you can share a message you can be proud of. View sample custom 404 pages.

If you’re like most business owners, the content on your hard drive and other storage locations can get away from you! Here are five ways you can free up space on your computer’s hard drive and help your business run more efficiently:

  • Delete unnecessary files or documents “downloads” folder. Oftentimes we download files but never go back and delete them once they are used. If you do need to save a file or document in your download folder, save them to folders that are specifically assigned to them.
  • Purge your email inbox and folders of messages you’ve already responded to or that are no longer relevant. And don’t forget to empty your trash folder!
  • Consider backing up all of your files with an automated cloud-based file storage solution. When you store your files in the cloud, you can access and update files from anywhere on any device and this also frees up more storage on your computer’s hard drive.
  • Clear your browsing data, and cache and even review your bookmarks. Remember, simpler is better!
  • After validating that files are not needed, delete accumulated files from your recycle bin.

Eliminate Unnecessary Business Expenses

The main objective of any business is to earn a profit. Often, we focus only on the earning side of the equation. But that is not the full picture. In order to increase profit, you can generate more income, but you can also cut down on unnecessary expenses. Springtime is the perfect time to review your expenses. For example, are there training, internet or other monthly subscriptions you no longer need? If you are not actively using them, why pay for something you do not use? This money could be used in other areas which could help you generate more profit.  

Another simple way to eliminate waste is to go paperless. Technology now offers cheaper and better alternatives to using paper. Besides reducing waste and helping the environment, going paperless can make your business more efficient. There will be less paperwork to push, documents to physically store, and important records that could get lost. Look through your vendor list to identify any bills you can switch to paperless.

Clean, Organize and Personalize Your Workspace

Productivity is the heart and soul of a business. Cleaning or organizing your workspace can help you be more successful in achieving goals. Think how nice it is to walk into your workspace when it’s fresh and clean versus covered in chaos! You’re likely much more productive. 

You can also personalize your space with colors, plants and other personal touches and encourage your employees to do the same. This personalization supports individual creativity and expression, which in turn supports productivity. And that impacts your bottom line!

Another place you can refresh is around your old paper files. Most of us unnecessarily hold on to old files longer than needed. It is a good practice to set a time limit for how long to hold these files (unless it is paperwork that is required to be held due to regulatory, tax, or government requirements). At a certain point after a project’s completion, dispose of any files related to that project. If you absolutely need them, see if you can store old files in the cloud or in an off-site location. This is a good business practice, and it helps free up room for new accounts and projects.

Incorporating the above tips will help you spring-clean your small business and head into summer feeling more refreshed and organized. Your workplace will look better, and you will maintain focus on managing your business more effectively throughout the year.

So, how are you going to refresh your business this spring?

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh-based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Overworked word on sticky notes with projects, jobs, to-dos, tasks and errands to illustrate being stressed from working too hard

Plan Ahead: 4 Ways to Reduce Overwhelm

by BlogEdmiston Group
Overworked word on sticky notes with projects, jobs, to-dos, tasks and errands to illustrate being stressed from working too hard

Starting a new business or managing an existing business can be very rewarding. However, with the ever-changing landscape of business and the challenges of keeping up with new ideas, it can also create a lot of stress. Having too many things to do in too short of time often forces many small business owners into working extremely long hours and fostering feelings of being out of control… leading to a sense of overwhelm. 

If this is your case, know that you are not alone. According to Small Business Administration, there are 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S. Small businesses are defined here as firms with fewer than 500 employees. So you’re in good company! Although you cannot add more hours to your day, here are some tips to help you stop feeling so overwhelmed.

Plan Ahead Around Social Media

Blog writing and social media have changed the way we share information and how to stay in touch with one another. With so many apps and so many platforms, it is easy to be overwhelmed. The more platforms you have, the more work you need to do to create each post specifically for that platform. Here’s a tip: Try writing and sharing posts around your next blog across all platforms at the same time, while it is fresh in your mind. Or better yet, schedule your posts well in advance using your favorite scheduling tool. Extra pro tip: Customize each post for each platform. A Tweet is very different than a post on LinkedIn.

Segment Your Time

Your time is valuable. When sitting down at your computer to work on a task, you might get sidetracked and then realize that you’ve spent a lot of time accomplishing very little. Try segmenting your time by setting aside specific amounts of time, or even times of day, to focus on particular tasks. For example, set 1-hour blocks of time for such things as checking and resolving email. Once your segment of time is up, move on to the next segment and continue until you complete all of the segments for that day. Make it fun! For each segment, stretch, grab a coffee, dance for a minute, or grab your favorite snack. This is a great way to help make the time more enjoyable and also help you stay focused on the task. 

Use Scheduling Tools

For any small business to be competitive and flourish, you need to take advantage of the power of technology. Scheduling tools allow you to eliminate antiquated methods and help you run your business much more effectively. Whether your need is for scheduling appointments, scheduling social media posts, or keeping projects on track, there is an app for you.   I personally have worked with all three of these apps based on the client I’m working with.

Asana is an example of a scheduling tool app that helps you manage projects. Let’s face it, between meetings, phone calls, and answering emails, a lot of your time at work isn’t focused on the actual work at hand. With Asana, you can assign project tasks with deadlines, which provides accountability for each assigned task. The communication is focused and actionable and you’ll always know the status of the work happening across your team.

Monday is a tool much like Asana and allows teams both internally or externally to collaborate, set due dates, and manage projects.

Teamwork is another project management software platform that is used to manage projects and communicate amongst team members.

Outsource

According to the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, “When your business begins to grow, it can be difficult juggling everything in-house. Outsourcing allows you the time and resources necessary for focusing on other aspects of the company, while still providing customers with high-quality service they expect from their favorite brands“.

By outsourcing tasks to other individuals or small businesses that perform various tasks better and more efficiently than you can (no, you can’t do it all!), your business will likely experience faster turnaround times for launching new products, be more competitive within your industry, and help you cut overall operational expenses.

By planning ahead and implementing the above tips, you can create the space to focus on more important activities, thereby reducing your stress and your feelings of overwhelm.

If you need help with your marketing activities, send me an email so we can plan your next steps.


About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh-based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

focus red word and conceptual target

FOCUSED THINKING BRINGS ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH

by BlogCommunicationsEdmiston Group

The past few months have been challenging for business owners, yet some are thriving while others have given up.  What takes a business to a new level or a pivot in a business operation?  FOCUS and the ability to PIVOT your thinking to a new way of doing business.

Many businesses and organizations have shifted to virtual meetings, working remotely, and bringing about operational changes.  While one vertical line of business may not be as strong right now, other product lines are flourishing.

Manufacturing companies that have shifted to make protective equipment, are working multiple shifts to meet demand.  Distilleries and breweries that have pivoted their thought process to online sales and curbside pickups are busy.  Construction product suppliers that have picked up a PPE product line have an additional product to sell.  Clothing companies that shifted to making masks and fashion masks have developed new product lines.  The list goes on.

What do these types of businesses have in common?  They are open to new ideas and ways to grow.  By FOCUSING on the assets they have and PIVOTING their operations to utilize those assets to expand their services.   Those business owners are moving forward with renewed energy and resolve.

This challenging time has been compared to the Great Depression.  According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, those companies that continue to advertise when everyone else stops marketing are more likely to be noticed.  WHY?  Because there are fewer ads in the market.  “Firms that advertised during the recession increased in value and got more marketing bang for their buck…in some cases for up to three years after the recession had ended”.

Pulling financial support for your company’s brand can undermine revenue goals.  The better strategy is to go all in to understand customer needs and respond accordingly with tailored messaging across channels.  How do you do that?

Here are 5 tips to keep business growing:

  1. ASK

Layer these insights and information gained with the human element to get a deeper understanding of how target audiences will respond.  What is the value your company brings to the table to alleviate the pain point?  Do you even know where those pain points are?

  1. REDISCOVER YOUR BRAND

How are you different than the competition?  What new services can you offer or how can you shift your message based on the information you learn from your customers?  How can you position your brand to provide a sense of community while offering reassuring messages that demonstrate empathy?

  1. DEVELOP LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Reward consumers who purchase frequently and send targeted messaging to thank them for being a loyal customer.

  1. CONTINUE TO SHIFT AND INNOVATE

Embrace technology and commit to working ON your business instead of IN your business.  At a recent class I took, I was challenged to commit the first 30 minutes to 1 hour a day working on strategies to grow my business instead of working on other people’s businesses in their growth.  By blocking the time, I’m fresh in the morning to focus on how to grow my own business.

  1. MEASURE YOUR OUTCOMES

If you’re not measuring, you’re not marketing.  Know how people find you.  Advertise and be present where your potential customers are.  Be vigilant in your metrics tracking and reporting. Stay agile so you can adapt plans to reflect what you’re seeing. From there, brands can make messaging personal.

Keep a level head and commit to a long-term marketing strategy can help you flourish in the down cycle and be fully prepared to capitalize on the upswing.  Give people good things to talk about by continuing to have good products and great communication.

To quote Henry Ford…“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.”

Let the Edmiston Group help you strategize how you can PIVOT and GROW your business.  Call 724-612-0755 or email Autumn Edmiston for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Creative power and Powerful ideas business innovation concept with a red glowing boxing glove shaped as a light bulb representing strong innovative new thinking and competitive imagination.

ARE YOU PREPARING FOR A BUSINESS COMEBACK?

by BlogCommunicationsEdmiston Group

Creative power and Powerful ideas – new thinking and competitive imagination.

When there is a business halt, are you preparing for a strong comeback or sitting paralyzed in the silence? Because business owners are fearful of what is to come next, we often will sit back and do nothing. A business may never return to the way it was and just like the businesses that failed to embrace social media, those that choose to stand still and do nothing will lose.

Savvy business owners are taking this time to think of the future and what new lines of business or target clients they want to reach out to. Should their sales pitch change and if so what would that look like? Will the presentation desk, social media channels or website need updating? How will these changes impact their sales staff and will they need retraining? Could staff training be done remotely while the sales force team is working at home?

Try to work down the line deals. Now is the time to negotiate. If your conference has been canceled, negotiate rates on a tentative date to rebook the conference in the future. Pass along the savings to your customers to relaunch a successful event. Instead of doing nothing, you’ve become a problem solver.

If your fundraiser was postponed, can you create a go-fund-me campaign or an online event? There is so much need, you want to be certain your mission stays top of mind.

Meet your customers where they are. Yoga studios and gyms are providing online classes with instructors via Zoom and staying connected to their tribe through private Facebook groups. Chambers of Commerce are offering free classes on how to use Zoom. Restaurants have shifted from dine-in to take out and brick and mortar stores have opened on-line stores. Think about it. They have provided a solution to our present-day situation that could result in an additional revenue stream in the month’s ahead post COVID-19.

Barbara Corcoran, self-made millionaire, real estate mogul, and ‘Shark Tank’ star believes there is great opportunity in every crisis. She has survived 9/11 as well as other critical times in her business. “But here’s what I’ve learned on all these crises through all the years, Corcoran recently shared on her Business Unusual podcast. When things go south, they come back like gangbusters.”

Are you ready to breathe in and move forward to polish up your business? Let’s chat – give me a call at 724-612-0755 or email [email protected].

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Save time and energy with these productivity strategies

Business Productivity Hacks

by BlogCommunications

Save time and energy with these productivity hacks.

How productive and focused are you in your day-to-day activity – at work and at home? Are you a night owl whose energy kicks in after 9 pm or an early bird who rises at the crack of dawn? Regardless of how your internal clock functions, you can always be busy, but not necessarily productive.

Does being busy equate with being productive? If you ask anyone what is the biggest challenge they face in trying to be productive, a likely response will involve something about a “lack of willpower”, or perhaps a difficulty staying focused.

If you think about it there are so many shiny objects that pop up to distract you throughout the day. Social media, email, phone, and personal issues. Any of these distractions can lead to lost productivity.

Build up good work habits for saving time and effort and alleviate some stress. Here are some productivity hacks to help you understand how to work smarter, improve the quality of your work life, and build habits that will save you time, energy, and mental strain in the long-term.

Productivity Begins With Your Goals…Focus On What’s Important To You
Where do you want to be 3 months from now? What about 1 year, or 5 years out? Not just your business but your personal life too. Aligning your work goals with what’s important to you is crucial in creating the motivation required to stay focused. Writing down your goals on a vision board will keep them top of mind.
It’s not by chance that I’m starting with this one. Understanding what’s important to you, not only in terms of your immediate work goals but also looking at the bigger picture. This can help you to focus and set the stage for how you approach wor

Routines Count – Develop Them
Build out a routine, and stick with it. Get into the habit of working at specific times (this is especially true if you work remotely) and you’ll find yourself wasting less energy on figuring out what to do next. Making a To-Do List for the next day allows you to focus on specific tasks and prioritize your time. There are various apps and scheduling tools for you to utilize. Personally – I use Asana, but some of my colleagues like Monday.com.
Monthly routines and processes can be documented and put into these programs. By creating the process, as your business grows or staffing changes, you can easily transition the steps to another individual.

Engineer Fake Pressure
How often have you told someone they will have a report you haven’t yet started by the end of the day? For some people, pressure can help to kick-start them into work mode and perform to a higher level of productivity. If you’re one of those people who finds that the pressure of a deadline or review helps you get more work done, consider engineering some fake pressure into your routine.

Email Check
Just like notifications, sometimes you can’t just ignore your inbox. This is one I struggle with – especially if I’m waiting for proofs from my graphic design team or feedback from a client. The trick is to set a time every day, where you check-in and clean up to inbox zero. The more consistent you can be with this task, the weaker the urge will become to randomly check your emails, and by sticking to the same time each day, you’re building good habits around self-discipline.

Record Each And Every Task
Following on from the to-do list, you can optimize this kind of task-based productivity approach by making sure you clearly and attentively record each task that is important to you. By keeping an up-to-date list of tasks, you can be sure you’re not overlooking certain factors when deciding on priorities and planning your workload. You could use a good old pen and paper to record your tasks and to-do-lists; many people work like this, and it’s perfectly suitable for personal jotting and keeping track of small-scale projects and priorities. This also allows you to track the amount of time spent on a given task. Having this information helps you price services accordingly.

Set Deadlines
Deadlines help you to get work done. This allows you and your team to measure and stay abreast of milestones needing to be met in completing a complex project.

Eat Your Frogs
We all have unpleasant tasks to deal with daily. “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” – Mark Twain. By completing difficult tasks first thing in the morning, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and other things will feel easy in comparison.

Stop Wasting Time In Meetings
Do you start a meeting with a purpose, goals and an agenda? Often, meetings are scheduled according to some arbitrary value like 30 or 60 minutes, and the structure is an afterthought. Define the purpose and outcomes of the meeting before the meeting. Some managers have a stand-up meeting that doesn’t allow for meaningless time spent. Objectives, assigned tasks, and outcomes are to the point.

Time Blocking – Stop multitasking
Focus on one task at a time and set a block of time to complete the task. This goes back to scheduling, prioritizing your TO DO LIST. Instead of trying to split your brain between multiple tasks, rapidly switching between activities and working on each of them simultaneously, you’re better off committing your focus to a single task at hand. Work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break and get up and stretch and you may find your brain remains better focused.

Consider some of these tips as you form new work habits. You may find yourself being more focused, able to better prioritize and execute your tasks at hand. We’d love to hear your success. Share your most successful habit on our Facebook page.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Emotional-buyers

ARE YOU AN EMOTIONAL BUYER?

by BlogCommunications

Emotional-buyersEmotions drive most of our decisions, and that includes what we purchase. Think about it – when you attend a trade show the smell of freshly baked cookies or popcorn will draw you into an exhibitor’s booth.

What is your company’s purpose in forming a connection with consumers that inspires trust, turns them into a lead, and might even spark a sale? The more brands can humanize their content, the more likely they are to incite an emotion that fosters a relationship between the consumer and brand.

Are you spotlighting your team in either your social media or email marketing campaigns? If you have an e-commerce site – how are you addressing abandoned shopping carts? An abandoned cart email is a gentle reminder, from a business to a customer, about the products added to a shopping cart and ‘abandoned’ there.

Why does this happen?

  • Better Price
  • Customer Distraction
  • Indecision

As business owners, we may not realize how poorly this affects our sales and business. Abandoned carts lead to billions of revenue being lost for online retailers every year.

All is not lost if you take action. Salesforce data shows that 60% of cart abandoners went back and purchased the products after receiving an abandoned shopping cart email. A personalized abandoned cart email reminder shows your potential customers what products they left in their cart and offers them another chance to complete their order.

Here’s one example of something to say in your campaign:

Hi (Customer First Name,)

We noticed you never checked out on (abandon date). Did you forget about your awesome items? We saved them for easy reference. Click here to open your cart. (Cart Link). Here’s a quick summary of your products (Products Cart)

If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call our customer service team.

A number of businesses also add a “How can we help make your experience better?” questionnaire to show their customers that their feedback matters. This is also a great way to know why the customer abandoned the shopping cart in the first place. If there are issues regarding a given product, the data gives you the information needed to make adjustments.

Create a positive emotion. Pull potential customers right back in with an abandoned email cart campaign and realize an increase in revenue instead of forgotten items left in an online shopping cart.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Effective-Habits

Stop Putting Out Fires and Create Effective Habits

by BlogCommunications

Effective-HabitsAre you busy putting out fires in your business? We all have issues that come up in our daily operations. As a business owner, there is always that constant pressure to improve the bottom line. So where do you draw the line and put processes in place to market your business? If you’re too busy working IN your business, there is not the time to work ON your business.

For many business owners, they are great at what they went into business for but figuring out how to market their business is daunting. You know you need to market your business, but how do you know the best way to get your name out to new customers? I hear time and time again – “People don’t know we’re here.” Marketing seems labor intensive, expensive, and like something to tackle down the road once a business is better established, but the reality is now is the time to be marketing your services.

Planting the Seeds

A recent Constant Contact survey found that nearly two-thirds of small business owners (64 percent) are focused on increasing revenue and/or sales while a quarter (25 percent) identify making a profit as their biggest business challenge.

You can create habits and processes that will play a key role in driving business growth. It’s the strategy and the plan that can take speaking events and convert attendees into your mailing list. Consistent messaging and touches to this group of individuals can result in new prospects and potential clients that are regularly being added to your mailing list.

Set goals with measurable results and consider picking up the phone to call a prospective client versus always sending an email. Use different forms of communication such as instant messenger in social media platforms.

Identify “Small Marketing” Tasks and Execute

Break larger tasks into smaller pieces. Take one important marketing task, something you need to do consistently, but that you find yourself putting off, like calling prospects or sending an email newsletter, and break it down into smaller steps. Put the task on your calendar and mark it off when done. I personally like Asana and can break my task into smaller steps and check off when that task is done. I try and complete daunting tasks early in the day, so I can get them off the list before interruptions of the day begin. Working with numerous clients, I can color code various tasks for the day per client. Planning is key.

The Building Blocks of Marketing Strategy

Blend the small marketing action with a process and determine how you will implement the action Can it be made it easier, faster and better; or better yet, can the task be automated?

  1. Automate it. One of the easiest ways you can create marketing consistency for your small business while gaining valuable time to invest back into your business, is by automating the action. If email marketing is your focus, the click segmentation coupled with an autoresponder series, allows you to send personalized emails your customers want to receive. I use this tool when networking to grow my newsletter lists. My clients use this process following a tradeshow or special event.
  2. If You Aren’t Measuring How Do You Know If It’s Working? Measuring your actions will enable you to see what’s working and adjust accordingly. Measuring can come in many forms – analytics on a website, coupons redeemed from a print ad, calls received on a dedicated phone line, engagement on social media or reviewing reports in your email marketing program. Don’t just market…measure the results!
  3. Marketing Your Business is NOT a ONE and DONE! Little things done consistently can make a difference. Remember to not only repeat the initial tiny action, perhaps daily over weeks at a time but also the process of making a big challenge smaller. Any action, no matter how small, can be transformed into a positive habit and drive real results.

The key is to start somewhere and keep pushing forward with small and purposeful steps. There is no magic fairy dust to make every marketing activity a success, but consistency in your brand and messaging can create a powerful momentum.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

thought-leader

Thought Leader or Sales Pusher?

by BlogCommunications

thought-leaderBusinesses are seeing a value in being a thought leader. When done correctly, becoming a thought leader, an individual who drives innovation and new ideas in a given industry, is a valuable path for any professional. But there is a difference between expressing an opinion and always trying to push a sale. Thought leaders are popular, well respected and connected enough to drive real value to their respective businesses.

Consistency is key in establishing yourself as a “thought leader.” Identify the specific area(s) in which your company truly has the expertise required to become a thought leader. What expertise does your company have that none (or at least few) of your competitors have? That becomes your value proposition and should be what you key into. You may be good at various things, but you’re probably best known for only one or two.

Stay abreast of trends in the marketplace. These trends will be different depending on the type of business you’re in. What is the common denominator between your areas of expertise and these trends? Understanding the connection will help you join the conversation in a meaningful way.

Know who your target audience is, where their pain points and concerns are, and how you can solve their problems will bring value to the table. You can’t go to school to become a “thought leader,” nor can you complete a one-off program and earn some kind of certificate or formal recognition as such. Instead, you must implement a series of ongoing strategies, refine your skill sets and expand your professional connections consistently. In order to do that, you must hang out in the right places to be sure you’re networking with your target audience.

Understand your platform by defining the appropriate channels. Do you have a blog on your company website? Do you have a social media presence and/or an electronic newsletter? If you are a B2B company, LinkedIn posts by your thought leadership spokespeople might be a good way to reach your target group and ultimately new customers. But remember – personality and passion are key to your success. If the content is too dry, salesy or technical it is unlikely to attract an audience. Be a problem solver, not a sales pusher.

Consistency is key. Define a schedule and stick to it. Don’t jump into many platforms just to say you have an account and not be active. Pick 1 or 2 and do them right. Whether you decide to go for a blog, a vlog, a podcast series, or a series of LinkedIn posts, you need to commit to developing and releasing new content consistently. Becoming a thought leader doesn’t happen overnight, but rather builds as new content is released. Stay focused and keep building the relationship with your readers/viewers/listeners. Audience engagement isn’t one-sided. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for feedback and respond quickly to ensure that you keep the conversation going!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Business-is-Business

What Does “Business is Business” Mean?

by BlogCommunications

business-is-business

When you hear the term “Business is Business” what do you think of? According to the Macmillan Dictionary “business is business” spoken used to say that profit is the most important thing to consider and “we can’t afford to employ someone who isn’t good at the job.” Webster dictionary states, “Business is Business” means that in order for a business to be successful it is necessary to do things that may hurt or upset people, such as “I’m sorry I have to let you go, but understand that business is business.”

As a business owner, I agree it’s necessary to make a profit, but are you always taking into account those that have helped you along the way – for instance vendors. There’s a fine line between being complacent and forgetting the service you received from a vendor during lean times as things turn around and business is booming.

Let me give you two examples of ‘Business is Business’ a salesman recently shared with me.

  • A Bible Camp brought in a young Director of Operations in 2018. For many years, during the history of working with the camp, this food vendor and salesman helped keep the camp open during lean times by extending credit, donating food, providing guidance in menu selection and by working with his food suppliers to offer sales on various products. In other words, the salesman serviced the Bible Camp. When items were missed by the Bible Camp when placing a food order, the salesman took calls after work. He also delivered product himself that was missed being loaded on the delivery truck order so the camp didn’t run short on food. The chef he worked with for years was heartbroken, because he knew from prior experience other salespeople from another food company wouldn’t service him as he had been served. The Director of Operations could only see the bottom line and didn’t take into account the affect this would have on the quality of food they served the campers nor the service he received from the salesman. It didn’t matter the company had stood by this camp during difficult times. The only important thing was to buy cheaper and serve a lesser quality of food and his statement to the salesperson was, “Business is Business.” After all…he wasn’t the chef preparing the food – his only thought was making a profit.
  • A second occurrence this salesman encountered was with a new restaurant owner. This particular person had never owned a restaurant and the salesman sat with him for hours reviewing menus, helping with operations guidance and suggestions for food specials. After a number of months, business was going great and long forgotten was the time spent teaching this restaurant owner how to run a restaurant. I would say this goes above and beyond customer service. The owner then decided to shop around for a low-quality product and began switching some of his order to another food vendor. Again, long forgotten were the hours of time spent teaching him how to run the restaurant. The restaurant manager who placed weekly food orders was so upset, he refused to give the salesperson their food order and told the restaurant owner he would have to look the salesperson in the eye to tell him he was using other vendors. The owner’s response to the salesperson was “Business is Business.” When the owner was asked by the salesperson what the phrase meant, the owner couldn’t answer him. The following week when the salesperson went in for the order – it was left on the owner’s desk as he chose not to tell the salesperson what his meaning of “Business is Business” was. In the weeks that followed, the competitor has begun raising prices on numerous items and the business is coming back to the salesperson.

As a business owner, we want to create “LOYAL” customers. The cheapest way is not always the best way and you find out all too late, the service you took for granted isn’t always there. As you switch to something with lesser quality, you may find out your clientele will know the difference and decide “Business is Business” as well and take their dollars elsewhere. So my question is… “Are you “Loyal” to those who have helped you along the way, or doesn’t that mean anything in today’s business market?”

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Buying-cycle

The Buyer’s Journey

by Communications

Buying-cycleWhether you are a business to consumer retail store or a business to business professional services company, customers buy from you for a reason. How do you help a potential buyer on their journey from awareness to purchase?

Establishing relationships and rapport to generate trust in a product or service is the first step in the sales cycle. Once that trust is earned, you must work hard to keep that customer. They become your cheerleaders in telling others why to use your services.

How often do you see on Facebook or other social media channels – “hey I need a good _____, can anyone recommend someone?” You want that recommendation to be your business or service. Those recommendations come from not only satisfied customers, but also from loyal customers and there is a difference.

Loyal customers visit your store often or rely on your expertise for professional service delivery and/or advice. Do you offer those loyal customers something special? We see it in restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores and retail chains. VIP status, free beverage with a purchase, special coupons. What are you doing to keep your loyal customers happy? How are you making them feel special?

Buying Cycle Steps

There are three steps to the buying cycle – awareness, consideration and purchase. These are things to keep in mind as you seek new customers. People need to know about your product or service before they can consider purchasing from you. So how are you putting your business out there? Are you advertising in the right place? Do you network with potential clients? Are you hanging out where your customers are? This includes social media. If you want to attract a younger audience, you might consider using Snap Chat. A business service may focus on LinkedIn.

What’s the hold up in your customers’ buying decision? Maybe they need to see your offerings in a different light. Perhaps they need to justify the financial investment you’re asking them to make or better understand how others have benefited from using your offerings.

Here are some things that may help move from new customers through the sales cycle.

  • Send them articles, case studies or interviews with industry experts that are relevant to them. This helps to demonstrate your knowledge in the industry or vertical trends.
  • Offer to provide an assessment or a one hour consultation. This allows for some face-to-face interaction to uncover what the potential customer’s pain points are that exist.
  • Provide them with a payback analysis tool. Show them how to use an ROI calculator to determine the $$ they will make/save using your offering.

Understanding why your business is different that someone down the street offering similar services and creating a brand that conveys that message will be key to leveraging your unique selling proposition and closing the sale.

Sometimes the timing just isn’t quite right in the purchase cycle, but those regular touches with potential customers will help to keep your product or service top of mind when it’s time for the purchase to occur. Patience and persistence with targeted messaging is key to business growth.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.