What Numbers Get You the Business You Want

Published September, 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Featured Article: What Numbers Get You The Business You Want? (see also the article I wrote called Marketing and Accounting Together. It’s on my web site.)
2. Born to Read Book Club: Big Ideas for growing your small business by Frances McGuckin ; You’ve Got To Read This Book by Jack Canfield and Gaye Hendricks.
3. Featured Resource – Copywriting by Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero
4. Question. What is the best way you use to get new clients now?
5. Read My Blog called Marketing to Small Business– at http://www.trudyvanbuskirk.typepad.com

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TRUDY’S NOTE

Hi There

We must know our numbers, especially in our marketing. I don’t mean what we get by having monthly financials. These come after the fact. We have to know what to do every day, week or month and what that will get us as sales. Retailers and restaurant people live by these. They know each day how many people walk in the door and buy, how much they spend and on what. They keep their doors open when they get this and do more of the kind of marketing that brings sales.

We can all learn from them. This article is about the numbers that we probably already know but haven’t paid attention to, to get the kind and amount of business we want.

Every day we have to do some marketing. A colleague told me that she must do 4 networking events and 2 speeches every month to get a new client who brings in $1000 of sales. She makes sure she gets these numbers by watching them every day, week and month and has therefore written them in her calendar.

You can, too.

(See my blog at http://www.trudyvanbuskirk.typepad.com for more of my thoughts on this.)

Thanks for reading.

My Best Wishes,
Trudy
Organized Marketing Mentor and Teacher
mailto:trudy@smallbizbuilder.com   http://www.smallbizbuilder.com

Please print or forward this ezine to your friends and colleagues – I have lots to tell you and would like you to give this info as a gift to yourself and others. Enjoy.
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You are thinking that this is about finance. It’s not. It’s not about the numbers you get every month from your accounting package. It’s not about the numbers many people disliked in high school.

It’s about marketing and the numbers that will get us what we want – time for ourselves, our families and our friends, more sales with less work, vacations any time and any place we want, delivery of what we really want to do to those who want it … . You must know the numbers that are important to you to have this.

SEE IT. PLAN YOUR FUTURE.

Stephen Covey said we must begin with the end in mind. Everything we do begins with a plan. What do we want? Think about then write down what you want. It may be sales of $6000 per month, no debt, a new web design, hiring new employees because you’ve grown, going to a seminar you like or whatever.

You can have more than one thing. Just be sure you write it down. You probably don’t have it now but you can have it.

WHAT MARKETING WORKS.

Look at your clients. How much does each one buy? Will it get you what you wrote in your plan?

How did they buy? Was it because you were networking, advertising in a magazine, mailing brochures to a list, told others about you (called word of mouth, but a type of marketing), speaking, writing articles and placing them, or sending out a regular ezine?

Know how they came to be your clients. If you aren’t sure then this is a great reason to call them on the phone or send an email to learn more about them and about you. Assume they’ll tell you. Remember that all you have to do is ask.

HOW MUCH SHOULD WE DO?

Now you know what numbers are important. If you learned that most of your clients came because you went networking 2 times a month, do it. You may have to write 5 articles a month and place them. Do it. You mail 25 brochures a week and phone follow up each one. You speak 2 times each month. Figure out which gives you the highest sales and do more.

That’s what I mean by knowing your numbers. A real estate woman I talked to knew exactly what worked for her. If she got 100 names on the “finished a listing” list and called them all, she would have 20 to see, 6 would have her take over the listing and she would sell all 6 homes. That would give her exactly the sales in her plan. She did it over and over again and she became very successful.

DO IT EVERY DAY.

Keep track on paper or in your head – 2 networking events plus 2 speaking gigs each month result in 6 meetings with 2 people who bought $5000. each – or whatever your numbers are.

Do what works repeatedly and know that at the end you’ll have what you want.

Keep learning, … and until next time.

© 2006 Trudy Van Buskirk

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2. BORN TO READ BOOK CLUB

Here are the two books for this issue. The first one is business and the second is spiritual. As always I own them both and have read them.

BIG IDEAS FOR GROWING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS by Frances McGuckin.
This is a how to book for those who have a small business now. It’s chock-full of lists, questionnaires, forms, case studies and “Big Ideas” boxes. One that I’m using with this ezine is “Big Idea: Read The Signs. To convince customers that they should buy from you, learn to recognize their needs. Allow them to discover the benefits of your product, while showing them the value and illustrating how easy it is to buy.”

This book is in its second printing and has been updated. If you already have a business, read it – I did and got new ideas that I’m using. Get the Second edition.

Frances is a Canadian, too. She walks her talk by having a home based business and teaching these principles across Canada and into the U.S.

You can buy it here: http://www.smallbizpro.com  her web site. Be sure you get the 2004 edition. Frances phoned me the other day as a reply to my email and is getting the 2004 edition put on amazon.ca .

YOU’VE GOT TO READ THIS BOOK! by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks.
Yes, I know that lately I referred you to a lot of books by Jack Canfield. You can tell that he’s one of my favorites.

There are 55 people who wrote about the book which changed their life for the better. If you like to read as much as I do, you will get this book. And if you want to add to your library with books that made a difference to someone’s life, come here.

Pick it up any time and read any chapter by any one – a person you have heard of like Kenny Loggins, Louise Hay, Michael Gerber, and Stephen Covey or a complete stranger to you such as Rafe Esquith, Sheryl Leach and Kate Ludeman. They tell about books like To Kill Mockingbird, The Hero with A Thousand Faces, and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
Just read it. It’s uplifting.

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060891696/ref=nosim/smallbizbuild-20

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3. FEATURED RESOURCE

Copywriting is a major part of succeeding both offline and online. Having compelling copy can make a huge difference in your results (and income). Hiring someone to do your writing for you is an option and it can be quite expensive. Talented copywriters charge in the thousands and are often booked up!

Another choice is to write it yourself – your web content, your ezine, and your promotional materials. I have always written my own copy then got help from others who do it professionally.

I’ve always studied copywriting. One of the people I met and who I subscribe to regularly is Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She’s awesome – friendly in person as well as in her ezine. She gives a lot away and so when she recommends that she is using someone, I look at and buy it.

Lorrie has written for those who’ve been really successful with her copy and has a downloadable course, book, and live workshop. I listen to her no charge teleseminars often.

Get everything Lorrie has and recommends. She is one of the best copywriters I know.

http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=237643

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4. Questions. What is the best way you use to get new clients now?

5. Read my blog at http://www.trudyvanbuskirk.typepad.com to learn more about marketing tips. I can write more often here and whatever comes up as it does.

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ABOUT TRUDY VAN BUSKIRK

Trudy Van Buskirk, is the founder of Smallbizbuilder. As a small business consultant, trainer, author, and resource, Trudy ensures that her clients get the results they want using her practical and disciplined system which motivates them to plan AND to take action.  She has built three businesses from the ground up in Canada and the U.S.; consulted with small businesses and professionals; developed and delivered training courses for entrepreneurs; given keynote addresses and authored four books for TVOntario’s Bits ‘n Bytes television series on computers in 1982 and Winning Women in 1992.

CONTACT ME: Email: mailto:trudy@smallbizbuilder.com
Voice: 416-778-9976 (Eastern time)
Web: http://www.smallbizbuilder.com

Copyright © 2006 Trudy Van Buskirk. All rights reserved.

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Reprinted from Inspired Marketing by Trudy Van Buskirk of Smallbizbuilder, a fr*e*e ezine published to educate and communicate Tips, Tools, and Resources to build your business or your professional practice.

Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated! Write me at mailto:trudy@smallbizbuilder.com .