Mistakes are a Sign of Progress

Since I made a change last week to work with another Ezine delivery system, I’ve been pleased with the product’s features and easy-to-read reports.

Newsletter subscriptions are up by eight percent due to a pop-up that appears on my Web site’s home page. It encourages visitors to subscribe and works much better than the dedicated subscription page.

This new system will allow me to launch a series of autoresponder messages. You know the type. It’s a mini lesson or something similar that you create, delivered to prospective clients who request this multi-part message via Email.

When you work by yourself, autoresponders distribute examples of your expertise to potential customers you may not have gained through other methods.

I didn’t realize that when I uploaded my autoresponder messages, I was supposed to create them under a new category, one that’s not associated with my weekly newsletter. That was a big mistake.

The next morning, I received 80 requests for a test product mentioned in the autoresponder message, a product that doesn’t exist. I realized the problem, deleted the messages, created a new category, and added the messages to that category to launch at a later time.

I was frustrated because of the mistake. At the same time, I’m glad it happened. Had I not completed the project, the problem would not have occurred.

On Wednesday, when my weekly newsletter is published, I’ll apologize to those who requested the product and explain why they won’t receive it. If your reputation is solid, one mishap won’t change that fact.

There are too many times when you sit in your office, all alone, wondering if you should start this or do that. No one’s looking over your shoulder demanding a status report. It’s just you. So if you complete a project and make a mistake in the process, you may initially feel bad, but it’s really good. Fix it, and move on.

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April 30, 2007 | Filed Under Online Ideas, Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries | Leave a Comment 

Make Money, Not Perfection

If your plan is to get the kinks out of your well thought out, long-overdue product or service before it’s launched, stop. Guy Kawasaki says that it’s unnecessary.

Here’s the No. 2 tip from his Wise Guy column featured in Entrepreneur’s May edition.

“An innovator doesn’t worry about shipping a ‘perfect’ product. If a company waits until everything is perfect the product will never ship, and the market will pass it by. If you’ve jumped curves, the market will accept imperfections.”

We all know about product flaws. Big companies ship bug-filled computers and technological accessories every day. Why do solo business owners live by the “make it right the first time” creed? What keeps us from joining the “fling it and wing it” crowd?

Kawasaki’s third tip continues where the second one ended.

“It’s OK to ship crap — it’s not OK to stay crappy. You must improve version 1.0 and create version 1.1, 1.2 … 2.0. Innovation is not an event — it’s a process.”

I was raised with quality as my foundation, but it’s a new day. Solo business owners need not perform at high standards. We can create substandard to average products and services and fix it when and if needed, just like the big boys. Why raise the bar when there’s more revenue at the bottom?

That’s my interpretation, but yours may be different. Is it okay for soloists to ship crap and fix it later?

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April 25, 2007 | Filed Under Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries | 2 Comments 

Email Tips for Effective Communication

BtoB, “the magazine for marketing strategists,” just released their Interactive Marketing Guide, which arrived in my mailbox last week. Its cover was deceiving. I thought this was another “here’s where you find lots of suppliers” guide. I couldn’t be more wrong.

This special publication uncovers many ideas to connect with customers, whether your niche is business or consumer. One article, Marketers Still Keen on E-mail, includes a sidebar with five ways to make sure your Email marketing is effective. Here are the highlights.

  • Make your design simple. Don’t overcomplicate the Email. Keep the design clean and easy to read.
  • Partner with an online delivery firm. Sending Emails using your own Email account is out (does anyone still do this?). Choose a delivery system that’s reliable and increases interactivity between you and the customer.
  • Create a calendar. Determine, ahead of time, what will be Emailed and when to deliver it according to your marketing plans.
  • Let Email recipients participate. Provide methods to encourage their feedback (surveys, comment section on your site, etc.).
  • Make subscribing easy. Keep the sign-up form to a minimum, from requesting just the Email address to requiring a full name and company name.

    • Last week, I changed my online communication system to a company that allows me to create unlimited newsletters and autoresponders for my growing list of followers. Solo business owners need lots of automation to complete projects and connect with customers. This is part of the outsourcing that saves time and increases sales.

    BtoB’s 2007 Interactive Marketing Guide isn’t yet available online, but the 2006 edition is.

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    April 25, 2007 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Marketing News, Online Ideas, Recent Entries | Leave a Comment 

    Same Industry, Different Marketing Approaches

    It’s been a while since I’ve driven around town to attend real estate open house events. That’s what I did Sunday. Not only did I want to see each home’s architecture and explore new ways of designing my office (other people’s houses reveal great ideas), I also wanted to watch how each real estate agent conducted business.

    The first home was a well-maintained one-family structure. The agent greeted me and requested that I sign his guest book. I toured the home, and even though another interested party entered almost at the same time, the agent was adept at making sure both of us were accommodated.

    The agent was busy with the other party when I exited, but he quickly connected with me once more on the outside walkway. We shook hands as he thanked me for viewing the home and referred to his card (in my hand) for additional listings.

    I drove to the second open house, another one-family home. The agent was on the phone when I arrived but quickly ended the call. He greeted me and presented his card. I wasn’t asked to sign a guest book, nor did I see one on the table.

    When I finished the tour, the agent asked me if I wanted to make an offer on the house. I told him I’d prefer a different configuration. He quickly ended our conversation and dashed to another couple who had just arrived.

    Which of these marketing approaches best describes the way you conduct business? Solo business owners collect as much data as possible about potential buyers so that proper follow-up materials are sent by mail, Email, or other manner.

    They begin and end every conversation politely and completely. If the first buying opportunity does not conclude with a sale, the initial communication is meant to put the prospect at ease when receiving additional sales calls. In addition, the prospect will be pleased to recommend you to others ready to buy what you sell.

    When I left the last open house, there was no doubt which agents made a positive impression. It’s the same feeling we want our prospects to experience with us each time we make a connection.

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    April 23, 2007 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Offline Ideas, Recent Entries | Leave a Comment 

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