A dentist re-doing the smile of a pageant winner;
An insurance agent buying a billboard;
An interior designer wrapping their car in branded logos;
An attorney hiring someone to “do” their social media;
A health coach paying content farms to produce regurgitated, bland and taste-like-vomit-twiced-wa rmed-over content for their blog.

None of these things are bad, NECESSARILY.

Some I even suggest to members; and a couple I have proven to be QUITE profitable.

PROVEN meaning, I measured it.
I tracked where leads came from, and whether or not these leads turned into MONEY.
PROVEN as in TRACKABLE and FACTUAL.

However, there MUST be some well-choreographed STRATEGY behind ANY marketing endeavor. STRATEGY is what gives muscle and MONEY producing power to marketing and it is a LACK of STRATEGY that leaves your marketing feeling as impotent — and as frustrated — as a 94-year old man with a free hall pass in the Playboy Mansion.

Not fun for ANYONE. =)

To create a MARKETING effort with MUSCLE, you must IMMEDIATELY abandon ANY thought that marketing is about getting your name out there.

MARKETING ISN’T ABOUT AWARENESS,
IT IS ABOUT ACTION.

So you MUST define (in detail) what you are HOPING will happen… what SHOULD happen after your marketing endeavor goes live. Effective marketing is NOT about awareness, it is about ACTION. What SHOULD that beauty queen DO after you brighten her smile? Should she blog about it? Should she do a before and after to be included in your materials? Should she post about it on her Instagram account with a LINK to your site? And how many times should she post EXACTLY?

What are you hoping will be ACCOMPLISHED as a result of your billboard? Do you hope people will call your office for an appointment? Well, you’d better GIVE THEM A REASON to do exactly that… on the billboard itself. None of this “join other happy drivers in NC” B.S.

So, you define the action you WANT people to take.
You REVERSE engineer that action,
and then you make sure your marketing ASKS for that EXACT action.

Keep it direct.
Keep it simple.
Keep it ACTION-BASED.

Do you want to keep a CONSTANT EYE on your own marketing, your own branding, your own sales funnels, your own MINDSET towards business growth? Join Women Who WOW… an online alliance of seriously driven women entrepreneurs. Message me privately to learn more.

The post The Top Way to Put More Muscle in Your Marketing appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

I could talk about branding or packaging or pricing or content marketing. I could passionately implore you — again — to show up every day with a message that motivates people. (You know, to set yourself apart from every other competitor showing up once a week with a carefully polished post or video.) But, I won’t.

Instead, I just want to get to the HEART of getting clients when you need them.

You don’t have to be well known.
Or online.
You don’t have to have a website.
Or a huge social media presence.
You don’t have to have a logo, or a book or a podcast.
Or a team or a mailing list or an active blog.

If you need clients today,
you just need to
1) have a solution they need and are willing to pay for;
and

2) INVITE them into a professional relationship with them, which is where you can apply said solution.
I remember the first time I had a high-end coach.
Britney Spears was going through some STUFF.
Shaved head,
videos of her going all “extra” on a parked vehicle.
You remember…

Anyway, I mentioned — half-heartedly — that I’d love to coach her. And my coach says, “Great. Let’s send her an invite.”

Don’t get all excited.
I did NOTHING.
Why? Because I was like every other coach that didn’t follow through because she didn’t feel ready…. or whatever.

But, the thing that I remember most is how SIMPLE he made it.
I wanted a client.
I knew who that client was.
I knew what I wanted to help her with.
and his BRILLIANT “strategy,”
was an invite.

Looking back, the personal invite strategy is the cornerstone of EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR I’ve made in my business.

In 1999 – 2000, I mailed out 100 letters, inviting people to hire me for “at home secretary work.” $63,000 earned.

In 2003, I mailed print invitations to my very first Great Women’s Gathering. The teeniest of seeds were planted that day for Women Who WOW.

I created clients through greeting card mailings and direct emails inviting people in to a strategy meeting with me.

Nearly EVERY butt,
in EVERY seat,
be it a 200 person event,
or a 12-person event…

was filled with a PERSONAL touch email or invite in SOME way.

Women Who WOW (which if you’re not a member, but you’re reading this… email me. NOW is THE time to join.) was filled and is STILL largely populated by MY OWN personal invite. (And the invitations from our members to their friends.)

Private,
simple,
“Hey — check this out” emails.
or phone calls
or Facebook messages.

So, if you are in need of a client TODAY.
Forget all the hype.
Drop all of the “shoulds” weighing on your business.
Lose all of the things you think you MUST do in order to look professional enough to earn someone’s business.

And invite them,
into a conversation,
Instead.

Don’t invite just ONE person.
Make a list.
Connect with EACH person personally… privately.
And let them know how’d you like to help.

And then, repeat.
When you see someone you could help.
Invite them…
to lean in closer…
to consider your offer….
not for YOU,
but because of what YOU can do for THEM,
when they say YES

The post Practical Help for When You Need More Clients, Today appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

I wrote the other day about how I study “business greats” and several people asked me who else I studied.

So, of course, I study the names you KNOW, but I also study business GREATS who you probably don’t know — but should. Greats like,

• Sidney Barrows, known now as an “American Businesswoman,” with speaking gigs at places like Harvard and Yale. You may also have heard her referred to as The Mayflower Madam.
• Dr. John Brinkley, born in 1885, who made himself one of the wealthiest doctors of his time, selling the service of transplanting goat testicles onto men…. his version of “the fountain of youth.”
• Gary Halbert, who is a genius copywriter who also spent a bit of time in prison.
• I study Dan Kennedy and Steve Chandler. Not just what they say, not just what they make public or fashion into a book or blog post — although I read that too — but I WATCH them (from afar.) I study their actions…
• And I study Jay Armes, a private detective made famous by his work helping crack the Marlon Brando kidnapping, and a genius at creating — and exploiting— fame and status.  Armes, who had two hooks for hands, was a genius in orchestrating what his prospects saw, heard and felt when they came in to see him.

Dan Kennedy, same thing. NONE of what you see when you go to see him in his home office is an accident.

Not what you hear,
not what you see,
not what you look at when sitting on the toilet.

The piles on his table say, “this man is in demand.”
The clocks all over the office say, “this man isn’t in to having his time wasted.”
The pictures of his racehorses say, “Despite the ‘average’ house, this man is loaded.”

Anyway, so these are just another VERY FEW that I personally study, but that’s not what I really want to talk about today. I want to jump off of this conversation and take you on a BIRDS EYE EXPLORATION of what YOUR prospects might see when they enter your digital / online “office.”

• Do they see you complaining?  You know, about the snow? or politics? or your failing health?
• Do they see you jumping from one thing to another?
  i.e. Do you have all of your “tries” at business proudly listed in your about section?
• Do they see you being mean?
• Do they see you vague-booking mean girl style?

Or

• Do they see you encouraging others?
• Do they see you as “above the fray?”
• Do they see you empowering others to take action?
• Do they see you standing firm in who you are?
• Do they see you as SETTLED in your own power?

What do they SEE when they approach?And also, more importantly, what do they FEEL???

Do they get close to your digital office and feel empowered? encouraged? better equipped?
Do they peak in on your digital space and feel BETTER about themselves?
Do they FEEL you’ve told the truth, but with their best interest at heart?

And what do they HEAR?

Anger?
Seething sarcasm? (guilty!)
Neediness?
Sadness?
Confusion?

OR

Confidence?
Boldness?
Courage?
Empowerment?

All in all you want to know this:

Do they feel they can come to you with ANYTHING, TRUST you with anything — simply because of what they SEE and FEEL and HEAR when peaking in on your online office?

This is important.

So, take a look at your public profiles… on social media, on your blog, on your website… and WITHOUT JUSTIFYING ANY PART OF IT in your own mind…. what do they currently see, hear and feel from you?

And what do you think could change to allow your best prospects to feel safe and excited about coming closer?

Did you know that Women Who WOW is taking the world by STORM??? We’re growing with total integrity to our vision of creating a home, a sisterhood, a business school for the most SERIOUSLY driven women entrepreneurs. If this is you, message me for details.

The post Your Online Marketing & Branding Audit appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

The way I see it, there are TWO primary ways to grow your business:

1. You can grow through marketing and exposure…. which is the whole media, PR, networking, Facebook ads thing
   AND / OR
2. You can focus on the people ALREADY under your umbrella, serve them, love on them, engage with them… and watch them bring their friends.

To be VERY clear, despite my hermit-nature, I do both and recommend both. (My media, of course, largely focused on print… you know, to avoid the whole “have to show up” thing.)

BUT, we focus so little on growing our business through LOVING ON THOSE ALREADY HERE, I wanted to cover it today.

There IS a tendency to cash someone’s check and move on to look for your next conquest in business… not unlike the stereotypical picture of an adolescent boy and the “notches on his belt.”

But, WEALTH (like love) is created by going DEEP.
Deep within yourself and your own gifting.
Deep with your commitment,
and deep with your people.

So, how can you show your people YOU LOVE THEM and are GRATEFUL for them today? How can you show them that they’re important? That you haven’t forgotten about them in your quest for “new” business?

I make a point to reach out to EVERY ONE Of my members — personally — via email a few times a year. I want to know WHO they are (really), HOW they are, what they need, how I can serve them better. But mainly, I just want them to know I’m thinking of them.

I also buy Girl Scout cookies,
support their launches,
try to chime in on their social media posts,
reach out to them when I know they’re hurting,
check in on their sick parent or recovering spouse,
follow up when they’ve revealed something personal to me… to see how that particular thing is going.

In other words, I treat them like people,
like friends,
like HUMANS.

Humans that I care deeply about.

Does this count as marketing?
Maybe not traditionally,
but I can tell you that Women Who WOW grows
BEST and LARGELY from current members dragging their friends in the door.

So, over to you… how can YOU love on you people today? How can you show them SO MUCH LOVE that they bring their friends in to meet you?

Speaking of, have YOU joined Women Who WOW yet? We’re the online alliance of SERIOUSLY driven women entrepreneurs who are committed to UNREASONABLE success, on our own terms WITHOUT COMPROMISE. Is that you? If so, email me.

The post Marketing for the Introverted Woman Entrepreneur appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

“Well, she’s a (very) seriously driven woman entrepreneur, so why would she think she WASN’T,” was my initial thought.

Her response:
Because I focus (A LOT) on content marketing. =)
Would it apply to her?, she wondered.
Or do I only work with coaches and speakers, attorneys and authors and the like?

My response was measured…. deliberate.
But — of course — honest.

The truth is,
content marketing WORKS.

And not just for “content businesses,”
but for EVERY business.

In fact, there’s not ONE business or industry that couldn’t measurably benefit from producing regular, authentic content. One of the things I said was this,

“If you hired me to work with you privately,
paying me $10,000 down for the first 3 months,
and then $2500 per month after that,
I’d immediately have you start producing content.”
=)

Why?

Because content
when done right (authentically and consistently)
produces the cash.

But WAY better than the cash…
Content is a differentiator…
Here’s a bit more about that from our members-only strategy sheet regarding how to “do” content consistently in 2018:
****
Content is a differentiator.
— It allows you to stand out.
Your story, your content, the intimacy you develop with your people is what CANNOT be amazon-ed. EVERYTHING else can.

But content also FUELS your growth…
• It gives people something to share and pass on to those who should be buying from you;
• It pushes people on the fence over to the sale.
• It positions you as unique in the marketplace.
• It allows your marketing to go OUTSIDE of your 1:1 transactions or conversations.

Content — when done right — is like a sales team you pay only once and only with your heart’s message… and they work FOREVER.

*******
KEY POINT: There is NO business that cannot and will not benefit from content fuel. Period, end of story. Whether you sell mittens, or essential oils, or therapy, or chiropractic services, or weight loss products, or hair products or coaching or poetry or legal services.

So, if you’re not commanding the fees you want…
if you’re not attracting QUALIFIED leads regularly and with ease,
If you’re not DAILY building demand (and preference for) YOUR stuff… over ANY and EVERY other option your market could consider….

Well, perhaps you should focus more on CONTENT marketing. =) Why? Because IT WORKS.

When done RIGHT, it WORKS.
This isn’t some new age “bright shiny object” thing.
Content has ALWAYS worked.

That’s why soap operas were created…
to create CONTENT in order to sell soap.
That’s why infomercials were created
(and are still SUCH a huge new-customer creator)…
to give CONTENT around the sales conversation.

That’s why doctors used to travel the country,
even back when they traveled by horse and buggy…
to give people REASON to come to them.

Back to our new member…
who — to her credit — joined
DESPITE me saying,
“yeah… i’m gonna want you to create some content.” lol….

After ALL of that,
I then had to send her a message that said,

“Oh yeah… Our first WOW training of the year is on CONTENT.” lol….

Here’s what we covered in our first BONUS training of 2018:

— the PURPOSE of content (regardless of your industry)
— the TYPES of content (and the freedom within each),
— my exact template of a content calendar, (i.e. what is included in mine and how I plan my own content)
— the THEMES we’re covering for 2018 within membership and also
–17 prompts for content production that are GUARANTEED never to leave you with a cats got your tongue moment… for aT LEAST a year.

If YOU missed this training, there’s still time to JOIN Women Who WOW. Doors are open friend.

The post Content Marketing for NON-CONTENT Businesses appeared first on b. michelle pippin.